I recently encountered a situation that left me questioning whether people were being unnecessarily rude or just a tad too candid. As a 27-year-old mother of quadruplets, who just turned 2, I decided it was time they learned how to swim. This past week, my husband, two of his buddies, and I accompanied the kids to their first swimming lessons. Due to their young age, each child required the presence of an adult during the class, and since all four were scheduled at the same time, I needed all the help I could get from our little supportive team.

During the lessons, it seemed like every other child was accompanied by their moms or female guardians, all of whom were dressed in shorts and t-shirts for their swim attire. My husband and his friends wore regular swim trunks and no shirts. I opted for a two-piece swimsuit. It was nothing overly revealing; however, my midriff and back were visible. I didn’t initially notice or mind what everyone else was wearing until about halfway through the week, and everything seemed perfectly ordinary until the courses concluded on Friday.

As we were all changing and preparing to leave, a few mothers approached me. They chose that moment to express their discomfort with my choice of swimwear throughout the week. They calmly informed me that while they did not want to create an awkward atmosphere during the sessions, they found my two-piece swimsuit inappropriate due to my exposed stretch marks, which I have quite prominently from carrying quadruplets. They even suggested that I should cover up more if I plan to continue attending classes with my children. I questioned them about their thoughts on the men’s attire, and they dismissed it, indicating that the issue was specifically with my "baby belly."

Now that I'm back home, I’ve been torn over their comments. Were they crossing a line, or was I thoughtless about the expectations of others at such a gathering? My husband reassured me that I had nothing to worry about, but it seems like the other mothers felt quite differently. Am I in the wrong here?

I can’t help but wonder how this scenario would play out if it were part of a reality TV show. Would the audience side with me, seeing the others as overly critical, or would they agree that a more conservative outfit is appropriate for a mother in a public setting like a children’s swimming class?

Do you think my swimwear choice at kid's swim lessons was inappropriate?

Is my swimwear choice at kid's swim lessons inappropriate?