A tabloid tried to publicly shame David Beckham's 4-year-old for her pacifier. He did what you'd do.
"Why do people feel they have the right to criticize a parent about their own children without having any facts?"
Would you ever walk up to a stranger walking with their child, pull out a megaphone, and tell the world why you think they're doing parenting wrong?
The Daily Mail, a tabloid known for being (based on an unscientific poll I did of my U.K. friends) full of awful sensationalist drivel that represents everything wrong with humanity, decided to back-seat drive athlete/celebrity David Beckham's parenting decisions when it posted a story about his adorable 4-year-old daughter Harper earlier this week.
Mr Beckham and his daughter, ignoring horrible newspapers and looking stylish. Photo by Don Emmert/Getty Images.
You see, Harper Beckham still uses a pacifier on occasion to soothe herself. And the Daily Mail apparently felt that it was in her best interest for them to plaster her photo over the entire Internet and call up some other people to join in shaming her for using a pacifier. And they even had the gall to pretend the article stemmed from concerns about Harper's welfare, warning that she could end up with "speech or dental issues."
Because nothing protects a child's welfare like publicly shaming a 4-year-old's life choices in a horrible newspaper.
David Beckham, being her dad, apparently was not impressed with the Daily Mail's editorial decisions.
He had some choice words for them on Instagram.
Why do people feel they have the right to criticize a parent about their own children without having any facts ?? Everybody who has children knows that when they aren't feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most of the time it's a pacifier so those who criticize think twice about what you say about other people's children because actually you have no right to criticize me as a parent ...
A photo posted by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on
You tell 'em, Becks.
Parenting is hard. Every kid is different.
Unless a child is actually being abused or neglected, you really shouldn't talk about them on the Internets. I'm a parent. My children have, on occasion, said and done things that I would prefer they didn't.
Not one of my friends or strangers has gone on the Internet, posted their picture, and publicly shamed me for my 3-year-old's decision to slap me in the face and then ballet dance on my head.
If you actually are concerned about something valid (not a child's choice of comforting objects), maybe you should go talk to them about it. It's more efficient and less awful than profiting off a toddler's life decisions.
If someone tries to tell you how to do your job, just bend them like Beckham.
Because what he said on Instagram is just so true:
"Everybody who has children knows that when they aren't feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best and most of the time it's a pacifier so those who criticize think twice about what you say about other people's children because actually you have no right to criticize me as a parent ..."
To all the parents like Mr. Beckham out there doing their best to make sure their kids turn into fully functional grownups, I salute you.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."