We often discuss how valuable community is for parents, and for moms in particular. In search of such a community, one mother attempted to make small talk with a fellow mom at the park. However, the other parent abruptly shut her down.
Disheartened, she discussed the encounter on TikTok. But instead of support, she was met with criticism from commenters arguing that the other mom likely had a valid reason for acting cold. In the video, Mom Liz Hollomon shared the odd encounter she had while at the park with her toddler and infant. She explained that her daughter was playing with another toddler, so she approached the child’s mother, who was visibly pregnant. Hoping to make polite chit-chat with a fellow parent, Hollomon asked the woman how far along she was in her pregnancy.
“She’s like, ’37 weeks’ and doesn’t look at me,” Hollomon recounted, adding that she found the other mom’s unwillingness to even make eye contact “a little strange.”
“I’m like, ‘OK, well, that’s so exciting! I was just there!'” Hollomon continued. Still, the woman refused to look at her or respond.
Hollomon noted that the other mom seemed angry that she even spoke to her, so she wished her a safe delivery before going on her way.
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“It just got me thinking, these are the people that are raising kids that are gonna go to school with my kids,” she said. “As a mom, I just really thought we were past this mean girl phase.”
She explained that she was excited to be a mom, in part, to bond with fellow parents over shared experiences. She expected to be part of a supportive community of parents “making it through and cheering each other on,” but has not found that to be accurate.
The fellow mom’s attitude left her feeling disheartened and isolated. “To the mom from the park… I hope your day gets better,” she added in the caption of her video.
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TikTok users speculated that the other woman’s behavior might have stemmed from something beyond simple rudeness. She may have just been having a difficult day, like all of us do from time to time.
“We are allowed to have tough moments, even when a stranger is trying to speak to us in public,” one commenter wrote. “Maybe it took everything she had not to cry or even be at that park with her child. Doesn’t make her mean.”
“She could be having pregnancy complications or delivering a baby that’s not compatible with life. Not every pregnancy is joyous,” another user suggested.
Others online theorized that the woman came to the park for a break and wanted silence, struggles with small talk, or was dealing with prenatal depression. According to the Cleveland Clinicprenatal depression is defined as “depression that happens during pregnancy,” and often causes extreme sadness, anxiety, and irritability.
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“Human decency would be to simply say, ‘I am having a bad day, I can’t talk,'” one commenter pointed out. “If THAT is too hard, but stonewalling and flatly ignoring another human bidding for connection is acceptable, we are in a BAD place in society.”
“Yes, she could have been having a moment, but it’s still a let down to be basically ignored by another mom in an effort to connect in such a vulnerable state like postpartum,” another user wrote.
While it is true that we do not owe strangers a conversation, it doesn’t take much to be polite. Even just a smile can go a long way.
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Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
