On 19 Kids and Counting, cousin Amy Duggar was the rebellious “black sheep” of the family. Jim Bob’s niece definitely stood out when compared to her cousins’ fundamentalist Christian upbringing — which included homeschooling and strict rules about modesty, gender roles, technology, and more. But recently, fans slammed her parenting after Amy’s son Daxton’s “dangerous” behavior at a store.
As a refresher, Amy married Dillion King in 2015. They welcomed their first (and only) child, a son they named Daxton Ryan King, on October 9, 2019. Since then, the former TLC reality star has regularly shared photos and videos of her little boy via social media.
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Amy Duggar took to Instagram to share a video of her son, Daxton, with a thoughtful message.
On November 14, Amy posted a video via Instagram of Daxton at a store. The clip showed the 5-year-old hanging off the cart with his legs resting in the undercarriage while holding on below the handle. He held what appeared to be a phone in his hands while Amy pushed the cart.
“This is just a reminder that just because your child doesn’t do things the ‘normal way’ doesn’t mean what they are doing is wrong!” she wrote in text overlain on the video.
She then reflected on kids doing things 'different' or 'a little weird.'
In her Instagram caption, Amy shared an impactful anecdote involving her son.
“I caught myself in the middle of Hobby Lobby saying to Daxxy, ‘come sit up here like every child is doing, it’s the right way to do it.'” she wrote. He responded with ‘Mom, why is this wrong?'”
Amy continued, “I stopped and really thought to myself, ‘why is this bothering me so much?’ I couldn’t come up with a single reason! I said ‘Daxxy, you’re right! Nothing is wrong with you wanting to be different, just hang on as mama rolls.’ 😂🤪.”
Before listing a few other of Daxton’s quirky behaviors the mom of one told her followers, “If your child does something new, different maybe, even a little weird then let’s let them express themselves! We aren’t made from one cookie cutter!”
In the comments, some followers agreed with Amy's take.
One person wrote, “Thanks for writing this because I was already debating taking my son to the Supermarket and now, I will. ❤️🙏🏼.”
Another person commented, “If he’s happy and not hurting anyone let him do his thing.”
Meanwhile, a third Instagram user shared, “Thank you for being a mom who loves your kid as he is with his quirks and unique view of the world. The world would be a much better place if everyone was raised to love their uniqueness and that of others. Conformity doesn’t build strong people. You are a great Mama.”
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However, many fans slammed Amy for Daxton's 'dangerous' behavior.
Not everyone agreed with Amy’s take on the situation. In fact, many pointed out the safety risks Daxton’s behavior posed.
“In this instance maybe because it’s dangerous! He gets distracted with the gadget in his hand, lets go of the trolley, hits his head on the floor then what,” one Instagram user wrote. “If he doesn’t want to sit in the seat fair enough but he has legs and is capable of walking. You don’t always have to indulge your child just because you think they are ‘different.'”
Someone else commented, “Because carts aren’t meant to have weight hanging there.”
Yet Instagrammer also was concerned about safety, writing, “He could be injured that way. Honestly, the way I see it, you’re his Mother. You’re there to protect him and give him guidance and boundaries for his own good. When he’s a little older it would be appropriate for him to help push the cart instead of riding underneath it.”
Plenty more folks over on the r/DuggarsSnark subreddit also slammed Amy.
Amy responded to the backlash in the comments.
Following the backlash, Amy defended herself in the comments.
“This is why it’s hard to be anywhere near the public eye,” she wrote. “This post is how to see how your kids like to express themselves only. Not is it ok to ride on the cart this way.”
Amy also clarified that Daxton’s phone was a “kiddie one that plays music and has a camera only” and that she does limit his screen time.
“So many opinions all the time it can quickly become overwhelming on social media,” she vented. “And now apparently I need to get my son tested for special needs? I just can’t. Lord help me use self control!!!”
