Inspired by your commitment to no iPads and limited TV time (with curated content). We are planning/trying to do the same. But any time it is discussed online, there seem to always be parents rolling their eyes and saying “don’t live in the Stone Age.”
I hope more and more parents realize what excessive screens and over-stimulating children’s TV is doing to developing brains. It isn’t “no big deal,” it matters!
I think people feel judge when I share my views against it. I am not judging them, I am just saying that I have done my research and so I won’t let my child be an iPad baby. And that maybe they should look into it (because deep down, EVERYONE knows this isn’t how children develop!)
Preserving Privacy and Safety: One of the primary concerns of exposing children's faces on social media is the potential violation of their privacy. By sharing identifiable images, we expose our children to a wide audience, including strangers who may misuse or exploit their images.
I completely agree with this. Manon, I enjoy your beautiful recipes and recipe books (indeed, your crêpes recipe is now a Sunday morning highlight for our children) and sunny insights into your life - your children seem absolutely delightful and you have a beautiful home and family. I remember you on Bake Off and it’s lovely what a positive and wholesome outlook you have on life and towards parenting. Your travel adventures are inspiring.
I would, however, urge a little caution in respect of sharing your children online in whatever capacity. Stories do disappear after 24hrs but there is absolutely nothing to stop people taking screenshots in that 24hrs, and whatever information you do share about your life and your family once published online is up for grabs and no longer within your sole control. People shouldn’t help themselves to that information, but just because they shouldn’t doesn’t mean they don’t. I know from experience in my career pre-kids (some of the darker sides of family law) that there are some very sinister and troubling individuals out there who have very different motivations to your quite innocent ones in sharing footage containing children. The dark web is a real and scary thing, and in these days of advancing AI there are manipulations that can be made to photographs of very young children that are deeply concerning and upsetting. Innocent photographs that you may share of your sweet little ones, even if only for 24 hrs, can be altered and manipulated into something beyond recognition for all sorts of grotesque purposes.
There are also real world as well as online risks. I was recently on holiday at Center Parcs with my own young family and while we were there I saw a lady with her two children who frequently posts on instagram with a large social media following. She regularly shares photographs and videos of her two girls who are, I think, 7 and 10. I instantly recognised them on one occasion as they walked past us one evening; on another occasion both girls were outside playing near to us in a large play area while their parents were, I believe, indoors in a nearby restaurant. The girls seemed happy enough and I’m sure their parents were watching from a distance. But it did occur to me how vulnerable those children were. As just some random member of the public, I knew both children’s first and surnames, their ages, both of their parents’ names, and all sorts of little details about their lives (like their youngest’s recent birthday, activities they enjoyed doing, details about their parents’ lives, hobbies etc) that would make it very easy for an adult with very different motivations to go up
and talk to them in a way that might lead them to think I was known to their parents and thereby a trusted adult - not just at Center Parcs but anywhere (airports, on holiday abroad, in the street, the school run, wherever). I found that a bit scary! Social media can be fun but I do wonder how trusting we should be of sharing so much of ourselves with people that in the end really are just a load of faceless strangers. I wonder how much of it is worth it and for what end goal, ultimately.
Anyway, sorry to be the voice of doom. As I said at the outset, your content is lovely and I admire the good intentions behind it - but would absolutely understand why you may no longer wish to share media content relating to your lovely little ones. They are precious :)
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I'm personally very wary of social media and I don't share anything personal. My partner and I made the decision to not post about our child online. Our thinking is that we wouldn't want pictures posting without our consent and we should allow him the same privacy. Part of me would love to share as so many others do but until he's old enough to understand the implications of being online and give his consent, I'm not sharing anything.
I'm so glad that I grew up pre-social media and I want him to have the same level of privacy. I think within the decade we'll see "Kidfluencers" suing their parents for exploitation.
Thanks for this text Manon. I could only add one more book to the ones recommended: Kids Run The Show (or Les Enfants Sont Rois in French) by Delphine De Vigan.
Thank you so much for this! I also have never had iPads for my kids or used phones in any capacity. They watch a bit of AM French cartoons (harmless ones much younger geared than their 10 and 8yr old selves) on the weekends. Occasionally they’ll “help” me with my Duolingo on MY iPad with me. No socials, no online presence at all for them - photos are texted to friends and family. I’ve never regretted a minute of these decisions; and so many have judged me. My kids have high reading levels and can entertain themselves and each other for hours with hardly anything. They can carry on conversations in restaurants, eat their food, play outside in the dirt! We will make it through the teen years with being the “uncool” parents. I hope I encounter more as I move through the school years that think the same 💙
I am here for being an “uncool” parent too! For the price of raising emotionally secure and smart adults ready to navigate the world and what it will throw at them 🙏🏻🥰
Just some solidarity Manon... you aren't alone! It's easy to feel like an old-fashioned parent, behind the times etc when making decisions that are really counter-cultural. But we don't have iPads, Kindles or anything else specifically for our daughters (aged 7 and 5). They occasionally play one tetris-style game on my phone, only with my permission. And we use a laptop with them to play the same IT games that the oldest is doing in school computing lessons. We take a DVD player on holiday for a few films, and they do watch some TV most days. But I feel life is for the living at this age. They have such vivid imaginations and play well independently and together with all sorts of toys and games. The time will come where we will need to introduce a screen, digital skills will be so essential as the years go on. But we don't feel a hurry to do so and we know there will be no going back. There are some fantastic shows on CBeebies if you do want to vary the TV time. We are really enjoying JoJo and GranGran and My World Kitchen at the moment.
It sounds like you are very aware of balancing the children being on your page and when that is and isn’t appropriate. I think you are doing a great job and they have lots of fun activities with you. The chores are also something I grew up with too and have also expected our son to do also. Things like tidying his room, taking the bins out, peeling vegetables, emptying the dishwasher, light housework etc. It definitely helps to instil a sense of responsibility and also learn some life skills.
Our son had no electronics until he was 11 and going to secondary school and then it was limited and had parental controls. Screen time was earned and a maximum of an hour. He’s 20 now and still doesn’t do socials - for which I’m very grateful! They are only young for such a short time and need to be children. We also need to be their parents when they are young, not their friends (like so many seem to be trying to do).
I enjoyed reading your thoughts and experience of influencing as a mother. Totally agree with your sentiments and outlook on it, as a mum to a toddler it is daunting figuring out how to balance use of technology and still get the benefits of it too.
However I would say to take Jonathan Haidt’s book with a pinch of salt, as he has been widely discredited by professionals as manipulating his data and showing only what fits his agenda.
Thank you for reading and thank you for that insight! I will do some more research on it! That said, even if data has been manipulated, the facts are still unfortunate facts … :( Good luck with your little toddler 🥰
Thanks Manon, raising children in a digital world is a minefield; we try and follow our parent instincts and protect them while knowing technology will be part of their lives
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I’m reading The Anxious Generation now and thinking about this a lot as a mom of two young boys.
Your perspective is thoughtful and encouraging to see.
We also have screen time rules and don’t allow personal screens for the children at all (even while traveling) and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made as parents.
Keep up the good work!
I love your work and thoroughly enjoy every recipe I try!
Inspired by your commitment to no iPads and limited TV time (with curated content). We are planning/trying to do the same. But any time it is discussed online, there seem to always be parents rolling their eyes and saying “don’t live in the Stone Age.”
I hope more and more parents realize what excessive screens and over-stimulating children’s TV is doing to developing brains. It isn’t “no big deal,” it matters!
I think people feel judge when I share my views against it. I am not judging them, I am just saying that I have done my research and so I won’t let my child be an iPad baby. And that maybe they should look into it (because deep down, EVERYONE knows this isn’t how children develop!)
Preserving Privacy and Safety: One of the primary concerns of exposing children's faces on social media is the potential violation of their privacy. By sharing identifiable images, we expose our children to a wide audience, including strangers who may misuse or exploit their images.
I completely agree with this. Manon, I enjoy your beautiful recipes and recipe books (indeed, your crêpes recipe is now a Sunday morning highlight for our children) and sunny insights into your life - your children seem absolutely delightful and you have a beautiful home and family. I remember you on Bake Off and it’s lovely what a positive and wholesome outlook you have on life and towards parenting. Your travel adventures are inspiring.
I would, however, urge a little caution in respect of sharing your children online in whatever capacity. Stories do disappear after 24hrs but there is absolutely nothing to stop people taking screenshots in that 24hrs, and whatever information you do share about your life and your family once published online is up for grabs and no longer within your sole control. People shouldn’t help themselves to that information, but just because they shouldn’t doesn’t mean they don’t. I know from experience in my career pre-kids (some of the darker sides of family law) that there are some very sinister and troubling individuals out there who have very different motivations to your quite innocent ones in sharing footage containing children. The dark web is a real and scary thing, and in these days of advancing AI there are manipulations that can be made to photographs of very young children that are deeply concerning and upsetting. Innocent photographs that you may share of your sweet little ones, even if only for 24 hrs, can be altered and manipulated into something beyond recognition for all sorts of grotesque purposes.
There are also real world as well as online risks. I was recently on holiday at Center Parcs with my own young family and while we were there I saw a lady with her two children who frequently posts on instagram with a large social media following. She regularly shares photographs and videos of her two girls who are, I think, 7 and 10. I instantly recognised them on one occasion as they walked past us one evening; on another occasion both girls were outside playing near to us in a large play area while their parents were, I believe, indoors in a nearby restaurant. The girls seemed happy enough and I’m sure their parents were watching from a distance. But it did occur to me how vulnerable those children were. As just some random member of the public, I knew both children’s first and surnames, their ages, both of their parents’ names, and all sorts of little details about their lives (like their youngest’s recent birthday, activities they enjoyed doing, details about their parents’ lives, hobbies etc) that would make it very easy for an adult with very different motivations to go up
and talk to them in a way that might lead them to think I was known to their parents and thereby a trusted adult - not just at Center Parcs but anywhere (airports, on holiday abroad, in the street, the school run, wherever). I found that a bit scary! Social media can be fun but I do wonder how trusting we should be of sharing so much of ourselves with people that in the end really are just a load of faceless strangers. I wonder how much of it is worth it and for what end goal, ultimately.
Anyway, sorry to be the voice of doom. As I said at the outset, your content is lovely and I admire the good intentions behind it - but would absolutely understand why you may no longer wish to share media content relating to your lovely little ones. They are precious :)
Yes I totally understand and agree! I think as Fleur and Raphaël grow, I will definitely rethink it through for things like those 🩷
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I'm personally very wary of social media and I don't share anything personal. My partner and I made the decision to not post about our child online. Our thinking is that we wouldn't want pictures posting without our consent and we should allow him the same privacy. Part of me would love to share as so many others do but until he's old enough to understand the implications of being online and give his consent, I'm not sharing anything.
I'm so glad that I grew up pre-social media and I want him to have the same level of privacy. I think within the decade we'll see "Kidfluencers" suing their parents for exploitation.
Yes I can totally see why 🙏 You apply for him what you apply for yourself so that makes total sense 🥰
Thanks for this text Manon. I could only add one more book to the ones recommended: Kids Run The Show (or Les Enfants Sont Rois in French) by Delphine De Vigan.
Oh I need to buy it ! Someone else has mentioned it to me too!
I really enjoyed reading your opinion and think your perspective is very measured. I may be biased though as you are one of my favourite influencers!
Aww thank you Lauren 🥹🙏😘
Thank you so much for this! I also have never had iPads for my kids or used phones in any capacity. They watch a bit of AM French cartoons (harmless ones much younger geared than their 10 and 8yr old selves) on the weekends. Occasionally they’ll “help” me with my Duolingo on MY iPad with me. No socials, no online presence at all for them - photos are texted to friends and family. I’ve never regretted a minute of these decisions; and so many have judged me. My kids have high reading levels and can entertain themselves and each other for hours with hardly anything. They can carry on conversations in restaurants, eat their food, play outside in the dirt! We will make it through the teen years with being the “uncool” parents. I hope I encounter more as I move through the school years that think the same 💙
I am here for being an “uncool” parent too! For the price of raising emotionally secure and smart adults ready to navigate the world and what it will throw at them 🙏🏻🥰
Just some solidarity Manon... you aren't alone! It's easy to feel like an old-fashioned parent, behind the times etc when making decisions that are really counter-cultural. But we don't have iPads, Kindles or anything else specifically for our daughters (aged 7 and 5). They occasionally play one tetris-style game on my phone, only with my permission. And we use a laptop with them to play the same IT games that the oldest is doing in school computing lessons. We take a DVD player on holiday for a few films, and they do watch some TV most days. But I feel life is for the living at this age. They have such vivid imaginations and play well independently and together with all sorts of toys and games. The time will come where we will need to introduce a screen, digital skills will be so essential as the years go on. But we don't feel a hurry to do so and we know there will be no going back. There are some fantastic shows on CBeebies if you do want to vary the TV time. We are really enjoying JoJo and GranGran and My World Kitchen at the moment.
And as we know, “digital skills” are just too simple to pick up, so that is a wrong excuse people are trying to say our kids won’t be “tech savvy”!
It sounds like you are very aware of balancing the children being on your page and when that is and isn’t appropriate. I think you are doing a great job and they have lots of fun activities with you. The chores are also something I grew up with too and have also expected our son to do also. Things like tidying his room, taking the bins out, peeling vegetables, emptying the dishwasher, light housework etc. It definitely helps to instil a sense of responsibility and also learn some life skills.
Our son had no electronics until he was 11 and going to secondary school and then it was limited and had parental controls. Screen time was earned and a maximum of an hour. He’s 20 now and still doesn’t do socials - for which I’m very grateful! They are only young for such a short time and need to be children. We also need to be their parents when they are young, not their friends (like so many seem to be trying to do).
Very true Lynn! Thank you for reading 🙏
I enjoyed reading your thoughts and experience of influencing as a mother. Totally agree with your sentiments and outlook on it, as a mum to a toddler it is daunting figuring out how to balance use of technology and still get the benefits of it too.
However I would say to take Jonathan Haidt’s book with a pinch of salt, as he has been widely discredited by professionals as manipulating his data and showing only what fits his agenda.
Thank you for reading and thank you for that insight! I will do some more research on it! That said, even if data has been manipulated, the facts are still unfortunate facts … :( Good luck with your little toddler 🥰
Thanks Manon, raising children in a digital world is a minefield; we try and follow our parent instincts and protect them while knowing technology will be part of their lives
Exactly so! I hope I can help with sharing my experience of being an influencer to help navigate this to the positive side of what social media is 🙏✨
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I’m reading The Anxious Generation now and thinking about this a lot as a mom of two young boys.
Your perspective is thoughtful and encouraging to see.
We also have screen time rules and don’t allow personal screens for the children at all (even while traveling) and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made as parents.
Keep up the good work!
I love your work and thoroughly enjoy every recipe I try!
I left you a private DM because I don’t want to talk about this publicly. 🩷