She’s 11, and already learning the power of having a parent who’s in her corner.
Jon, a loving girl dad, has gone viral after posting a video recounting how he stood up for his daughter when his mother-in-law commented on her stomach.
It’s a perfect example of how parents can, and should, shut down “harmless” remarks that can damage a child’s body image.
“She’s entering an age where body image is very sensitive,” Jon said.
“Pudgy belly”
The family had been enjoying fried chicken for dinner, which came with a side serving of pickles. That’s when his mother-in-law made a comment that didn’t sit right with Jon or his wife.
“My mother-in-law made some weird comment about how my older daughter should eat more pickles so she wouldn’t have such a pudgy belly,” he explained.
With over two million views, it’s clear his story struck a chord.
Many people have been on the receiving end of similar comments, and just as many want to shield their children from them.
After the comment, Jon’s wife immediately told her mother, “Oh, don’t say that, Mum.”
But based on the expression on his daughter’s face, the damage had been done.
“She made a face, and that set me off,” he explained.
“I went off on my mother-in-law, and I told her that she can’t say s–t like that in my house. She can never say anything like that again to my daughter, and that it harms her self-image.”
Jon had been aware that body image was already a concern for his daughter after she expressed a heartbreaking admission. She wanted to join track because she “didn’t want to look so fat compared to her classmates.”
“She doesn’t enjoy running whatsoever, but she thought maybe the added physical activity would help her look more like her peers,” Jon shared.
He wasn’t about to let it go, knowing what was already on his daughter’s mind.
“My mother-in-law reacted by kinda downplaying what she was saying. She was saying like, ‘Oh well, it’s a harmless comment. It doesn’t really mean anything,’” he explained.
“It’s not harmless whatsoever. It’s very harmful. Comments like these is how insecurity starts at a young age, that turns into something much more harmful as she ages.”
“Thank you for standing up for your daughter”
His wife backed his stance, thanking him later for calling her mother out, insisting he wasn’t too harsh and that the message was important.
Jon’s relationship with his mother-in-law is positive, and he knows she’s a fabulous grandmother, which is why he felt comfortable enough to call her out.
“I must say that my relationship with my MIL is great, and she absolutely loves and adores my girls. However, she’ll say senseless things like this from time to time, and I always call her out,” he wrote in his comment section to clarify.
The comment section was filled with praise for how he handled the situation.
“Your daughter will always remember how you stood up for her,” one person wrote.
“As a daughter of Asian parents who dealt with this her entire life, thank you for standing up for your daughter,” another commented.
A third added: “Some parents aren’t this aware.”
Overall, Jon hopes his mother-in-law will reconsider making comments like this in the future.
“Hopefully, this ceases that type of commentary from my mother-in-law moving forward,” he explained.
Jon also touched base with his daughter: “I said to her like, ‘Hey, you’re a beautiful young girl, don’t listen to comments like that’ and that was that.”
Being a parent to a preteen girl is terrifying, but Jon has the perfect attitude, exemplifying a positive father–daughter relationship we can all admire.
“I’m kind of frightened about this next phase in her life,” he admits.
At least she knows her dad has her back.
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