A mum has hit back after a complete stranger called her son "dirty and gross" for playing in a muddy puddle.
Autumn, who regularly opens up about her Montessori method of parenting online, overheard another parent making the rude comment in a car park when her little boy jumped in puddles.
Defending her approach to parenting, she says she's more than happy to let little Luca continue playing however he wants, regardless of any stares they may get, as she wants him to "fully explore his environment."
Taking to TikTok, Autumn asked her followers if they've ever dealt with scrutiny from other caregivers and how they cope with it if so.
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She wrote: "We heard some comments from another caregiver at the park about how dirty all the other kids were (my kid included). I don’t mind him getting muddy and messy!
"If that’s not your style, that’s okay too. I was just shocked when this adult told a child, unrelated to them, how dirty and 'gross' they were."
Autumn, who goes by the username @more_than_montesorri, shared footage of little Luca enjoying himself to his heart's content in a muddy puddle, and made it clear that a few negative comments wouldn't make her stop him.
She continued: "Sometimes I catch comments from other parents and caregivers due to how we parent. Yes, we choose to encourage him to fully explore his environment. No, we don't expect others to do things the same way!
"Stare, make comments if you must, but I will continue to allow him to play in the puddles."
Many people applauded Autumn for her open-minded approach to parenting, assuring her she was doing a "great job" while advising against taking any judgemental remarks to heart.
One approving person wrote: "Isn’t that why we have bathtubs, showers, and running water for? Kids are made to get dirty!"
Another applauded: "One of my favourite memories from my childhood is how I was laying on the ground looking at the puddle of water and how it was reflecting a rainbow that day.
"Now, I can imagine how it must have looked to some adults, a child laying in the puddles. [...] Kids need to be kids, I would hate it to have a childhood where you can't get messy or play in nature."
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