Chances are excellent someone has posted a picture of your child online without asking you. If you're like me, and you have chosen not to post photos of your kiddo, you see that little notification you or your child has been "tagged" or maybe you scroll past it in your News Feed, and all of a sudden your heart sinks and you think to yourself:

What is this?

When did they post it?

Why didn't they ask me if it was okay first?

Where might else it be posted?

Who may have already seen it?

And then the sigh of ...

Ugh. I really want to ask them to take it down. But I don't want them to get offended or think I'm being rude.

First, you have every right to have a say in whether or not pictures of your child are shared online.

Second, if your wishes are not shared, no one will ever know.

It's up to you to let people know you don't want pictures of your kiddos posted online. It's second-nature to many these days to post about anything and everything so it was almost certainly done with the best of intentions.

How to quickly - and politely - make the ask:

Here's a straightforward message you can use to quickly - and politely - make the ask:

INITIAL NOTE

Hi! Just saw an image of _______ posted on _______. It is a great photo, except I'm trying to keep his/her digital footprint small. Can you please take that down? I love to see and share pics with family and friends only prefer to do so privately to determine best who has access to those images for privacy and safety reasons. Thanks!

WHEN THEY RESPOND

Thanks for understanding. I just get nervous because once a photo is online, anyone can access it and share it. I'm just trying to make every effort to ensure ____ can establish his/her own digital footprint if and when the time comes. Just call me a "Trepid Tech Mom." Have a great day!

Have you had to send a similar communication? Please share what your message looked like, as well.