To refuse to read this book to DD aged 4?

[Happyland8]

I know the Jill Murphy, The Large Family books are much loved and much though I like the others, I just can't bring myself to read "A Piece Of Cake" to my DD. We started reading it last night and I stopped on page 1 and said we'd do a different book.

DD is quite naive (as are most kids of that age). She understands about the importance of having a balanced diet in the sense that some foods are healthy and others are unhealthy. She knows we should eat lots of the healthy and a little bit of the unhealthy.

I'm very careful about what I say in front of DD, for example, if I wasn't feeling great about my size, I wouldn't say "I look/feel fat".

I've read this whole book and really dislike the message it sends. The Mum decides she's fat, the family go on a diet and then in the end they eat the cake and decide that elephants are meant to be fat. AIBU? Or is this not a great message to be sending to children? I've attached the first 2 pages and the last page.

I think the message is 'they're elephants, they're meant to be massive'! DS1 read this book a lot when he was younger, no food issues...

The message about women, fat, diets is still there

Actually the message is to ditch the sodding diet and be happy as you’re meant to be.

My children know that a balanced diet with exercise is key to healthy living.

And yes they’ve read that book and no we aren’t fat.

My mum bought my 4yo DS that book. Like you, I stopped reading it after a few pages. I really loved ‘Five minutes peace’ as a child but as an adult, am shocked at the messages it sends - amongst other stories I used to love - to young children. I’m glad that times are changing!!

Yanbu.

Also, I’d like to add that my problem wasn’t just the food/weight specific messages, but the subtle and blatant sexism (towards men and women) throughout the book.

Yanbu. I hate the book, it has a horrid message!

i Feel the same as you OP

Why pretend that real people arent like this, obviously not real elephants but you know what I mean.

One of our all time favourite, family story books. It's hilarious.

Do you know the first time I read burglar bill to my dd who was about 3 I was a bit worried it was inappropriate, he steals a baby from another burglar but she tells him her husband died and then they get married. I was worried about the death conversation and stuff but she just loved the story for the story not the connotations. And I also go to slimming world and was worried that would give her the ‘wrong message’. I don’t think you can worry about this book. If you don’t want to read it that’s fine but I can’t see much wrong with it.

I think you just have to recognise that the book was written nearly 30 years ago and something that was perfectly acceptable at that time, is viewed differently now.

Mine loved that book when they were younger.

I don't like this modern thing of never saying 'fat'. Some people are fat.

Mrs Large does look like she could tone up, tbh.

Totally TOXIC message! No way a child should be aware of size/ dieting etc. If you want your child to have a healthy relationship with food and remain a healthy weight, don;t EVER mention the D word. Cannot believe this book exists!

I think this is pc gone mad!! It is a child’s book and a story not real life. You are reading too much into it whereas a 4 year old won’t!!

Cannot believe this book exists!. Wtf? 🙄

There are so many wonderful books you could be reading.
Why would someone even publish this utter rubbish?
Agreed, I wouldn’t read it to my children either.

Hell no I wouldn’t read this to my daughter of any age.The words fat and diet aren’t ones I want her to hear from my mouth .Yes I know she will obviously hear them elsewhere .
It’s quite amusing that my name is Laura and my brother it Luke

I haven't read that large family one but I've hated the other ones I've read. There was one where Mrs large was sick so Mr large was in charge, and gosh wasn't he useless! It made me so angry I threw it out.

My son brought a book home from school once when he was in year 3. The first line was "my mum is a slut" that one went back with a note in his reading diary

I don't think its a great message. Attaching any special significance to any food is not a great idea. It reminds me of the thread where someone hid sweets in a jar in the bedroom.

I, and my children LOVE that book!! And the message at the end is that elephants are meant to be fat so there is no need to spare the cake. A message I can heartily endorse, even though I'm a human.

I'm not a fan of these books! In 'A quiet night in' Mrs Large and the children go to a lot of effort to make Mr Large a birthday dinner with table decorations etc and he comes home from work without even looking at the table and asks to eat dinner on trays in front of the TV..awful! I didn't think I was particularly sensitive until I read that, but maybe I am!

Yes that's another one I hated 'a quiet night in'. My husband said to me 'why do you think they had children? They clearly don't like them'.

I suffered with anorexia a while back which obviously still affects me and I wouldn't read this to my child. I teach her that no food is bad. I don't want her thinking about food that way. I did and ended up so ill..not everyone will but still. Even her saying the word fat gets to me :/ but anyway .. I'd definitely not want to read this to my 5y.o... she has already said she never wants choc or mcds for treats anymore cuz they're 'bad " and we shouldn't eat them .. cuz her teacher told her this .. I got so upset. Which may seem silly but to me it's a big thing

myusername, Burglar Bill doesn't steal the baby! He finds a box on a doorstep and steals that, he doesn't realise till he gets home that there's a baby in it.