Nicole Richie and Joel Madden (mostly Nicole) have received a lot of passive-aggressive criticism in the press for the amount of time they’ve spent attending social events since the birth of their daughter Harlow on January 11th. Several websites have called them “Part-time parents.” Today Page Six noted:

NICOLE Richie and Joel Madden’s nanny must be raking in some serious overtime to watch the Hollywood party couple’s new baby, Harlow Winter Kate Madden. During the Grammys weekend, the couple went to several parties each night for hours. Last weekend, Richie and Madden once again left their tot at home to spend some quality time with Joel’s brother Benji and Lindsay Lohan at Teddy’s in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. They didn’t rush home until the end of the evening – “It’s almost as if they aren’t parents,” said a spy.

[From Page Six]

Are they bad parents, or is the press being too hard on the couple? A lot of people speculated that Nicole wouldn’t make a good mother because of her wild-child ways. She certainly was a regular fixture on the party circuit, and didn’t have the reputation of being the kindest person. However she did seem to truly mellow once she became pregnant – which a lot of people attributed to Joel’s influence. Considering that Joel is in a band, I would think that making appearances around Grammy time is pretty important. Should the couple have stayed home regardless? Are they putting partying ahead of spending time with their daughter? It seems like they weren’t out getting drunk and club hopping – they were attending award parties.

I’ve always heard that it’s incredibly hard for most mothers to leave their newborns home with a sitter for the first time. Several articles have said Nicole seems to have no problem with it, considering she was out and about without Harlow two weeks after her birth. It’s hard to say if people’s expectations are unfair, or if they’re assuming the worst about Nicole because of her pre-baby days. In Hollywood it certainly is more the norm to leave your kids with a nanny. But the “spy’s” comment that “It’s almost as if they aren’t parents,” seems harsh and ridiculous. If they do anything that doesn’t involve their kid in the first month, that means they’re not parents? It’s safe to assume that Grammy parties are important for Joel’s job. Most dad’s don’t stay home from work for the first month of their kid’s life. I would bet that Harlow has gotten to spend more time with her parents than a lot of babies. And though I’m never one to defend Nicole Richie, it’d be alright if people backed off a bit. They’re allowed a little time for themselves too.

Here’s Nicole at the LACMA’s Opening Celebration of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum on February 9th. Images thanks to PR Photos.