Yesterday someone left a comment on my blog that I was an irresponsible parent for posting pictures of my kids in their homemade pants. I wasn't going to publically react to this but as I lay in bed last night upset, I decided I wasn't going to leave that comment undisputed.
Ironically, one of the reasons that I started sewing was because I found store-bought children's clothes age-inappropriate with their grown up styles at odds with childhood innocence. And specifically with regard to the underwear pattern, I designed it with maximum coverage as I was uncomfortable with how much flesh their store-bought pants exposed. Believe it or not, I actually angst quite a bit about which pictures I post. If there is anything that might be construed as salacious, I don't post it. If I wouldn't want them to look or behave that way in public, I don't post it. If it is anything beyond what you would see in any department store clothing catalogue advertising clothes, I don't post it.
Unfortunately it is an undeniable truth that their are bad people out there that objectify children. But do you know who else objectify children? The well meaning people that shout 'OMG the paedos!' when they see naked children on the beach or indeed children in their pants on sewing blogs. As a very wise person on my f-list said last night, 'Yes, and pedos never ever go after fully clothed children, just like rapists never go for women in bulky sweaters or old ladies, only nubile young hotties in their undies.' Indeed.
It is another undeniable truth that there are places online that are purpose-built for perverts to get their kicks. They are not sewing blogs. I regularly check my Google Analytics traffic sources and keyword searches and have seen no evidence of my blog receiving traffic from dodgy sources. If I ever was to, I would have to reconsider my position. But for now I'm comfortable to post pictures of my own gloriously innocent children, on my own blog, without inviting judgement.
Addendum: I'm not posting this because I want sympathy, or validation, or even debate. I'm not looking for any flame wars. Just as I was unhappy about being publically judged, I'd be unhappy if the commentor was too. So for that reason I'm closing comments.
