How to get the Spacemom’s panties in a bunch July 15, 2006
Posted by spacemom in : Kids , 7 commentsToday was a day. Wow. After shipping Dr. Jay and Luna to swimming lessons, the kitchen cleaning and a few quick games of "hi-Ho Cheerio", Soleil and I went to get her haircut. Then off to the store to pick up the shortest lived product in our house, Milk.
As we walked in the store, we passed an obese woman. I noticed her, and noticed she was quiet pretty when Soleil said "Wow, she’s fat!". I was a little embarrassed and then made a mental note to talk to Soleil about polite in public when the woman sitting next to the woman screamed out "That was wicked rude!"
"Excuse me, she is a child, she was just making an observation"
"No, that was rude and as her parent you are to punish her and correct her"
I was beyond flabbergasted and moved Soleil on. I explained to Soleil that some people think the word "Fat" is rude. BUT I also explained that what the woman said was rude.
Soleil was afraid that we would run into the rude woman again and I said, well if we do, we just leave them alone and not say any thing.
UGH, when has our society gotten so body image conscience that we can’t let a child make a statement like that? She wasn’t being mean or cruel, just honest. I honestly don’t know what the woman who Soleil said was fat felt. She didn’t say a thing during this interchange.
So now I am still angry about this encounter hours later. Sigh. Why is it OK to call someone thin, yet fat is bad? What if she said "Wow, he’s so tall!" is that rude?
I hate working over the little nuances of people’s perceptions.
What are your thoughts on this?
