Mom & Cybersecurity Expert Says This Is No. 1 Thing Not To Do on First Day of School

@cathypendrayes/TikTok

Can you believe we are already talking about going back to school? Didn't the summer just start? OK, OK. Maybe there has been enough sunburns and bug bites for a while. Plus, if we are being honest, the Halloween decorations at various stores are pretty tempting, and we might just be craving a pumpkin spice latte.

There is so much excitement surrounding the first day. Sometimes we are so excited that we share photos of our kids on social media without a second thought. But are you giving away too much info in those darling pics with first-day of school signs? One mom thinks so.

How much does everyone really need to know about our kids?

@cathypedrayes Whether you post these or not is a personal family choice but personally, I’d avoid posting too many details. Instead- if you’re going to post- keep the details private and post something vague (without school uniform). #tipsandtricks #backtoschool #safetytips #safetyfirst #stayaware #stayalert #kidsafety #familysafety #parents #momtok #psa #advice #awareness #situationalawareness ♬ original sound - Bryan

Truthfully, not that much. Cathy Pedrayes is an influencer on TikTok, @cathypedrayes, and a cybersecurity specialist who calls herself “Cathy-The Mom Friend,” and her 2.6 million followers agree.

She shares all kinds of tips from how to beat the heat to why personalized doormats are not a great idea. She also thinks the darling chalk signs that have become extremely popular for the first day may give away too much private info about our children.

Pedrayes told Today Parents what is appropriate and what is too much.

We only need to give a few details, if any at all, she advised.

“If it just says first day, that’s not terrible, but some of them have the child’s name, teacher’s name, school, favorite sports or activities and maybe you don’t want a bunch of strangers knowing that,” she explained.

Her advice is really pretty good.

@cathypedrayes At my old job uninvited “guests” would show up to people’s homes so this is one way we were taught we could be over sharing without realizing it. My old job was on national tv so the situation is unique but with all the creeps out there, I think this is a smart tip anyone can use. #safetytips #oversharing #staysafe #security #privacy #femalesafety #safetytip #familysafety #stayawarestaysafe #momsafetytips #staysafeoutthere #thinksmart #crimeprevention #singlemom #livingalone ♬ Makeba - Jain

We may not have considered it, but her words are solid. Why are we giving away so much information? We need to keep some private things private, especially if we have public social media accounts such as Instagram or Facebook. It is also important for family and friends to know that you don’t want info about your kids shared.

“When kids are younger, if you’re posting their school uniform or sports uniform, you’re revealing where your kids are most days of the year,” she told Today. “It’s just extra vulnerable information.”

She posted a TikTok on the topic, and plenty of people agreed with what she had to say.

One mom confessed she has kept things private for a while. “just don’t post my kids for this reason…call me overly anxious but I don’t trust NOBODY,” she commented.

Sadly, not everyone online has good intentions. “So true you have to be safe there are creeps online and like to stalk little kids ,” a commenter wrote.

Another parent wrote they make sure it’s OK before posting. “Also don’t post other kid’s faces without checking with their parents first,” the comment reads.

One follower asked a really great question.

@cathypedrayes ⬇️ Share your public transit stories! Train, subway, bus, plane… I’m sure you’ve seen some WEIRD stuff. I’ve had people touch me, fall asleep on me, bathe… but I think one of the most bizarre was a guy who started lighting matches and flicking them all over the train. Obviously I switched cars BUT it did become part of a character I used in an improv class so that’s positive! #publictransit #nyc #philly #dc #dcf#safetytips#staysafetayaware #travelingalone #crimeprevention #subwaystories ♬ Quirky - Oleg Kirilkov

“my mom said she had a private facebook acc is that fine??” the comment reads.

“or someone you trust shares it with someone they trust and it keeps going and eventually a lot of people you don’t want to know, do know,” someone responded.

“Most trafficked children are trafficked by people they know. Unless she keeps her friends list pretty locked down, I’d say no”,” another follower wrote.

In theory, we might think that is OK, but Pedrayes told Today that there are always screenshots that can be shared. It is a scary thing to think about, but it’s true.

Corporal Kenneth Hibbert Jr. of the Community Policing Unit of Prince George County Police Department in Maryland told Today that Pedrayes’ advice is sound.

“With technology and more people at home, we have more hackers taking advantage of everybody,” Hibbert said. “Kids and senior citizens are the vulnerable ones in society right now.”

In this case, moms and dads, less is more. It is OK to be excited about the first day of school and share a cute photo of your kids. Just be smart and keep the private information private.