Little Kids Telling You That You Are Fat

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  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    Once we were at the store and my 5 year old son asked VERY loudly if a woman walking by (she was an obese woman, but was clearly not pregnant) had "a baby in her tummy because it's really big." I was mortified, so I quickly moved to another part of the store and explained to him that we don't ask things like that and that we don't point at people etc because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, etc...

    Kids can be SO embarrassing. When they're that young, they don't know what they're saying is hurtful, but it's the parents' job to let them know that those kinds of things aren't okay to say.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    Yep...had it from kids......from adult, especially little old ladies at church, they are as blunt as children....even had it from the family doctor......went to him for the first time, my parents had been to him for years, and the first thing out of his mouth was "So, you're the fat one in the family."
  • jcamby
    jcamby Posts: 200 Member
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    That is awful that it happened toyou....but unfortunately kids don't have a filter. My DS told me that I had fat arms....so I sat down with him and told him how that hurt my feelings...so hopefully I'll teach him to be considerate about others feelings (he's 5)
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    kids call it like they see it. i love that they don't lie.
    it's a nice wakeup call to kickstart weight loss!
  • LindaCWy
    LindaCWy Posts: 463 Member
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    My 7-year-old niece grabbed my thighs, and said "These are bigger than my mom's and dad's combined. Your so fat." I've also had kids run up to me and grab my belly, with their parents looking horrified. Seriously, it's humiliating. Just wanted to get that off my chest.

    Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention when my niece said, "You have the body of a fat man." Nice.

    Look em dead in the eye and tell them they were adopted
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Kids are way too honest but innocent.
    They don't get that grown ups have feelings. Just know this.
    Whatever kids ever said about me being fat?
    Everybody else was thinking it. What's the difference?

    That's why we're all here.
    God luck to you - All Is Possible:flowerforyou:
  • winninga
    winninga Posts: 77 Member
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    My son has autism, and if you think that "normal" kids are honest, you should be around a kid on the spectrum. He's 9, and all we can do is try to teach him the right way, He has a twin sister who is so polite and tactful, but I have a red face a lot of the time we're out in public. I try to explain to folks about his disability. Some understand, and some tell me I'm just using that as an excuse for lazy parenting. It goes with the territory.
  • blair_bear
    blair_bear Posts: 165
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    I haven't been insulted by children...yet...but I know if I EVER spoke to anyone in that manner, at that age, my mom would have kicked my butt and then actually punished me. Then she probably would have given me a lesson/lecture on bullying everyday until I was 30. It would have been the first and last time I was ever rude.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    4th grade student......"Does it keep you warm at night when you sleep, like a polar bear?" (She was referring to my round fat stomach)

    Kids don't know, until someone tells them, that we only talk that way BEHIND people's backs. So they learn all the lingo, they learn that fat=bad, but they don't get the finer points of *not* saying it to someone's face. Unil they stumble across it, and someone scolds them, as if that's not how we talk about other people.

    Kids must be so confused all the time. I was. My mom would hit me for hitting my sister...while saying "We Don't Hit". She would yell at me for being loud. "BE QUIET", she'd holler. :huh:
  • cubizzle
    cubizzle Posts: 900 Member
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    Parents should be more responsible and teach their kids that they only way to be accepted in society is to lie to people and tell them only what they want to hear.
  • Ke1ra78
    Ke1ra78 Posts: 146 Member
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    firstly, you look great in your pic!

    Second, sounds like your family could be more supportive of the great changes you are making to your life and that your niece needs to have it explained to her that somethings are just hurtful to say.

    My 4 year old son came home from pre school the other day and said "**** has got a fat brother." I sat him down and explained that the boy had health problems that affected his weight and that it would make him sad to hear someone saying cruel things.

    Good luck on your journey to a healthier life!
  • mfoutch86
    mfoutch86 Posts: 87
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    I'm sorry but this is hilarious. I can't stop laughing at everybodies stories! Kids that young aren't mean, they are honest. They haven't learned yet that our society has shame built into the word "fat". My daughter has said lots of embarassing things at people in public, like calling a guy in a wheelchair a "robot". In her defense, we had watched the robot episode of Yo Gabba Gabba and one of the characters had been in a wheelchair, so she associated them. They have no understanding that "fat" is a bad word, its just a word, like cold, soft, fuzzy, etc.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    Little kids, say 4 or younger might come up with anything and it's done innocently. When children are older than that, the parents should have taught them some discretion. They shouldn't think it's cute, but take it as a sign to take their parenting duties a little more serious.

    Just like the school bus video recently in the news. Those parents should be horrified their children would treat an old lady like that. At least one father was humble enough to go to the lady's house and apologize for his kid's behavior (although he should have taken the brat with him) and promised her he would teach is kid some manners. Matt Lauer on the news even apologized for the parents he was so taken aback by the video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBhAxofUAZY
  • cubizzle
    cubizzle Posts: 900 Member
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    Little kids, say 4 or younger might come up with anything and it's done innocently. When children are older than that, the parents should have taught them some discretion. They shouldn't think it's cute, but take it as a sign to take their parenting duties a little more serious.

    Kids that do stuff like that at older ages know it's mean, and that's why they do it.
  • a2902c
    a2902c Posts: 96
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    My 7-year-old niece grabbed my thighs, and said "These are bigger than my mom's and dad's combined. Your so fat." I've also had kids run up to me and grab my belly, with their parents looking horrified. Seriously, it's humiliating. Just wanted to get that off my chest.

    Edit: Oh, I forgot to mention when my niece said, "You have the body of a fat man." Nice.

    Look em dead in the eye and tell them they were adopted

    <3
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    At 7 I would expect a child to know not to insult people (to their faces). Whether or not that particular delivery was an insult or innocent is something I'd need to see happen to have an opinion on. It could go either way really. I've seen some very mean 7 year olds who seemed to genuinely take pleasure in hurting other people. Most just seem to not understand the possible implications of what comes out of their mouths.
  • cmeade20
    cmeade20 Posts: 1,238 Member
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    My nephew is far too rude as well. I finally snapped the other day and told him he was mean and acting like a jerk and won't be welcome in my home any longer if he doesn't start being nicer.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    Okay, I had to think whether or not I wanted to tell on myself here.... I don't remember this, but this is how my mom told it.

    Back in 1950 when I was 3 years old, my mom was returning from California to Washington state with me on the train. The porter was coming around checking tickets when I pointed and shrieked "MOMMY, WHAT MAKES THAT MAN SO BLACK?" My mom was so embarrassed, she started crying and the porter comforted her.
  • a2902c
    a2902c Posts: 96
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    kids call it like they see it. i love that they don't lie.
    it's a nice wakeup call to kickstart weight loss!
    Parents should be more responsible and teach their kids that they only way to be accepted in society is to lie to people and tell them only what they want to hear.

    I understand that kids are honest, but that is just making me feel worse. If that's the case, I look like a whale, with fat man legs, and am very ugly (according to my niece). I'm not asking for them to tell me things I only want to hear. I just don't need to hear that I'm ugly and then be told on MFP that it's true.

    EDIT: Blah, whatever. I shouldn't let this thread get me down. :P
  • peles_fire
    peles_fire Posts: 501
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    Have had it happen more than once. I don't get mad, I just use it as an opportunity to educate the child. I tell them that they are right and that they should be careful to exercise and eat healthy so they can keep their bodies healthy. I also tell them that they should not say negative things about another person's appearance because it is considered rude and hurts feelings. Then I assure the mortified parent that it is not a big deal and off I go...

    Really I think it is harder on the parents - they just turn colors from embarrassment! Kinda funny really...

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