Children's pictures online - what parents should look out for

It's almost taken for granted: parents post a picture of their offspring on their birthday, their first day at school or when they start nursery school. Everyone is happy - for the moment.

Because it is questionable whether the child will still share this joy in ten years' time. Especially during puberty, young people often find it difficult to deal with images that show them as small children. These feelings need to be taken seriously.

A child also has the right to privacy and to its own image.

Basically, there is a legal and an ethical side here. The legal side: A child also has the right to privacy and to its own image. Of course, at the moment the parents still decide on this. But they only do so by proxy, so they should exercise their responsibility with caution.

One thing is absolutely clear: if there are other children in the picture, it is essential to obtain the consent of the other parents before the picture is published.

Respect your child's personality

The ethical and moral side is a little more complicated: should the child's face be visible? A tried and tested rule is to photograph the child in such a way that it is not recognisable. This approach also allows for unusual, surprising images that differ from ordinary snapshots.

This could be a good solution: You share your family life because you enjoy your children. At the same time, you respect their personality, which should be a matter of course in any parenting endeavour.

If you have decided to publish a picture - for example at the start of a chindsgi - be sure to ask your child whether they agree to this. You should emphasise that this picture will also be seen by people you don't even know.

In this way, you can discuss early on what it means to publish a picture online. If the child reacts negatively, you should of course respect this. In this way, you can practise media skills with your child at an early stage.