Overweight preK Student and Comments from Classmates

mention it to her teacher, if the teacher had heard it she would have said something to the student.
My son's class teacher stresses kindness to eachother and I've seen her intercept this type of thing.

Talk to the teacher. Make her aware that your daughter has been called "fat". She might not know and that way she can look out for it and privately talk to the little girl. Ask her not to make it a big deal though because you don't want your daughter to start feeling badly about herself. Otherwise, I can see you are doing what you can to help your daughter become more healthy.

It's quite possible that the little girl isn't really trying to bully your daughter but kids at that age state what they see or perceive. My son is 5 and recently began to make comments about the size or shape of people. I think it's part of them becoming more aware and self-aware. It prompted us to have a conversation how people are different and that what we say can hurt feelings and that some things are not appropriate to say to others. Unfortunately not all parents take the time to teach their kids to try and be considerate of others. I would mention it to her teacher because it could prompt a discussion about feelings and respect of others. Continue to reassure you daughter that everyone comes in different packages and she is doing a great job learning healthy habits.

I would mention it to the teacher. Not only because it's hurtful to your daughter, but what if it's the start of bullying for her classmate? Maybe you can suggest to the teacher to have a 'healthy eating/healthy living' session, where she can explain that people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
It's great that your daughter is already confident, because, as a female that still has a body image issue, that is so important. At least you are monitoring her at home and encouraging her. That is the most important part. Good luck.
If the classmate says anything to her again, maybe your daughter can respond with 'I like me and who I am. At least I'm not mean'. Something to get the point across that those comments are not necessary.

Yes, definitely mention it to the teacher. It might prompt a class discussion about how we all look different and that it makes the world a more interesting place. I used to get comments about being a redhead, so I remember what it's like to get negative feedback from other kids. I always loved it when we'd have those "we're all different" discussions at school because it made all kids think about ways in which they were different.

Awe thats terrible no child should have to feel bad about the way they look. I for sure would talk to her teacher and hope that she in turn talk to the parents,they should know. As far as your daughter you sound like your doing the right things at home and Im sure that will help her feel great. :) good luck

Most of the Moms have given really good advice.

I'd also recommend making a comment to the teacher so she can be aware should your daughter start to exhibit signs of being affected by it (isolation, crying, etc).

Having the conversation with your daughter to help improve her image is critically important. I had 2 overweight parents growing-up who didn't stress the importance of eating well/exercising. Luckily, I was athletic and only had issues being overweight (I need to lose 15 lbs) as an adult. But, I had to learn it on my own.

My sister, though, was always the "fat" kid. She's 2 years older and was just built differently. It was never something people talked about. She was athletic, relatively popular - but, she really didn't date a lot. Then, she dated a guy who broke her heart, she lost about 50 lbs, and she started getting attention - a lot of attention which has led to an eating disorder that everyone pretends isn't there. She's no longer a healthy weight and obsesses about being thin. Her husband will point out when she gains weight even though he could lose 30 lbs. She went from one extreme to another because of how people treated her.

She's so concerned with her daughter not being fat (she's 21 months) that she only lets her have 18 oz of milk/day (and they've already switched to 2% for many months).

Setting a good example for her is really key in my opinion. Making outdoor activities part of your lives (walks around the neighborhood, playing catch/kickball, etc) and having both really healthy and more enjoyable food choices (sometimes) will help set a path for a good, healthy future.

Good luck. I hope you're able to convince your daughter that she's perfect in your eyes and stop the nonsense at school.

I feel for your daughter...kids can be cruel! Almost any kid is a target (overweight, short, glasses, red hair...the list goes on). I would tell the teacher, so she can be aware and maybe talk to the class about individual differences. You did the right thing to talk about healthy food and exercise. I don't know how overweight your daughter is, but the comments are just going to get worse as she gets older--have you seen a doctor? I know all kids are different sizes and the most important thing is that she is comfortable and healthy in her own skin! I was the opposite. I was tiny. I wore a 6x in the 5th grade and everyone made fun of me because I wore "baby clothes". Good Luck!

If you talk to her teacher, she must not be singled out during the we-must-all-be-supportive-of-and-nice-to-everyone discussion. I'm sure there are other students in the class who are made fun of for other reasons. My daughter teaches vocal music in middle school (very cruel ages). She has a wide variety of students in her classes and has made her class a safe haven for all children. Because these kids participate in performances, she gives her classroom a team environment, where they all must support and encourage one another. She even has reasonably high functioning autistic students in her class (many of these kids are excellent singers; it's social skills they're lacking). She does not tolerate anyone making fun of anybody. She is a real taskmaster, who controls everything in her classroom. The initial reaction of many students and parents is that she's just plain mean, but children who are picked on all day long in school, know they can come to her class and feel like they're "home." That's the kind of environment I believe all teachers should strive to create in their classrooms, but when children don't depend on one another, as in a performance class or sports team, I'm sure it's much more difficult to accomplish.

absolutely tell the teacher!!!!
also, tell your daughter to tell the little girl something along these lines: My name is (blah blah), that's what you can call me."

I think that talking to the teacher so that she is more aware is important.
I also think it's important to empower your daughter to reply in a good way. She could either say something to the student like "I am healthy and happy" or "Well let's exercise together" or even something funny? She can learn an important lesson about sharing what she feels and even teaching the other child something. Ask her what she would like to say. If she is self-confident she will come up with something with your guidance that will make the situation better.

There is a very large boy that has been in my son's class for the past two years (K & 1st). I've seen other kids refer to him as "fatty". I asked my son what he thought and his response was that the large boy was a "fatty". I then asked him if he thought being called this might hurt the boy's feelings. He mulled that over for a while and then said he didn't think so because the boy always laughed. This gave me an opportunity to tell him that most kids will laugh and play along when they are teased even when it makes them unhappy. He then told me that he does that too when kids make fun of his voice (he does have a funny voice sometimes). So he learned that kids hide their feelings and it's important to be respectful and not use name calling. The experience made me think that a good portion of the kids have no ill intent, but are simply assessing what they see. Remember, it's still acceptable to remark about how thin or muscular some people are. I believe that's what the kids are doing: they see a heavy kid and they call him/her "fat". Try to assess if the other child is intentionally antagonizing your daughter. If you think she is, tell the teacher. If not, I think a good response for your daughter would be "so?, and you have blue eyes", or some other innocuous observation that hopefully will make the other child think before they speak.