We all have at least one of those friends, whose rosy-cheeked, grinning family candids on Facebook look ripped from a Mini Boden catalog minus the accessory puppy. I’d venture to say that we also all know someone who shares photos of her kids, no matter what they look like, every day, all day long.
STORY: How to Take the Cutest Photos of Your Kids
The style of family photo that you post on social media doesn’t just tell others what you want them to think about you and your family, though, it reveals what your parenting style really is. “We are visual animals and unconsciously try to ‘figure out’ others using visual cues,” image consultant Carol Davidson tells Yahoo Parenting. Here’s what typical family photos actually indicate about you and yours.
The messy kids, laughing all together shot
“This picture suggests that the parents have a relaxed parenting style,” Davidson offers as a best-case scenario. Worst case? “It may suggest that they are not paying attention to the details — or to their children.” There’s nothing wrong with posting one photo of a messy kid, adds Di Giusto, “But if you do it again and again, you make that your story.”
The silly shots with parents acting like kids alongside children
This one is as straightforward as they come, according to Davidson. “It suggests that the parents are fun-loving, easy-going and encourage laughter, and enjoy a good time,” she says. What others observing it take away, she says, is that “these people like to let their hair down.”
The shots of kids caught in the act
Images of children nabbed doing something that they shouldn’t (think: coloring on walls, standing on a table, cutting a sibling’s hair) are a crowd pleaser, says Davidson. “And it suggests that you have a very human, real quality. These kind of images can even foster a feeling of camaraderie with other parents who see this photo. People enjoy seeing pictures like this.”
