A mother has spoken about the positive impact taking time to get ready each morning has on her mental health after recounting an incident where she was criticised for looking too “nice” by fellow moms on the playground.

Rosa, who goes by the username @rosapicosa on TikTok, recalled the encounter in a video posted to the app in October.

“Last year, my son and I were on our weekly playground excursion when we came across the ever-intimidating mom group,” she began the video, which sees her getting ready in front of a mirror. “Now, I had zero reasons to believe they were anything but harmless, but my high school survival instincts told me to keep my distance.”

However, according to Rosa, her son didn’t have the same “survival instincts,” as he made his way into the group of fellow mothers, forcing her to follow him.

Upon her arrival, Rosa recalled hearing “one of the moms say something I won’t soon forget: ‘Oh, you look nice, I don’t like you.’”

The comment sent a “quick jolt” through Rosa’s system, with the TikToker revealing that the statement made the other moms “snicker”. The critical statement also prompted her to lie, as she admitted that she told the fellow mothers that the outing marked the first time she’d gotten dressed in three weeks.

“Was I actually overdressed for the playground?” Rosa continued in the video voice over. “And, does working in the home mean I don’t have to get dressed every day?”

While Rosa did not share what she was wearing the day of the outing, she then went on to tell her followers that, despite the criticism, she’s discovered that “deliberately getting myself ready in the morning” helps her to mentally prepare for each day and fills her mornings with “purpose”.

The video, which has been viewed more than 1.5m times, has been met with an outpouring of supportive comments from viewers.

“Some mom groups are horrendous and just like high school mean girls with babies,” one person wrote. “You don’t ever have to dim your own light to make them feel better.”

Another viewer said: “I get fully dressed and made up daily. Let them do what they’re gonna do but always do what you need to.”

“We do not give ourselves enough grace, nor do we extend it often enough,” someone else wrote. “Our insecurities come with us everywhere, even the playground.”

Others revealed that the video motivated them to take better care of themselves, with another person writing: “I think I’m going to start dressing as if I’m going somewhere, maybe that will help. Thank you!”

The Independent has contacted Rosa for comment.

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