Mom Shaming For Video of Toddlers Kissing
Mom Is Being Dragged After Sharing an "Inappropriate" Video of Her Toddlers Kissing
Ashlee Muhammad, mother to identical twin sons, Jet Pharaoh and Nova Maximus, got a lot more than she bargained for when she shared a sweet video to Instagram of her toddlers giving each other a kiss at daycare drop off. Although the post was intended to simply share an adorable moment between two brothers, things escalated quickly in the comments section when some users deemed the video "inappropriate."
The now-viral post has amassed over 905,000 views so far, and many people took the video for what it is: an innocent display of affection between two toddler-age brothers. One mom wrote a supportive comment, saying: "Wow, I come from a very big and affectionate family where we all greet each other with hugs and kisses. I think this world has gotten so used to people not loving, or being able to show love, you find sexuality out of pure love. Not only are these two siblings, they are twins. I love the way they love each other. Keep up the good work, Mom, you are doing a great job."
But some Instagram users went way too far, turning the boys' innocent brotherly act into something shameful. While there were several homophobic comments that are too ludicrous to warrant any attention — seriously, they're toddler-age twin brothers! — others shamed Ashlee for letting her children kiss each other on the lips in the first place. "All I'm saying she could have taught them to kiss on the cheek," wrote one woman. Another user chimed in accusing her of raising "feminine" boys: "No offense given, but my father would never [do this]. This is too feminine for boys who are supposed to be raised to protect themselves, their mother, and their sisters."
After the considerable backlash, Ashlee posted a photo of her and her husband to Instagram addressing the hateful comments left on the original video.
I would have NEVER in a million years thought that something posted out of pure love and admiration for my children would have turned into all of this. My parenting has NEVER been attacked so harshly in MY LIFE. I don't expect everyone to think what I believe is right, but I also don't take kindly to disrespect . . . If this has taught me anything it's that the world is in a more damaged and scary place then I thought. To all of you who defended [us], thank you.
We'd have to agree with Ashlee — sometimes people really take things too far, especially when they're hiding behind a keyboard.
