When speaking of guardian angels, the closest tangible version of it would be our moms. Their unconditional love is nothing like you may experience elsewhere in life. The sacrifices they make and the sheer volume of responsibility on their shoulders is incredible. Even then, they face criticism at every turn. From their post-birth bodies to how they raise their kids, people make a comment on everything.
That is what drove this mother of two from Florida to post a series of posts on Instagram on how she’s been trolled and ridiculed for being a ‘bad mom’.
Sia Cooper is a personal trainer who is also a stay-at-home mom. She regularly posts fitness videos and body positive images on Instagram for her followers. So when people started trolling and admonishing her for her lifestyle and the seemingly ‘irresponsible’ way in which she was raising her kids, she decided to speak up.
She posted a picture of herself drinking wine with her two kids next to her and the words ‘bad mom’ written on her arm.
Her post in which she says she’s proud to be a so-called ‘bad mom’, she writes:
I’ve been called a bad mom for:
Workout out during pregnancy.
Working out while having kids… period.
For caring about my looks and health.
Working out in Target.
Using canned goods and plastic crockpot liners.
Having tattoos and piercings.
Enjoying wine every now and then.
For letting my kids use technology.
For letting my kids have sugar and happy meals occasionally.
For not ‘covering up’ around my kids.
For running a full-time business from home.
For co-sleeping with my kids.
For collecting sports cars and motorcycles aka having a hobby.
For taking time for myself.
For having abs.I’ve learned that the true ‘bad moms’ out there are the ones who constantly tear other moms down by judging them. Those moms are the ones who are truly insecure and have strong feelings of inadequacy because why else would they do that? Misery loves company.
There’s no one right way to parent or to be a mom. We all are running in the same race and doing the best that we can. Motherhood is not one-size-fits-all. What works for one family may not work for the next. So who are we to judge another mom’s choices or reasoning?
Being a mom is hard enough and if all the following make me a ‘bad mom’ then I’ll gladly wear it proudly! Here’s to all the bad moms out there.”
The post which went viral has gathered enormous praises from netizens. Following this Sia posted the second one in the series, elaborating on her previous post.
She says:
“I’ve also been judged for working out during pregnancy and received hateful messages saying my baby was going to die and get shaken up in the womb. I’ve been told my baby would have brain damage.”
In the third and final post of the series, she addressed how often people judge stay-at-home moms and think of them as ‘lazy’ or ‘useless’.
Speaking of being judged for career choices, Sia writes:
“How I choose to provide income for my family is none of your business to call me a bad mom. If you choose to work 40+ hours outside the home, you go girl! If you choose to forgo a career to raise your children full time-hell yes!”
Sia’s posts shine the light on how women are judged no matter what they do. You just cannot win with people whose sole purpose in life is to look down on others. If a stay at home mom is shamed as being lazy and useless, a working one is accused of being negligent to her kids.
This is blatant ignorance and hypocrisy of the highest order. These are the kind of people that fit perfectly into the ‘lalochezia‘ bracket that Shashi Tharoor introduced us to. Claps for Sia though, you’re doing amazing sweetie!