I’ve seen the lists. You know the Facebook etiquette lists. I’ve heard the people talk. You know the people who complain that their newsfeed is filled with other people’s kids because we’re at that age where a lot of people are popping those kids out or still have them at the cute, baby-cheeks, toddler-walk, and preschool-art phase of life. Well I fear that’s me.

I didn’t mean to become the mom that posts photos of her kids. Really. I recall lightly promising a few friends years ago that my profile picture would remain MY picture and I would not “lose my identity” by switching it to a photo of only my children. As if my Facebook profile has any real bearing on my identity. At the very least I’ve kept that promise to myself. Of course, had Facebook not added the cover photo option I may have not.

I even thought I was doing a good job. About once a month I add 10 or 15 photos into a photo album, and they all happen to be of my children. I share them for my small following of family and friends. I’m not a daily, or even weekly, poster of anything. I really thought I was doing a good job into But then I went to my profile. Profile picture aside, if you didn’t know me you’d think my first, middle, and last name must be the names of my three children because there is no other evidence I even exist unless you scroll back and take a hard look.

Please don’t hate. I’m a stay-at-home mama to three young children. Turns out, that means my children are my whole day and night. Move along unless you want photos of me paying bills, scrambling together a meal, endlessly clicking and unclicking three car seats while trying to run errands efficiently, or trying again to get a consistent workout routine. I could take those photos. I think you would want to see them even less than my children.

And let me be honest. I have other interests. I’ve got all other parts of me that have nothing to do with my kids, all those passions and pursuits I invested my life in up until I had children. On the rare occasion that I have time for them, I’m not updating Facebook! This mama ain’t got time for that!

I’ll lay it out for you. This is the season of life I’m in right now. Just scroll on by or, even better, like or comment every once in a while. After all, online is one of the few ways I interact with people over four feet tall. Likewise, I’ll take part occasionally in your food pictures, photos of you clanking your glass of wine with someone else at a bar, posed vacay pics at beautiful locals, and fundraisers or political and religious opinions. We’ve all got our baggage… err, interests… we air out on Facebook. Lucky for my children, my interests always include them.

Lynette is a mom of three children from newborn to age four. She appreciates the idea of staying connected but also that some seasons of life, like this one, leave her sleep-deprived and some days without shower.