Featured Image Credit: ObesityImages / Alamy Stock Photo/Pexels
Topics: Parenting
Lucy Devine
A mum has sparked debate online after revealing she judges the parents of overweight children at her kids' school.
Taking to a parenting forum, the mum explained she had been picking her little one up from school when she noticed her classmate waiting to be collected.
Describing her as a 'very heavy set little girl', the mum asked if other parents ever felt the same.
Advert
"At school pick up today I noticed a new girl in my daughters class was in the line waiting to be collected," she wrote on Mumsnet.
"She is a very heavy set little girl, they are all in year 1, so still very young but this particular child looked far bigger and sadly really stood out. I found myself feeling so sad, wondering if she will settle in OK and then irrationally annoyed at her parents for putting her in that position.
"I was quite a chubby child for some of my school years and recall the taunts vividly, it made my school experience pretty horrible so I think I have quite a skewed view on this in fairness, it hits a nerve.
"I had a word with myself for being judgemental and not knowing the situation and I know it's non of my business, but I wondered if I'm just a horrible person or if anyone else feels a pang of sadness for these kids and (rightly or wrongly) finds themselves blaming/judging the parents."
People were pretty divided over the post. While some agreed with the mum, others argued that it wasn't always straightforward, with poverty and disability often playing a part.
One person wrote: "No, I don't judge them because I have no idea what factors are behind it so its none if my business. One of my DC was overweight due to issues related to their disability."
While another said: "It’s hard to know the circumstances. Obesity and poverty massively overlap for example, so I wouldn’t judge. But I do think it’s such a shame for the kids."
And a third added: "No, I wouldn't if I just saw someone overweight, you don't know the reasons behind it. If I knew them well and they were being fed giant portions and junk food constantly then I would probably judge then bit definitely not on first sight."
Others were more in agreement however, with another commenting: "I judge the parents too and feel sad for the children tbh."
And one said: "I'm afraid I do. Some children will be overweight due to disabilities or medical conditions, but most aren't. I'm shocked at times at the size of some of the DCs I see."