A fitness influencer has defended herself following backlash after she posed in a bikini in front of her 15-year-old son.

Sophie Guidolin, a prominent figure in the fitness community, is no stranger to sharing candid snaps of herself showing off her impressive physique.

In the post that sparked backlash, Guidolin titled the video: "POV: Your mama is an IFBB Bikini Pro."

The video was accompanied by a caption addressing previous criticism Guidolin has faced for wearing bikinis in front of her son.

"Lol remember when the media tried to shame me for wearing a bikini in front of my son… forgetting I was an #ifbbbikinipro and I do this as a sport," she wrote. "My son doesn’t sexualize my body so why do others. This my friends is 13 years of hard work."

Predictably, reactions to the video were varied.

One person said: "Your son is clearly very inspired by you. Why do people have to make it weird when it’s obviously not," while a second supporter said: "All I can see is hard work and dedication. Your son would be proud."

A third reacted: "Creepy. I feel sorry for you and your son," while another critic added: "I promise you it’s weird… the last thing I’d want to see is my mom in a thong.. let alone doing it to post on social media saying how I’m ok with it and all my friends see it.. creepy."

Guidolin, a 34-year-old mother of four and founder of the online health and fitness program, The Bod, has long been committed to empowering women in their fitness journeys.

Despite the occasional backlash, she remains committed to her mission to promote body positivity and self-confidence.

"WE LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST, Australia. Where wearing a bikini to the beach is so beyond normal, that I didn’t even consider having to place a disclaimer on this photo," Guidolin captioned a post, as per News.com.au.

"When Kai woke up, I was in the pool and yes- in a bikini (as I am most days). I wanted a photo straight away as he wanted to ride his bike and go out riding all day immediately.

“Do I have a problem wearing a bikini in front of my sons? NO WAY. Why? Because I’m not sexualized to him, nor have I ever been. If you have an issue, maybe you should look into why you feel you have to sexualize a woman’s body instead of it simply being a mum and her son at the pool!"

Addressing the backlash in another Instagram story, the influencer explained: "Guys, I just sat down with Kai. He just came back from bike riding and I was like, 'Mate, did you ever find a problem with my post this morning?' And he’s like, 'For real what?' And I was like, 'Because I was in a bikini' – and his response was, 'You’re always in a bikini.'"

She went on: "I would like to normalize the narrative of our bodies being simply that and it not being sexualized. There is nothing sexualized about that photo. I would often hug him, cuddle him, snuggle him in bed. I’m very close with the boys, I don’t see anything wrong with that."

Featured image credit: Mike Harrington/Getty

A mom has said there is "no way" she's going to stop wearing bikinis after she was trolled for wearing a swimsuit around her teen son.

As reported by news.com.au, Queensland fitness influencer and bodybuilding competitor Sophie Guidolin faced a backlash from social media trolls after posting a photo with her son, Kai, on his 15th birthday.

In a sweet Instagram post, 33-year-old Guidolin shared a carousel of photos throughout her firstborn's life, with one of the photos showing her hugging him while she was wearing a bikini. However, some Instagram users criticized the mom for the photo, with trolls deeming it to be "too sexualized".

As a result, Guidolin felt the need to edit the caption, to include some context to the snap.

"WE LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST, [in] Australia," she wrote. "Where wearing a bikini to the beach is so beyond normal, that I didn’t even consider having to place a disclaimer on this photo.

"When kai woke up, I was in the pool and ye s- in a bikini (as I am most days!!!) I wanted a photo straight away as he wanted to ride his bike and go out riding all day immediately."

She continued: "Do I have a problem wearing a bikini in front of my sons? NO WAY. Why? Because I'm not sexualized to him, nor have I ever been!!! If you have an issue, maybe you should look into why you feel you have to sexualize a woman’s body instead of it simply being a mom and her son at the pool!!!"

Sadly, the furor continued, which led to Guidolin sitting down with her son for an Instagram video, in which he said: "There’s nothing wrong with the picture. You’re in a bikini 24/7, that’s your job. We’re always at the beach. There’s nothing wrong with it."

"It’s so dumb," Kai added.

Further reiterating her family values and attitudes to bodies, the mom captioned the post: "The human body is not shameful, nor something to hide. My children have seen me naked, they were there when I had my stitches removed last year, they understand I am a woman, their mum, I am human and I have skin.

"I WANT them to not be ashamed of a body. Or sexualize a woman who is perhaps wearing a bikini.

"In their eyes, they do not even flinch because I have deliberately raised them in a way that stops this culture of sexualizing every single woman.

"Do the boys have an issue with me hugging them in a bikini? Not even slightly. Why? Because it is nothing more than their mom hugging them. Nothing more.

"Let’s not mention with the same clothes I wear to the beach, as a professional IFBB bikini PRO. Like I literally get on stage in bikinis, with them front row."

In an interview with news.com.au, Sophie has said there is "no way" she's going to stop wearing a bikini around her family, adding: "I can hand on my heart say, that in my opinion, there was nothing wrong with the photo, post, and context."

Featured image credit: Martin Valigursky / Alamy

A mom on Instagram has had to defend herself after cruel trolls attacked her for posting an image of herself in a bikini alongside her 15-year-old son.

Sophie Guidolin, from Australia's Gold Coast, posted an Instagram photo of herself and her son on his birthday - captioned: "Happy 15th Kai #firstborn." The only apparent issue? The women's bodybuilding pro was wearing a bikini.

The mom-of-four has made a name for herself in the women's fitness industry, after deciding to lead a healthier life upon being diagnosed with diabetes during her first pregnancy.

After receiving a slew of vile comments from Instagram users on the photo she took with her son, Guidolin had to edit the caption to add: "WE LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST, Australia. Where wearing a bikini to the beach is so beyond normal, that I didn't even consider having to place a disclaimer on this photo [sic]."

She continued: "When Kai woke up, I was in the pool and yes - in a bikini (as I am most days!!!) I wanted a photo straight away as he wanted to ride his bike and go out riding all day immediately. Do I have a problem wearing a bikini in front of my sons? NO WAY."

"Why? Because I'm not sexualized to him, nor have I ever been!!! If you have an issue, maybe you should look into why you feel you have to sexualize a woman's body instead of it simply being a mum and her son at the pool!!! [sic]," she added.

In an interview with news.com.au, Sophie has said there is "no way" she's going to stop wearing a bikini around her family, adding: "I can hand on my heart say, that in my opinion, there was nothing wrong with the photo, post, and context."

Fortunately, other users were immensely supportive of the fit mom, with one person saying: "To all offenders here: Why the hell are you following her then?!? What if she likes attention?! She puts a lot work into her look so she's probably proud of it. Why on earth is that a problem that she takes a pic in a bikini with her son?"

"I used to have pics like that with my mum when I was little, she was even topless on one of them! You are so sick to have thoughts like this and probably have nothing better in your pity lives than trying to bring others down. Shame there's so many of you in this world!" they continued.

Guidolin eventually had to take to her Instagram story to voice her concerns, telling her more than 500,000 followers: "The good thing to mention here is that I wear bikinis in front of my kids because my body is normal. Having a body is normal, having body parts is normal, it's not sexualized, it's nothing shameful, and it's something I reiterate and drive home here with my boys."

"So when they see me in a bikini, they don't think anything other than 'Hmm, mum's tanning, mum's going to the beach, going for a swim.' They don't see me and be like 'Oooh what a sexy bum you've got,'" she spoke to the camera.

And she's right to block out the haters - let a woman live!

Featured image credit: Ammentorp Photography / Alamy

Every parent will argue that your life immediately changes once you have a child. Along with sleepless nights and a drained bank account, your responsibilities are forced to change as your number one priority becomes being a parent.

However, does that mean that parents need to "look" and "behave" a certain way? It is an age-old argument: "You can't go out wearing that, you're a mother!" or "You can go around doing that, you're a father!" But how true to life is this?

Well, one mother who was recently "mom-shamed" on social media is fitness blogger Sia Cooper.

Britney Spears, who is also a mom, recently inspired her followers with a workout vid:

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/bDnqgSm6-sKUnNGKf.mp4||bDnqgSm6]]

Boasting over 1 million followers on Instagram, the influencer is a source of inspiration for many parents, who enjoy seeing how the mom balances her health with her parenting. However, after posting a picture showcasing her stunning body in a bikini, one commenter called Sia out - stating how she should refrain from posting such pictures because she is a mother.

The comment read: "To show your gains you don’t have to show your behind like that. You are a mother, think about what [sic] your children see your behind in your posts in the future, unfollowed."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B4iPewcJGNe/]]

However, Sia rightfully took umbrage with the comment, and hit back with another Instagram post, once again showcasing her figure in a bikini. She captioned the image:

"The other day, I had posted a photo of myself in this very same bikini and was told to cover up... because I am a mother. Cue the mom-shaming.

"Since when were moms supposed to hide their bodies? Since when were mothers no longer allowed to feel sexy? How do you think babies even got here in the first place?"

Rebel Wilson recently showed off her impressive weight loss in a stunning Instagram video:

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/3Xh26Pjl-sKUnNGKf.mp4||3Xh26Pjl]]

"She went on to say that I should think about what my kids will think of my behind someday. You know what? I want my kids to see a mother who’s body positive. I want my kids to see a mother who’s confident in her own skin. Plus, they love my butt and use it as a bongo when I’m cooking dinner or awkwardly standing in line at the grocery store.

"There is no rule out there that states you can’t rock a bikini just because you pushed a baby out of your vagina at some point in your life. [...]"

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ddc-IpaPD/]]

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B37XDQCJJ5o/]]

The mom continued:

"I grew up with a mom who hated her body. In fact, she also made me hate mine by nitpicking it apart and pointing out every time it had looked like I had gained weight as a teenager. I fought like hell to finally love myself and it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started wearing shorts again in public. [..]

"Sometimes, all a mother needs is to truly FEEL herself. Let’s face it: motherhood can make us feel less than sexy. It leaves us drained, depressed, exhausted, and staring into a mirror, looking at a former shell of ourselves that we barely recognize anymore. [...]

"So mamas, put on your bikinis. You’ve earned it. Every woman deserves to feel comfortable in her own skin without society’s judgy opinions.

"Let the mom-judging stop. Motherhood is already tough as it is."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wzgv5p9xp/]]

Great words of advice, Sia! But what do you think? Is there a certain way parents should behave online?

Kourtney Kardashian seemingly has it all - three adorable children, an illustrious career in and outside of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and a 25-year-old boyfriend with a jaw so chiselled that Jon Hamm is sure to be envious. Oh and not to mention, she's got one of the best beach bodies going.

It's no secret that the 39-year-old priorities her fitness and wellbeing - she can often be seen sipping on flaxseed smoothies, and not-quite-indulging in some low-carb, keto diet - that is, when she's not in an exotic locale lounging around in a bikini - which her aforementioned diet and exercise regimen has clearly prepared her for.

But apparently her commitment to health and fitness has attracted the mom-shamers of the internet. In the past, the reality television star has been slammed for letting her children wear jewellery, and for what she chooses to don while at the beach. This time, however, Kourtney rightly put the trolls in their place.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk54wbUDmoe/?taken-by=kourtneykardash]]

Yesterday, Kourtney uploaded a photo of herself eating bread on a yacht while on vacation on Italy - and I mean, it doesn't get much better than that. But naturally, certain social media users had something to say about the fact that Kourtney, a mother-of-three, uploaded a snap of herself in a bikini.

"Just finished my daily basket of focaccia...hbu?," she captioned the envy-inducing picture.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_LX4WjH-H/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

While the 39-year-old doesn't usually take the time to respond to haters, when someone commented on her post and asked "where are your kids," she decided to clap back, and her response was perfect.

Instagram account, @commentsbycelebs, posted the entire interchange, which saw Kourtney reply "My son was taking the photo, and the other two were sitting a table across from me. Thank you so much for your concern."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_LX4WjH-H/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

Clearly it seems that some people can't grasp that you can be a great mother and wear what you want - because hello, we do have agency over our own bodies.

This is not the first time that Kourtney has had to brave the mom-shamers of the internet. Last month, her ex-boyfriend, Scott Disick, posted a photo of himself with their son, Mason. But instead of focusing on how adorable the snap was, people chose to criticise the 8-year-old's eyebrows, and his parents for leaving them rather than plucking them. Naturally, this is ironic, given that those who do alter their children's appearances are usually the ones to be called out.

"All this money and yet all that brow," one Instagram user wrote, while another added "Yikes! Fix his eyebrows!" Others, however, were more supportive, writing "Leave the poor kid alone... its a picture of him and his dad! Thats it, he can have his brows however, its none of our business."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BjVpl9QnBna/?utm_source=ig_embed]]

Seriously, do people not have anything better to do with their time? Either way, good on Kourtney for taking a stand against the keyboard warriors.