HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

We live in an information age today. We share via FaceBook, antiquated people still use MySpace, and I also have a Blog. One of the first lessons we learn in pre-school is that we should share. At what point, then, does it become an OVERSHARE? When does the sharing of information become Too Much Information (T.M.I.)?

My close friends and relatives know that my husband, my daughter, and I live directly diagonal from my parents' home, with only an elevated train to break up the walk, and make us too lazy so we resort to driving rather than walk around fences.

When Jonathan and I bought the house, it was because it was what we could afford with reasonable taxes. Lindenhurst School District is top notch. We believed it was a sound investment.

Now, I love my parents. But sometimes... our lives resemble the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond." We drop over there, they drop over here. Boundaries are non-existant. It's nobody's fault, and at the same time, it's everyone's fault. How do you create boundaries at this point without insulting people or hurting feelings?

This carries over into the digital world as well. I am perfectly comfortable sharing my labor story on my blog, and having it republished on other blogs. Some people might disagree with this, but I feel that sharing a story of this magnitude may help other women. I also feel that my adventures in cloth diapering should be shared, not only to provide humor to others in the cloth diapering community, but to share ideas and find solutions to common problems.

But when does sharing information become too personal?

I realize now that I have overshared, and I'm not going to go through this blog and delete entries, but I am just going to exercise some caution in the future. When some women from a club I belong to, which I only see at the club's monthly meetings, walk up to me and begin asking detailed personal questions about my child's health (to the point where I can tell they read at least some of my blog and/or stalk my FaceBook), there is a problem.

This leads me to another question: Why do perfect strangers assume that just because I'm a mom and love my kid and am proud of her, that I want to tell you all about her? I don't know you from a freaking hole in the wall! How do I know you're not going to bash me over the head and kidnap her, and you're pressing me for info so you can transition her smoothly?

I know that's an extreme. But still... what gives you the idea it's okay to ask me how my kid sleeps, or what she eats, or anything beyond "Oh, how old is she?" and saying "What a cutie/sweetheart/insert other sappy phrase here!"

I love my baby and I love and am proud of my choice of name for her, but I am starting to even become uncomfortable when people ask me what her name is.

And in this vein, what gives me the right to ask any of these questions of fellow mothers?

What are your thoughts on sharing information via the internet? What about personal boundaries when meeting people? What about boundaries with your own relatives?