You Don't Mess With the Mommies

   

     Parents talk a lot about the need to stop bullying. Most importantly, they worry about the cyberbullying their kids face on social media. However, parents can be bullies too. “Mom Shaming” is the parent version of bullying or criticism of another mom for her parenting choices. This is nothing new, but with the evolvement of the internet, it has turned out to become more explicit and open. 

     We hear a lot about mom shaming related to celebrities through social media. This is an issue that influences practically all mothers sooner or later in their lives, which might cause them to feel ashamed or doubt themselves. Recently, NBA star, Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha posted a photo of her and her son, Cannon Curry in the pool. She defended her position and fought back against hateful comments people left regarding her and Steph’s son’s appearance. ENews shared that one user via Instagram commented, “Are you pregnant again?". Ayesha jokingly responded, “absolutely not LOL. My 30 lb son is just breaking my back in every photo”. Another user decided to take Ayesha’s reply further, by saying, “If that kid is 30 lbs he’s got some serious health issues going on.” Of course this comment angered Ayesha, as she replied, “excuse you? No. Just no”. I definitely agree with Ayesha’s responses to these haters. It is so rude to judge someone of their parenting skills. Ayesha has gone through parenting twice with her and Steph’s older children, so there is no doubt that she knows what she is doing. In my view, it is inferred that the disrespectful users probably do not have experience with parenting. How can they make these assumptions of their own if they do not have the experience themselves? If they are parents, maybe the wrote what they did out of frustration from their own experiences. 

     Other mothers such as Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Chrissy Teigen have had to deal with being criticized and given advice on proper parenting. People have accused them of not having the crib right, the kid’s diet, or breast feeding. Majority of these celebrities moms have dealt with comments that shame their kids. A simple comment of “he/or she is not cute” or “they do not look happy” can be so hurtful towards a mom. Seriously, one does not know the child nor the family directly, so what makes them think they have the right to make conclusions? A lot of times people think they are helping by offering advice to a new mom. Jessie James Decker mentioned in an interview with ENews that the comments were actually helpful. But if that advice is interpreted as criticism, it can be counterproductive. Jessie shared, "I'll never post a picture of my kids in their car seats anymore because I'll get schooled on how I'm not doing it correctly or it turns into this argument. I’m not going to post pictures of them in the backseat eating their snacks. It's not worth it anymore—you ruined it!”. It needs to be understood that celebrities use social media to share their personal lives with others. They are not doing it to help their kids become famous nor use their kids as way to make them famous. Celebrities have a normal life behind the cameras, in which they understand how to so even the most complicated of things like parenting.  

     Social media definitely has its benefits but can also be a platform for comparison and criticism that makes being a mom difficult. The expectations set by picture-perfect families and the ideal image of the perfect mom are impossible for anyone to live up to. Everyone knows it is not easy being a parent. Rather than criticize one for their lack of knowledge, one should support them. I feel that celebrities are expected to please their viewers in everything they do given how successful they are. But just because celebrities have it all and can do everything so easily, does not necessarily mean that applies to everything in life. They are doing the best they can. In my opinion,  there is no wrong way to parenting if one's kids are loved, healthy, and being taken care of. So, who are we to judge another mom's choices of what is right for their kid? 

Article: https://www.eonline.com/news/1043921/how-ayesha-curry-khloe-kardashian-and-more-celebs-fire-back-at-mommy-shamers#photo-839299