It’s hard for them, too.
Let’s be honest – there wouldn’t be many who’d decline to join the ranks of the rich and famous mums of this world. However, I know I’d pass. Because it seems every day there’s yet another famous mother thrust into the spotlight for their so called “parenting fail”. And considering it’s a truth universally acknowledged that parenting is one of the toughest jobs you’ll ever undertake (with your sense of humour and sanity intact!) I would gladly do without having my every action analysed and scorned. So isn’t it time we cut celeb mums some slack?
1. Parenting in the public eye equals triple the pressure.
If you thought you had it hard having your mothering skills on display in front of strangers any time you left your home, spare a thought for celebrities who’ve got the whole world bearing witness to how they parent 24/7. Take Reece Witherspoon, for instance. After posting a snap of her two-year-old’s breakfast on Instagram recently, it signalled open season on her nutritional choices for her child. And when Giuliana Rancic innocently shared a pic of her two year old son snacking in his high-chair there were cries of dismay from all corners of the globe that he was far too old to still be using it.
Having your every parenting decision scrutinised has to be difficult to endure on a daily basis. No one needs this type of extra pressure put on them, not even a celeb Mum.
2. Express empathy, not antipathy.
We've all had them - those days when wrestling a ravenous crocodile at dinner time seems like an easier (and more appealing!) option than dealing with a cranky child. Yet when North West made her Fashion Week debut in February, and did what most normal 20 month olds do by staging a mini meltdown it seemed the whole world had an opinion on her bad behaviour. Heck it even made headline news!
Any parent who has been subject to a tantrum of epic proportions by their child in a public place (and unless you never left the house with your child between the ages of 12 months and 4 years old this means you) knows it's not something you want splashed across the world's every media outlet. You need empathy - like the stranger who's been in your shoes and gives you a sympathetic smile - not antagonism that she should not have been present in the first place.