About Rebecca Eckler
Since becoming pregnant with her daughter Rowan, Canadian journalist and author Rebecca Eckler has penned three hilarious books, including the best-selling Knocked Up. Catch Rebecca’s weekly unique perspective on motherhood and single parenthood.
“I’ll take it!” I said to a mother the other day, after she passedon a compliment to me from someone else. This someone was her eight-year-old. Her daughter had asked her if she had met “Rowan’s mommy.” This mother said she hadn’t and her daughter said: “She’s so beautiful.” I know, right?
The great thing about getting a compliment from a child is that you know it’s true and that they really are sincere. Children from ages six to eight are so brutally honest, it can sometimes hurt. When my hair becomes too brassy, it’s my daughter who tells me, “um, mommy your hair is looking too light.” So I know it’s time to get to the hairdresser. A few months ago, I tried on a perfume and it was my daughter who said, “something smells and it’s really hurting my nose.” So I never wore that scent again.
My daughter recently blurted out “his breath smells” after a person leaned down to talk to her. Now, make no mistake, my daughter is the sweetest person on the planet. But kids need to be told that it’s not okay to say certain things out loud.
In this case, I had to tell my daughter, “If you have something bad to say about someone, no matter what it is, you have to wait until we are alone!” This is because she really hasn’t said anything bad about anyone until very recently and also, like I said, children are brutally honest. We teach them to be brutally honest. In fact, we insist on it, so it’s easily understandable why they need to learn not to be brutally honest, especially to strangers, when it’s something nice.
And, we, as parents are also our children’s role models. Now, I’d like to say that I never say anything bad about anyone in front of her, and I really try when it’s just us two. But who knows what she hears me say on the phone or when friends of mine come over and visit. Obviously, I’m human so I can’t speak nicely about people 100 per cent of the time.
On the other hand, if children compliment you, it can really make your day! Because no eight-year-old has to say to her mother that another mother is “beautiful.” I thought it was nice that this mother passed it along, since I usually do drop off and pick up my daughter in workout gear. You don’t hear very many other people compliment you when you look like that.
The other day, as I was driving my daughter to school, she said: “Mommy, you are just so glorious.” And that also made my day. That’s the other thing about kids' compliments. It’s not just, “you look great in red,” they come up with sentences like, “oh mommy, you’re glorious.”
What’s the best compliment you’ve received lately from a child? And is you’re child too brutally honest?
Follow me @rebeccaeckler
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: