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She didn't want other shoppers to judge.
By Nia Tipton
Last updated on Oct 20, 2023
A single mother chose a clever solution when it came to taking her daughter along to go grocery shopping. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was ordered to stay home unless they needed essential goods, MaryAnn Fausey Resendez had no choice but to bring her daughter along to the grocery store.
She taped a sign to her daughter's back to ward off any potential backlash from other shoppers.
Resendez took to Facebook in April 2020 to share a photo of her daughter, BellaRose, wearing a facemask, gloves, and the sign taped her back while sitting in the shopping cart. In an attempt to ward off other grocery shoppers casting judgment on her for bringing her daughter along, Resendez, a tattoo shop owner in McAllen, Texas, had her daughter wear a sign that explained their situation.
"I am only five," the sign read. "I can't stay home alone so I have to buy groceries with mommy ... Before you start judging stay back 6 feet."
In her Facebook post, Resendez explained that she felt the need to defend her actions as a single mother who didn't have anyone to watch her daughter while she shopped for groceries.
"The sign I made her wear [because] I just know some [expletive] will take a picture and talk [expletive] on social media not knowing all the facts," Resendez wrote. Resendez also shared the precautionary measures she and her daughter were taking to prevent themselves from getting sick, including heavily sanitizing the shopping cart and their hands once they were done.
In an interview with TODAY Parents, Resendez shared that she "didn't want to deal with the comments and the looks."
"I’m already under so much stress right now. I wanted to avoid judgment," she continued.
Resendez's post was met with praise from other single mothers and parents.
"From one single mom to another, much love to you and your little one," one woman wrote. "I have a 13-year-old but when she was younger, she went everywhere with me."
"I am sorry you have to deal with such ignorance from others."
Another parent added, "What are you supposed to do sometimes we have no choice bringing the kids with us we should be applauded not ostracized."
"Thank you for speaking up & helping other parents in the same situation feel more secure during these frightening days," a third parent chimed in.
Resendez told TODAY Parents that she was "overwhelmed" by all of the positive feedback she'd received because of the sign, saying, "It’s a lot of, ‘I’m in the same boat as you. I understand.’"
Resendez's experience is a reminder that we shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Unfortunately, issues surrounding the pandemic brought out the worst in many of us. While it may have been easy for some to order groceries to their home or leave their young kids at home with another caretaker while grocery shopping, not everyone has access to those options.
We never know the circumstances of those around us, and Resendez daughter's sign is a reminder to try putting yourself in someone else's shoes before assuming the worst.
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.