One of our FAVE celebrity mums, Reese Witherspoon, was recently mum-shamed for feeding her four-year-old son cinnamon buns for breakfast.
Critics were also very quick to judge model and mum, Coco Rocha, for giving her baby formula rather than choosing to breastfeed (her kids, her choice we say!).
And fashion designer and former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, recently started a frenzy after posting a photo to her social media of herself kissing her young daughter on the lips.
Well, according to a new study by the University of Michigan, six out of 10 mums have been criticised about their parenting choices, from discipline to their feeding choices.
The report is based on responses from a sample of 475 mothers with at least one child under the age of 5.
“Our findings tap into the tensions moms face when parenting advice leads to more stress than reassurance and makes them feel more criticised than supported,” says poll co-director Sarah Clark.
“Mothers can get overwhelmed by so many conflicting views on the ‘best’ way to raise a child,” she adds. “Unsolicited advice, especially from the people closest to her child, can be perceived as meaning she’s not doing a good job as a mother. That can be hurtful.”
“Family members should respect that mothers of young children may have more updated information about child health and safety, and ‘what we used to do’ may no longer be the best advice.”
Many of the mums said that they have responded to “shamers” by consulting a health care provider for advice.
“This indicates that most mothers view their child’s health care provider as a trusted source of accurate information and advice, not as a critic. Child health providers can help by encouraging mothers to ask questions about any parenting uncertainties, and offer reassurance and practical advice that helps boost mothers’ confidence and reduce anxiety around choices.”
Sixty-two percent of mums in the poll said that they get a lot of unhelpful advice from other people, while 56 percent believe that mums get too much blame and not enough credit for their children’s behaviour.
And half of the mums surveyed said they usually just avoid people who are too critical.
“It’s unfortunate when a mother feels criticised to the point where she limits the amount of time she and her child will spend with a family member or friend. To guard against that situation, advice to mothers of young children should be given with empathy and encouragement.”
