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Photo Of Mom Working At Cash Register While Holding Her Newborn Baby Stirs Debate

Photo: Reddit / Facebook
Mom working at register while holding baby

A photo of a working mom caring for her baby on the job has divided people across social media platforms.

While a Facebook user, who originally shared a photo of the woman and her child, considered the sight an "inspiration," Reddit users have taken a different stance.

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The photo shows a woman working at a cash register while holding her newborn baby.

An unnamed Facebook user snapped the image, which was taken at a BP gas station, and shared it for her own followers.

“I was in BP and I saw this lady. She was the cashier. And she was taking care of her baby so patiently, so well, and so lovingly,” reads the post.

Credit: Reddit / Facebook

“All while working. Yet was still able to do her job and right quick I might add! Some may scrunch their faces in meaningless annoyance, some may judge.”

“But me, being the mom that I am, saw hope, inspiration, and motivation,” she continues.

The thing that stood out most to the mother was that she saw a “LOVING mom willing to sacrifice.” 

She then went on to explain that she got permission to snap the photo and share it since it was a source of inspiration.

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The Facebook user praised the working mom but Reddit users didn't see the image as a positive one. 

They were "sick to the stomach" seeing a woman working with her newborn. 

“This post is circulating around on Facebook and it makes me sick to my stomach," a Reddit user who reshared the original post wrote. 

The post was shared in the r/antiwork subreddit — a forum in which user debate hustle culture and the harmful impacts of a "live to work" mentality, among other things.

Many users in the forum felt the need to comment on how deplorable her situation was. They questioned why a new mom should have to work on her feet all day instead of being provided with adequate paid time off.

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Most didn’t think it was “motivating” or “inspirational” at all. 

“I feel so bad for that woman... I can’t imagine how hard her life must be.” wrote one user.

Another user commented on the systematic failures, “Nothing says [motivation] like framing the failures of capitalism as a feel-good story.”

“Hope the employee doesn't get in trouble as this spreads,” they continued. 

Going back to work after having a baby is a choice many moms make due to their desire to continue their careers but it is also a decision parents can be forced into if they are struggling financially.

While we don't know the context of the image, many Reddit users took this as damning evidence that the mom did not have access to affordable childcare. 

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Taylor Haynes is a writer based in Chicago. She covers entertainment, news and human interest stories at YourTango. You can find her on Instagram here.