Stacey Solomon has admitted she felt hurt by some of the criticism she received over her decision to home-school sons Zachary and Leighton.
The Loose Women star, 28, revealed last week she’d taken the boys – aged ten and five – out of school in their own best interests.
While Stacey said it was the correct decision for her family, not everyone agreed.
And on Tuesday’s episode of Loose Women, the former X Factor star opened up about the hurtful suggestion she wasn’t intelligent enough to home-school her kids.
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“It’s been an interesting response. It’s always nice to hear people’s opinions, pro and against the decisions you make. I think everyone has a valid opinion and it’s good to read them,” she said.
“But there was one consensus that I really didn’t enjoy reading. I’m not usually bothered by anything on Twitter, Instagram or social media. I feel like if you’re on there, you are subject to those comments and have to deal with it.
“But there were a lot of people saying things like, ‘Stacey you are so stupid and dumb, how could you possibly teach your children?’, that I don’t even know how to spell my own name, let alone teach a child.
“And as much as I shouldn’t take any notice, because these people are probably sad in their own lives and that’s probably why they are doing what they’re doing, I think it really struck a chord with me as I felt for a long time in my life, even being a child, that I come across dumb because of my accent and personality and I’ve always been treated that way.
“I don’t know why but it really struck a chord with me.”
Fellow Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha assured Stacey: “You don’t have to think like that any longer. You are super smart and witty and a great Loose Woman. Just chuck that label away and never think of it again.”
Christine Lampard suggested such comments were a “modern day sort of bullying”.
She added: “I still find it really strange that people pick their phones up to be horrible. Have you not got anything else to do that day?”
Stacey replied: “It is funny how a perception of intelligence comes from somebody’s accent or where they were born.”
Stacey explained on Loose Women last week that she took her children out of school last September in order to home-school them.
She said it was a decision she’d spent a lot of time thinking about and it was in the “best interests” of the boys.
As well as wanting to teach her sons things that aren’t on the curriculum, she said the boys’ personalities weren’t suited to a classroom.
Stacey also said she’d noticed Zachary’s personality changing at school and he became reluctant to ask questions.
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