Out of the mouths of babes!
Recently, I spent some time with my ‘old friend’ and her delightfully honest daughter. She (the young daughter) informed me that my hair was shiny and looked pretty, that she liked my dress, and that I was ‘pretty fat’.
I thanked her for her compliments.
It seems strange to me how many people negate young children’s honest observations, and attempt to devalue them!
OK, ‘years ago’, my friend and I were both quite pretty. Yet, as we had kids, I had turned into a ‘mama bear’ while my friend had grown into a ‘foxy mama’! Yes, we have words for women like that!
Yet, that is not my point.
My point is how we treat ‘honesty’ – especially the type of honesty which comes from the mouths of babes. My friend’s daughter is pre-school aged, yet her mom looked uncomfortable when her daughter had made a true – even if ‘touchy’ – observation! Yes, she was relieved I was not hurt or offended – but how could I possibly be hurt or offended by the honesty of a child?
To my friend’s credit – she may have looked ‘uncomfortable’, yet she did not try to stop her daughter from speakng her mind. I applaud all parents who let their kids speak the truth – even if it is ‘socially uncomfortable’! Yet, among parents, she in the minority…
Has our society fallen so much that a child saying ‘The Emperor has no clothes’ would be shushed and shut up by it’s ‘politically correct’ parents?
If so, that is a truly sad state of things…for if a child dare not speak the truth, who will?
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 
September 1, 2008 at 09:44
I don’t have kids but I’ve always been fat. So, that kind of comment doesn’t upset me, even if they come with a bit of evil. I guess what must be taught to children is that things like that are obvious and the person is aware of it, there’s no need of anybody else saying that. It’s up to each one to deal with it. This way you don’t teach children not to be honest but not to make unnecessary comments.
Anyway, I love children and their spontaneity 🙂 .
September 1, 2008 at 10:27
So do I! Kids honesty is precious.
The reason I thanked her for the compliment was becasued she called me ‘pretty’ fat. I thought that was WAY nicer than calling me ‘ugly’ fat!
I got her to both think, and to giggle!
September 4, 2008 at 17:59
Minors can get away with things like that because they aren’t fully developed.
Honesty is so underappreciated to the point that today’s society is saturated with lies.
Though, I’m not surprised why adults hold their tongue on such subjects.
Some people are sensitive about their weight or they are just plain neurotic.
You can’t tell if a stranger is either of those just by looking at them, so the best option is holding the tongue.