Greetings, Miss Manners When I brought my newborn kid to see my family, everyone were raving about how attractive he was and how much cuter he was than his sister (my first child, who is three years old).
I must have heard my mom and my sisters say, “He looks much better than his sister,” at least fifteen times that afternoon alone. I was happy that my daughter was not with me, even though I was astonished and offended that they would say such hurtful things about a child. But I don’t think she would have prevented them.
How was I to react to their disparaging remarks, Miss Manners? How can I make sure that doesn’t happen again, particularly when my kid is around?
PERSONAL READER: Warmly embrace your newborn, gaze into his eyes, and then, with a suitably goofy grin, say, “They don’t mean it!” Additionally, your sister was a stunning baby! She was, indeed! She was, indeed!
Everyone will be worn out and ready for some adult chat after 15 repetitions on each side.
Stories by
Judith Martin
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