A Utah mom has two children with disabilities and is always going out and about with them, naturally. She never expected that she would have a Karen encounter on a grocery trip with her kids, especially over the way she decided to shop with them.
Jo (@jodottjo) says that she can’t “believe the audacity” of people when she takes her disabled children out with her to run errands. Jo is a mom who frequently posts about her children and about disabilities. This is because her 3-year-old son has a double chromosome deletion. Her 1-year-old daughter was born with hip dysplasia. Her children are clearly her life and she does everything she can to give them the best experiences in life.
When Jo was grocery shopping, she chose a cart and put her daughter in the actual seat because “she can sit independently.” Her son, however, is unable to. Because of this, she has to lay him down in the cart. Jo did her best to fill the cart with groceries around her children and said the cart was pretty full. But she said her children weren’t “buried in the groceries.” Any parent would understand this scenario.
However, an approaching Karen did not understand. The woman walked up to Jo and said, “I can’t believe that you’re making them sit with all those groceries.” Jo replied, “The groceries are not on top of their head.” The Karen then continued, “I can’t believe a mother would treat her own children like this.”
Jo was baffled by the confrontation. Instead of letting the comments go, she told the Karen she’s clearly an “expert” on what to do with two children who can’t walk. She asks her sarcastically, “What would you like me to do in this situation?” The angry woman wasn’t able to answer Jo further than saying, “Not this.”
Commenters were primarily on Jo’s side when it came to this situation (including the cashier, who she says called her a good mom when she was checking out). One commenter explained, “My able-bodied children loved burying themselves in groceries, so… Whatever, strange lady at the grocery store.” Another shared, “As a fellow mom of a 9-year-old girl with mobility issues, I feel like. And it heightens the world is not built for those with mobility issues.” Furthermore, one commenter added, “Unless the children are actually being hurt people need to mind their own business.”
The video gained reactions from many parents who have gone through the same thing and could relate to Jo. Many viewers shared how they felt angry about how the woman handled this situation.
