It's important to consider your children's privacy and safety when sharing information about them online. Some recommend to limit the personal information you share, such as full name, address, school name, or identifiable photos. Instead, consider using initials or a nickname, and only share pictures that do not show their faces or other identifiable features. 

But it's difficult, to always be mindful of who has access to your social media accounts and what information they can see.  'Sharenting' is no easy ask. 

And it's a hot issue now. In fact in a recent piece of research, 44% of UK parents named social media as the most important issue in modern society, ahead of climate change.  NOW that's serious. 

So how can we address it.

Dr Richard Anderson, who is the head of learning and development at High Speed Training, says: 

“What each parent chooses to share, or not to share about their child comes down to the personal preference of the individuals involved, but parents should be aware of the risks that can come with sharing information online" 

Here's some tips that Richard has shared on safeguarding your children online:

Think of the digital footprint

“Before posting images of your chi,ldren, it’s a good idea to first consider what information you’d be comfortable with a stranger in the street knowing, especially if you have a social media account that is public. You should also think about how large of a digital footprint you’re comfortable creating for your child before they have the ability to provide their informed consent.

Use a private account

“If you’re planning to share information about your child, we would recommend changing your social media account to private and checking through your followers to make sure you’re happy with who can view the information. We would also recommend that you establish some ground rules with friends and family for what can and can’t be shared.”

Consent is key

“If your child is old enough, we would also recommend asking their consent before posting online. If your child is too young to provide consent, then consider whether it may be best to be cautious with the information you share before they are able to give permission.”

Don’t share images of other people’s children

“If you’re a parent of school-aged children, you’ll likely have been asked by teachers to not share images and videos of events such as assemblies and nativity shows online. Unless you have the consent of the parents of every child in your photo/video, you shouldn’t be posting them on social media.”

Consider the types of images you’re sharing

“If you are someone who wants to share photographs of your children online, try to be mindful of the types of images you’re sharing online. For example, avoid sharing images of your child in the bath, or in a nappy/not fully dressed. Whilst these images are completely innocent and wholesome family moments, it’s best to keep them private as you simply never know who can access them online.”

Dr Anderson adds: 

“Whilst the government continues working on the long-awaited Online Safety Bill, it will be interesting to see how conversations on the topic develop. As online safeguarding experts, we’re backing the bill and are keen to see it pushed through parliament, to ensure that safeguarding children is the top priority when it comes to social media use.”

To learn more about the safeguarding courses High Speed Training offers and to read more on what parents think about sharing information about their children online, visit: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/safeguarding-your-children-online/

And finally, it's always a good idea to discuss with your children and family about the importance of online privacy and the potential consequences of sharing too much information - online savvy children and equally online savvy parents.

*The research was commissioned by High Speed Training, a provider of online training courses in child safeguarding, ahead of Safer Internet Day (7th February)