Mom Pens Passionate Response to Shoppers' Comments During Daughter's Meltdown

Sammi Ovington enjoys shopping with her 3-year-old daughter Skye, but these outings can become stressful if Skye experiences a meltdown. Skye has autism, pica and hypermobility syndrome, and after receiving a number of insensitive remarks from strangers while trying to help Skye through her meltdowns, Ovington took to Facebook to respond.

“To the people just staring at me, whispering to each other and the blatant judging of my parenting, I hope your children don’t have bad days like this,” she wrote in a Facebook post that has now been shared 3,800 times.

Ovington told the Daily Mail she wrote the post when she was angry, but she’s pleased with the response she’s received. “I love taking my little beauty shopping,” she wrote at the end of her Facebook post. “I will not apologize if she is an inconvenience to your shopping trip!”

Read the Facebook post in its entirety below:

Dear passers by,

This is Skye. She’s 3 years old. She has autism spectrum disorder, pica and hypermobility syndrome.

To the lady in Paperchase telling me Skye was naughty, I’m irresponsible and I shouldn’t give her things before I’ve paid for them, thanks for your input. Pica is a disorder where she feels the uncontrollable need to eat non edible things. Skye’s thing is paper. I’m sorry she ate the barcode before we paid but she isn’t naughty and I am not irresponsible.

To the member of staff in Wilko, no I wouldn’t rather take my child who is in the middle of a meltdown outside and come back in a minute. I think that’s what you would rather me do and I am disgusted with your attitude.

To the man trying to get me to change my cable provider, I am already with Virgin, I already think your service is sh*t and can you not see I’m trying to comfort a screaming, scared and upset child?

To the people just staring at me, whispering to each other and the blatant judging of my parenting, I hope your children don’t have bad days like this.

And to the old lady in Sainsburys who told me Skye was too old to be in a buggy and she should be walking, thank you for your input. Skye has hypermobility syndrome. Walking long distances for her is painful. So she goes in a buggy when she is too tired to save her little legs from hurting.

Today was hard. Never felt so judged by so many people. The noise of builders, cars, the beeping to cross the road and music in the shop was all too much for Skye. So she dealt with it the only way she knows how. To cover her ears, shake and cry. She was scared. She was upset. And she was panicking. She was NOT being naughty.

And despite this, I love taking my little beauty shopping. I will not apologize if she is an inconvenience to your shopping trip!

I can’t believe the amazing response the post has had,” Ovington told the Daily Mail. “I just wrote it when I was angry and didn’t expect anyone to respond, now for people to say that it’s a great way to raise awareness is just fantastic.”