March 4th 2024.
Claire Baldock was excited to share a video of her daughter on Instagram, thinking it would be a fun and relatable post for other parents. Little did she know, the video would attract a wave of negative comments from strangers.
As she scrolled through the comments, Claire was shocked to see hurtful words like "monster" and "horrible parent" directed towards her. It seemed like everyone had something negative to say about her, just because of a 40-second clip.
The video showed her three-year-old daughter Olive discovering some of her old artwork in the bin. The little tot can be seen retrieving her "masterpieces" and declaring them as not trash. Claire's caption read, "Lesson learned: always use the outdoor bin to dispose of Olive's 'artwork'."
While the post received thousands of likes from fellow parents, it also attracted over 1,000 negative comments. The negativity was so overwhelming that Claire ended up blocking people and turning off the comments section.
"It's frustrating how people feel entitled to pass judgement on someone's parenting without knowing the full story," Claire shared. As a travel blogger who runs women-only tours with her twin sister, she understands that criticism comes with the territory. However, the comments on this innocent video crossed the line.
Claire, who had struggled with postnatal depression after Olive's birth, knows firsthand the impact that negative comments can have on a person's mental health. "If I had received these comments during my darkest time, it would have been devastating," she revealed.
But despite the backlash, Claire refuses to stop sharing content about her daughter online. She believes that women should be able to post about their children without facing criticism from strangers. "The issue lies with the people who can't seem to control their words when typing a comment," she stated.
She also acknowledges that the situation would have been different if a man had posted the same video. "People probably wouldn't have batted an eye," she said. Claire and her sister have also faced criticism for traveling and being away from their children, something that wouldn't have been an issue if the roles were reversed.
As for the artwork that sparked all the backlash, Claire assures everyone that Olive's "masterpieces" are treasured and displayed all over their house. The drawings that were thrown away in the video were actually from an old bag that had gotten moldy, hence the need for disposal.
"I think any parent with a creative toddler can relate to this situation," Claire shared. "My only mistake was that she found them in the bin."
Despite the hurtful comments she received, Claire remains unapologetic about sharing her experiences as a mother. And she encourages other parents to do the same, without fear of judgement from strangers online.
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