She looked at me with a laugh and said, “Seriously, don’t photoshop my baby…”
My son is perfect in every way. I love his little nose, bright blue eyes and cute little fingers. His laugh is contagious, and his tiny toes wiggle every time we kiss him on the cheek. We’re the luckiest parents in the world, and our love for this kid continues to grow each and every day. I guess you could say we’re a little obsessed. But, hey! Who wouldn’t be?
We Can’t Get Enough
If you follow my wife and I on social media, you’ll be quick to notice the amount of pictures we post of our son. Why? Because we cannot get enough of his cuteness, and we can’t help but share our joy with the world.
A few days ago I had just got done taking a few pictures of our little boy in one of his new outfits, when I noticed a large scratch on the front of his face. My wife and I do our best to keep mittens on his hands 24/7, but every once in a while he will manage to find his way out of them and scratch up his face like an angry cat. Seriously, this kid has got some claws.
Without even thinking about it, I nonchalantly searched for a blemish remover app on my iPhone. I wanted to get rid of that scratch before I posted the picture. Why? I’m assuming it had to do with my insecurities of always wanting my face to be clear and dealing with acne as a teenager. Regardless, it was idiotic of me to force that upon my son. What kind of message would I be sending if he ever found out about this?
My wife glanced over to see what I was doing and said with a laugh, “Seriously, don’t photoshop my baby…”
I immediately stopped and realized what I was doing. I couldn’t believe I was editing my son. “I’m a shallow jerk” I thought to myself. I realized how quickly I fell into the lie that I needed to portray a perfect image for myself and my family. The reality is, my two-month old son doesn’t care about that scratch on his face—he poops in his pants for crying out loud.
What he’s worried about is being taken care of, comforted and loved by his mommy and daddy. The time I spent editing what I saw as imperfections could have been better utilized giving my son the attention and love he deserves. I know I’m not the only one who has done this, but maybe I’m the first to admit how wrong it is. It’s not right.
I’m NOT Perfect
I’m not a perfect Christian. I’m not a perfect husband. I’m not a perfect father. If I have ever portrayed myself in a way that made it seem that way, I’m sorry—It’s not true at all. Authenticity and transparency are such an important part of my life, and I realize that there is even more I can do to showcase this truth.
This is my confession. My first of many failures as a father. Forgive me son, you are perfect just the way you are. Your daddy loves you.
Parents, don’t photoshop your kids. It’s not worth the message it will send them.
