WWYD - comments about young DC's body

[wwydhere23]

NC for this.

Just want to get some opinions from here about something that happened yesterday.

My family and I went out with another family of three (we both have DDs who are 4 - we have been friends with the family for about 18 months, girls are at the same preschool). The girls were playing happily together on the swings - we had been out for a couple of hours by this point, girls doing their thing running around and adults chatting about various things.

Our DD was being pushed on the swing by their DD. Her father then made a comment out of the blue that our DD has “footballers legs“ (only adults heard this thankfully). Our DD is 108cm and 18kg which puts her at a very healthy midway BMI/centile. She loves to be active and eats well, with of course being allowed treats (not that this should be relevant but just providing the info).

What would you do with this comment? I’m happy to give my opinion but don’t want to sway anyone’s advice.

What a massive overreaction 🙄 and I say this as a mum of a confident teenage girl. Your reaction to the comment is so much worse than the innocent comment

I remember someone saying I had footballers legs when I was younger and was well chuffed. I took it as being strong and perhaps about the many bruises (from being clumsy!) and felt I looked brave and strong.
Actually I was most confident in my body as a child as yes I focused on what it did rather than what it was or looked like… but comments like this would not be seen as bad. I’d far rather people said girls looked strong or adventurous than cute or pretty!

I remember comments from my childhood.
Comments like that I was sturdy or that my legs were fat.

Footballers don't have fat legs. They have athletic/muscular legs. The fact that you consider athletes' legs to be negative for females says quite a lot about you.

Where I'm from that would mean she has a fair few bruises on her shins (like kids do).

@GBoucher , I don't think OP was considering athletes' legs as being negative, more that commenting a 4 yr old girl's legs was.

I wasn't responding to the OP. I was responding to 'dementedpixie' who said the implication behind the man's comment was that OP's daughter had fat legs.

Depends if he was saying they were likes mens footballer legs rather than ladies ones. I imagine mens are larger and more muscular than ladies legs.

We don't really know his implication but that could be one interpretation.