I’m pretty sure this will be a never ending struggle in my mind. Do I really want my daughter on my blog? It’s so hard when she’s just so darn awesome. Such a huge part of my life. How could I not share photos of her? But, I don’t have a complete list of who’s actually reading my blog. I know most of you are amazing and awesome. But, the world isn’t perfect. Who else is reading?

Who else is here for other reasons? I feel like I need to continue to step back and wonder, is this the time I stop sharing photos of my daughter?

I do know this: the day she says, “I don’t want my photos on your blog.” That’s it. I won’t be posting them anymore. But, for now she can’t really share her opinion. She likes seeing photos of herself on my computer and she doesn’t know anything about the internet. That’s where I come in… her mama. I cannot decide if I should or should not.

Reasons why I’d stop: I know of 3 times where my blogging friend’s kids were recognized in public, people stealing photos and claiming a kid as their own when they are obviously not, and putting a picture of your kid on a shirt and selling it (this happened to Shawntae).

When I went to BlogHer last month, I went to photography blogging day long class thing. It was called BlograpHer. I enjoyed it. I learned a bit and it was fun listening to the ladies they had speaking. But, there was one speaker, a professional photographer, that says she never watermarks. Ever. Her reasoning: what if a company wants to use her photo on a product? They wont want to see it with a watermark! Well, that actually worked for her (her kid’s photos are on a few baking products, etc… and, they paid her), but I don’t see that happening with me (this ladies’ photography is ahmazing). So, I watermark. I was just a bit disturbed at how she didn’t care if someone stole her photos. At all. She didn’t care. I don’t know about you, but I care where my photos go. That’s completely her opinion, that I do not understand.

Sooo for now, I will just continue to limit the amount of photos I share of Miss R. Plus, I have a few unwritten rules…. That I try and remember to keep for when I share photos of my girl online (including twitter, instagram, and Facebook): Always watermark! Sometimes I forget… But, I try to always watermark. And, I’m not talking about the corner of the photo, I like to have the watermark touch her face/neck. Resize those photos. I always resize before posting to my blog. No image on my blog is wider than 650. Never share naked kiddo. That’s it. No naked nothin.

What are your thoughts on this whole sharing your kid online? Do you watermark?

– Chelsey

p.s. I’m linking up with Just Write.