Photos at toddler groups

DevilsAdvocate1

cariadtrist wrote: »

Why not have a set time for photos at the party? Announce it, then anyone who minds can subtly sneak away till they're done.

Granny needs to explain who she feels she protecting, and from whom. Without this info, you're too in the dark to make a decent policy. She may not give her photo consent 'on principle' when everyone else would be fine with photos. Is it worth speaking to the children's parents? That would give you an insight into the gran.

However, as the leader and organiser, if you were to take photos to publish for the organisation, yes, technically, you would need consent. Verbal is ok, but better written to cover your own back. But the informal parent shots, none would be needed.

I feel for you, OP. It's a horrible situation to have to sort out, especially if you don't see a problem yourself. All the best!

The grandmother who complained comes with 2 grandchildren. However, I do not know the parents and they work and so the gran always brings them (we currently have about half grandparents and half parents).

I don't think it would work to have a set time for photos, as parents like photos of their children playing. Also, when Santa arrived, cameras were focussed on individual children's faces!

I think I will do the new information sheets and put a line on it which says something like - "Photos may be taken by parents / carers for personal use. However, please ask for the carer's consent if you want to publish a photo on the internet and their child is in the background." And then ask them to tick a box to confirm they have read it.

Will also inform Mrs. Claus (aka my mum) not to take photos next year of Santa incase any child should be it the photo.

Thanks everyone. D.

skipsmum

If all the children have a carer attached the grans response seems over the top which I find worrying. Unless she is a regular moaner I would have thought she has a reason for her fears that she cannot voice within the group. Maybe you need to chat with her quietly?
Having fostered for many years I have had children who would have been put in danger if their picture had been in the local paper with "nativity at xx school" plastered underneath. Generally the schools would be very understanding of this.
However I don't think children who are there with their carers would be in this situation as the carer would hopefully be comfortable enough to voice their concerns, either with you or possibly within the group.
Personally I don't mind people taking photos of my kids but I hate it when they put their names on facebook for all to see.

rainbow81

Hi there
I do feel for you, what a horrible situation.
I can only say what happens at my son's school for plays etc. All parents can take photos and videos but the headteacher just reminds us all at the beginning that they are for our own personal use, ie, not for plastering everyone else's child all over Facebook. Again the same as when he completed the nursery year at his school, they gave (sold!) us discs with hundreds of pictures of what they had done in the year. Most of them didn't have my son in! It's not like the camera's just been invented is it?
I would expect that if anyone did have an objection to their child being photographed that they are quite capable of expressing it either to you or the person with the camera. I don't believe you should have to police the group so thoroughly, the memories are important to people and I am puzzled as to why the grandmother was so agitated when she gave her explicit consent.

Good luck whatever happens. Personally I think you should just carry on as normal but maybe a little word at the beginning of a session where there's likely to be pictures taken about how the photos are for personal use. Some people do get a bit carried away on Facebook, wanting us to see every detail of little Tommy's life.

flippin36

Hi OP, I am not an expert on these things, but I would hazard a guess that when it comes to toddler groups PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDMINDERS ETC. ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN. If they don't want them being photographed they are entitled to take them into another room (or home) but cannot stop other parents from taking pictures. Nor should they be harrassing volunteers who kindly give their time to provided toys, entertainment, drinks, snacks etc. They are responsible for their own children. Therefore toddler groups do not have to follow the same proceedures as schools. You should have told her to get a grip!

Hope this helps and thank you for what you do.

SammyD_2

flippin36 wrote: »

Hi OP, I am not an expert on these things, but I would hazard a guess that when it comes to toddler groups PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDMINDERS ETC. ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN. If they don't want them being photographed they are entitled to take them into another room (or home) but cannot stop other parents from taking pictures. Nor should they be harrassing volunteers who kindly give their time to provided toys, entertainment, drinks, snacks etc. They are responsible for their own children. Therefore toddler groups do not have to follow the same proceedures as schools. You should have told her to get a grip!

Hope this helps and thank you for what you do.

I think this misses the point. If you don't know photos are being taken (and you can't have eyes in the back of your head) then you can hardly take your kids into a different room or remove them. If for whatever reason you don't want your child to be included in a photo, it is at least reasonable to have the chance to remove the child concerned.

What you seem to be saying is if you don't want your children photographed then they simply should not participate. There are all sorts of reasons why people do not want their children photographed. I don't see why parents desire to record every second of their little darling's lives by means of photos should be more important than all kids being able to have a good time, rather than having to be removed at various points because some parent wants to take a photo.

It is hard for people in the OP's position. But I think that many groups have not caught up with the times, or have not had to. When I had my eldest child 6 years ago, no one posted photos on facebook. Now it is rampant.

Many of the "open to the public" playgroups I have attended have simply had a no photos policy. I don't think anyone minded. At one gymboree session I went to some parents took out a video camera and were asked not to film. It wasn't a big deal. The alternative is to go down the consent route, but that seems much more complicated, especially if you have a varied group of attendees.

onlyroz

If you run a toddler group, shouldn't you know the law regarding photos?

thorsoak

I wonder what happens in the schools that have their nativity play photographs published in the local press? Do all parents have to agree - do all parents know - or are the children whose parents do not wish them to be involved in such photographs removed from the tableaux?

And what if the majority wish the children to be photographed and shown in the local paper and one does not? Does not majority rule count?

kindofagilr

thorsoak wrote: »

I wonder what happens in the schools that have their nativity play photographs published in the local press? Do all parents have to agree - do all parents know - or are the children whose parents do not wish them to be involved in such photographs removed from the tableaux?

And what if the majority wish the children to be photographed and shown in the local paper and one does not? Does not majority rule count?

No unfortunatly, if one person says no then the kids dont go in the paper

It is a sad state of affairs

I am pregnant with my first baby, and would love to take photos of my son at his plays etc

But then at the same time I dont want hjim plastered all o ver facebook via someone else's page if that makes sense

Janepig

onlyroz wrote: »

If you run a toddler group, shouldn't you know the law regarding photos?

Going by the number of threads there have been on this subject and the variety of replies, I don't think the law is particularly clear on this issue anyway. For instance, some schools don't allow any photography or filming by parents, some (as someone on this thread has mentioned) allow photography but no filming (a bit strange imo) and some aren't bothered either way - which thankfully is the line DS and DD's school take.

Then some schools use the excuse that the photos taken by parents might end up in the hands of a sex offender, some use the looked after/vulnerable children excuse, and some say it's so that parents taking pictures and filming don't get in the way of other parents. And some parents seem to believe it's a money making exercise on the part of the schools that then sell their own DVD's.

I'd be interested if anyone knows definitively what the law is on this, because I don't think there are really any hard and fast rules - other than the fairly standard one where parents have to give their consent for the school to publish pictures on their website, etc.

Jxx

PolishBigSpender

Janepig wrote: »

I'd be interested if anyone knows definitively what the law is on this, because I don't think there are really any hard and fast rules - other than the fairly standard one where parents have to give their consent for the school to publish pictures on their website, etc.

As I understand it, this is the case - you can take pictures of whoever you want, but publishing them is a different story in terms of copyright/etc. In essence, the kids would have to sign a 'model release' if they were to be used commercially.

Certainly, there's no law against taking photographs of children in public - apart from the law that the vigilante Sun/Daily Mail readers would like to enforce.