Though I've been writing Mummy Buzz for years, I'm still somewhat mystified as to which stories will resonate most with our readers. And 2014 was no exception.
These are the biggest stories - the ones that caught your attention most - this year:
10. Another day, another jerk on a plane. As parents we need to occupy our kids, and it's a constant struggle to keep them quiet. But when this mom refused to make her daughter wear headphones, and became belligerent with security in a viral YouTube video, she lost the sympathy of many of our readers.
"Since when do a parent's or child's rights trump that of every other person on the planet? It's this kind of self-entitled attitude that gives us all a bad name."
9. We love Mila Kunis and "we" love her even more when she ripped into Jimmy Kimmel for using this common misleading phrase. It was zero for Kimmel and one for pregnant women everywhere.
"... we can't have shots of tequila. We can't have anything, because we've got your little love goblin growing inside of us."
8. In a daring move, this Australian mom and cancer survivor took off her red dress in Facebook photos. Though she lost many of her so-called 'friends' by exposing herself, you called her a hero.
"Each day we walk past people. These individuals appear normal but under their clothing sometimes their bodies tell a different story ... cancer effects everyone. The old and the young, age does not matter, self-examination is vital. It can happen to you."
7. A couple issued a retraction of a birth announcement for their daughter—19 years later—under the header "Oops our bad." It seems they had a son all along. A short and sweet newspaper ad spoke volumes about unconditional love. Acceptance starts at home.
"If all parents were as accepting of their children as they truly are—rather than as we want them to be—maybe then we have a shot at raising a generation of self-aware, accepting, and kind future adults."
6. The story of Britain's youngest ever parents—12 and 13 years old respectively—resonated with readers, not purely for shock value, but because they claim to be very much in love and committed to raising the baby together.
"She’s brought something beautiful into the world and we’re going to stand by her."
5. Who is this actress posing on the red carpet and what has she done with Renee Zellweger? That's the burning question many people were asking after we posted before and after pictures of the actress after she appeared on an awards show with a radically different face.
"The fact is, while it's terrible that people feel the need to pass commentary on a celebrity's appearance, in this case at least I don't feel most people were doing so out of malice so much as out of genuine mystification."
4. Jenny McCarthy's "rule following" son proved that he's too cool for school when he called the cops on his mom for texting while driving. She may have poked fun of him on live radio, yet you applauded him for being more clued up than his feckless mother.
"She should be thanking her son for potentially saving both their lives; instead, she apparently threw his phone out the window."
3. In the year that was all things 'Frozen,' it's little wonder that the parody of 'Let it Go' by a blogger struck such a nerve on YMC. The lyrics as they pertained to moms were hilarious and spot on.
"Don't let them in
Don't let them see
Take a moment to yourself
And pee"
2. Robert Munsch is one of Canada's best loved children's authors, yet few of us knew the real and deeply private meaning behind his classic, 'I'll Love You Forever.' And once you know, you will never view the book the same way.
"Eventually a haunting song grew into an equally haunting story about a mother's enduring love for her baby."
And (cue: drum roll) the number one most read Buzz story this year was...
1. A lot of drama over a certain photo of Willow Smith, the 13-year-old daughter of Jada and Will Smith. Willow's parents took no issue with a bedroom shot of their daughter with a much older family friend. But Child Services did. Was the photo a genuine cause for concern?
"There was nothing sexual about that picture or that situation. You guys are projecting your trash onto it."
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