A Canadian influencer is sharing some of the body-shaming comments she gets: 'Our kids deserve better'

Jessica VanderWier is addressing recent criticism she received about her body.

The Guelph, Ont.-based influencer shared a powerful Instagram series on Wednesday, responding to a few harsh messages she got after sharing a photo of herself wearing a swimsuit.

Written in on-screen text on top of a selfie, the mom-of-three admitted she was initially hesitant to share the negative reactions she had to the photo.

"Remember how I posted the image of me in a bathing suit the other day? I debated sharing this, but here are a few messages I received since posting that," the Canadian child therapist penned.

In the following slide, VanderWier shared a disclaimer before including screenshots of the messages, writing, "I'm OK, but there's a deeper message here that we need to talk about."

"Saw your post about postpartum bodies," one of the messages read. "Well, if I can't feel powerful and proud of my body, then neither can you. Your body is disgusting."

"God, I feel sorry for whoever makes love to you at night and has to see the state you're posing in. Oh, by the way, your face is starting to sag," another said.

VanderWier used this as an opportunity to discuss the broader implications of such comments, especially for mothers and their children.

"As a mom of three girls, they get told they look like me every single day. They watch the way I look in the mirror. They listen to the way I talk about my body. The way I talk about my body will be the way they talk about their own," the content creator wrote, stressing the importance of fostering a positive self-image, "Our kids deserve to live a life that doesn't revolve around their size."

VanderWier said she feels "deeply sad" for the people who took the time to criticize her, adding, "It hurts my heart to imagine the messages they heard at an early age. And it reminds me why it's so important to keep going. For our kids."

In her caption, VanderWier reiterated her commitment to changing the narrative around body image. "As a mom of three, as well as a therapist who has worked with many little kids, teens and adults who struggle with body image, this is one of the most important story series I've done. Our kids deserve better. All bodies are worthy."

Fans praised VanderWier for her inspiring post in the comments, including fellow Canadian influencer and self-love advocate, Sarah Nicole Landry.

"You didn't deserve this but I'm so grateful for you and the way you turned this message around for all of us," Landry wrote.

Another Canadian influencer, Libby Ward, shared: "I'm sorry you got those messages and I'm so thankful for your ability to turn them into something that can give so many of us perspective."

"You are absolutely incredible and beautiful. These people are pathetic and miserable trolls," a fan added.

"Thanks for this important message," someone else chimed in.

"Well done for handling this with such class," another commenter penned.

This isn't the first time VanderWier has shared ways of improving her children's confidence. In October she shared a candid Instagram post opening up about one of the ways her parents positively impacted her self-esteem, and how she uses the same method with her own kids.

"As a child, I would sit there and smile as I overheard my parents say nice things about me," she said in a post on Instagram. "Now, as a therapist, I see that this simple tool was actually profound. By overhearing them share good things about me, I started to believe these things were true."

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