April 13th, 2024-SHAWNEE, Ohio-Brittany Cole, a mom from Shawnee, Kansas, sought parenting advice on TikTok after her 4-year-old daughter described a new friend as “fat.” Unsure how to handle the situation, Cole asked if she should teach her daughter that “fat” is an insult or let it go and risk her potentially hurting others unintentionally.
Commenters suggested teaching her daughter to describe people in other ways and discussing how words can have different meanings. Cole wants her daughter to understand “fat” as simply a physical descriptor, but recognizes societal perceptions differ. Parenting expert Rachel Simmons advises parents to acknowledge the nuances and varied meanings of words to children.
