'I'm Just A Mom Trying My Best' Says Mother Who Was Shamed For Taking Her Kids Out In The Rain

She had them properly bundled up, so what did she do wrong?

Gemma McCaw's Instagram story, mom and kids in the rain Instagram & Yan Krukau / Pexels
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A former Olympian who is now a proud mom of three got candid about the importance of empathy after a social media user targeted her because she took her young kids outside on a rainy day.

New Zealand mom Gemma McCaw is an Olympic field hockey player who competed in a whopping three Summer Olympics. Her husband, Richie McCaw, is a retired New Zealand All Blacks rugby player

The sports stars share three daughters, three-year-old Charlotte, two-year-old Grace, and the newest addition to her family, Ella, who’s just seven weeks old.

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Gemma McCaw was bashed for taking her children for a walk while it was raining.

The mother of three shared a photo on Instagram of her children outside on a rainy day. She pushed a stroller as her eldest, Charlotte, rode a bike in the front. Judging by the image, the ground looked slick, but no signs of flooding. So, taking a stroll shouldn’t pose a significant danger, but someone else felt otherwise.

After sharing the happy photo of her kids, McCaw was criticized by a stranger who had a lot to say about her parenting.

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“To the person this morning who criticized me...for being out in the pouring rain with my kids, please know I’m just a Mum trying to do my best by getting some fresh air on a day like this,” she wrote.

Photo: Instagram

On top of that, she ensured that her children were out of harm’s way.

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“They were all safe and warm & despite Charlotte not wanting to wear her jacket, I had it under the pram,” she wrote. Over the baby stroller, she had coverings that kept water from getting on the kids. And even though Charlotte wasn’t wearing a rain jacket in the photo, she donned a hoodie and a helmet. So, they appeared to be perfectly safe, and many people agreed.

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She received an overwhelming amount of support after her post.

Many people messaged her after the post, so she followed up with words of gratitude. “Thank you for all your beautiful kind messages,” she wrote in a follow-up story post.

Gemma shared that she also received a smile from a stranger that day, proving that sometimes we focus on negativity more than positivity! In addition to that, she unapologetically asserted that she would continue to take her children outside, even when it rains.

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“As Mums we are hard enough on ourselves already so when people are kind it makes a huge difference! Fresh air + rain is good for the soul, and I’ll always choose to take my kids outside to be in nature,” she added.

Photo: Instagram

Little Kiwis Nature Play, a New Zealand-based educational consultant focused on utilizing nature for learning, dismissed the antiquated idea that children shouldn’t go out when it’s wet or cold. We usually think that rainy or frigid weather means that we are more likely to get sick, but they explained that is not the case.

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“Professor Raina MacIntyre…suggests that ‘exposure to cold weather will not give you a cold because colds are caused by viruses,’” they wrote. 

And the same principle goes for rain! As long as your child is bundled up properly, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. So, any parents hesitant to let their children play outside on poor weather days should do away with that idea. Of course, assuming that there are no extreme weather conditions.

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Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news and human interest stories.