We should all understand that there are behaviors you don't showcase around strangers, and there are things that you definitely don't do around a stranger's kids.
A leading one would be commenting on a child's body shape and attractiveness, which is not only inappropriate but alarming.
Mom and TikToker @julesfassinger said that she was "shaking" when she returned to her car from waiting to pick up a to-go pizza order. She'd arrived a little early and was sitting at a table outside the pick-up location while her two daughters, ages 8 and 10, played nearby.
All of a sudden, while waiting, a "somewhat fit-ish" man approached and watched the TikToker's daughters playing. After a moment, he told the mom that she had "nice children."
She accepted the compliment, thinking nothing of it until the man added:
"Their father must be slim."
The TikToker was surprised and asked the man what he said, to which he added:
"Their father must be slim. They have nice bodies."
The mom pointed out:
"What a weird comment."
The man doubled down:
"It's just an observation."
The mom set a boundary:
"Don't comment on my kids' bodies."
The man ended the conversation by making another weird comment, stating that he hoped that the TikToker did not live in the area, perhaps to avoid further conversations like this, and the mom Uno-reversed the comment, saying she hoped he didn't instead.
You can watch the video here:
Some applauded the mom for advocating for her children.
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
Others assumed that he was trying to make a disrespectful comment about her appearance by saying that the girls got their slimness from their father instead.
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
@julesfassinger/TikTok
Fortunately, this did not faze the TikToker.
@julesfassinger/TikTok
In another TikTok, she addressed the fact that women have to be willing to stand up for themselves, and she was proud of herself for being strong and not backing down in that moment.
Some TikTokers had made comments about her attitude and her explicit language, but she believed the moment called for it.
Hopefully, this was just an alarming misunderstanding, with a guy meaning well about the children and then hoping that the mom didn't live around there so they wouldn't have encounters after this awkward one in the future—but far too many instances like this exist for that to be likely.
Fortunately, this mom did the right thing and stood up for her daughters, while also modeling to them how to stand up for themselves.
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit
u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit