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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder why so many parents describe their children as....

124 replies

ILoatheMickeyMouseClubhouse · 09/09/2011 14:16

Being "tall and skinny" and "very bright". This seems to be commonplace on any internet forum threads about either childrens' clothing or childrens' abilities. Everyone will claim to have tall skinny children or very bright children.

Surely there must be some children that aren't those things? Hmm

OP posts:
Sofabitch · 09/09/2011 20:34

My children are the shortest In their years. But they are skinny and bright. Hths

tooearlytobeup · 09/09/2011 20:34

None of my children are tall, my middle one is actually tiny, definately the smallest in her year. Oldest is quite skinny (boy) the girls are not. All are bright though Grin

Greythorne · 09/09/2011 20:35

My DD1 was really odd looking as a baby. Someone once told me there was "something ever so slightly Lord of the Rings abiut her" and whikst I was deeoly hurt by the comment, privately I did know what she meant. There were photos of her as a baby that made her look strangely chimp-like. I knew she was no Pears Soap baby at the time and looking back at the photos confirms this to me. But she was my firstborn and I just adored her then and do so now.

But there are people who just can't see the wood for the trees. I have a friend whose baby is also very strange looking. Very bulbous eyes, huge ears, very chubby, not delicate in any way. But the mother goes round saying things like, "I am so lucky to have such a pretty little girl, when I look at her I can't quite believe how pretty she is." and once she said, "I feel DD gets her gorgeous good looks more from her dad's side but I don't mind that she doesn't look like me because she is just so beautiful". And I am completely agog.

marriedinwhite · 09/09/2011 20:40

Well neither of mine are skinny - no chance - they are average height and well proportioned sturdy. One is frighteningly clever, musically gifted, exceptionally sporty and looks like a flipping Greek God but demanding, difficult and at present very argumentative. The other is very beautiful, top average, hopeless at sport and can sing reasonably well but works ten times harder than the other and is far more sensible. The first one is presently grumpy because we never give him enough praise (because we are trying to play down his achievements in front of his sister; the second one struggled greatly last year and self harmed at one point because she felt she wasn't good enough, pretty enough and had never got a prize for anything.

Being a parent is very very hard and I, for one, am sick and tired about hiding the lights of my children under a bushel for fear of upsetting someone else or being accused of bragging. They are different but they are both brilliant in their own and different ways and I want to say so but rarely do in real life. Conversations go like "you must be so proud of DS" me: "oh you don't know how difficult it can be and how demanding he is" For Dd. "I've never seen a child as beautiful as DD and the photo's I took at my dd's party are amazing" (professional photographer) - me: "yes, hopefully it will stand her in good stead later on but we don't want her to become vain".

From now on I think I'm going to start saying "yes DS is amazing isn't he and yes, I do agree, DD is incredibly beautiful even the hairdresser says women spend a fortune to get hair that colour". If only I had the balls - but I won't I'll gloss over it and say something very positive about their own dc.

sprogger · 09/09/2011 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

activate · 09/09/2011 20:43

for some people describing their children as "bright" is being modest

LOL

Talker2010 · 09/09/2011 20:48

son = tall, slender, pita
daughter = very tall, bit chunky, bright enough

BimboNo5 · 09/09/2011 20:50

My kids are just average in terms of 'brightness' but above average in my estimation for how amazingly cute and perfect they are! DD's best friend however is an amazing reader, very well mannered, very fair to all other children, has marvellous moral values etc etc... you get the drift

SexualHarrassmentPandaPop · 09/09/2011 20:51

DD is very very bright but short and at the very top end of a healthy weight. DS is tall and slimmer than his sister but about average for his age brightness-wise so I have the ideal child spread across 2 children.

Voidka · 09/09/2011 20:54

DS1 is bright, short but very skinny.
DS2 has SN and is very short
DD2 is very, very short, and not skinny.

HTH OP :)

Sirzy · 09/09/2011 20:56

Exactly sprogger!

DS is short but very skinny (he is 2 in November and has just been wearing 3-6 shorts on holiday)

kickingking · 09/09/2011 20:57

Mine really is tall and skinny!

Not sure about bright, we'll have to wait and see Wink

kickingking · 09/09/2011 20:58

I wish he wasn't skinny, it makes buying trousers a bloody nightmare!

unpa1dcar3r · 09/09/2011 21:00

Two youngest very tall and skinny but not very bright (Special needs), 2nd DD very tall, not skinny, bright but couldn't care less. Eldest DD (also known as the families pet midget) 5 foot and a fag paper, size 6/8 and has a degree!!!
what a mixture!

LemonDifficult · 09/09/2011 21:03

'Bright' - arrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.

PotPourri · 09/09/2011 21:04

Well tall means they have had good nutricious food, meaning they don't have stunted growth. Thin, no sweets obviously. And bright - well or course they are naturally clever, you haven't spent masses of time teaching them how to 'perform' their little shows of cleverness - honest!

festi · 09/09/2011 21:08

my dd is not tall and skinny, she is a bit square and solid.

she is not just very bright but exceptionaly bright Grin

she has lovely eyes

terrible hair

..............and a poisonus wart on the end of her nose Grin

hester · 09/09/2011 21:08

I am constantly amazed at the cleverness of my dc. But then, I am constantly amazed at the cleverness of all children - it's kind of in the nature of parenthood, isn't it? I don't think they are any brighter than their peers, though.

My dc IS very tall (100th centile) but not skinny.

So 2 out of 3 ain't bad!

youbethemummylion · 09/09/2011 21:08

I have a tall, skinny, cannot concentrate long enough on anything to be considered bright. And a short, fat, brightness yet to be determined as only little one.

I would feel no different about them if they were green with purple spots and had two heads!

InTheNightKitchen · 09/09/2011 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

unpa1dcar3r · 09/09/2011 22:10

..............and a poisonus wart on the end of her nose

Hahahahahahahaha Festi. That's funny.

festi · 09/09/2011 22:23
Wink
minxofmancunia · 09/09/2011 22:32

my dcs...honestly

dd skinny minnie who's scatty, forgetful, emotional, imaginative and bloody stubborn and wilful...with wild crap hair..me

ds who's short muscly chunky, logical, obsessional, mischievous and v intelligent dh

Smile
bruffin · 09/09/2011 22:33

lol wallace
my cat is tall and skinny as well (actually she is very petite)
my guinea pigs had big fat bottoms
and my tortoise is old and wrinkly

missymarmite · 09/09/2011 22:37

If it's any consolation OP, my DS is very tall and skinny, but he is also the worst reader in his class. Is that ok?

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