Ever been called fat by a kid?

[Lunaya 64]

One day I was sitting outside at a bus stop and wearing a purple sweat suit when a carload of people, not children, drove by and ask me "How ya been Barney?" It hurt so bad I cried for weeks

[Fallenangel2904 494]

Sometimes it's a fact of a child being brutally honest and even so it still hurts. Has happened to me many time. I used to babysit twin boys as a teen (I was a fat kid, teen and adult) And one of my earliest memories of being called fat was one of the little boys I baby sat for. I was 13 or so and I remember the little boy pointing at my belly and saying 'your so fat' but but in a nonchalant way. He was only 4 but it still hurt a lot. Kids can be cruel both intentionally and unintentionally. His mother overheard him use the word fat a few days later and she pulled his aside and explained that you shouldn't call someone that, that it can hurt their feelings and isn't a nice word. He just didn't know, but good parenting helped correct it and I alway remember how I applauded his mother for that

Then there are the intentional insults by children that make me want to not only yell at the child but yes the parent. Fat hate is one of the few forms of prejudice that is still looked on as 'okay' or 'Socially acceptable'. We need to teach children from a young age that its NOT okay. It should be preached right along side gender, race and sexual orientation discrimination.

[skrubabilen 41]

My now 7 year old, when he was in Kindergarten, told me hid friends at school asked him why his mom was so fat. It hurt so bad, on so many levels. It hurt that my son had to deal with me being fat, it hurt that other kids talked about me at school and with their parents about me being fat, it made me not want to help out at school anymore because my feelings were hurt and frankly I was embarrassed. I used it as a learning tool for my son and motivation for me. I began teaching him about nutrition. I also taught him that it's ok to ask me question about anything but I better never hear him call someone fat because it hurts people's feelings. That first time of being called fat by a child has never left me and it was definitely on of motivators to make this change. As a fat person, all I ever wanted was to not be noticed. Now I technically just blend in with the crowd. It's an awesome feeling.

[Arts137 1,811]

Great post. As if WE don't know we are obese. I am lucky that I have a beard, that is getting grey. When this happens I can quietly whisper "you want to be nice to Santa, Christmas is coming". BIG EYES are a great response!

[mandyrenee82 59]

I blame it on the parents lack of discipline and teaching respect. In my adult years, I don't think I was called fat by kids but rather a/s/s/h/o/l/e adults. I was teased and made fun of everyday while I was in school, up until high school. I guess the bullies got different bait. It still hurts to think about what my classmates called me and you begin to believe it because its beat into your head several times a day. Looking back I wish I had the willpower to stand up for myself or knock their teeth down their throat. But I knew it would have probably made the bullying worse. Funny thing is now, 90% of the kids who made fun of me have been in and out of jail, rehab, strung out on drugs, have 10 kids all by different men. Some are way bigger than me now. Karma is definitely a b/i/t/c/h.

[KitKat40 100]

Well I get a call 1 day last year that my son in 4th grade at the time got suspended and I have to go to school to pick him up !! Well my son beat a kid up like punch him in the face I was so upset because its not like my kid to do something like that !! Well when I got him home I sit him down to find out what happen to figure out the punishment !!! He tells me mom !!! Look it wasn't my fault some kid in lunch room was telling !!! Your momma is so fat jokes !!! And directed them straight to my son !! I was mortified my baby was defending me !! Because he hates it when kids ask him why is your mom so fat ,,. So I didn't punish him we went to the movies instead... I can't wait till the day my son can wrap his arms around me ....

[Melixxa 125]

Grrr....those "your mama" jokes make me SO angry! I teach elementary school and I recently had to deal with one little girl's broken heart over those stupid jokes. And we had to talk to her mom about it. The little girl was devastated and there was no hiding it.

I actually called in the mom of one of the guilty party. She reassured me that she told her daughter not to make jokes about an area where someone might be sensitive. In other words, she wanted her kid to know that it would be OK to have made the joke to someone whose mom was thin.

I told her I disagreed, and that none of us had any business making jokes about anybody's body.

This is what I tell my kids:

Other people's bodies are not your business. We are all different. But just as you feel funny when people talk to you about some way that your body looks different, you make others feel uncomfortable when you talk about their bodies, too.

I take it a step further, and say that even if they want to pay a compliment, they shouldn't focus on the way a person looks. I want them to notice each other's talents or kind hearts or special interests, and stop focusing so much on appearances.

[fattie 53]

My question is, what are these parents and society teaching these children? I have always taught my skinny children that people come in all shapes and sizes and they do not judge anyone. Its up to us parents not to be judgemental in front of them no matter what because children are honest and they also always repeat what they hear and are being taught. So sad :’(

[GBFree82 75]

When I was in college I worked at a girls summer camp for extra money. Our staff was pretty diverse. The girls who came to camp were diverse backgrounds also. One week we had a set of sisters stay with us, I think they were in the 9-11 age range, and they were constantly causing problems and being late for everything. One day a counselor had to go into the bathhouse at the pool because a whole group of girls were taking forever to get dressed, the counselor found the girls huddled together making a top 10 list of who they thought was the fattest counselor of the day. Apparently the list changed with whoever made them mad that day. Anyway. They were all talked to and asked(bc you can't tell) them to stop. The main instigators had latrine duty that week.

[christy250 6]

My 7 year old niece, never came out and said I was fat, she had the habit of shaking my stomach. I had to tell her it hurt. She would never hug me just run up and start jiggling my stomach. I heard her tell sister see I told you that eating bread makes you fat!

[altagirl 127]

Last summer.................Ultimately, kids learn it somewhere, and their ignorant parents are not my concern, but that doesn't mean that it didnt hurt!

I agree - this is probably what is said at home. A few years ago, I was helping out in my daughter's classroom and a kid asked me why I was so fat and had yellow teeth! I wanted to say - actually my teeth aren't yellow they just don't glow like your mother's and I am fat because, unlike your mother, my biggest decision of the day doesn't involve what exercise class will I go to." Obviously I didn't but I wanted to....I just smiled and said because I don't feel the need to be superficial like some of the other moms. When the kids asked what superficial meant - I wrote it down and told her to ask her mother! I know, not very mature but I couldn't stand the mom or the kid.

[******** 397]

Calling someone fat is not bad manners for a small child. I will teach my children in the future the word fat to describe someone's size but not teach them it as a negative word. Why does everyone use the word fat so negatively? If a kid calls me fat I would agree because I am. A lot of other countries, the word skinny is used with a negative connotation because skinny is also seen as being unhealthy. Why dont we cringe when someone uses that word?

[auntmissa1 39]

I did today. I won't lie' date=' it hurt my feelings.

My 5 year old son was chatting with another 5 year old girl. They were talking about food & she asked my son if I liked to eat. My son said yeah and she then asked "is that why your mom is so fat?"

Her parent are both paleo/crossfit people so I know at least nutrition is being taught at home. The other daughter things caffeine is "drugs". At 5 she's scared to eat anything sweet. So healthy for a child to have that mentality.....

Anyway. Still upsets me.[/quote']

Yes! Twenty years ago by a little girl I was babysitting. I was probably 50 lbs less than I am now.

I am proud to say that my three year old has no clue what "fat" means. I don't know if she's ever even heard the word. But she knows that exercise keeps you healthy and I love that!

[auntmissa1 39]

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never harm me.

What a lie.

I am so sorry for your pain. People used to ask if I was pregant & yeah it hurt' date=' a lot. I want to send a hug to you. Words hurt people, use them wisely.[/quote']

This brought back another memory. When planning my sister's baby shower 15 years ago, the person who ran the hall thought the shower was for me. Again, I was probably 50 lbs lighter than I am now.

[HatheryOnHerWay 603]

I've known a few kids who couldn't differentiate between "fat" and "tall". If a kid calls me fat, I just tell myself they mean tall. Haha