What will the children think?
When I write my blog, before I hit 'publish post' I think 'how would I feel if my parents read this?' It is my measure of what is OK for me to put out there.
Of course, other than my parents, the key people I need to keep in mind are those who are the subject, or at least the inspiration, of nearly every post I write. My three precious children. I hope that one day they will read this blog and enjoy the record of their lives and understand just how much I love them and they mean to me.
But I'm not totally daft. I realise there is a big difference between my children reading this as grown-ups, perhaps with children of their own and therefore more forgiving towards me, and that of my children reading this as teenagers, critical and suspicious of everything I say and do.
There are some posts I have written, ones where I talk about difficult behaviour for example, that I really wouldn't want my children reading while they are young and sensitive. Fuel for any seemingly unfair treatment or perceived favouritism.
Freyja can now read pretty much everything and a few times I have left my blog open on the laptop and she has wondered in and started reading -'little pong? that's me - what's this mummy?'
I probably have a few years still to mull it over, but how long do I keep doing this? How long should I carry on blogging, keeping this record of our lives? When is it no longer fair to my children? And when they are older what do I do with everything that I have written about them? How would my teenage children feel about their friends finding this blog?
Will a time come when I feel I have to delete it? But what of all those records, our experiences, my love for my children? Will I just protect it with some sort of password? Or filter it, removing posts I think may be sensitive?
Or will I call it a day, print it all off and give it to my children when they are grown and more forgiving and I am old and wondering how it passed in the blink of an eye?
Of course, other than my parents, the key people I need to keep in mind are those who are the subject, or at least the inspiration, of nearly every post I write. My three precious children. I hope that one day they will read this blog and enjoy the record of their lives and understand just how much I love them and they mean to me.
But I'm not totally daft. I realise there is a big difference between my children reading this as grown-ups, perhaps with children of their own and therefore more forgiving towards me, and that of my children reading this as teenagers, critical and suspicious of everything I say and do.
There are some posts I have written, ones where I talk about difficult behaviour for example, that I really wouldn't want my children reading while they are young and sensitive. Fuel for any seemingly unfair treatment or perceived favouritism.
Freyja can now read pretty much everything and a few times I have left my blog open on the laptop and she has wondered in and started reading -'little pong? that's me - what's this mummy?'
I probably have a few years still to mull it over, but how long do I keep doing this? How long should I carry on blogging, keeping this record of our lives? When is it no longer fair to my children? And when they are older what do I do with everything that I have written about them? How would my teenage children feel about their friends finding this blog?
Will a time come when I feel I have to delete it? But what of all those records, our experiences, my love for my children? Will I just protect it with some sort of password? Or filter it, removing posts I think may be sensitive?
Or will I call it a day, print it all off and give it to my children when they are grown and more forgiving and I am old and wondering how it passed in the blink of an eye?
posted by solveig at
11:07 am
2 Comments:
It would be terrible to lose this wonderful record. But I totally understand the concern.
I can't quite imagine how I would feel as a kid if I could read it then, or the pressue I would put on my parents. I can imagine shouting petulantly, "and this better not appear on your blog!".
But what would I give to read something like this now at my age? It would be such a fascinating insight. I recently discovered a haul of old home movies and they have been great to go through. It was amazing to show Katherine my parents together when they were married which she can't quite believe ever really happened!
Quite a dilemma, but like so many things the fact you are aware of it ahead of time means you'll know what the right thing to do is when the time comes.
It is a dilemma and one I will need to have a think about for while.
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