Why I Let My Kid Publish Videos on YouTube

My Pretty Please Request >> Let’s keep in mind throughout that we’re all doing the best that we can for our kiddos. I won’t judge you if you won’t judge me. Deal?!

My daughter, Cora, begged me to let her put a video of herself on YouTube, and I said, “Yes.” I’m here today to tell you why I let my kid publish videos on YouTube.

Here’s a little graphic title I made for her channel, The Cora Peters Jam:

If you have kids and they are allowed tablet time, you might also know about the YouTube Kids app. This app is a censored* version of YouTube to keep our kids watching appropriate content for their age.

I noticed that Cora loved watching lifestyle videos.

In fact, I was quite curious about this whole thing. So… kids film themselves (or their parents film them) doing fairly normal things, and other kids really love to watch it?

Yep.

Cora will sometimes sit for the duration of her weekly tablet time watching parents out shopping with their kids, kids playing with toys, etc. There doesn’t have to be a special entertainment value to it; she just likes watching kids be kids!

So, what happened when she asked me if she could be a YouTuber?

When she asked me if she could create videos, I knew it would all be on me. I mean, she can try to record herself doing this or that, but ya’ll know a 6-year-old can’t hold a camera still! So, I conceded, and every once in a while, we create a video of her doing gymnastics, showing her video “friends” around the backyard, playing at the park, etc.

It’s been quite fun getting into the groove of posting videos with Cora. I mean, she’s no YouTube star (which is a good thing), but she does enjoy the process.

Here’s why I let my kid publish videos on YouTube:

• It raises her confidence! When she sees that she created a video that anyone in the world can watch, I’ve seen this sense of “wow” come over her. Even more so, when she sees that people have viewed her video (even just a few), she feels like, “Aww! I mattered enough to them for them to take a peek!”
• She’s learning how to speak more clearly. We’ve really been working on how to articulate so that the people watching can understand what she’s saying. Please don’t judge her too much just yet; it’s a work in progress!
• Quality time. For me, filming videos a fun thing for me to do with her. We laugh a ton while filming, and it’s neat to hit “Publish” together.
• It doesn’t disrupt our lives. We film while doing activities we’d be doing even if we weren’t filming. Of course, the editing takes some time, but I personally enjoy some of that.
• It can be somewhat of a video memory blog for herself. How fun will it be to look back on these videos 5 or 10 years down the road? It’ll be a great way for her to see herself grow.

I don’t know how long this venture will last, but for now it’s working out for us.

This isn’t for everyone, though. I get that not everyone,
1.) wants their kid on video for all to see, and
2.) has the skills, tools, or the time to edit videos…
and that’s cool!

That said, if your kid is on YouTube and comes across a lifestyle video like the ones Cora makes or any video featuring a small child, I think you’ll find that it’s a great way for them to learn more about others and (hopefully) be influenced in a positive way.

So, do you think I’m crazy?

If you had the resources needed, would you let your kid post on YouTube? Why or why not? If they already have a YouTube channel, also share it below!

*Of course, with any app, you’ll want to keep an eye on your kids usage of YouTube Kids.

P.S. Search “YouTube” on the sidebar, and you’ll find all of Cora’s videos once I get ’em up. 🙂