Mom-shaming is definitely a thing — and it might be affecting more people than you'd think.
According to new research, almost two-thirds of moms say that they've been shamed for their parenting skills.
The report, which comes from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, found that six in ten mothers of children ages 0 to 5 say they have been criticized about their parenting decisions.
The study authors surveyed 475 moms with at least one child aged 0 to 5, asking who they were criticized by, how often they experienced criticism, and what the criticism was about, amongst other things.
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The research also revealed that a 61% of people said they were shamed by family members, usually their own mother or even the child's other parent.
As for what they were criticized about? 70% said they were shamed for how they disciplined their children, 52% said they were criticized for their child's diet and nutrition, and 39% said they were shamed for their choices in breastfeeding or bottle-feeding their children.
"In some cases, things like breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, some of that [shaming stems from] people feeling a tiny bit ambivalent about their own choices," Sarah Clark, co-director of the study and associate research scientist in the department of pediatrics at the University of Michigan, told Yahoo. "And when you’ve struggled with something and decided that the best thing is X and you see someone choosing something else, it calls into question your choice a tiny bit — and therefore, they must be wrong. But there are very few things that are 'right' or 'wrong.' Putting your child in a car seat is right, but what daycare they go to or how you feel about breastfeeding is just a choice."
Clark is right — when it comes down to it, we're all doing the best we can, and there's no need to judge others for making decisions we don't approve of.
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