Dear Other Momma, 

 I watched Disability Activist Lizzie Velasquez's TikTok & wanted to cry.  

 

 

I don't know you. 
I ain't into judging. 
Or shaming. 
And listen, I get wanting to scare your kids to get a good laugh. 
Trust me, I'm that mom to. 
I also laugh hysterically when mine accidently fall. 

 

But, COME ON!
Please, please, please tell me when you decided to post that TikTok video & get on board this absolutely ignorant trend in which parents try to scare their kids by showing them pictures of disabled people, including babies & kids like my daughter with Down syndrome. 
Ya had second thoughts. 
You realized for a minute. 
This was a person. 
A human being. 
Who has, if you can even imagine for a second, been fighting bullying her whole life. 
You must have known this is absolutely heartless. 
And moms like me, who have been fighting tirelessly for change feel broken. 
You see, my daughter Pip adores TikTok. 

 

 

And KILLS IT!
Those little 15-second-jingles & dance challenges are her jam. 
My two sons & I, heck even my 70-yr-old Dad, willingly participate because it makes her beam. 
Her smile at nailing something & doing it way better than any of us makes her feel proud and accomplished. 

 

And if my children were swiping through & saw this hateful propaganda you & other people are spreading. 
Flat out, I'd be embarrassed for ya. 
Because I'd have to explain to my own kids. 
How far behind your heart must be. 
That most people realize a person is a person. 
Not their disability. 
Even my kids know that differences need to be accepted, respected & even celebrated. 
But, trust me, my heart had to navigate to where it is today. 
And I like to hope it's just an ignorance & soon realization. 
That what you're teaching your child isn't okay. 
It's hurtful and mean & flat out bullying. 
And really with everything else going on in this wild-crazy-time on earth. 
There is no space for this behaviour. 
No need to acknowledge it more. 
Because, I'm sure you are getting bombarded with messages. 
Telling you how disrespectful you we're. 

 

So, I'll leave you instead with this. 
Just be better momma. 
Please. 
For your kid. 
For my kid. 
For all the kids. 
It's so very important.

 

 
Love,

 A Mom tired of fighting this kinda crap