Counting On star Jeremy Vuolo is getting a taste of mommy shaming, or rather, daddy shaming. On Monday, Vuolo, who is married to Jinger (Duggar) Vuolo, took to Instagram to document some daddy and me time with his daughter Felicity. Despite the adorable pictures, however, it didn’t take long for the critics to emerge, slamming the fact that little Felicity was missing an important piece of protective gear while on a boat.
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Shared with his more than 675,000 followers, the July 6 post showed an image of Vuolo and Felicity, the little one taking the helm as captain of the boat. Vuolo joked, “and just like that, she’s a boat captain,” referring to the expert way in which his daughter gripped the wheel and kept her gaze forward. He added, “time flies!”
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The image immediately sparked concern among some of his followers, who felt that Vuolo had acted irresponsibly by allowing Felicity on a boat without a life vest. One person said that they felt “obligated to mention that one should never be on a boat without a life jacket,” an obligation that several others apparently felt they had, too. Mixed in with comments gushing over how adorable Felicity is were ones slamming Vuolo for not putting Felicity in a life vest. One person candidly asked, “where is her life jacket,” while somebody else pointed out that “kids should always have them on. Another person wrote that while they “absolutely love” the Vuolos, “in Australia it’s illegal for a child to be on a boat without a life jacket,” while somebody else said that it’s “completely irresponsible and illegal in some states for children… Very dumb.”
Not everyone was so quick to pass judgment, though, and a number of fans even came to Vuolo’s defense, pointing out that fans don’t know the full story behind the image. Responding to one critic, somebody said that people need to “settle down” and pointed out that “in a lot of states you only need to have them on board.” That same person went on to write that the family “may have just gotten on or getting ready to get off.” A second person hit back by saying that they “don’t believe anyone asked for your opinion you feel obligated to make” and cast doubt that Vuolo “would jeopardize his daughter’s safety. That person poised the theory that the family was simply “sitting tied to a dock” and said that some of the critics were simply trying to “ruin and tarnish people’s reputations and character.”
At this time, neither Vuolo nor his wife has responded to the backlash. The couple, who recently moved to Los Angeles, is plenty busy, as they are preparing to welcome their second child together. They announced that they were expecting in May.
