Little Girl Calls Her Mom 'fat';' Her Mom's Response Sparks A Heated Controversy

Allison Kimmey is an inspiring role model for all women looking to love their bodies. With over 130,000 Instagram followers, she's changing the way people see and talk about bodies while promoting self-love for everyone.

I gave this simple advice a couple weeks ago, but it's literally so poignant and EASY to do. And since I prescribed you an easy day already...here goes: Every time you indulge in self loathing, think of yourself as that sweet innocent 5 year old girl that thought anything was possible and bodies were for playing dress up, and ask yourself if you would say that thought to her...if the answer is no, release the negative thought and replace it with words of praise...and then play dress up again??? Works every time! Just do you babes! Xoxo Allie

A post shared by ALLIE ? Just Do You, Babe! (@allisonkimmey) on Feb 24, 2017 at 7:45am PST

"My daughter called me fat today"

In one particular post, the young mom shared a story that went viral for all the right reasons. She and her two kids were at the pool one day when she overheard her five-year-old daughter tell her brother their mom was fat.

Kimmey, being the body-positivity advocate she is, knew exactly what to do. Instead of telling her it was unkind to call someone fat, she explained exactly what "fat" means and why it's not a bad thing.

She sat her little girl down and said, "The truth is, I am not fat. No one IS fat. It's not something you can BE. But I do HAVE fat. We ALL have fat. It protects our muscles and our bones and keeps our bodies going by providing us energy."

She went on to ask her daughter if she had any fat. She responded, "Yes! I have some on my tummy."

Hey babes! ?? ?Coffee Talk question: Describe the exact moment you decided you were worth it/accepted your body/ found self love.? ___________________ I had this question pop up a lot and I want to be very clear in saying it is a common misconception to think that you just have an all of the sudden, ah-ha, lightbulb, sun shines through the clouds moment where it all makes since and the switch flips. "�In my experience- it doesn't happen that way. And that's okay."¢ ?You can stop waiting for the moment you suddenly feel differently about yourself. ?You don't have to keep thinking that you haven't "made it yet" ?You don't need to worry that the defining moment will never come. Because it doesn't just happen. And you won't even realize you're as far as you are until you take a peek back at old behaviors and perceptions of yourself. The best measure of my success in accepting myself was in my mindset and my behaviors. When I chose love more times than hate. When I chose complements over degrading comments. When I acknowledged my negative voices and silenced them more than amplified them. When I began pouring into others instead of taking from them. That's when I knew I had made it over the hump into a more light-filled, positive and loving mindset. And I also want to reiterate that there is no set destination in this journey. I celebrate my small wins, I have grace when I'm feeling down, and I accept this life-long quest to constantly seek a relationship closer to self, and therefore, closer to humanity. Just do you babes, fiercely and unapologetically! Tell me, how long have you been on your journey? Xoxo Allie __________ Dress by @debshops #selflove #selfhelp #bodylove #bodypositive #effyourbeautystandards

A post shared by ALLIE ? Just Do You, Babe! (@allisonkimmey) on Jun 5, 2017 at 12:27pm PDT

Kimmey handled this situation in the best way possible, while teaching her kids a valuable lesson. In the post, she says, "Fat is not a bad word in our house. If I shame my children for saying it then I am proving that it is an insulting word and I continue the stigma that being fat is unworthy, gross, comical and undesirable."

Everyone has fat and it's OK

Fat shouldn't be an insult. Everyone has different bodies; some are tiny, some are big and all of them are beautiful. Kimmy shared this valuable lesson with her kids, but it quickly spread across the internet and taught many others the same important thing.

The little girl and her brother repeated back what their smart mama taught them. They said, "I shouldn't say someone is fat because you can't be just fat, but everyone HAS fat and it's OK to have different fat."

Whenever I feel like not being strong and letting the old demons creep back in with their self hate talk (believe me, they are always there waiting for a weak moment)...I remember that I'm leading this self love journey to *prevent* this little girl from ever questioning her worth...and that is enough to just keep on fighting.

A post shared by ALLIE ? Just Do You, Babe! (@allisonkimmey) on May 18, 2017 at 7:31am PDT

Talk to your kids

Making sure your kids understand that body-image is such an important part of their development and can impact who they are as an adult. Talking to your kids and being open about being healthy is one of the most important things you can do.

The media teaches that bodies are supposed to be a certain way, and everything outside of that little box is "unhealthy". Your kids will believe this mindset unless you teach them otherwise. Teach your kids that healthy doesn't mean skinny. Teach them that people come in all shapes and sizes, and every body is unique and beautiful. Teach them that all bodies are incredible and can do so much.

Help your kids know their worth as an individual, and make them understand that their worth isn't based on the size of their body, whether they're big or small.

For further information on the topic, read 8 tips on raising a body-positive child in a body-shaming world.