Instamums #2 Permanently exhausted, winging it in waitrose in #ad#gifted clothes

[motherofdonkeys]

I’ve often wondered if I could get away without paying income tax by putting my salary down as having been ‘kindly gifted’

 

[ThreeFourFive]

Actually think its quite disturbing a forum dedicated to tearing down other women/mum's. Interested to know if you would be proud if your children followed in your example?

Hugely proud. Admittedly I only follow a couple of these threads due to my interest in social media and children's mental health. I really have issues with gender politics, especially this #womensupportingwomen when it has been hijacked as a sales pitch and a stick to silence women. I am much more about people supporting people. I have tried taking my concerns to some of the influencers but have been blocked, insulted and chased by armies of fan girls. If these instamums won't engage, they must expect people to find somewhere else to discuss this alarming trend.
Interesting to see the Mother of Influencers posted figures of £240,000 last year - presumably not including the non stop parade of holidays, clothes, cars, kitchens and furniture. These influencers who build a brand by promoting insecurity and then selling #gifted goods to people who probably can't afford them need calling out.

...... especially those who monetise their children and parade every aspect of their childhood on the Internet.

 

[Highlandcow]

 

[Palm23]

Agreed! I think though that there will always be new vulnerable mums who will constantly follow and do what they’re told by instamums? I will put my hands up to the fact that I blindly followed 3 years ago and thought that they were amazing and truly living their best life and then it became murky......I think there are only a few that I’m still following from 3 years ago BUT it did introduce me to some smaller accounts that are fab?

Despite being a cynical, smart, unmaterialistic woman I also found myself influenced when pregnant. I'd had a traumatic bereavement and used Insta as a distraction, mindlessly watching makeup videos and obviously staged photos of family perfection. When I was pregnant, I couldn't help thinking I needed the Tiba and Marl bag, the brand new buggy, the sleepy head and pre-labour pedicures and push present diamonds (thanks MOD). We couldn't afford all this and I knew deep down none of it was necessary, but still felt I was doing it 'wrong' by getting a fab second hand pram etc. Of course everything i was seeing on insta was a lie. It's advertising designed to make you feel inadequate so you buy buy buy. Clemmie T works in advertising, so knows this. She knows the very mental health conditions she claims to have makes you vulnerable to marketing. She knows she's exploiting people.
Luckily my husband is uninflucence-able! And my baby is very happy and content, despite no expensive babygros and no holidays in Cornwall every other month.

 

[Palm23]

View attachment 10524Here’s CT on her 79th free holiday of the year...
Since the whole gifting culture on Instagram I have grown to absolutely fucking detest the word ‘kindly’. Everybody is soooo kind

Ah Clemmie. Selflessly driving her family to Cornwall, risking stopping at a services without a Waitrose, so she can check out a hotel on our behalf. I look forward to her short, poorly written review. She has zero fucking awareness. It's getting embarrassing.

 

[Juliet]

£2000 he got !!!!! And I know them and know that 1000 % true So u got that wrong
He now has epilepsy as well
They both work !!! So why not get ya facts right

Hi becka. Your grammar gives you away hun

 

[sarahsmummy]

Hey,
I’m not here for an argument. I totally get not everyone will like or get my humour, or like me or that my daughter is featured a LOT on my Instagram.
But I have felt the need to comment on this occasion.
I would never and never have “gone off” at my daughter to dance at a bus stop.
Im occasionally asked by her to play a song and dance at the bus stop and this is why it’s done randomly.
I would never force or make her do something she doesn’t want to do.
Plenty of moments and bus stop dances are never shared.
I get with a public profile you open your self to be discussed negatively and I’m always looking at myself in this industry.
As for ad ad ad yes if it fits with my life I will take it. Because if I have an opportunity to keep my husband home more and not have to work abroad im going to do that.
You don’t have to agree with what I do or why I do it but please do not say incorrect stuff about the way I include my daughter on social media.
Again not here for an argument.
Just wanted to say my piece.

But does she know her mum is recording one of her family moments and putting it all over the internet for strangers to see? You are kidding yourself here. You show her sleeping, eating, dancing, having a tantrum and loads of other stuff. Talk about no privacy. All for the money. What is she going to think when she gets older and sees how her privacy was ignored for a price?
Everything you show us is geared towards hitting a nerve with vulnerable mums, being our 'fun' insta friend, then snaking round and constantly selling shit in our faces. Do you think we need you to flog us £3 easter eggs for us to know Tesco sell them? Come on ....and I was only repeating what I was told by a friend who has no reason to make stuff up about a stranger. You all need a reality check but too busy with another freebie event probably..

 

[Mochalatte]

I follow makemotherhooddiverse ans yesterday was a take over of noandroblog - it was a breath of fresh air, someone who is VERY different to me and I am lucky enough to not be on benefits or know much about them so it was quite frankly educational. It really made me think what could I do and I felt a bit ashamed I can’t do more? Anwyay, i then watched lifewithivycoco and thestylemum etc parade round London with a bunch of freebies and feel #soblessed and inpo waltzing around hobbycrafy and it just made me feel so mad that they then are happy to comment on people’s posts- oh you go girl, you’re so inspirational but 5 secs later they’re the grabbiest vile humans. How about saying to M&S/hobbycraft etc - be more inclusive and diverse? How about not just inviting some more working class families, how about actually giving them the money to travel etc to these events? How about having one in Manchester or Glasgow? Clemmie is on her 100th getaway and is so caring and understands the plight of these working class families because she once had some money problems but never do you see her saying you know what- I’m going to give this weekend away to someone else who deserves it and il get them to do a guest blog for me. I am just gobsmacked, yesterday’s day of freebies “for the kids” made me want to be sick - gluttoness and wasteful.

 

[sarahsmummy]

Im not kidding myself. As I said you don’t need to like what I do or agree with it or like me.
I know how a raise my daughter and how we live our life and any one that has met or knows Ivy will know that she is a very happy loving content child. You don’t know where the money goes or what is being put aside for her future.
But of course make all your judgments from
Social of what is chosen to put out there.
You don’t need to be sold or told about a Tesco £3 egg of corse not but if Tesco’s want a slot on my page and for me to talk about, yes I’m going to do that. You don’t have to look you don’t have to buy it you don’t have to like it.
Bloody hell poeple are advertising a hell of a lot worst then a discounted Easter egg.
This is an ADVERTISING industry.
I will never apologise for doing ads or the amount I will be doing at certain times or the fact that ivy is included in some of them.
I will pay my bills and make sure my child is set up
For the future.
If you don’t like it you shouldn’t follow any one that works with brands.
No sure what the reason is as to why you seem annoyed about people going to free events. Maybe I have missed something about that one here.

Probably just because I clean arses and vomit for a living as a nurse and I just look to instagram for a bit of light relief and then all I see is a bunch of grabby freeloaders taking the easy route to making money and patronising us all in the process, thinking we are all gullible idiots instead of intelligent women. Haven't you got the opening of an envelope to attend tonight? And well side stepped on the question of your daughters privacy, maybe you can speak on a panel about that sometime or do a naked picture in protest to get your women supporting women club to rally round.

 

[AmberSpyglass]

Actually think its quite disturbing a forum dedicated to tearing down other women/mum's. Interested to know if you would be proud if your children followed in your example?

It’s not disturbing , what a ridiculous comment.

Yes I’m a Mum and I wouldn’t use my children for profit and the opportunity of short lived fame like some Insta mums clearly do.

Hope that helps your confusion about what disturbing actually means.

 

[ThreeFourFive]

Aaaggghh, don't know who you are lifewithivycoco, never heard of you, know nothing about you so no judgement about you personally but, oh my goodness, I am sick to my back teeth of this lazy, lazy"don't like, don't follow" bollocks that instagrammers keep spouting. It is NOT a defence of bad behaviour, it is an excuse....... when did we, as a society, ever think it was ok to ignore people doing something wrong, to just walk by, to think it's not my problem. If anyone is behaving badly, please do expect to be called out for it. I tell my friends when they overstep the line, and they tell me. We have to or society goes to pot........

 

[NotSherlockHuns]

Deffo not pretending to be anyone I am just me as that song from The greatest Showman goes that my niece forced me to buy for her on one of my credit cards off Apple I tunes 248 times! 'This is me' i am taking the piss but not about the ladies I mentioned as genuinely they are lovely. I am just here admitting that I tried to fit in with an insta mum crew as I was a bit desperate to get a book deal which I admit and along my journey of embarrassing self promotion and narcissism i became #no1lickass and its quite funny because I don't know what I was thinking and then I randomly found this forum and have spent ages reading threads with my gob open and thinking ok so this is where my number one best seller will come from! woo hoo! Anyway I'd say I'm off for a run but thats a lie I'm off to work to pay those pesky 98% interest charging cards off... tootle pip xxx

If you're planning on writing that book best get that full stop key working again!

 

[Wippsg]

One thing that I loathe about all of this is the fetishising of parenthood. It’s not actually that fucking difficult if you don’t make a meal and a drama out of everything.

 

[AmberSpyglass]

There is nothing that these Influencers would inspire me to buy these days.

The likes of Hooper, Telford, Erica Davies and Inpo sitting on their smug , financially comfortable M+S clad arses in Mauritius , Cornwall and Hobbycraft live in a different world to me and I’m glad I’m not part of it.

It’s not real and it’s a pile of stinking bullshit.

 

[MoiraDingle]

Here’s CT on her 79th free holiday of the year...
Since the whole gifting culture on Instagram I have grown to absolutely fucking detest the word ‘kindly’. Everybody is soooo kind

 

[seriously?]

This question goes to all influencers who are following this thread. Does the experience that Palm 23 has shared concern you? Do you feel uncomfortable at the thought that products and lifestyles you are endorsing might negatively impact the lives of vulnerable people and persuade them to buy products they do not need or cannot afford.

Does it not feel incongruous when you write a thread promoting yourself as a part of a "sisterhood" or a "feminist" yet are using your followers for your own ends? Does that not make you hypocritical?

We are bombarded by advertising, especially on TV, but it is clearly advertising, and it is not wrapped up in a misleading narrative of "friendship".

I would feel uncomfortable making my living this way, but invite your comments.

 

[Fluffs]

Actually think its quite disturbing a forum dedicated to tearing down other women/mum's. Interested to know if you would be proud if your children followed in your example?

Ugh I hate this argument of ‘mums can’t disagree with other mums WOMEN SHOULD SUPPORT WOMEN’ it’s such bollocks, women can actually have differing opinions about things you know.

I’m a mum and would never sell my kids online for freebies. I wouldn’t put photos of them online for thousands of people to see which may potentially embarrass them when they’re older.

If my kids followed my example I’d probably be grateful they could separate real life from Instagram and that they realise social media has it’s downfalls too.

 

[Lizzie Bennett]

I used to really like Erica Davies, until I found out she worked for the Scum newspaper (shit rag). I got blocked by ED because I called her out on being a fashion editor for The Scum newspaper. I’m from Liverpool so that newspaper isn’t welcome here ( for reasons most will know/ but not something I want to discuss). My issue was that ED is now on the strong girls club/ empowerment/strong women/ body positivity bandwagon, yet she was a fashion editor for a gutter rag that had page 3 girls (most under the age of 20), had the most misogynistic/sexist view of women and openly so. She was responsible for those terrible fashion posts about the worst/best dressed at award ceremonies (they were brutal). Plus she was happy to work for a gutter rag that prints stories without facts/ uses people’s lives for entertainment. She comes across as if she’s your friend, but she’s like the rest of them, in for the ££££ and nothing else. All this women supporting women doesn’t wash with me either. Behind the scenes I bet they are competitive AF , like hyenas scrapping over who has the best engagement/followers/campaigns etc.

 

[Mochalatte]

I follow a great account KissCub - it’s the most positive lady looking after her disabled child, every day I watch I think they’re both amazing and it makes me realise how lucky I am- I hope that doesn’t sound condescending? She’s marvellous and so positive, even when she’s down. Her daughter is having major brain surgery today- pop along and give her some love and luck please! I wish influencers used their platform for this kind of stuff rather than - go and give love to M&S for doing a shitty marketing ploy or go and buy this book about more shitty mothering tips. This lady and her daughter just want another day together not lots of freebies - please go and share some love!

 

[Flamingollama]

When someone comes on here saying we should know better we’re muvvas I can’t help but think it’s the ‘influencer’ either that or its an arse licker saying ‘oh look what nasty things they said about you but don’t worry I put them straight’