Nanny Diaries To Sharenting. Can We Leave The Celebrity Kids Alone!

As an influencer chronicled her pregnancy, one was witness to her ultrasound images of her unborn child, the gender reveal. Which was followed by the grand baby shower and finally the birth of her son.

There were mixed reactions, as the new mother turned her social media into a digital diary of the infant's life, as well as showcased the many brands, which were making parenting easier.
Alanna Panday who has steadily built her social currency as a beauty and wellness influencer, and is all set to headline a reality series, is also the cousin of Ananya Panday.

Alanna dropped dreamy babymoon clicks as well as video posts as she and her husband awaited the arrival of their baby.

On the other hand, Aunt Ananya's excitement as she welcomed her nephew, became fodder for the press and made it to national headlines.
After all, did it even happen, if it is not on the gram?

Opinions were mixed as they were divided. As many said this is the way it is with the new generation. Some expressed concerns at the excessiveness of it all, and exposing intimate details of one's life and child's to strangers.

Alanna Panday may have embraced sharpenting ( parents discussing their children outside the family circle), like many parents including several celebrities, who love sharing cutesy images of parenthood. From celebrating the many milestones which range from one-month anniversaries to the first report card as well as family vacations, and get-togethers.

It seems the Sharenting Syndrome is here to stay. Sharenting expert Stacey Steinberg expressed her concerns to UNICEF on the same.

"When we are thinking about our children online without involving them in that decision-making process, we are missing out on a valuable opportunity to teach our children the idea of consent", she said.

On the other hand, there are several celebrity parents, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, and Rani Mukherjee, who have requested the media to refrain from taking pictures of their children. Neither do the parents take to posting images online, with one-odd or two which are meticulously blurred, keeping their child's privacy intact.

But, given to the public gaze, others have embraced the same. Celebrity parents express, that there is precious little they can do, but do try to instil as normal an upbringing as they can in their children.

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan's son Taimur has been in the spotlight since the day he was born. If there weren't people haranguing about his name, the paps made it their mission capturing every moment in the 7-year-old's life.

From his day out with his parents, to sports day at school or just a playdate at a park, Taimur emerged as a bigger star than his famous parents.

A couple of years ago the very child was trolled for sticking out his tongue at the camera. His aunts Saba and Soha Ali Khan called the trolls out for not leaving the child alone, and to let him grow as normal as other kids do.

It was even divulged by a senior photographer, that they have a separate crew deployed to follow star kids such as Taimur and his little brother Jeh, as well as Ranbir and Alia's daughter Raha. "There is a constant demand by the media outlets for their pictures, since they drive traffic, and are popular hashtags", says the pap.

As the weight of this offhand statement had probably sunk in... a popular portal hosted an hour-long podcast with Lalita D'Silva. The lady's claim to fame has been the exclusive caregiver to Anant Ambani, Taimur and Jeh Ali Khan, and now Ram Charan's daughter Klin Kaara.

Dressed in immaculate monotoned ensembles, Lalita had been constantly captured with her young charges. From escorting them to birthday parties, play school and even the family's exclusive getaways to London, Switzerland, and beyond.

As Lalita divulged her pay cheque which is equivalent to that of a top-tier official in a corporate company, it was the nuggets of information which were generously shared, that seemed disconcerting.

As she lavished praise on her celebrity employers for treating their staff with the utmost respect, she also revealed personal and intimate details, from religious practices to parenting skills, as well as the child's likes and dislikes.

Of course, the press had a field day, as the Nanny Diaries trended across search engines.

An insider revealed Lalita had secured permission, but the entire narrative felt violating and disturbing across the board.

Amrita Tanna, a former entertainment journalist and podcast host said, "There needs to be a non-disclosure agreement and a confidentiality clause."

A designer and parent, said it was violating and could have a negative impact as well. "It sets a very wrong precedent, you are allowing your staff to discuss your home in the public space."

Hollywood which has been witness to many Nanny Gates Intimate details doled out by the caregivers had serious emotional and financial repercussions for several families. Celebrities and their teams took a strict stand, and now the nanny remains an invisibly present force in the entourage.

That apart all staff in Hollywood are bound by legalities from divulging any information related to the family and the children, and if violated spells litigation.

Censor board member and author Vani Tripathi Tikoo takes a strong stand. "Leave the kids alone! We need to go beyond the narrative of the lengths people can go to get publicity. I am not insinuating why child helpers are hired. There is an industry which empowers lots of caregivers who work well with kids. The stories in the last few days are bizarre, as views of nannies who work for the biggest names in the entertainment world have made it to the national press".

She further says, There is a larger issue here. On the one hand, I hear from celebrities how their children are not left alone and so forth, on the other hand, you see these interviews appear. I was surprised how is it even possible, can someone beyond permission give these interviews and reveal details of what a child eats and what the parents are like. It is a sad commentary on us as a society, and family values. If this is done in the wake of creating personal imageries of family, it is pathetic and sad. As actors your work should speak, and to all this which becomes another exercise at PR. As a mother I am aghast, and what is the distinction between a family room and a bedroom."

Cashing in on clicks may be the norm, but one cannot help but wonder if what seems like a harmless PR exercise may have serious repercussions for the child in the future.

Life in the digital age is an unforgiving space and spares no one, not even kids. Aradhya Bachchan had her share of disturbing comments, so much so the child had filed a case against YouTube channels for spreading misinformation about her health. Kajol had revealed whenever daughter Nysa received nasty comments on her appearance, the parents had to sensitively handle the situation.

Stacey Steinberg voices concerns about child protection and the dangers to which the child is exposed.

"Data brokers make digital dossiers on children with the image you share. There are fake mages which are very concerning and may be repurposed in an illicit way, which may be harmful. Also when you share things with children without involving them in the decision-making process, you are missing out on a valuable opportunity to teach them the same, and safeguarding privacy."

With the hope the kids will be all right, its perhaps time the parents too were schooled on the downside of parenting vs sharenting.