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Little girl calls her mom fat'; her moms response sparks a heated controversy
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What are your feelings on how this mom handled the situation? - photo by Lindsey Miller
Allison Kimmey is an inspiring role model for all women looking to love their bodies. With over 130,000 Instagram followers, shes changing the way people see and talk about bodies while promoting self-love for everyone.

My daughter called me fat today

In one particular post, the young mom shared a story that went viral for all the right reasons. She and her two kids were at the pool one day when she overheard her five-year-old daughter tell her brother their mom was fat.

Kimmey, being the body-positivity advocate she is, knew exactly what to do. Instead of telling her it was unkind to call someone fat, she explained exactly what "fat" means and why its not a bad thing.

She sat her little girl down and said, The truth is, I am not fat. No one IS fat. Its not something you can BE. But I do HAVE fat. We ALL have fat. It protects our muscles and our bones and keeps our bodies going by providing us energy.

She went on to ask her daughter if she had any fat. She responded, Yes! I have some on my tummy.

Kimmey handled this situation in the best way possible, while teaching her kids a valuable lesson. In the post, she says, Fat is not a bad word in our house. If I shame my children for saying it then I am proving that it is an insulting word and I continue the stigma that being fat is unworthy, gross, comical and undesirable.

Everyone has fat and its OK

Fat shouldnt be an insult. Everyone has different bodies; some are tiny, some are big and all of them are beautiful. Kimmy shared this valuable lesson with her kids, but it quickly spread across the internet and taught many others the same important thing.

The little girl and her brother repeated back what their smart mama taught them. They said, I shouldnt say someone is fat because you cant be just fat, but everyone HAS fat and its OK to have different fat.

Talk to your kids

Making sure your kids understand that body-image is such an important part of their development and can impact who they are as an adult. Talking to your kids and being open about being healthy is one of the most important things you can do.

The media teaches that bodies are supposed to be a certain way, and everything outside of that little box is "unhealthy". Your kids will believe this mindset unless you teach them otherwise. Teach your kids that healthy doesnt mean skinny. Teach them that people come in all shapes and sizes, and every body is unique and beautiful. Teach them that all bodies are incredible and can do so much.

Help your kids know their worth as an individual, and make them understand that their worth isnt based on the size of their body, whether theyre big or small.

For further information on the topic, read 8 tips on raising a body-positive child in a body-shaming world.
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