Mom heard a child tell her daughter she won the splash game because she was 'fatter' — her message to the girl’s mother got the perfect response
The way children talk about other people’s bodies often starts with what they hear at home. They pick up on the comments adults make, sometimes repeating words without even knowing that they may be hurtful. That’s what made Sara Johnson, who posts as @thesaraelise, stop in her tracks when another child told her daughter she was winning a poolside splash contest because she was “fatter.” She shared the moment on August 25, 2026, and instead of taking her frustration out on the child's mother, she chose a very different approach.
Sara said her daughter and the neighbor girl were having a friendly competition at the community pool to see who could make the biggest splash, and when her daughter started winning, the other girl told her, “You’re winning and making the biggest splash because you’re fatter.” She immediately spoke to the child and told her that they don’t talk about other people’s bodies that way. Since the girl’s mother wasn’t there, Sara later politely explained in a message, writing exactly what had happened and saying, “I would want to know if one of my girls said something like that to another child.” She also made it clear that comments about the girls’ size or weight were something she took seriously and asked that it be addressed at home.
Sara explained to the child's mother that she is very aware of what she teaches her children about bodies at home and said, "Comments about their size or weight are something I take seriously." She also ensured that it did not sound like she was trying to make a scene and told the mother that she did not want the issue to be any bigger than it needed to be. The mom's response was not what Sara feared. She said the mother replied in an “eloquent, respectful way,” and the two moved on from the incident.
Sara shared the video to raise a more serious concern about how children are constantly learning how to see and talk about bodies from the adults around them. She also urged parents to stop mocking people’s body type, weight, or appearance and instead teach children that a person’s worth has nothing to do with their body. She encouraged the viewers to start seeing people for more than their bodies and instead choose to compliment them. "If we want our children to do different, we have to do different ourselves," she said at the end of the video.
What she highlighted about children learning from what they hear from their parents is also found in research. A longitudinal study of 1,307 children ages 5 to 9 and their families found that parents who had heard weight-related comments as children were more likely to make similar comments to their own children. The study also linked this kind of talk to poorer emotional well-being in children, higher weight, and more restrictive attitudes around food later on. Researchers said parents should model healthier, more positive ways of talking about bodies.
The post also sparked reactions from other parents and viewers who appreciated how Sara handled the situation. @sam.scott15 wrote, “I’m so glad the other mom replied the right way. This is so so important!” @mmzulu25 added, “Oh girl, I just got mad. Great job handling it!” Meanwhile, @yogurlroshell offered a different perspective, saying, “I feel like that losing girl was most likely using her critical thinking skills.”
To see more of her content, follow @thesaraelise on Instagram.