My girl, Hanalei, is crushing it with Facebook Live! I’ve had parents concern themselves with her being on Facebook live and in the public eye. They’ve asked me what the pro’s and con’s for their child doing it.
Here’s a live Hanalei did where she made doll dresses-
https://www.facebook.com/hanaleiSwan88/videos/674077042743288/
This is my take on kids doing Facebook live: all pro’s!
Encouraging a child (not teach them) to speak in public, or on video is one of the sure fire ways to raise a child with self confidence. And it helps them develop self worth.
Your child needs a platform where they can articulate their feelings and express their ideas. I’ve chosen to let Hanalei share her ideas with the public. She’s a talented artist that has many great things to share with others.
Other pro’s to letting children be on lives.
In addition to giving your child a platform to share their passions and the confidence it brings, I also think these are other pro’s-
- Show others what it looks like to be a united family. I love interviewing her on my lives.
- Inspire children to go after their dreams by other real life kids. We know that our kids consume a lot of media, why not make it positive?
- It teaches them a valuable skill. Let’s face it, we all need to know how to market ourselves. It’s never too early to start.
- They’ll learn what’s appropriate to share on video. Since this is a normal part of our lives, Hanalei has boundaries established with what she talks about and does on camera.
To me, giving my daughter the opportunity to grow herself in this way has been such an important part of her development.
Since Hanalei was born she has been on video.
We now have a log of YouTube video’s from the start of her life traveling to her finding her passions. She’s been finding her voice and learning that she says can inspire someone else. I can’t wait for her to be able to look back and see how far she’s come.
Keeping kids safe is important, but shouldn’t stop you.
We understand that there are weirdo’s in the world, so we don’t hide this from Hanalei. We talk about it as a family. We’ve share real stories that have happened to children that have reached out to people they don’t know on the internet. As creepy as it sounds, this is the best way for them to understand how to protect themselves from harm.
People disagree with how much I share with Hanalei.
Some say it’s too much information for them at a young age, I say you cannot share with them enough. When parents hold things back to protect their age, they are setting themselves up for failure because they’re smart…and kids talk.
Instead of burying our heads in the sand and pretending like something won’t happen, we prepare her for the worst case scenario. We can’t protect her forever, which is why we have chosen to equip her. In my opinion, this is a much better approach than keeping her ignorant.
What is your take on this subject? Leave me a message in the comments. I’d love to hear it.
Want to inspire your kids?
I think Hanalei has a great gift and can be a real inspiration to other children her age. I hope you will head on over to her page, and show your kids. She is following her passions and just going for it with no fear. I don’t know about you, but this is what we want for our daughter.
You can follow along with her as she is about to release her new fashion line. She has been working with a designer to put out her very own line of women’s clothing. I love watching her turn her passions into something that will benefit others.
Want to pursue your passions like Hanalei? Get your free copy of Leveraging the Digital Economy. It’s a great resource to get started.
