It was out of those mom shaming moments, that a viral creation was born.
Fox’s photography series, “Anti Mommy Shamers Unite” features all three of her kids, as well as several others their age, holding signs that feature just a few of the parenting methods she and some of her clients have taken heat for over the years—none of which elicit the need to call CPS, much less warrant the judgement of others.
These moms are simply doing what is right for their family in every season, the best way they know how. Because isn’t that how all parenting works? There’s no guidebook, no right or wrong way to do things. There’s only opinion. And that friends, should not be what defines our motherhood.
Ironically, after posting the series in an effort to combat mom shaming, Fox has been on the receiving end of even MORE mom shaming.
“I’ve actually been getting nasty comments, Facebook messages, and emails that I am promoting child abuse by having that picture,” Fox says about the photo of Maverick holding a letter board sign that reads, “My mom used the cry it out method for sleep training.”
And she’s not the only one. Several of her clients have received backlash as well in response to the signs their children held up for the project.
Shauntelle Yount was always told that co-sleeping was a terrible parenting method. But when it came to caring for her newborn baby, it was the parenting method that worked for their family.
“My son was 9 weeks early and had many problems. After he came home from the NICU I decided co-sleeping worked for the both of us,” Young told Motherly. “I stayed awake for days just to make sure he wasn’t going to stop breathing. Co-sleeping let us both get the rest we needed and if there was a problem I was right there to fix it. As mother’s we need to stop placing shame and start standing up for each other.”
Several of Fox’s clients were shamed for the way they gave birth. Others have faced criticism for their feeding methods.
“We are all doing our best to keep these little humans alive all while keeping our sanity,” Fox wrote in her Facebook post. “We all have our differences in parenting and need to realize that everyone is raised differently and have different values and things that are important to us.”
Moms: we are the only other people in the world who understand the nature of our jobs as mothers. Why is it that so many women have chosen to tear each other down during a time—a season of life—when we desperately need to be lifting each other up?
It’s no one else’s place to determine what types of parenting work best for your family and your circumstance. The only thing that matters is that our children are safe and they are cared for and most importantly, they are loved.
Keep doing your best mamas. Your babies are doing just fine.