Parental Advisory: Your kid’s snot is grossing us out, so stop it

Welcome back to Parental Advisory, where I answer all of your social media and IRL parenting etiquette questions. This week, let’s talk about snot.

Question:

How do I politely tell my friends that I don’t want to turn on my phone and see close-up-in-your-face photos of their kids’ faces covered in snot? I totally understand that kids are snotty. We all get colds. But as adults, we would never take a selfie with a snot bubble coming out of our noses. We would expect our friends to be disgusted. Why is it so hard for some parents to see it’s the same problem coming out of a child’s nose?

Anonymous

Answer:

One of the most inexplicable conundrums I’ve yet to understand since starting STFU, Parents is why some parents share stories, images and at times daily or hourly updates about bodily fluids, while others remain firmly on the side of disgust. Snot, as a point of interest, seems to be the fluid that divides parents the most. I’ve heard from parents who wouldn’t dream of posting about their kid’s massive blowout or first poop in the potty, but are willing to defend those who do simply because they understand the pride of potty training and relate to the horrors of diaper explosions.

More:The 25 stupidest baby products ever invented (and that’s saying something)

Rarely do those parents extend this courtesy to pictures of sick and snotty kids. For one thing, kids are frequently sick. It’s not a milestone when a child is sick again, so it’s hard to argue that it’s worthy of a social media post. And as you said, Anonymous, everyone knows what a cold looks and feels like. The last thing most of us want when we’re sick is to have our picture taken, so why should it be any different with kids?

Up next: The photos we’re talkin’ ’bout