Actress Katherine Heigl 'Mommy-Shamed' after Sharing Photo of 1-Year-Old Son
The internet is infested with trolls. And no, I’m not talking about those big-haired, glitter-happy characters my 5-year-old is obsessed with.
The trolls I’m referring to are far less adorable and only surface when an opportunity to judge their fellow humans arises. Ne’er a kind word nor positive affirmation come from this particular species of troll.
It’s one thing to simply hide behind your laptop or phone and bash others on social media. That’s a pretty basic hazard we’re all aware could happen to any one of us any time we post as much a cup of coffee on Instagram or Facebook.
But what’s far worse is when a fellow mom bares her claws and shames another mom for all to see. I can’t decide if these trolling moms simply have nothing better to do, or if they truly believe they are immune to ever committing a parenting mistake in their lives.
Recently, actress Katherine Heigl became the victim of one such mom-shaming endeavor. Possibly most well known for her role as Izzie Stevens on “Grey’s Anatomy,” this Hollywood mom now shares her favorite motherhood products on her site, thoseheavenlydays.com.
“Every parent has a few favorite baby products they just can’t live without… and I’m no exception!” she began on one of her latest Instagram posts. The image placed her 1-year-old baby boy, Joshua Jr., in the spotlight.
But of course, the cute baby and positive mom support Heigl offers were overlooked due to one minor detail in the featured photo.
Yes, he’s strapped into a carseat. Yes, his straps are loose and the chest clip isn’t where it should be.
So. What?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but has anyone considered little Joshua Jr. is not actually in the car in this photo? He could be hanging out with his momma at the doctor’s office or chilling with her on the floor as she folds laundry.
There is literally no possible way to tell if he’s in the car or anywhere else. Maybe Heigl loosened his straps for comfort while he’s in the stroller.
The point is, we should be supporting and cheering on other moms, not shaming and judging them based on our own limited perceptions.
While Heigl’s photo received a lot of unnecessary flack, thankfully the shaming comments were also met with oodles of praise and support for the 39-year-old actress.
Next time any one of us feels quick to judge a photo or post we come across on social media, we ought to take a minute, step back, and consider we may not have the entire picture. Which is literally the case when it comes to Heigl’s mom-shamed Instagram post.
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