Sanya – I have to actually tell myself don’t record this moment, just be present and enjoy it with my son! There’s this constant pull as an “influencer” to always get content, to stay relevant, to give people real access but I know it hurts my actual interactions with Deuce. It’s a struggle and I don’t always put my priority where it should be but I’m determined to do better!

Mykal – Now that Moo, my son, and his friends are officially “social media age appropriate” (according to the age restrictions), monitoring social media has become a part-time job. The content teenagers put on social media can sometimes be very inappropriate so being intentional about teaching my son the importance of his brand and being a reflection of his morals and values has to be a priority. My hubby and I came up with a great social media “boot camp“ as a way to introduce social media by taking baby steps.

Pam– I was shocked to find out that my daughter knew what Instagram and Snapchat were, let alone how to use them! “Mommy, can you do the one with the puppy ears?” Aniyah, who taught you that? My teacher, she let us use her phone during recess. Ummmmm, come again? I didn’t know that’s what we were doing in Pre-K! As hard as I’ve tried to shield her from social media it’s inevitable. Her dad is notorious for posting her and so random people in stores will come up and ask if we know Prentice Powell, depending on my mood, I’ll typically say, “yeah I’ve heard of him.” I guess I’ve had to reinvent this concept of stranger danger because everyone is privy to our daily lives via social media now.

Bella– My kids started a YouTube page as part of their homeschool curriculum (computer science, technology). I immediately insisted on it being a family page once I realized how idiotic some YouTube influencers’ pages were and how my kids were trying to mimic them. It’s a full-time job trying to teach kids to stand out and not blend in with the crowd. And not to make a fool of themselves on the internet because the internet is forever. ????

Roxanne – Social Media was never a distraction or affected my family. Well not until a few weeks ago. With the need to have an up to date and attractive presence I had to step my game up. How else do I gain followers and drive traffic to my exciting venture with MommiNation?

My solution was to put in the extra time around social media without realizing its affect on the kids. Obviously I was on it too much for my nine year old to blurt “not again, can I have my mom back?!” It was as if I was betraying these kids. The struggle to capture the ‘it’ moment to share on social media surely got these kids annoyed. Evidently, it was too much too quick for them and me. Figuring out how to separate mommy time vs social media time is now on my priority list.

Chantea– For us Social Media is a double edged sword. On one hand it has afforded my family and I opportunities that keep us close to friends and family, and gives us unique business experience. But on the other hand, at times it leaves me distracted and unengaged with my family. In trying to set better boundaries and I have moved my phone away from my nightstand when I charge it overnight. And I keep my phone upstairs and away from the living room during family time. I try to limit social media to 2 hours a day. I am embarrassed that 2 hours is an aspiration goal and most often I far exceed that time. I use an app to track my social media time which helps keep my stay accountable. 

Diane– Through social media, I am able to connect with moms from all over and able to share and receive different and unique ideas on parenting. Coming from such a large family, (7) including the recent birth of my triplets, I didn’t have anyone close that could relate and help me with questions I may have. Social media has been an important outlet for me where I can relate with so many moms and has made me more open minded about my parenting style. 

Joanna– Social media has made me more confident as a parent. As a first-time mom who was also breastfeeding, there was a LOT of uncharted territory for me, and I started out feeling unequipped more often than not. Then, one day my sister-in-law told me about this Facebook group for Black breastfeeding moms, and it literally changed my life. The creators of the group were professionals who gave factual, evidence-based advice to the group. Any question that I had, there was always someone there to educate me. Aside from that, it was a safe space for moms to share their personal experiences with breastfeeding and motherhood in general. For the first time, I didn’t feel like a failure. I didn’t feel alone. I felt empowered and confident, and as a result, I was able to be a better mom to my baby boy, much like how I feel being a part of MommiNation.

Antoinette– Social Media has helped make me a better mom. There’s so many resources that our family and friends aren’t privy to. I’ve been inspired by other moms who homeschool or teach their children after school. When I hashtag #toddlerfun or #toddleractivities it’s like a google via Instagram or Facebook. We all know motherhood doesn’t come with a manual. So it’s great to see what works and what doesn’t! 

Kerri – A great deal of my social media timeline is filled with inspiration from other mothers and especially working moms. The impact that social media has had on my parenting is I feel more self-assured as a mother trying to do it all, that I am not the only one out here with struggles, triumphs, and sleepless nights. I see other women, especially women of color, who are loving on their kids, making gains in their fields, and keeping it real with the wins and losses. Though there is a really “fake” side of social media, I’m happy that I’ve found some women to follow who show their true, real, (potentially made-up for the gram, but no fault in presenting your best face) selves. And for the inspiring stories and sharing of information, I am grateful for social media. 

You’ve heard from us, we’d love to hear from you! How has social media affected you for better or worse?

Comment below!

MommiNation