Can we talk about THAT viral video & parent judging?

Let’s just talk about *that* viral video. The working dad who’s children burst in on his live national TV broadcast.

In case you haven’t seen the viral video (hello, where have you been?!) the video is embedded below. It depicts a man in a suit, working from home and doing a live TV broadcast on politics. The dad has some unwelcome visitors in the form of his kids, closely followed by a woman in a blind panic who drags the children out of the room with rapid hast.

Sounds pretty funny and the world seemed to agree initially. Until the parent judging started, and worse, the racial stereotyping.

• That dad is cruel for pushing away his child. What is more important than your child? Is a LIVE NATIONAL TV appearance really that important.
• That dad should have pick his child up – prime example of patriarchal working.
• This whole thing is SO disturbing, is that how they treat the kids all the time?
• That NANNY is clearly going to be sacked – poor woman, she’s terrified. I bet he’s a bully.
• That NANNY is useless, sack her.
• That NANNY hurt that toddler, she made her scream by dragging her out of the room and trapping her leg – prime example of abuse.
• That dad clearly feels disdain for his kids, how sad.
• That’s not the nanny?? Wow. I just assumed… rich men like that have nannies.
• That’s not the nanny? Oh. But she’s Asian and he’s white – I don’t think it’s a stretch to think she’s a nanny, stop saying it’s racist…
• This makes me so sad. That mummy is clearly so afraid of her husband. I bet he beats her.
• Honestly, what a rubbish mum and wife. If you know your husband is doing something so important, why not do your job and look after your kids properly.
• Useless mother, abusive father. Any surprise this was a discussion on politics.

All genuine comments I’ve seen on Facebook. Now that makes ME sad and angry, that people see something that represents parenthood – a snap shot into family life where getting shit done is invaded by dancing toddlers and babies in contraptions that are designed to trap feet and trip up, a mother who can’t possibly use the toilet without SOMETHING happening.

Firstly, poppetchops, we need to retract our heads from our arses and STOP judging parents. What is more important than your children? Nothing… but guess what? Most people have to work – and if your work is on LIVE national TV, then there are expectations (I’ll come on to why that is the true “issue” in the video if you really need to find one beyond “ha, kids eh?”) as there are in any workplace. As a society we need to cut each other a break, especially as fellow parents. The dad wasn’t cruel, he gently pushed his child – who came in busting the moves of one who gives zero fucks and is clearly a frequently visitor to the old office/spare room – to the side in order to continue with his work. Believe me when I tell you, I have been doing much less important pieces of work and reacted to a child invasion in a much less friendly way. I guess I’m negligent too right? Or did my vagina prevent me from being such a gargantuan asshole because it’s funny when mum’s are trying to get stuff done and move their kids out of the way?

Secondly, can we just address the assumption that this was a nanny? The tidal wave of backtracking was EPIC. I get it, a lot of wealthier people have nannies – I’m neither wealthy nor posh, but if I didn’t have such amazing help from family, those days when the kids aren’t at school I would probably hire a nanny to help me with Edith and the housework. I work long hours and it makes sense. Yet this woman was not a nanny, and it was assumed that she was because of her ethnicity. Sod the fact that the kids were clearly biracial, that man in a suit being oh-so-cruel to his kids (sarcasm font people) was clearly going to sack his nanny after this. Geez, if this video didn’t cast a scary enough light on how horrible society has become towards parents, then be very afraid with the highlight it casts on the racial inequality we still have. As a white, middle class (yep, sorry- is the truth) woman I can’t possibly imagine what it would be like to have millions of people assume my kids aren’t mine because of the colour of my skin. Jebus people, just pause for a moment and check your privilege. As if bursting into the middle of your husband’s interview *in your pants* isn’t bad enough, you’re now relegated to nanny status, not to mention abusive or a victim.

Just because I said before that I would acknowledge what *isn’t* funny about this video, and how there is a slightly less amusing aspect to this whole shebang. If you’re looking for something to complain about in this video, complain about the way it proves that as a society there is still a stereotype with acknowledging that we are parents in the work place, that it is still expected that we will hid our children away while we work, merrily pretending we don’t have kids or anything outside of the working bubble.

Why don’t we, as parents, come together instead of fighting each other and challenge the society that so unfairly encourages us to have such a workplace/family divide? That seems like a much better plan than judging a couple in a sexist and racist manner based on a snap shot doesn’t it?

H x