How would you feel if someone said this about your child?

[TotalChaos]

to be slightly fair, she did say a few nice things about me before the offending comment, but then said (well posted) that "quite frankly he thinks the sun shines out of his arse" . This is an acquaintance who hasn't even seen DS for at least 1 year, and DS is a just turned four year old with big speech/social difficulties. Just hope that that's not how he comes across to other parents .

[TotalChaos]

she did try to backtrack and justify it by saying that she just meant that DS knew how much I loved him, but I'm still and about the comment.

[Twiglett]

all 3 year olds think the sun shines out of their own arses surely

isn't that part of the point in being a child?

sounds like you're bringing him up right, to have self-confidence and belief in himself .. well done to his parents

[TotalChaos]

so you think maybe I should put the pitchfork away then and might be being overly touchy! Thanks Twig, always useful to have an opposing opinion.

[Twiglett]

no I think she was a twat

[hecate]

I think it's good for a child to have such high self esteem.

[bullet123]

Now, having read that comment myself I did bristle at it as well. She may have meant that he knows he is loved, but it did unfortunately read as he's self centred. So you're not alone in interpreting it as you did. I can reassure you, having met S, that he appeared as a quiet, happy, lovely little lad and whilst I couldn't diagnose him I wouldn't have ruled him out of being on the spectrum, there's just this "sense" about him if that makes sense?
I think the poster was trying to be well meaning, perhaps a straight explanation in an email saying how the phrase came across would settle things? They probably don't realise how worried you are at the moment.

[TotalChaos]

lol thanks Hecate. Thanks bullet .

[ancientmiddleagedmum]

she sounds like she doesn't have kids herself, so doesn't know what they're really like, or maybe she has just one exceedingly well-behaved girl (they can be the worst for judging mums of boys!). Maybe she did mean it well, but if so then she must be quite inarticulate as it is usually a phrase that is negative in its connotations! I'd tell her how you feel, why should you have it festering , let her be the one who feels bad, not you!

[coppertop]

It sounds like a really odd thing to say about a young child. It's usually meant as an insult when said about an adult isn't it? Strange woman.

[coppertop]

"Strange woman" obviously refers to the woman in the OP and not any of the MNers on the thread.

[TotalChaos]

I did say something at the time, so don't really want to mention it again, particularly as she claimed she meant it in a positive way [hmmm]

and lol at strange woman - well that could quite easily describe too