Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

Let's talk about something else

posted by lizzie    « No Comments »    tied to Uncategorized   

Simon still wears a size 3 diaper (at least until this package runs out) and some of the clothes that he wore when he was 4 months old. He is in (approximately) the 5th percentile in weight and 10th for height. He’s closer to the 90th in head circumference which may influence people’s perception of his size, but I still have a hard time fathoming how we can have so many people who take one look at him and say, “He’s a big boy.” And I don’t always know how to respond. I’m sure they are just making conversation, but what am I supposed to say? What are they really saying? Sometimes I ignore the comment or say something about how he’s starting to stretch out (although he’s been “stretching out” for about half his life now). More and more I correct them and tell them that he’s actually rather small for his age and perhaps that we are under doctor’s orders to fatten him up because he hasn’t gained much weight in the past 10 months.

Honestly, I am bothered that so often the first thing people comment on is his size. I know, it’s an easy thing to see and comment on if you are looking for something to talk about, but it is also kind of an uncomfortable subject for me. I don’t want to think about how big he is more than I have to. I am worried about becoming obsessed with weight and size and driving myself and my children to unhealthy habits. I am worried about having unhealthy expectations for our bodies. I am worried about equating thinness with healthiness and drawing the conclusion that thinner is healthier. I know this is a weakness that I am subject to and it scares me to think of the pain I could inflict on my child by worrying about how big he is when he is still so young and has so much growing to do. Besides, aren’t there more interesting things to talk about, like what words he is (not) saying or how many teeth he has?

Hint: people who leave the first comment are cooler.

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