Should My Babysitter Be My Facebook Friend?

Social media is a great way to connect with old friends and share photos with our distant family members. I love being able to connect with my old high school and university friends, and am able to keep in touch with my brothers and sisters that live across the country.

While Facebook is great for this purpose, it might not be the best idea to ‘friend’ the parents you work for, or the babysitter that works for you. As an employer, do you really want to know what she was up to last Friday night when she wasn't working? Do you want to see the photos from her Mexico vacation with her friends last winter? Babysitters probably don’t want their employers seeing this either, as they likely hold a professional attitude while at work, and have a different attitude when they are with their friends.

Sometimes, we forget who we are friends with on Facebook. Then, we post some photos that could be offensive to someone, or be taken out of context, which could affect your relationship with that individual. The best thing to do is not to go there in the first place. Just don’t connect with each other using Facebook and other social media venues.

Consider this when you become friends with people online. People will naturally judge you based on the pictures you share and the comments you post. Remember that not all your Facebook content is appropriate for your employer to see; you do look after their children after all. Your activities may not mean you are a bad person, but it could be interpreted as such.

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