When did you last get over 600 likes on your Facebook page? Never reached that number? Well neither have I. But when Faith and Ally announced Felix, my grandson’s birth on Facebook, they had a record number of likes. When you are smiling, the whole world smiles with you!
Why write this?
I joined FB about 6 years ago mainly to see my children’s photos. For years they would not befriend me, as it is so uncool to have parents as your friends. Only when their friends became my friends, did they relent.
You get the picture – I’m a mostly passive user of FB. However many grandparents are very active and tech-savvy and I’d like to share this experience.
About 3 weeks after the FB announcement of Felix’s birth, I was looking through photos of him and decided to change my profile photo. Until this time, all my profile photos were food items etc. When I added a personal photo and a photo of Felix with his parents you see on this page, FB automatically tagged Faith and Ally. I didn’t know how to undo the tag, nor did I think it important.
BANG, those two photos got a LOT of coverage! Random strangers (friends of the parents but not known to me) went to town with their likes and comments. My daughter Faith privately remarked that she didn’t like the photo that I put on FB because she’d just come home from hospital – both she and Ally looked so tired (but happy).
Faith’s reaction was mild, but what if she really objected to that photo?
Any suggestions about FB use?
- Announcing baby’s birth should definitely be left to the parents.
- Grandparents need to be aware that FB automatically tags photos, so you may want to discuss the first few photos of parents and baby that you post, to avoid stealing the limelight from parents, or choosing ones they dislike.
- Some parents are very sensitive about posting Baby’s photos and if so, this wish should be respected
- Most grandparents are besotted with their grandchildren (and rightly so) but others may just find daily posts a little tiresome. So to share more frequent photos, you may need to start some other sharing group, maybe with immediate family members. We use WhatsApp.
Faith and Ally have put more photos of Felix on FB but only at weekly intervals. Me? I’ve started this blog, and using photos of them with full permission. Whew!
If you have tips of FB use and grandchildren to share, I’d be very glad to hear from you.
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