A woman has ranted on Facebook about why it's okay to feed her kids McDonalds, after being fed up of constant "mum shaming" about food.
Paige-Alexis Cunningham from Melbourne gave honest details about what her kids eat on a daily basis, claiming there no right way to feed your children.
The post was sparked after seeing various posts from mums on Facebook about "what not to feed your kids" and a constant pressure for everything to be healthy.
"Why did my kids have Happy Meals and juice?" she wrote on the post. "Because they wanted it, we were out in public and I was bloody exhausted and didn't want to fight with them.
"They picked at it and then demolished my sushi - which is terrible for kids by the way - the rice is full of sugar and the tuna is full of mercury."
Cunningham, whose post has been shared more than 17,000 times, started the "rant" by sharing a photo of her kids' afternoon snack of watermelon.
"Afternoon snack of watermelon and a bit of a rant," she wrote. "Lately my feed has been flooded with people sharing 'what not to feed your kids' 'I'll never let my kids have that again' and so on. So much mum shaming within these posts.
"We're having watermelon for afternoon tea. For lunch we had McDonald's Happy Meals. For breakfast one kid had rice bubbles, the other refused to eat. At some stage they had some apple juice.
"Today they've also had sushi, bananas, tonnes of water each and sandwiches made on preservative-free bread.
"They also eat a tonne of those yoghurt pouches, but lately these have been added to the mum shaming list for having sugar in them.
"And now the whole ham debacle, yeah processed meats aren't great for kids. My kids eat cocktail frankfurters while we do the groceries, they also polish off a punnet of blueberries each by the time we've finished the fresh produce section."
Cunningham continued to say this "mum shaming" about healthy food needs to stop.
"It's the same debate as breast is best, not formula," she continued.
"Breast is best, if it's best for you. At the end of the day fed children are best. Don't let them eat junk all the time, but don't lay the guilt on yourself or any other parent if they ate two minute noodles and Nutella today.
"Educate yourself about positive food choices by all means, but don't feel the need to share every bit of crap you read and further the mum shaming, everything in moderation and well done for feeding your kids. Rant over."
Since writing the rant on Facebook on 29 January, Cunningham said she was not expecting it to go viral.
The post divided opinion among parents online.
"I thought this was very well written and do much the truth," one person wrote. "There is no right way or wrong way of parenting. Just do the best you can."
Another agreed, adding: "This mother should be congratulated on her very common-sense approach to the way she is bringing up her children without the fears, phobias and fixations about different foods.
"She has a very healthy and holistic outlook on life and her children will always thank her for this. Everything in moderation is the best way for a healthy, happy and well balanced upbringing."
Other mums said the post made them "feel so much better" having also reading these food-shaming posts online.
But those disagreeing felt Cunningham was ignoring the fact these foods are detrimental to her children's health.
"That it literally the dumbest thing I have ever read," one person commented. "Obviously you need to take your own advice and educate yourself. No wonder there's so many fat unhealthy children."
Another person who disagreed with Cunningham wrote: "As if you would pollute your child's body just because you're too tired or lazy to feed them a healthy meal.
"Stop poisoning your children. It's not mum shaming, it's pollution shaming. Seriously people, wake up."
Cunningham later posted an update saying her main objective was to point out how much mum shaming exists online.
"Yes there's been some negative comments above, but hey I wasn't asking anyone to take my side and parent exactly the way I do, there is no 'right' way to parent so I don't assume my way is right, just right for us," she wrote.
"My objective was just to point out on facet of parenting: feeding our children, and how much mum shaming there is surrounding it.
"Yes educational posts are totally fine to share, that's not what I was referring to. It's the way they're shared, your tone, your words.
"At the end of the day there is no medal for 'mother of the year'. There is just this blessing and huge responsibility of being parents, which is left up to said parents to make the choices of how to raise their babies.
"We should be supporting other mums, not vilifying them for whatever choices they make. What works for you doesn't always work for me and mine.
"Do what you gotta do and get through the day loving your kid."