Shawn Johnson has this first-time mommy thing down. The 28-year-old Olympian and her husband, entrepreneur and former NFL long snapper Andrew East, welcomed daughter Drew Hazel East in October 2019. The new parents can't get enough of their baby girl and aren't afraid to share their adventures in parenting on social media and their family YouTube channel.
In the ugly world of internet know-it-alls, the more you share, the more criticism you get. When Shawn recently shared a video of Drew's first flip during a family trip to the beach in Miami, mommy shamers flocked to criticize Shawn. It isn't the first time that she's been criticized for what she's doing with her own child. In fact, she's taken to telling people not to bother with their criticism in many of her social media captions.
If you follow Shawn and Andrew, you know that they are serious about researching anything having to do with Drew. They waited a long time to be blessed with their little girl, who is their rainbow baby after Shawn suffered a miscarriage in 2017. They wouldn't dream of doing anything that would put her in danger. That's why it's so satisfying to see Shawn shut the mommy shamers down.
Shawn Johnson is not letting mommy shamers tell her how to raise her daughter. The Olympian welcomed daughter Drew Hazel East on October 29, 2019. Since settling in with their bundle of joy, Shawn and husband Andrew East have been sharing a lot of their experiences as first-time parents.
Fans absolutely love seeing Shawn and Andrew take on parenting. The family of three (four if you count their trusty dog, Nash) has been very busy. This past weekend, they headed on a plane to Miami for Super Bowl LIV.
While mom and dad had some work commitments, they made plenty of time for fun in the sun with their baby girl. They took Drew to the beach for her first little dip in the ocean. By the looks of it, she enjoyed every minute.
Shawn posted a video of Drew executing her first flip, a big deal when your mom is an Olympic gymnast. "Roo’s first flip!! @drewhazeleast (she was PERFECTLY safe… so don’t even haha)," Shawn wrote in the caption.
In the video, Shawn is sitting on her knees with Drew on her lap. She holds Drew by the waist and slowly flips her over until she’s sitting upright again.
Shawn's caption warning didn't stop mommy shamers from commenting on what was going on. One commenter wrote, "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."
In a rare move on Shawn's part, she replied to the comment directly.
"Are you holding her? Have you physically felt her sweat when she wears socks? 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," she wrote.
Later on, Shawn took to her Instagram story to share her thoughts on mommy shamers. "Mom shaming is a real thing. Like a real, real thing, and I truly don't understand it," she said. She went on to recall an incident where she accidentally posted a bathtime photo of Drew without blocking out private areas, and a fan let her know.
She shared that story as an example of moms genuinely looking out for each other versus being critical of one another. "But then there are comments like, 'You're doing this wrong,' 'How could you do this to your child?' and those just aren't good. Those aren't nice. Those aren't worth the effort and they make mamas feel like [expletive]."
"All of us moms are doing the best that we can. We're trying, we're crying, we're pushing our way through it,” she continued. “So you guys should celebrate all of the mamas out there. If you have advice, try to say it in a very kind way because let's be real: None of us know what in the heck we're doing."
Shawn last was confronted by mommy shamers back in late December. She posted a video where she's dancing around the house with Drew, dipping her and spinning her around. She was met with some very critical comments about the innocent moment she shared.
"Well honestly, you’re pretty reckless," wrote one commenter. "Ever heard of shaken baby syndrome? Everything you’re doing physically is about 3 months too soon. Slow down a little. Enjoy the progression. You are rushing everything and it’s hard for people to watch."
It's also worth noting that Andrew posts videos doing many of the same things with their daughter that Shawn does. His videos have the occasional critical comment, but nowhere near as many people come down on him as they do Shawn. Neither of them are doing anything to deserve it.
Shawn has raised an excellent point in her discussion of mommy shamers. Why is it so important for people to lord "the right way" of parenting over others? It's not helpful when it's approached in the matter she's experienced, where people outright accuse her of putting her baby in harm's way.
Shawn continues to encourage moms out there to celebrate and commend each other for hard work instead of tearing each other down. "Just be nice … and stop picking on our little babies, okay?" she said at the conclusion of her Instagram story on the subject. We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
