We often hear about moms being victims of online-shaming over their parenting choices, but don't let that fool you into thinking that dads are immune to the criticism.
Last year, a woman at a shopping center in Queensland, Australia called a father a "dirty old man" after she found him changing his newborn daughter's diaper in the family washroom.
She told the man that it was "disgusting to see a fully grown man in a parent's room with a little girl," according to the Warwick Daily News.
Sadly, this dad's experience isn't an isolated incident. Just ask Fuller House star and new parent John Stamos.
The 54-year-old actor recently posted a photo of his stroll through New York City's Times Square with his three-month-old son, Billy, strapped to his chest in a baby carrier.
Captioned, "The Stamos boys take Manhattan," Stamos just wanted to give fans a glimpse into his life as a first-time father, but it took quite the unexpected turn.
Stamos got a harsh dose of being a celebrity parent when dozens of horrified Instagram users called him out for positioning is son the wrong way.
"The baby should not be facing forward if he doesn't have full head control," one wrote. Another added, "He's too young to comfortably and safely be worn forward facing! His little hips are not ready!"
One user wrote: "He is absolutely adorable, but he is way too young/little to be forward-facing in a baby carrier. You need one where baby's tummy is against your tummy. My almost 10-month-old is still in a baby carrier where his tummy against my tummy."
Thankfully, among the sea of critics were supporters who understood the pressure of being a new parent, especially later in life, and had nothing but praise for the doting father.
"I'm team John! The pic is adorable," wrote one user. "For the all haters, what did they do in pioneer days, strapped the kid to their back and worked in the fields. I think his son will survive and be OK."
"Billy will be [a] well loved little boy," another noted, while one user called Stamos "an excellent father."
One of the comments pointed out that it's this type of criticism that forces celebrities to refrain from sharing pieces of their personal lives with their fans. "This is why celebrities don't share their personal pics and special moments with y'all!" it read. "Someone always have something to say! Like y'all are perfect! Let him live .. s**t."
Today.com spoke to Jennifer Beall Saxton, founder and CEO of The Tot Squad, a baby gear services company, and she said that while it's recommended that babies face the parent until they're at least six months old, the backlash Stamos received is a little excessive.
"Billy is not at an immediate risk," she said before adding, "However, the 'experts' of the internet will nitpick people not knowing the comparative risks."
She continued, "The baby is clearly being properly taken care of and loved," said Saxton. "There could be more tweaks that (John Stamos) would make for a more ideal situation "” knowing that he is a high-profile example for other families as a celebrity."
Stamos doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the harsh critics, as he is yet to comment on the controversy. He has since shared more posts on his Instagram page unrelated to the incident.
Earlier this year, another famous dad was in hot water after the people became concerned about his daughter's safety.
Former soccer player David Beckham and his daughter, Harper, were filmed driving a golf cart while on an outing. In the video captioned with "Someone loves her daddy! #DrivingMissHarper," the girl is seen sitting on her father's lap and steering the vehicle.
People called Beckham negligent for allowing his daughter to drive the vehicle.
"Take that down before social services come to take your child for negligence and endangerment in the US."
"Very irresponsible David, very," another person chimed in.
It wasn't the first time that Beckham and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, were called out for being bad parents, so they didn't even bother to reply to the comments.
In 2015, Deadpool star and father-of-two Ryan Reynolds also got schooled by parents on the internet after he also carried his then-infant daughter, James, the wrong way.
"The baby is not properly secured in the vessel that I'm wearing there," he later told Today. "You know, I'm a first-time dad and that is not the first mistake I've made "” and I can guarantee you it won't be last."
As for Stamos, Saxton and a ton of other parents agree that people should really be putting their focus on the fact that he is very involved in his child's life.
"He's not demonstrating best practice, at the same time he's clearly actively involved with his baby," said Saxton. "And that's a good look. Is there anything sexier than John Stamos wearing a baby carrier?"
