I was at the supermarket, juggling my crying 7-year-old son and my bags. A woman in line sighed loudly, then started filming me. As I walked out, she said, ’People like you should never have kids!’ No one said a word. I was going to yell at her, but I froze when I saw my son.
He was entirely covered in chocolate—his clothes, face, and even hair. I was so overwhelmed with a month’s worth of groceries and tasks I still needed to do that I didn’t pay close attention to what my kid was doing. Turns out, while following me in the market, he was also eating and making a mess. Suddenly, he started to cry when he realized everyone was staring at us.
I turned bright red and quickly carried him to the car. It’s been 5 years, but I still think about that moment every time I step into a supermarket. At the time, I was mortified, but now I look back and give myself credit for raising three kids on my own while working full-time. As single moms, we should give ourselves more credit.
