Mom Chewed Out for Viral Co-Sleeping Photo About Supporting Your Partner

(Facebook / lovewhatreallymatters)

Co-sleeping and bed sharing are controversial and often divisive subjects in the parenting world. And a viral post by a father who shared a picture of his wife co-sleeping with their two young children has shed light on the argument. The initial post, shared by David Brinkley on his Facebook page was a picture of his wife Alora with their infant daughter and two year old son.

David’s post was really more in response to his wife’s friend asking her about his reaction to co-sleeping. “I would NEVER degrade or disregard anything that she feels like doing for my children. Do I have to squeeze into a small corner of the bed sometimes? Yeah? But my God how beautiful does she look holding my children? Making them feel loved and safe?” He said. But even though the post was very positive and supported co-sleeping, as it spread and spread, things took a direction that neither of the Brinkleys were expecting.

Many commenters on the post decided to post more about the co-sleeping than about Brinkley’s initial message of supporting your partner through the struggles of parenting.

”Co-sleeping is not safe. Children get rolled on all of the time, and this type of behavior creates children who can’t sleep on their own without touch!” Came from one commenter against co-sleeping. Another commenter who is pro co-sleeping chimed in, ”I love this. We did everything ”˜right’ with our first child. Own cot, own room. … We relaxed with numbers 2 and 3 and both co-slept till well past a year.”

The endless stream of comments and shares (well into the high hundred thousands) led to David Brinkley deleting his entire Facebook account. The post was picked up by the page Love What Matters. After he deleted his page, his wife Alora took to her own page to speak out on the controversy surrounding the picture. “This photo is one second in millions of passing seconds””it’s hardly a full story,” she explained. And it’s true.

A photo only captures a fleeting image in the portrait of a person’s life. She explained that the picture was the result of a nap that was not a part of their normal routine and that her husband was right there the entire time in case he was needed. She was having a particularly rough day, but the sweet picture captured a moment of when she was really at the end of her momma rope.

“I will never condemn or push my parenting or life views on anyone. You’re not less because you see things differently and you’re not ‘dumb’ for not agreeing with me.” She said. And we applaud her for it.