Teacher pressures mom to let her post pictures of her 5-year-old son on the school's social media: 'I don't post my child online.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Sep 4, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

What's wrong with this teacher? 

Have you ever seen someone on a TV show with a blurred-out face and wondered why? When I was a kid watching What Would You Do, I was always miffed about why some random people in the background of the shot would have their faces blurred out. The reason for the censorship is that those people didn't sign release forms allowing the production company to air their faces on television. We have a right to privacy, and if a TV show is being filmed in the diner you're eating at without your knowledge, you have the right not to be on said TV show. A lot of people would love to be on TV, so they sign release forms without a problem, but you have to respect those who don't want their image broadcast to millions. 

Maintaining privacy has become much more difficult when everyone and their mother is on social media. Somebody can take a video of you without your permission, post it online for all to see, and you could never know about it! In some countries, it's illegal to record somebody without their consent, but in the United States, you're not going to be thrown in jail for that. A lot of people claim that Gen Z is so antisocial because they're afraid of being recorded in public and posted online, which is a valid fear if you've seen hundreds of instances of people going viral and being widely mocked for doing banal things. 

The mom in this story is honoring her 5-year-old son's basic right to privacy by not posting him on social media. When her son's school pressured her into letting them post pictures of him online, she didn't back down. Why should a teacher need to post a student on social media anyway?

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  • 01
    A little boy with a blue backpack running in a classroom
    via Yunus Tuğ (Unsplash+)

    A kindergarten boy whose mom doesn't allow his face to be posted online. 

    Model portrayal.

  • 02

    Am I the bad guy for not consenting on a media disclosure form?

    My son has his first day of school soon. The school sent consent forms to sign for various things, and for social media and other types of media I did not consent.
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 03
    They emailed me asking if I meant to say no. I replied I did in fact mean that I do not consent to his picture or video being taken and possibly posted on the internet or being in the news, amongst other possibilities outlined in the form.
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 04
    The teacher told me it makes it difficult for them when there are only a handful of kids every year that can't be in photos or videos for public consumption. I didn't reply... I really don't think it deserves a reply. It feels strange to me that they are kind of pressuring me.
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 05
    Teacher using her laptop to email her students parents
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A teacher is emailing her student's mother, pressuring her to let her post her son on social media. 

    Photo is a representation of scenes.

  • 06
    I don't post my child online because he is not old enough to understand the ramifications and cannot consent to it. When he's old enough to understand, he can tell me he's okay with it and I'll sign the form. But until
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 07
    then I don't think it's appropriate. He's only 5 years old, I feel like I'm doing a good thing by keeping his internet footprint at zero until he can decide for himself.
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 08
    I do feel bad though, because I try to be the parent that teachers want me to be. I don't want to make their jobs harder. I don't want to be difficult. But I've literally never even consented on media disclosure forms for myself as an adult lol. It's
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 09
    a hard line in the sand I've drawn and always have.
    via u/eugeneugene
  • 10
    Designer_Thought2907 NTA, teacher needs to understand what consent means
    via u/Designer_Thought2907
  • 11
    SpaceCookies72 "What part 'no' didn't you understand? The nnn or the ooooh?"
    via u/SpaceCookies72
  • 12
    AugustSky87 Literally my response: "Teacher, I could not possibly care less. Put my child on the internet and I'm going to become a problem."
    via u/AugustSky87
  • 13
    Stormtomcat Why are they even making forms if they're pushing back on the option they don't like? If that's what they want, just fold those things into the contract parents sign when they register the kid in school. If a parent doesn't want to sign the contract, their kid isn't a pupil at this school. Don't get me wrong: I think OP is completely right. The school is just ridiculous.
    via u/Stormtomcat
  • 14
    throwawayabac NTAH - most my career has been working with kids. These forms are very typical and hugely important to follow. I had a child who was in full custody of mom and could not be photographed because Dad was not supposed to know where they were. There are very real and frightening reasons why a child shouldn't be posted on the internet. I'm so sorry that they're giving you a hard time.
    via u/throwawayabac
  • 15
    Fast-Tie257 To add to this. Most children who are in foster care cannot be photographed or filmed and posted publicly. The teacher should not be pushing back. Confirming you meant to say no, fine. Everything that came after is not ok. I think it's weird to want to post other people's children online. I have removed all personal photos and videos from social media. If I post pictures of sporting events, faces are turned away or it's far enough away the face is hard to make out. ΝΤΑ
    via u/Fast-Tie257
  • 16
    Affectionate_Dig3041 NTA. It's really not that hard to put a sticker on a kid's face.
    via u/Affectionate_Dig3041
  • 17
    Hell_Child Right. My son's school has a good handful of kids that I ASSUME had their parents also say no, and when they're in a group picture being recognized for something, or a class picture or anything that gets shared online the school puts emojis over them I've even seen emojis over faces in a crowd like for the harvest festival they do every year, huge groups of kids and their families boop little emoji kid way in the back. It's only as big of a deal as they make it, sks OPs school is maki
    via u/Hell_Child
  • 18
    Teagana999 Emojis are easy now. When I was in school, the people who didn't consent to pictures had to stand outside the picture.
    via u/Teagana999
  • 19
    Effective_Trifle_405 I am a parent and a teacher. Good for you! Don't back down on this. NTA
    via u/Effective_Trifle_405
  • 20
    Professional_Cat_996 Who emailed you? If it was just the teacher I would reply and copy the principal. If it was the teacher and administration of yhe school I would reply and copy the county office. It was highly inappropriate for them to send you that email. You may be one of only a few but it is your decision and there's a reason for the form that is sent out every school year. It's your job to protect your kid, not to make the teacher's life easier. NTA
    via u/Professional_Cat_996

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