Shawn Johnson Claps Back at Mom-Shamer Who Said She Was ‘Rough Handling’ Her Child

U.S. Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson has dealt with plenty of criticisms from commenters on social media. There are many times in which she posts a photo or video featuring her daughter only to be faced with users calling her a bad parent. The latest example was a comment about the “rough handling” of her daughter.

Johnson recently posted a video that showed her and 4-month-old daughter Drew Hazel on the beach in Miami. The Dancing With the Stars champion grabbed her daughter around the waist and then slowly flipped her over in the clip, writing in the caption that it was Drew Hazel’s first flip and that she was “perfectly safe.”

“While she may have been perfectly safe, sometimes you are a bit rough handling such a young baby, and not making her warm enough when you take her out. She needs at least socks if not shoes, as well, and hats,” one critical commenter wrote in response to the video.

Johnson saw the comment about her parenting style and felt that she needed to respond. The majority of comments were very positive and praised the mother and daughter, but this one individual drew Johnson’s ire.

“Are you holding her? Have you physically felt her sweat when she wears socks?” Johnson wrote back in response. “Or felt her strength when she stands? Or seen her fuss until she stands up because she hates laying down. Nope. You haven’t. I’m her mama. I know.”

This is not the first time that Instagram users have posted negative comments about Johnson’s parenting and the way in which she dresses her daughter. Back in December, some “mommy shamers” gave the former Olympian flak for dressing her daughter in just a diaper and shirt.

As those commenters wrote, it was only 35 degrees in Nashville, but Johnson didn’t have her daughter bundled up. Granted, the infant was inside a heated home, but they still wanted to add some critical comments.

Johnson was well aware of those shaming attempts back in December, and she has grown even more tired of them as the months have progressed. She doesn’t want anonymous Instagram users calling out mothers for the way in which they dress their children on a daily basis or how they “rough handle” them during vacations.

(Photo Credit: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)