Despite our best intentions, we all have the tendency to judge. We see someone who does something a bit differently than we do, and we make all types of assumptions about not only their lives, but their character as well. As much as we don’t like when people do that to us and critique our parenting choices, that doesn’t mean we do better when it comes to others.
One mother on TikTok is warning against this type of behavior after being judged by internet trolls over the way she’s allowed her daughter to self-soothe.
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Shannon Willardson said people have tried to shame her for the way she chooses to comfort her children.
TikTok mom, Shannon Willardson, is the mother of three children, including two 7-year-old daughters. Willardson said the internet has attempted to shame her for giving her daughter a pacifier. What these people don’t know is that Willardson’s daughters have special needs. They are not developing typically.
Her daughters have a rare genetic disease that causes developmental delays.
She shared this in a TikTok video of herself with her daughter. In the video, she mouths the words to a clip of Snookie from the MTV reality show Jersey Shore asking her castmates, “Why is everyone acting weird towards me? No seriously.”
The words on the video read: “POV: the internet shaming me for giving my 7-year-old a pacifier even though she’s not typically developing.” Willardson’s daughters have an extremely rare genetic disease, congenital disorder of glycosylation. CDG causes developmental delays.
Her daughters do not talk or walk, and must be fed through a tube. She shared that there are less than 20 people ever to be diagnosed with their type of CDG. So the family has decided to share their story in order to raise awareness and brighten the world with her girls’ “perfect sunshine.”
Developmentally, Willardson’s daughters are younger than 1.
In the caption for the video, Willardson wrote: “Fact: different ‘rules’ apply for different-needs kiddos. Developmentally my daughters are under the age of 1, so it’s not inappropriate for them to have a pacifier — especially because they significantly help to comfort them. All of their doctors, PT’s & OT’s agree!”
In the hashtags for the post, Willardson writes, “Don’t judge. Just love.”
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TikTok users encouraged her to do what’s best for her children.
Willardson’s comments section was full of support and encouragement.
“You know your baby best!” one user wrote. “You do what YOU need to do for her!”
“People who have never lived with, raised or worked with ppl who are dev. delayed will never understand,” another commented.
People even suggested special pacifiers for older children and even adults. As one TikToker put it, “Soon it’ll be the norm to NOT make judgments based on physical appearances.”
We can’t wait.