If someone told you to smile more, critiqued your serving size at a buffet, commented on your weight, or called you bossy for having opinions, you’d rightfully tell them to mind their business. But when adults interact with kids, suddenly, all the rules go out the window.
Comments on appearance, assumptions about gender norms and demands for physical affection all just flow freely.
The power imbalance makes it easy to forget that kids absorb everything. They can’t push back the way you can, so those boundary-crossing comments don’t bounce off; they stick. They become the voice in their head, shaping what treatment to accept, what their bodies are for and what their worth is based on.
HuffPost spoke with real parents who shared the most uncomfortable things other adults have said to their children. We also spoke with psychologists about the real impact of these seemingly innocent comments and how to engage with kids without crossing boundaries. Here’s what they told us.
Parents Share The Weirdest Things Other People Have Said To Their Kids
