Comments from stranger about 9-month-old ‘still’ sitting in the store in pajamas in the afternoon (exclusive)

• Nicole was enjoying a trip to the grocery store with her nine-month-old child when a stranger approached them
• The woman commented on how serious Nicole’s daughter was… and the fact that she was still in her pajamas
• Nicole happened to be recording a vlog at the time and shared the interaction on TikTok, where it went viral and caught the attention of other moms who have experienced similar situations

A mother who enjoyed her very first trip to the supermarket with her daughter got a taste of the mother shaming that plagues so many.

Nicole, on TikTok @NicoleWebzwas filming a day-in-the-life video from her first weekend of solo parenthood. The new mom was excited for a fun day out with her then nine-month-old daughter when they were stopped by a stranger at the grocery store.

“I was filming myself for my vlog during my first full weekend of solo parenting while my husband was out of town. I was documenting the day and taking my daughter to the grocery store. It was actually the first time that she was in a supermarket store and sitting in the cart,” Nicole tells PEOPLE.

The new mom loved watching her little girl absorb everything she saw and experienced.

“Every now and then people would come up and say nice things, like ‘Oh, she’s so cute!’ or ‘How old?’ And this woman came up to me. And the first thing she said was, ‘Oh, you’re still in your pajamas…’ ”

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The moment, captured on video in the vlog, surprised the new mother.

“I don’t think she meant any harm, but it was just a strange way to start a conversation,” she says. “There are many other ways to interact with babies and she also noticed that she was not smiling.”

The woman is heard commenting on the baby’s expression, saying, “She’s… she means it.”

“My daughter doesn’t just smile at me half the time, let alone at strangers,” says Nicole. “I just thought that was weird too. The fact that she would comment on her personality or her emotions when she was a literal stranger was weird. My daughter doesn’t owe her anything. It was just a really weird interaction. all.”

Nicole saved the exchange to her vlog and got comments on it, so she only shared the encounter in a separate video, where it went viral.

“I was quite shocked to see how many other mothers could relate to that. It was also nice to see that other people were shocked and thought there was nothing wrong with my daughter being in pajamas in the supermarket,” says Nicole.

“Everyone was very positive about the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong and said, ‘You’re a great mother. You shouldn’t feel guilty about the way your daughter is dressed.’ So looking back, I’m glad I posted it. Not that I felt guilty, but it also keeps me from feeling guilty because I know people were very supportive.”

Nicole was also disheartened to hear “how common it is” for strangers to publicly comment on mothers’ parenting.

“The basic principles are, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, just keep it to yourself,’ especially when it comes to other people and their children. I also found a lot of humor in the fact that grown women were commenting about still being themselves going to the supermarket in pajamas.”

Nicole’s video went viral at the same time TikTok was buzzing with moms sharing their ‘17 diapersShe says the whole situation has opened her eyes to “how much fear mothers already face.”

“They don’t need comments from strangers and outsiders and, in some cases, even family members to make them doubt even more,” says Nicole. “And I think there’s a lot to be said about watching out for your kids and having maternal instincts. You should listen to that first, over the voices of literal strangers.”

The new mother is hopeful that opening up about her experiences will help other mothers who need it.

“I hope other mothers can find comfort in the fact that we are not alone in this. I really hope that society starts to change,” she says. “I hope I help build that community within my channel so that other moms can relate to some of the experiences we’re experiencing right now.”