So I’ve been thinking about blogging Mondays through Fridays and taking the weekends off, especially now that it’s spring and there is SO MUCH FUN STUFF that we are dying to do! Like going to the park, taking hikes, and picking up little pieces of soggy Graham crackers off the carpet…
In other news, Nathan and I were at Wal-Mart today doing some grocery shopping. Not surprisingly, because Nathan is the cutest little guy in all of Cuteland, many people stopped me and tell me how cute he is. Usually, people are pretty polite and “ooh” and “aah” over him.
But there’s always that sour apple who just wants to RAIN ON MY PARADE, ya know.
So I had just finished paying for a cart full of food for Nathan when this lady, probably in her late 60’s, walked by as I was piling bags of his food into the cart.
“Oh he’s cute,” she said. “How old is he?”
“Thanks,” I replied. “He’s thirteen months.”
“Thirteen months?” she asked. “Isn’t he a little too… small… for his age?” You should have heard the disdain and smugness in her voice. As a mom, I felt my blood start to boil because this is my child we’re talking about here. And oh yeah, have I mentioned that a mother will grow RAZOR SHARP TALONS AND DAGGAR TEETH when she thinks someone is picking on her child?
But I bit my tongue.
“No, he’s actually just right for his age. He’s in the 50th percentile for height and the 30th for weight,” I replied as calmly as I could. Even though on the inside, I was positively DYING to hit her upside the head with one of those jars of baby food I had in the cart . I wanted to let her know exactly how hard it was to get him to the weight he is at right now. The months of supplementing with formula after breastfeeding, the endless (ENDLESS!) pumping sessions, and the massive amounts of milk-producing herbs I consumed to get my son to get to the size he is now. It was a lot of work, and I felt insulted that someone would think my child looked “too” small. I mean, hello? HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE CHEEKS? They are totally pinch-able, and so is that tubby tubby tummy.
She looked at me doubtfully. “Well, as long as he’s healthy,” she drawled, looking skeptically at Nathan.
Un. Be. Lieve. Able. Unbelievable! Lady, it’s a good thing YOUR OPINION DOESN’T COUNT. I wanted to shout that at her with a thick smattering of curse words. But instead, I didn’t even respond. I grabbed my last bag, put it in the cart, and just walked away.
Some people have absolutely no regard for other people’s feelings. It’s rude to say someone’s child is “too small” or “too big,” “too tall” or “too short.” Why does there have to be a comparison, anyway? Everyone is who they are. And if you DO happen to think someone looks “too” something, please be kind and respectful enough to keep your opinions to yourself.
I know, I shouldn’t have let it get to me. But it’s really irritating, ya know?
