My daughter has just reached that delightful age (nearly 4), where she perceives it to be her duty to point out people's imperfections. She obviously doesn't do this quietly, or when we are at home, but when we are out and the strangers she feels the need to comment on can generally hear her.
It started before Christmas with asking me very loudly in B&M, "Mummy, why is that man SOOOO fat?". Cue a request from me that we shouldn't point out that people are overweight because it might upset them and it's not nice. Two minutes later, as we went around the corner she smiled and said to me "Mummy, I didn't say it then", "didn't say what darling" I replied, having no idea what she was talking about. "Mummy, I didn't say THAT lady was fat (pointing her out, just in case the humiliation wasn't enough), but she is". "Oh, erm, well done for not telling me!".
Later on at home we discussed how people are different shapes and sizes and how we shouldn't point out differences because it's not nice. I explained that I am not fat and am happy with my body. My daughter stepped back, looked me up and down, sat back and said "you're a bit fat mummy". Thanks. Thanks a lot! She's right though, I do need to lose a little bit of weight! Thankfully though, she seems to have grasped that it's not something we should be pointing out or making a big deal of when it comes to strangers.
She is brutally honest. A trait which I have a certain level of admiration for. We were walking up to her nursery the other day when a lovely old lady stopped us, came over, bent down and said to my daughter "I really love your hat". Without any pause, or thought, my daughter glared at her, turned to me and said "mummy, I HATE that lady's hat".
It took all I had not to burst out laughing! The woman did have a particularly horrible fur hat on her head. I think we still have a long way to go before my daughter learns no to say the first thing that comes in to her head. Although, to be honest, I think perhaps I need to be a little more mindful of that too!
