To ensure things run smoothly within the North Shore Mums Facebook group, the group is actively monitored by a team of moderators. View the guidelines below.
How do I report a post?
If you see any posts that do not adhere to the guidelines, please report it via the ‘Report To Admin’ option (there is a small down arrow to the right of the post).
This is the quickest & most efficient way of notifying the moderators team, and action will be taken as soon as we see the report.
Why has my post been removed?
If you’ve had a post removed, it is most likely because it doesn’t adhere to the Group Guidelines below. Please don’t be personally offended. We do it to ensure North Shore Mums remains a positive place to chat.
The North Shore Mums moderating team will delete posts, comments and potentially remove members from the group who breach these guidelines.
Be nice! Treat people as you would in the ‘real world’
Some topics can be controversial, so when posting or responding to a post, please be respectful of people’s opinions or methods, especially if they differ from yours. There’s no need to be rude, sarcastic or nasty. Negativity simply does not have a place in our online community!
Do not use North Shore Mums to criticise other individuals through ‘rants’ or ‘to the mum who…’ type posts. If you witness an event in the ‘real world’ that is concerning, rather than posting your shock/dismay to the Facebook group, we encourage you to first report it to the proper authorities to deal with (for example, security guards, police).
Don’t complain about businesses
Please don’t use North Shore Mums to complain about products, local businesses or companies. If you’ve had a bad experience with a company, contact the company directly so they have the opportunity to resolve the issue. Complaining in a public forum like North Shore Mums can have devastating consequences for a business, and only shows one side of the story.
North Shore Mums will delete negative comments when they are reported, but will not be held accountable for any such comments made by members.
Business Posts
Our Facebook group is a place for mums to connect, not for businesses to self-promote! If you run a business that targets mums, then please ensure you read rules around business posts in the group. You also might want to consider advertising on our website, as we get over 100,000 local parents and carers visiting every month.
1. Want to suggest yourself as a supplier for a product or service?
If a member is asking for recommendations for a local business, you are only allowed to suggest your own business if:
- You advertise on the North Shore Mums website. We have implemented this policy to give more support the businesses that support our community, and
- It is a current post (posts that have been active in the last 24 hours). Please don’t search for older posts and comment on these.
Contain your response to just one comment, with all the information in that – response, contact details and image.
2. Business Hour
If you advertise on our website, you are also welcome to take advantage of Business Hour, which is held in our Facebook Group on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8-9pm.
3. Business recommendations
To ensure that any recommendations made in the group are trustworthy and genuine, you can only recommend a business if you have personally used them and if you do not have a personal (friend or family) or business relationship (employee, contractor, networking group) with that business.
If it becomes obvious that a member is always recommending a business, then these posts will be deleted and the member warned. If we are informed that any member receives financial compensation for making a recommendation, we will remove them without warning. If you are aware of any members who are recommending businesses with whom they have a personal or professional relationship or receive reward or incentive, please contact us.
If you’ve had an incredible experience with a local business, and want to give them an endorsement or recommendation to the group, you are welcome to do so during Business Hour (1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8-9pm). We contain it to this hour, as it is not possible for admin to verify whether it is a genuine, unprompted recommendation from a new client, or someone who is affiliated with the business and looking to promote themselves. Also check to see if the business has a listing in the Directory and leave them a testimonial there!
4. Multi-level Marketing Companies
Members who work for Multi-Level Marketing companies (such as Isagenix, Arbonne, Herbalife, Avon etc) are not permitted to promote or sell their products or company in response to posts, or to send unsolicited private messages to members.
5. Other policies
- Discreet business posts are not allowed. This includes posting photos of something you are proud of but are in the business of selling, it includes thank you to those that use your product or service and it may include asking people’s opinions about something you sell.
- Business ‘baiting’ or research posts are not allowed – such as questions about how to market your business, how much you should charge for your services, whether people would be interested in your service.
- If you run a blog or website, you are not permitted to share links or copy and paste excerpts from articles in the group.
Don’t send Unsolicited Private Messages
Members are not allowed to send unsolicited private messages to other members of North Shore Mums. Members who directly contact people without being invited, will be removed from the group without warning. If you receive unsolicited messages, please contact us with the details.
Don’t share content
North Shore Mums is a supportive and closed community where members share personal information. If a member is using information gleaned from our Facebook group
to ridicule members, or damage the name of the group in
general (be it on Facebook, in another group or a blog/website), they will
be removed.
Defamation
Any member who defames North Shore Mums will be removed from the group immediately, and legal action may be sought. Defamation occurs when a person publishes information about another person, group of people or small company that damages their reputation or image.
Before you post a comment on social media, you should consider the following:
- Information travels quickly online.
- Comments can be difficult to retract. Remember that others can share your posts and screenshot them.
- Is what you’re saying truthful and accurate? Do you have evidence to support what you’re saying?
- If you’re posting your opinion, use opinion-based language (e.g. “I believe that…”) and make sure that opinion is based on facts that you can establish are true.
- Think of yourself as an editor of a newspaper, because you will be just as liable if you defame someone on social media.
Advice about medical conditions does not replace a professional diagnosis
If you post a medical question to the group, please be mindful that the responses given are based on other people’s personal experiences. Whilst it is helpful to get lots of opinions and suggestions, please note that it should never replace speaking to a doctor or healthcare professional.
Below is a list of local health services who can provide qualified advice and care:
- GP: See your Doctor (or qualified specialist) if you have general medical concerns. There are lots of Medical & Health Professionals listed in the North Shore Mums Directory.
- National Home Doctor Service: For after hours home visits by a GP. This is a BULK BILLED service, as long as you have a valid Medicare Card. Doctors on the road from 6pm weeknights, 12 noon Saturday, all day Sunday and public holidays. Phone: 13 7425 (13-SICK).
- Health Direct: If you want immediate health advice and information over the phone. Available 24 hours. Phone: 1800 022 222.
- Poisons Information Centre: Call the professionally staffed Poison Information Centre if you have questions about something ingested. Phone: 13 11 26.
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Helpline – For general advice and counselling about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting in the first year. Phone: 1800 882 436
- Emergency – For serious illness or injury that is critical and requires urgent attention, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance or go to the emergency department of your local hospital. Phone: 000.
North Shore Mums accepts no responsibility for the advice given by members.
No posts about Vaccinations
Vaccinating is an inflammatory subject which always escalate very quickly. If you have any questions about immunisations, we strongly encourage members to consult with a qualified medical professional. Credible information can also be found on the Australian Government’s Department of Health website.
Consider putting the ‘pic in comments’
When posting a photo, please be aware that some members might be sensitive to images (stress, anxiety, phobias). If photos are needed to illustrate your post, please include a ‘pic in comments’ blurb, so the image can only be seen if people click on the post. This might include anything creepy or crawly, bleeding or oozing, or anything that has been used in a horror movie (for example: clowns, heights and dead animals).
Don’t post personal information
For your personal safety, do not post personal contact details (email, phone, address) or personal information like the names of your children or what school or childcare they attend. Publishing personal information could bring unwanted danger.
Journalist code of conduct
If you are a blogger, writer or journalist, it is not acceptable to use posts from the Facebook group for the basis of an article. This applies to both professional and amateur writers. If you’d like to write a story, you must first request permission by contacting us. If approved, you must also obtain permission from the members involved before using quotes from the group. Names should never be used, unless written permission has been given. Journalists who do not respect people’s right to privacy will be removed from the group immediately.
Don’t post items for sale
North Shore Mums isn’t a selling group, but there are plenty of groups specifically for this! Try:
- Hornsby NSW Buy Sell Trade – Kids Stuff
- Hornsby & Surround Buy, Sell & Swap Ladies Clothes, Footwear & Accessories
- Sydney & North Shore Buy, Sell & Swap
- North Shore Sydney Sell Buy Swap Giveaway
- Upper Upper North Shore Free Stuff
- Lower North Shore Free Stuff
- North Shore Kids Guide Classifieds
- North Shore Pre-Loved Maternity Clothes
- Ryde Northern Districts Buy, Sell & Swap
- Lower North Shore (Sydney) FREE Stuff & Low Waste Living
And finally, posts about the following are not allowed:
- Event Listings – if you want to let the community know about an event you are organising, list it in our What’s On section. As soon as it’s published, you can share the link to the North Shore Mums listing in the group.
- Positions Vacant – if you are looking to fill a role that would suit a local mum, you can advertise it on the Job Board.
- Market Research or other research projects (such as school, university or business) – if you want to get respondents, our Newsletter & Facebook packages are effective.
- Fundraising – as we are unable to verify the legitimacy of any requests for donations, we do not allow any posts asking for money or good donations.
- Real Estate – selling, renting, house sitting or looking for property
- Pet sitting - requests or offers
- Babysitting/Nanny – looking for work, or looking for a sitter. Find out how to find a babysitter or nanny on the North Shore here.
- Trading Cards
- Voting
- Ingestible Weight-Loss Products – recommendations for ingestible weight-loss products (such as milkshakes, supplements and tablets) from network marketing companies.
If you do see anything that goes against the guidelines, please let us know by clicking the ‘Report post to group admins’ arrow (located top right corner of post). It’s the quickest and easiest way to alert the team, and one of us will respond quickly.