A mum has been branded 'cruel' for not allowing her five-year-old stepdaughter to have cake on her birthday, shockingly claiming she is "heavier" than someone her age should be.
After admitting she had suggested her stepdaughter should make a "healthier choice" by having low fat ice cream instead, the youngster's mum had accused her of "fat shaming" and demanded an apology.
The stepmum was hoping to get some advice online after posting her situation to Reddit, but fellow forum users informed her what she had done was completely wrong.
The 34-year-old explained in a recent post that her husband's daughter from another relationship came to stay with them on her birthday, and she wanted to keep impressing on her the importance of making "healthier choices".
She explained: "Gwen's [not real name] birthday ended up falling on one of her weekends with us, and while we were talking about what kind of cake to have, I asked Gwen about the healthier choice.
"My reasoning is unfortunately she's still getting all that garbage at home, and it's just not good for a growing girl. She agreed and we decided to have some low fat ice cream so she can still have a sweet treat. It's a brand Gwen loves and asks for every time she's here, so she was happy with it."
Unsurprisingly, the woman received a "furious" phone call from from the stepdaughter's mum the next day. She explained that her daughter had cried because she "really did want cake but didn't want to 'make a bad choice'".
She added: "She accused me of fat shaming her and her daughter and that I owe her a cake and a big apology."
The woman was flooded with comments slamming her for not allowing her stepdaughter to have cake, and for the way she is setting her up for having body issues later in life.
One person branded her "cruel" and said what she had done was "just wrong".
"She's five. Give the child godd**n cake on her birthday and then go for a family walk after. Also FYI, the good choice/ bad choice talk is just going to give her body image issues for the rest of her life," commented a second.
Another added: "She's five! let her have cake and stop mentioning the healthy choices. Parents should make sure the meals are mostly healthy and have a variety of snacks available.
A fourth added: "It was her birthday. Asking her 'would you like to make a healthier choice' is manipulative. You're telling her she's wrong and choosing what YOU want to make YOU happy. You're setting them up for food issues."
According to the NHS, by the time a child is five they can eat a healthy balanced diet like the one recommended for adults. This means a variety of foods in the right proportions, and everything in moderation.
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