Pause Before You Post...

As we move through the summer months, I’ve been noticing something quite familiar in myself, and I've been wondering if it might be familiar for many of you too?

We take more photographs, we capture more little moments, and often, without really thinking about it, we share them - I've done this myself. A child running along the beach, sandy feet and wind in their hair. Ice creams, slightly melted in small hands. Those ordinary, joyful moments that we know we’ll want to remember, and very naturally, we want to share them.

This is not about judgement, as I have done this myself. I have shared photos and videos of my own children at different points too. Like many parents, I’ve felt that pull to capture something lovely, to connect with others, to share a piece of our life. I've also felt the pressure to "demonstrate" my parenting ability. But this year, I’ve found myself thinking about it a little more deeply. Not with guilt as such, but with curiosity... both as a mother and as a psychologist.

We are raising our children in a world where sharing has become part of everyday life. We share to stay connected, to celebrate, to document memories, and sometimes simply because it feels like the natural thing to do. There is something very human in that. It makes sense.

But it is also a new way of being, and one that asks something slightly different of us as parents.

Lately, I’ve been coming back to one question:

When we share, we are usually thinking about connection or meaning. Our children, however, are not yet thinking about where that image might travel to, how long it might exist, or how they might feel about it down the line. And so, in many ways, they rely on us to hold that perspective for them.

Over the coming days, you might notice yourself reaching for your phone to capture or share a moment.

There’s no need to judge that instinct, it’s part of how we live now. But perhaps, just for this week, you might allow a small pause.

Inside the membership this week, I’ll be going a little deeper into why we share, and how our own needs and experiences can shape what we post in ways we don’t always realise.