Moms today are often judged and shamed for their parenting decisions. In fact, it's so common that there's a term for this negative phenomenon: mom-shaming.
HuffPost blogger and mother of three Julie Maida is working to put an end to mom-shaming with her "Mommitment" campaign -- an initiative that promotes kindness and support and provides a "safe, judgment-free space to be an imperfect mom." According to the campaign website, a mommitment is "a commitment to always try to offer compassion and support to another mom, regardless of how we feel about her personal choices."
Maida invites fellow moms to "make a #mommitment" by signing her Change.org petition, sharing supportive messages on social media and, in the case of parenting bloggers, pledging to keep their websites free of mom-shaming and mom-judging. The campaign founder also put together an empowering video filled with images of moms and their kids holding inspirational signs.
"So many women feel alone and unsupported in their communities," Maida told The Huffington Post, adding that her own experience with postpartum depression made her realize the importance of receiving reassurance from fellow moms. Due to the prevalence of mom-shaming, many women "feel isolated and afraid to ask for help out of fear of judgment," Maida explained.
"There's this image of 'the perfect mom,'" she continued. "But none of us are going to get there because it doesn't really exist." Instead of bashing and one-upping each other on social media, parents should focus on having honest, open conversations and listening to different viewpoints, Maida said.
As she sums up in the YouTube description for the #mommitment video, "We're all just doing the best we can as moms and hoping it's enough. ALL moms deserve support and compassion. We don't always know what another mom is going through, and judgment and shame can be damaging to moms who suffer in silence. No More Mom Shaming!!!"
Hear, hear!
H/T The Stir
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