View this post on Instagram[1]
Being a parent is difficult, and no one does it perfectly. Whether you're struggling with your kids in public [2] or trying to split responsibilities with your partner [3], parents everywhere feel your pain. You know what doesn't help with your own "mom guilt [4]"? When other parents turn their judgment on you. That's why personal trainer and mother of two Sia Cooper took to Instagram [5] to express her frustration for feeling like a "bad mom" simply because other people dislike her parenting choices.
Sia listed a few of the things that people have called her a bad mom for, and oy, let me tell you, the list is not pretty. Here they are:
- Working out during pregnancy.
- Working out while having kids . . . period.
- For caring about my looks and health.
- Working out in Target [6].
- 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 cosleeping with my kids.
- For collecting sports cars and motorcycles, aka having a hobby.
- For taking time for myself.
- For having abs.
Can you understand Sia's irritation? She proceeds to explain that "there's no one right way to parent or be a good mom." Say it louder for the people in the back! This is a valuable reminder that being a mom is already difficult, and it's impossible to meet everyone's standards or expectations. Let's all work a little harder to be a whole lot kinder so no one has to feel judged or like a "bad mom" again.