Kids Say The Darndest Things

This morning I had a second grader come up to me in the hall and she said “Ms. Howard, I don’t mean to be rude, but…”

…and we all know where this is going, right?????

I was dreading whatever was coming next.

And I mean DREADING.

I mean, you know kids, right? And I was already feeling self-conscious today because I was wearing a tshirt. (You’re talking to the girl who wears sweatshirts and jackets well into spring/summer in Texas because I’m uncomfortable in my body…but I went without one today because I was feeling brave.)

This second grader says, “Ms. Howard, why are the top of your arms bigger than the bottom of your arms like that?”

I panicked.

I wanted to run. I wanted to cry. I wanted to disappear.

All my fears came true. Someone noticed the extra fat on my arms. Someone pointed it out. I wanted to crawl into a deep dark hole.

But I took a breath and I thought about it for a second.

👉🏻What message does this second grade girl need to hear?

❌That is rude! We don’t talk about that!
❌Be nice!
❌Shhhhh🤫

No, she needed to hear this: “Because some bodies look different than other bodies, and that’s ok. All bodies are good.”

So that’s exactly what I told her.

She thought about that for a second and then looked at me and said, “Oh! That makes sense. And besides, bigger arms mean bigger hugs!”

And then she hugged me tight.

That’s right, sister. Bigger arms mean bigger hugs. This girl’s got her priorities right!