Mom Writes Viral Post Calling Out The Saleswoman Who Body-Shamed Her Teen

This mom wrote a viral Facebook post calling out a store employee who body-shamed her daughter.

Teaching kids to love their bodies is tough, especially when there are so many outside forces telling them to pick themselves apart. A Kansas mom recently stood up for her daughter against a body-shaming store clerk and her inspiring words are something every parent should read.

In a recent Facebook post, mom Megan Naramore Harris says she took her teen, Lexi, to a Wichita Dillard’s to shop for formal dresses for an upcoming dance. Lexi agreed to try on a stunning red dress that “wasn’t quite her style” so her mom could snap a photo. That’s when a saleslady walked up and remarked that there was no way Lexi could wear the dress without putting on some Spanx.

Harris was horrified by the woman’s comment and immediately told her daughter to leave and go change. She then told the saleswoman that Lexi looked just fine without Spanx, but the woman continued to argue. Eventually, Harris and her daughter simply left the store, but the mom says she has some regrets about the things she left unsaid. She writes:

“I wish I had told you how many girls suffer from poor self image and telling them they need something to make them perfect can be very damaging. Girls of all ages, shapes and sizes are perfect because that is how God made them. If they feel good in a dress, that is all that should matter. My daughter is tall, she swims, runs, dances and does yoga. She’s fit. She’s beautiful. She did not need you telling her that she is not perfect.”

She adds that she wants the post would be shared far and wide so it will make it back to the employee and teach her a valuable lesson about body-shaming and self-image. There’s no word on whether the Dillard’s employee has seen the post, but so far it’s been shared over 30,000 times and has hundreds of supportive comments. Wrote one, “SHE LOOKS AMAZING!! That lady needs Spanx around her mouth to keep all that negative shenanigans in.”

It’s one thing to offer Spanx to someone who’s asked about undergarments or expressed concern about the way their dress fits. It’s something else entirely to tell an impressionable teen she won’t look good without them, and to then argue with her mother when she points out how shaming and harmful that is. The last thing any young person needs is to have their body critiqued and scrutinized by perfect strangers.

None of us have perfect bodies, but how we look isn’t nearly as important as how we feel. Harris’ message is a good reminder to parents of both girls and boys that supporting our kids and celebrating everything that makes them beautiful and strong is the best way to help them feel great about who they are. There will always be people in the world who want to point out your flaws and tear you down, but as Harris’ post shows, there are many more who will love you and think you’re amazing just for being yourself.