10 Crimes Of The Social Media Parent

It’s time to shine a light on parents who make everyone depressed with endless pictures of their perfect life. Ciara McDonnell delves into the murky waters of online parenting

When you sleep in two-hour increments and spend most of your days running after extremely boisterous tiny people, it can be extremely tempting to share your every minute with the welcoming audience of social media. Today, we live our lives through the lens of our mobile phone camera, poised at every second to capture a Tweetable offence. Whether it’s Facebooking your daily menu, or reaching out to other parents, there’s no doubt that social media fills the void for so many of us during those lonely first years as a parent.

That said, we all know at least one parent who lives their oh-so-sunny life through social media. Their instagram feed is filled with beautifully dressed children skipping through forests, making dolls from dried grass or casually helping to prepare dinner. Their Twitter and Facebook feeds — “Caoilinn just surpised us with a rendition of Come What May on the recorder!#childgenius” — are a modern equivalent of The Good Life.