Grandad calling my baby fat - but he's not, why am I concerned?

[rookiemum]

My parents were here for the weekend so DH and I could have a night out. They love DS 10.5 months to bits and he is their only grandchild.

Well on Sunday morning my Dad ( not known for his tact says) we noticed DS is getting a bit of a belly. Mum trys to stop him by saying he had just had his breakfast, but Dad continues, yes hes getting a bit chubby.

I just changed the conversation but it really upset me. DS is not fat he fits in his 9-12mth clothes has always been towards the top of the scale for both weight and height and is very active.

I had a weight problem when I was young and I don't think my parents handled it well, particularly my dad. Should I let this drop or should I have said something. I don't want DS to grow up with a complex about his weight especially when its not as if he is even fat.

ignore it... trust me if they're not saying they're chubby they're telling you your babies wasting away

dd was never huge but all dp's family insisted on calling her 'chubby chops' and other variations of the same... now she's a thin thing and my mother keeps telling me how anorexic she looks and acusing me of starving her.... you can't win!

and if it makes you feel better my ds is 6 months and in 12-18 month clothes so your lad is definitely not fat in comparison!

Ds always has a sticky outy tummy after he's eaten. I assume it's because his tummy muscles haven't developed so there is nothing to hold his stomach in when he's full. Ds is otherwise very skinny. I'd point out to your dad that he's a baby and that is the shape that babies are after they've eaten. Then (if it were confrontational little old me) I'd tell him that I'd rather he didn't use such negative terms in relation to my baby!! But everyone is ultra direct in my family so I could get away with this...

PT's right, but I probably would say something to anybody who made even vaguely critical remarks about DS's weight. I know that early labelling really sticks, and weight is one of those things that it's so easy to get a complex, of whatever kind, about.

If it really gets to you maybe you should say something otherwise it'll only eat away at you.
He probably didn't really mean anything by it. But then again only you know what he like.
I would just say babies are neither chubby nor fat - that is just the way babies are. If there was a problem your GP would say something and as you are not a doctor perhaps it's best you keep your opinions to yourself.

ffs babies are supposed to be fat .. they are supposed to have round bellies .. and will have round bellies until they are well into school

Message withdrawn

school..and then some. kids grow - we all know the difference between a skinny kid, a kid with good proportion and a fat kid.

my dd she was a chubby kid. but shes soooooo tall now. her big toe is bigger than a small african nation

I thought babies were supposed to be fat as well

~In our family being a chubby baby is seen as a good thing. Indeed ds is known as fat boy even though he's not really all that fat. Perhaps your dad sees it as a sign of a strong healthy baby and is saying it with pride. I definitely think people do this more with boys than girls where it would be less of a compliment

Thanks everyone. I know that I don't have a very healthy body image and I know that my Dad probably didn't mean much by it, he is not renowned for his tact.

I just thought it was an odd thing to comment on, especially as he's not fat,I have seen buddha babies and DS is not one, plus from the tea time battles we have DS is not exactly packing away the food, but then if other Grandparents are doing it perhaps its an old person thing.

I'll have more to worry about when DS does understand what he is on about, so I guess I will save up my thoughts to then.