Have you ever had a parent of an overweight kid tell you your kid is too little? My across the street neighbor has a 5 year old daughter, who weighs 60 lbs. and wears the same size as my 10 year old. She makes remarks quite often how my daughter is supposedly tiny, scrawny, or small. According to the weight/height charts, my kid (she weights approx. 70 lbs.) is exactly where she is supposed to be. It makes me mad that someone whose kid obviously is overweight should be remarking on the weight of another kid in a derogatory fashion. I know she wouldn't like it if I made a comment about how large her child was.

Impact wrote:

Have you ever had a parent of an overweight kid tell you your kid is too little? My across the street neighbor has a 5 year old daughter, who weighs 60 lbs. and wears the same size as my 10 year old. She makes remarks quite often how my daughter is supposedly tiny, scrawny, or small. According to the weight/height charts, my kid (she weights approx. 70 lbs.) is exactly where she is supposed to be. It makes me mad that someone whose kid obviously is overweight should be remarking on the weight of another kid in a derogatory fashion. I know she wouldn't like it if I made a comment about how large her child was.

LOL. Is she for real? I'd personally tell her exactly how I feel about it, then maybe she wouldn't keep making those snide comments. My sister is like that. She's 8 and she's a bit on the 'wiry' side because she's quite tall for her age.

My younger boy is a skinny kid, and although he is of average height now, he was a really short and skinny youngster. Nobody ever made inappropriate comments, though, as far as I can remember.

The next time your neighbor crosses that line, a good answer would be, "Our pediatrician thinks our daughter is developing just fine. And anyway, we prefer not to teach her that commenting on people's bodies is okay. Please pass the bean dip."

All of my kids were skinny although they were well fed on a good diet. They were also incredibly active, what I call "high-burners" meaning they exercised so much that they were unable to keep any weight on. That's a good thing, kids build strong, healthy bodies by playing, running, jumping, doing what kids do naturally. Don't let your dim bulb neighbor discourage you, skinny kids are not necessarily unhealthy.

I was a skinny kid growing up. Wish I could be skinny now - lol! Sounds like your neighbour is trying to compensate and maybe feels guilty about her own daughter.

I like what 2xy said - great answer!!!

Your neighbor sounds resentful. My daughter is tall and thin too, and once one of my aunts remarked that she needed more meat on her bones; it irritated me, because no, she doesn't. Her weight is fine, and I said so point blank. If she had more meat on her bones, that same aunt would have probably had something to say about that too. Don't put issues like that on my child.

In the beginning I took it with a grain of salt. For the most part I think it's on the side of silly to get upset at being referred to as "skinny." The more this woman talks though, the less I'm able to tell if she's just making a casual observation or if she's being flip. All I know is that I'm becoming more irritated.

I'd let her know that your daughter is perfectly fine & that there's not going to be an ongoing discussion about it.

Tell her you don't think there's a problem unless her kid tries to eat yours.

OMG....I could have written your post!

My son weighs very little for his age and height, yet is crazy strong and fit. There is a mom whose son does the same sport as mine that ALWAYS brings up my son's weight, negatively. I post a FB pic, and she comments "
feed him a sandwich will ya'?"

She goes beyond that by saying that he isn't fed well which drives me nuts...my son eats excellently, yet her kids eat Cheetos and chips and pop tarts....


I finally had to address it with her. My son did not appreciate it. It took away from what he is about.

RedBedroom wrote:

OMG....I could have written your post!

My son weighs very little for his age and height, yet is crazy strong and fit. There is a mom whose son does the same sport as mine that ALWAYS brings up my son's weight, negatively. I post a FB pic, and she comments "
feed him a sandwich will ya'?"

She goes beyond that by saying that he isn't fed well which drives me nuts...my son eats excellently, yet her kids eat Cheetos and chips and pop tarts....


I finally had to address it with her. My son did not appreciate it. It took away from what he is about.

You know what I'm talking about then. Just because you have no control over your child's eating habits and allow junk food to be their pacifier, don't act funny because you see another kid who obviously has more controlled eating. I have never withheld food from my kids mouths, and they're not all about celery sticks and white rice either. With guidance from the time they were born, they developed their own sensible eating habits and on top of it are active. As I said, this woman's daughter who is the same age as my second daughter weighs almost as much as my eldest daughter, who is five years older. Focus on the fact that your kid weighs what someone twice her age does before you critique someone else's child thin waist size.

Impact....exactly...

Here is some food for thought on this topic...My son's cousin is nine months YOUNGER than my son...Yet my son is much stronger than he. And much less in weight.

Regarding the woman I spoke of and her mention all the damn time of my son's stature...she has spent over five thousand dollars, since September, with a personal motocross coach to make her son faster...on their itinerary??? Beating my "too skinny" son's lap times. Now, months later...still not beat...

Misery loves company. The same woman probably hassles her kid about her weight (while still letting her eat junk), secretly wishing she were as thin as the slim kids.