Sharenting. It’s a catchy new word for an everyday habit—one that’s so ingrained in modern American life that many parents hardly think twice before uploading a photo or story about their child to social media. Combining “sharing” and “parenting,” sharenting is the act of regularly posting kids’ pictures, videos, achievements, and personal stories online, sometimes with audiences that stretch far beyond the family circle. For parents, especially those who love technology or want to stay connected during busy seasons, it can feel almost second nature.

But as Christian parents called to steward the precious lives entrusted to us, it’s crucial to pause and weigh both the blessings and the risks that come with putting our children’s lives online—not just for now, but for their future.

What Parents Share: From Milestones to Moments

Sharenting can start even before a child is born, with ultrasound pics or baby shower highlights. As children grow, the impulse to document continues—first steps, birthdays, holidays, vacations, team victories, school performances, and all those adorable everyday moments. Family outings, messy mealtimes, hospital trips, and lost teeth are just a few examples of what shows up on the digital stage. Some parents go further, sharing more sensitive details: medical updates, behavioral challenges, funny mishaps, or even embarrassing tantrum videos.

Content isn’t just images—videos, voice clips, status updates, locations, and long captions often add context or backstory. Sometimes, parents mention their child’s full name, age, or the school they attend, inadvertently scattering personal details across platforms. The intent, most of the time, comes from a place of pride, joy, love, or wanting connection.

Why Do Parents Sharent? The Heart Behind the Habit

  1. Connecting With Community: In today’s scattered families, social media helps unite relatives and close friends who may live hundreds or thousands of miles away. Posting about kids’ milestones is a digital way to share memories, especially for grandparents or friends who don’t get to visit often.

  2. Support and Advice: Parenting is tough and sometimes lonely. Sharing struggles, questions, and victories online brings encouragement, advice, and empathy from fellow parents, whether it’s how to tackle potty training or deal with teenage moods.

  3. Preserving Memories: Social media serves as a ready-made scrapbook, archiving the story of a child’s early years. These platforms provide quick access to highlights, and even prompt parents with “memories” as time goes by.

  4. Self-Presentation and Validation: Let’s be honest—many parents (believers included) occasionally hope for the “likes,” affirmations, and compliments that come from posting carefully curated family moments. It feels good to be seen and appreciated, and at times, sharing online affirms that one’s parenting efforts are worthwhile.

The Criticisms: Weighing the Risks and Respecting Our Children

Just as sharenting offers some positives, there’s increasing awareness—and concern—about its downsides.

Privacy: More Than Just a Buzzword

The biggest and most obvious risk of sharenting is the erosion of a child’s privacy. When a parent shares a picture or story online, it can end up anywhere. Public posts—especially those shared outside limited groups—can be seen by strangers, downloaded, copied, or re-shared without the parent’s (or child’s) consent. Revealing full names, birthdays, addresses, or schools can open the door to identity theft, phishing scams, or unwanted contact.

As Christian stewards, we’re called to “guard” what we value. In Proverbs, wisdom is often tied to discretion, and that extends into the digital realm. Our children are entrusted to us, yet they have a right to privacy, dignity, and safety.

Digital Identity—Before They Can Consent

One major criticism of sharenting is that children’s digital identities are being formed—sometimes in immense detail—before they’re old enough to understand or consent. The information parents share can follow their children for years: cute baby videos become embarrassing in the teen years; medical stories or disciplinary anecdotes may create reputational challenges later.

In many families, consent isn’t even considered. Studies reveal that only about a quarter of parents ask their child’s permission before posting content; many teens say their parents have posted things after being asked not to. Our kids’ digital footprints should be theirs to shape. As Christian parents, respecting the developing autonomy and dignity of children aligns with the biblical principle of loving our neighbors—especially those most vulnerable.

Oversharenting: The Blurry Line

When does sharing become oversharing? It’s not always clear. Posting the occasional milestone may seem harmless, but sharing sensitive or humiliating stories can feel like a breach of trust to a child. As children grow, many voice discomfort with the volume or nature of parental sharing. This can cause embarrassment, resentment, or conflict in family relationships, especially as teens develop a stronger sense of self.

Navigating the Debate: Connection vs. Protection

Supporters of sharenting see it as an extension of storytelling and community—positives that echo the biblical value of fellowship. When used thoughtfully, sharenting builds bridges, reminds parents and children that they’re part of a loving community, and helps families keep memories alive.

Critics, however, urge restraint, warning that today’s digital “memory” is permanent. Once something is online, it’s nearly impossible to reclaim. Images may circulate to places never intended. A seemingly innocent post could accidentally expose a child to harm, ridicule, or misuse.

A Christian Perspective: Stewardship, Wisdom, and Relationship

For Christians, the call to be wise stewards (1 Corinthians 4:2) means thinking critically about what we share and how it affects those in our care. Here are a few guiding principles:

  • Ask Permission: Whenever possible, involve children in decisions about what’s posted. Teach them about privacy and respect their wishes, especially as they get older. If a child expresses discomfort, honor their feelings.

  • Limit Sensitive Content: Avoid posting about medical issues, discipline, emotional struggles, or anything that could embarrass or harm your child’s reputation. Consider how a post might be viewed years from now.

  • Check Privacy Settings: Use private groups or restricted audiences for sharing with relatives. Be vigilant about who can see your content, and periodically review settings.

  • Reflect on Motivation: Are you sharing to encourage, connect, and build up, or seeking validation and attention? The answer shapes the wisdom of the sharing.

  • Build Meaning Offline: Remember, fellowship and connection can also happen in one-on-one calls, handwritten letters, and visits. Don’t let digital sharing replace the depth of real relationships.

Growing in Wisdom: Healthy Habits in the Digital Age

Sharenting isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s how and why we practice it that matters. As parents, we can celebrate the gift of technology and community while staying anchored in wisdom, humility, and love. Social media may be a blessing to families, but stewardship calls us to discernment, humility, and care.

By guarding privacy, honoring consent, and seeking what’s best for our children, Christian families can navigate this terrain with confidence, knowing we’re acting out of love for both God and neighbor. After all, our children’s lives are not ours to broadcast; they are gifts we are called to protect, nurture, and celebrate—sometimes quietly, and always wisely.

As you scroll through your photos and prepare your next post, take a moment to ponder: Is this sharing done out of love and wisdom? Will it build up your child and family—both now and for the future? Wisdom, after all, is the greatest gift we can pass on.