I present my children on Instagram like they live in a fairytale – could it damage them?

Freshly cut roses. Sumptuous Marie Antoinette-style birthday cakes. Vintage Liberty dresses in Strawberry Thief fabric. Shetland ponies. These are some of the ingredients of my posts featuring my kids. I wouldn’t call myself a “sharent” by any means – . But whenever I do post, it is picture-perfect. My kids look like they’ve walked straight out of a fairytale. But is it naff? Like tablescaping your kids? A form of digital ?

Is it, in its own unique way, a parental kind of “thirst trap”? To an extent, I’m luring others into a that doesn’t exist. I like to project a wonderfully idyllic life as a single mum... when quite frankly, it isn’t. It’s like when people try to woo their ex-partners back by , despite crying into their pillow heartbroken all day and night.

Some mums are professionals at posting perfect dreamy shots of their kids. Look no further than , Tamara Ecclestone, Stacey Solomon, and Kate and . For celebrities and influencers, a picture-perfect ideal is the norm on social media – there are lots of cream interiors and matching Christmas jumpers. They might be promoting a homeware brand, or tagging a pram they got for free. Even when it’s tastefully done, like the former PM’s wife’s Instagram, it always gives the impression that motherhood is wondrous. That life is one big, happy Timotei advert.