Liz Petrone, a mom of four, detailed her pre-work day in a Facebook post which went viral. She wasn’t asking for sympathy, she was just keeping it real and funny at the same time. The post, which has been shared thousands of times got lots of positive feedback but also garnered a host of negative comments.
This morning I woke four sleepy humans. Some I gently patted, some I prodded, and one I pulled the covers off and tried…
Posted by Liz Petrone on Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Clearly the post was relatable, yet many people chose to focus on the negative, lambasting her for wasting time cleaning, being fortunate enough for having a job which allows her to get into work as “late” as nine and they pointed out that she is fortunate to have healthy kids, all of which she acknowledges in her post.
Missing the point completely, one mother said “the day will come when you wish you could do it all again.” Petrone was left feeling, “vulnerable and exposed” by the negative comments to her post.
Petrone noted that,
By the time I sit in my chair at work and fire up my computer, my Fitbit says I have walked 2.5 miles. All just to get us ready and out of the house. And if walking 2.5 miles and not actually making it anywhere at all ain’t exactly what this stage of life looks like I don’t what is.
I totally get it –sometimes in the evening when my husband asks me what I did all day I look at my Fitbit and I see I have 15,000 steps but can’t answer his question beyond a vague “not sure but I’m pretty tired.”
Liz closes her post by saluting working moms, “I feel you, I feel you so hard right now. But more than that to ALL the mamas, I’m raising my cup of (now cold) coffee.”
In an interview with Grown and Flown, she said she realizes that, “ALL mothers, stay at home or working outside the home, are working incredibly hard. And it’s okay to raise a hand and say, ‘Hey, this is tough,’ without it meaning that you aren’t immensely grateful for your life.”
Why can’t we just support each other, recognize that we all have blessings and challenges, and give this mom a thumbs up without denigrating her? As Liz says, “You keep on doing you sister, whatever that looks like. Unless it looks like judgment. Ain’t nobody got time for that ish.”
We could not agree more.
Related:
What This Mom Learned About Grown Sons May Surprise You
You May Not Want Children, But Think About These 5 Things First
