In an Instagram post, a mom of twins cleared up a misconception about stay-at-home mothers.
Anna Strode is known for her fitness videos that show her kids playing around her while she works out, which she posts on her Instagram page Bubs2Bikinis. On April 7, she wrote a post in response to a comment she’d received from someone who implied that because Strode stays at home with her kids, she doesn’t work.
Strode, who has 23-month-old twins and is pregnant and due in June, felt motivated by the comment to explain what being a stay-at-home mom really means.
In her post, Strode wrote that she spends her days “changing shitty nappies,” “making food that gets thrown on the floor before it’s even tasted” and “attempting to teach two little humans to share instead of bite, pull hair, scratch or push each other,” among many other things. She also noted for anyone who thinks she spends all day working out that she tries to squeeze in a 20 to 30-minute workout every day, and even that is frequently interrupted by her kids.
As of Thursday, Strode’s post has been liked more than 5,000 times. She’s also received more than 1,000 comments, many of which are from Instagram users applauding Strode for her honesty.
Strode told The Huffington Post that the feedback on her page is positive most of the time, but that she also receives comments from people who shame her for working out instead of playing with her kids.
“Some people say that me working out means I’m not focusing on my children despite the fact my whole workout revolves around and includes them and is actually their favorite part of the day,” she said.
When asked whether she had anything she wanted to say to fellow stay-at-home moms, Strode said she wanted them to know they’re not alone.
“It can be demanding, isolating and damn hard work, but know what you are doing is incredible,” she said. “Be proud of just getting through each day!”
Strode also told HuffPost that all moms are “heroes,” no matter what their work entails.
“We all have different circumstances ― stay-at-home mums, work-out-of-the-home mums,” she said. “No matter what you do or how you do it, every mum that is doing what is best for them and their family is a hero in my eyes.”
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