Celebs Who Were Hit With Backlash Over Photos Of Their Kids

Imagine parenting without having your child-rearing choices called into question. Statistically speaking, that's not a very likely scenario. Of course, if you're a parent, you don't need facts and figures to tell you that. If you have children, you've probably been subjected to one unsolicited opinion after another. Some of this commentary may come from well-meaning friends and family members, and, other times, these opinions may come from a rando on Instagram. While it's true that some people offer up advice in an effort to be genuinely helpful, others' motives aren't so pure. More often than not, this type of undue criticism — "mom-shaming" — is, as social psychologist Susan Newman explained in an article for Psychology Today, "a cover for someone's own insecurities or guilt about things they wish they had done differently."

There is perhaps no group of people quite so familiar with mom-shaming — especially online — than celebrities. For all of the benefits that come with fame and fortune, raising children in the public eye usually brings on heaps of criticism. Here are some celebs who were hit with backlash for photos they shared of their kids.

In May 2018, Ivanka Trump posted a photo on Twitter. In the picture, Ivanka can be seen holding her two-year-old son and resting her forehead against his. While the content of the photo itself wasn't called into question, the timing certainly was. As BBC News then reported, the mom of three shared the photo at around the same time that reports were claiming United States border patrol agents were separating migrant children from their parents.

Prior to the president's daughter's Twitter post, the hashtag #WhereAreTheChildren began making its rounds on Twitter. Users then tweeted the hashtag in response to Trump's photo with her son. "How lucky that you get to do that with your children," one commenter wrote of the mother's ability to hug her son on a weekend morning. "Meanwhile, there are 1500 children that are missing their parents as a result of Daddy's orders. The fact that you and other so-called leaders have stood idly by and done nothing speaks volumes." Not everyone thought Trump's photo deserved backlash, of course. "Beautiful picture!" one commenter wrote, before encouraging her to "stay strong."

In September 2018, Tori Spelling shared an Instagram photo of four of her five children's first day of the new school year. It was a big day for this mom since it was also her son Finn's first day of kindergarten. If you're sitting here wondering why anyone would take issue with this photo, we hear you. Nevertheless, some people trolled the comments.

"This picture is so sad," one person wrote (via USA Today). "These [clothes] are ill-fitting, wrinkled and just old and worn out looking. And where are the back to school haircuts? ... All I'm saying is put some more care into how your kids look." Ouch! Sadly, others shared their similarly hurtful two cents.

USA Today also reported on Spelling's response to the haters: "For all the individuals on here that felt the need to [mom-shame] and [kid-shame] me and my children I say, 'Shame on you!' I was raised to believe that if you can't say anything nice about someone then don't say anything at all." She continued, writing, "Lift others up and you in turn lift yourself up."

"Cheers b****," singer Jessie James Decker captioned a photo on Instagram. In it, the star is seen giving the peace sign, holding a glass of what appears to be rosé, and breastfeeding her son. As you could imagine, fans of the star had plenty opinions about this decision. "Who brags about drinking while breastfeeding their baby?" Another Instagram user added, "I'm absolutely against mom shaming, but she's asking for it here."

Claims of mom-shaming aside, is it actually safe? Decker told Us Weekly that she knows what she's doing and that "it's totally okay to toast to a celebration and have a drink while you're breastfeeding." According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, however, it is "best for women to avoid habitual use of alcohol while breastfeeding." But, if a mom does choose to have a drink, "it's best to do so just after she has nursed or expressed milk rather than before, and allow at least 2 hours per drink before the next breastfeeding or pumping session." This is because alcohol passes through breast milk.

Just five months into being a mother, Kylie Jenner was criticized for a common yet polarizing parenting decision. Some of the star's Snapchat followers were alarmed to see little Stormi with her ears pierced. Though, Jenner may have expected parents to debate her decision. The month prior, Khloé Kardashian revealed a video showing her daughter's pierced ears and subsequently faced backlash from fans.

While not every parent would consider infant piercings, Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist based in New York City, told W Magazine that it's generally not dangerous. "In some ways, it is easier to pierce a child's ears when she is very little because she is too young to be aware of the piercing and is not likely to touch or play with the earrings." He continued, saying, "If the piercing is not performed when the child is very little, then I recommend that parents wait until the child is mature enough not to play with the earrings while the pierce heals."

Mothers who have ever breastfed in public know the unique shaming that can come with simply feeding a hungry baby. From dirty looks to unwanted commentary to sometimes even being kicked out of restaurants, this is truly next-level repugnant shaming. It wasn't until July 2018 that women in all 50 states earned the legal right to breastfeed in public. Nevertheless, many still have opinions on where and when breastfeeding is acceptable. 

Chrissy Teigen shared a photo of herself nursing her son Miles while pretending to also nurse her daughter's babydoll. "Luna [is] making me feed her babydoll so I guess I have twins now," she captioned the photo. After Teigan cross-posted the photo to Twitter, one user responded in a since removed tweet (via Hello Giggles), "Menstruating, childbirth and sex are natural, too, but that doesn't mean I want to see pics of it and/or celebrities like [Chrissy Teigen] taking a bath or nursing. We get it."

Teigen clapped back, writing, "I don't care to see grainy fireworks, Coachella selfies or infinity pool pics but I let people live. Calm your t*ts and scroll on by." What more can be said?

What's an appropriate age for a child to begin motocross racing? Well, it seems it depends on who you ask. Carey Hart, former freestyle motocross racer, shared a photo of his not yet two-year-old son Jameson riding an off-road motorcycle along with him. "Don't worry parent police," Hart captioned the photo, "I'm a professional." But parents were worried. 

"A professional would never put his son in that kind of danger. It only takes one second to change your entire life," one person replied (via USA Today). Another fan inquired, "Where is [Jameson's] motorcycle helmet? He is wearing a bicycle helmet." 

Carey Hart and his wife, singer Pink, have come under similar scrutiny in the past. After sharing a photo of their then-two-year-old daughter Willow on her first motorcycle ride with her dad back in 2013, many parents expressed their concern. Pink responded on Twitter, writing, "If any of [you] have more experience on a bike than my husband, then I will listen to your opinions on how he should take my daughter for a ride."

For her oldest son's birthday, singer Carrie Underwood sucked in some helium from a balloon and belted out the "Happy Birthday" song for her newly four-year-old son Isaiah. Later, Underwood's husband Mike Fisher, who had captured the song on camera, shared the video to Instagram. While some fans were impressed that the country singer's voice was still pretty amazing after inhaling helium, others criticized the star. In the video, Underwood was pictured holding her infant son in one hand while holding the balloon in the other. As ALT 104.9 reported, Underwood received backlash for the way in which she was holding her child and for inhaling helium in front of her kiddos. She basically couldn't win.

Although we've probably all done it, those who commented about the dangers of inhaling helium aren't exactly wrong. While very rare, inhaling helium can be dangerous — even fatal. Nevertheless, Carrie Underwood — and her little ones — were just fine.