Parenting Influencer Divides Fans by Posting Social Media Content Hours After Near-Tragic Accident

Do as I say, not as I do parenting influencer Kelly Hopton-Jones accidentally ran over her toddler son!

Hopton-Jones, a pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of two — whose Instagram account, Hillside Farmhouse, proclaims “baby and toddlerhood is kinda my thing” — was taking her daughter, Lily, 3, to get doughnuts before a dance performance.

Her husband, Brian, was staying at home with their 23-month-old son, Henry, who was standing in the garage as Hopton-Jones began pulling out.

“In a matter of seconds, our son was run over by our car. I was driving,” she recounted on Instagram later that day. “Our neighbors stepped in immediately and took Lily and we rushed to the emergency room.”

Although the tot had a broken pelvis and a few abrasions, a CT scan revealed he didn’t suffer any injuries to his organs or spinal cord, and he showed no signs of a head injury or impairment, Hopton-Jones reported.

She also posted a picture of Henry in his hospital bed.

“Today has been the worst day of our lives,” the Texas-based mom shared.

“We keep replaying it, trying to understand how this could have happened when we were right there. I don’t have that answer. But I do know this has changed us.” She added, “We are in shock. We are sad. But we are so incredibly grateful.”

And she said she had implemented a “non-negotiable” hand-holding policy for her kids when they’re around cars, warning other caretakers, “Do not assume they know or will stay where you last saw them.”

Some followers on social media offered sympathy, noting that small children’s behavior is wildly unpredictable.

“Toddlers take 3 seconds to disappear and run behind a car,” noted a Reddit user.

“The toddler inspiration to run out into traffic chasing after a leaf or some s**t is very real,” another sympathized.

But others criticized Hopton-Jones, particularly her decision to post about the accident almost immediately after it happened.

“Yeah running your own kid over then making a post on the same day is not very “I’m traumatized”. Social media has ruined us,” one person commented on her post. “Accidents can happen, but sharing such a traumatic moment publicly feels unsettling. Children deserve care, safety and privacy especially at times like this. Hoping her son makes a full recovery,” shared another X user.