So the other day I was at the park with my 4 year old. I was pushing her on the swing, when out of the blue she asked..." mommy, when I get big will I have a big tummy like you?".
After a moment of stuttering from me I told her mommy was working very hard so that I wouldnt have a big tummy anymore. I tried to turn it into a conversation about why we eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies and and get lots of exercise.
I know she's only 4 and was just being a curious kid, but I gotta admit it stung a little. It reminded me that Im doing this for the right reasons. Not only to get healthy for myself, but for her too. And to set her up for a healthy lifestyle in the future.
Nothing like a child to give you a kick of honest reality, huh?
I distinctly remember something that I thought would have been and should have been the ultimate turning point for me, but it was probably three years ago now.
My then 5 yr old said, 'Mom, why does it always look like there's a baby in your belly?'
O_U_C_H!!!!!
I swore when I heard it I was never going to eat again. Obviously it took me longer to come around to doing something about it.
My 3 yr old, at the time probably 2 yr old daughter, luckly, hasn't said anything about me but my mom, her meemaw, got the blunt end of the stick. My mom walked into the living room and she said, "Meemaw has a fat belly". Totally shocker there, but it helped kick my mom into gear about wanting to lose weight. Kids say the darndest things.
Kids are BRUTALLY honest! - my niece once asked me if it "hurt" to be fat. She was 4 at the time (and that was during my "thin" years of about 120 lb...but I had a "poochy belly" because it was TOM... ohdearlord....) I was so stunned at the question that all I could do was laugh. Then her favorite song came on the radio & we danced, so luckily, I avoided that bullet-of-a-question!
Last edited by Beach Patrol; 03-30-2012 at 11:01 AM.
The daughter of a close family friend of mine once whispered in my ear while we snuggled in a chair, "Um, your tummy looks pregnant like that". UGH! Lol, I have a belly and of course it looks glorious when I sit! Kids can say some things that sting, but a lot of it is purely observational, I most likely DO look pregnant when I sit!
Ha, I can totally relate! My sister was very pregnant with her 3rd kid, and I was in the bathroom doing my hair (leaning against the counter, so it highlighted my belly hanging over it). My 6 year old niece stood in the doorway a minute watching me and then said "are you going to have a baby too?" I just laughed and said no, this is just my tummy, there's no baby in there. She just kind of shrugged and started talking about something else. But the point stuck - I look as big as my 8 months pregnant sister! Eeeep!
You can't be mad though. Kids are kids. I'd rather her ask her honest questions even at the expense of my pride!
ugh that is so painful to hear, I have 2 little girls and I used to hear innocent comments like that from them all the time, mommy your big, mommy your tummy is big, makes me sad and depressed, but I guess we can use that as motivation to keep going!
My 17y & 20yo daughters are unfortunately brutally honest about things like my hair and clothing, but know enough not to tell me I'm fat. BUT when they were younger, one of the sweetest things my youngest ever said to me was "Mommy you're skinny" when I had lost about 20 pounds.
Funnily, neither of my kids ever said anything like that. BUT, my youngest likes to play with fat - he likes the jiggly underarms and the squishy tummy at 6 I have to keep him from grabbing me, but he still WANTS to do it. He never grabbed at my husband who is all lean, but will STILL grab at me. Unfortunately, even when I get to goal, I will have bat wings and loose skin on my tummy.
My daughter who is almost 2 came up to me yesterday and pointed to my belly and said "BAY-Bee" ....She must have noticed all the pregnant women at the strongstart program who were rubbing there bellies and talking about the baby...and now she is rubbing mine :O
My aunt loves to tell the story of how I mortified her when I was three and we were in line at the grocery store. Apparently I liked "playing" with fat too ... because I repeatedly hit another patron's arm-fat and said "Smack that fat lady! Smack that fat lady!" Eep.
Somewhat unrelated, but my sister is 8 months pregnant and we had taught my 18 mo. old niece to point to her (my sister's) belly when we ask "Where is Andrew?" Unfortunately, now whenever she hears the word "Andrew" she lifts up her shirt, sticks out her belly, and starts patting it! Haha.
Last edited by LovelyAndLosing; 03-30-2012 at 02:17 PM.
I can't remember what exactly was said but it was a few years ago when I was in line at the grocery store and the kid (boy, looked around 6-7) in the family behind me, said something along the lines "why are you so fat?" It definitely hurt, I think a bit more then if it HAD been a family member but it does make you start to think.
When my daughter was about 2.5 she had a teen volunteer at her daycare who was very overweight. My daughter got into the car with me and declared that "____ has FAT ARMS!" That was when I taught my lesson 1) if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all; and 2) if you have a question about others it's a "mommy secret."
That all went out the window when she asked if someone was a man or a woman in an echoing bathroom...
The things kids say....
