# Mother-in-law denies dessert to one child

> Grandma's body shaming over dessert sparks parenting conflict.
- Title: Mother-in-law denies dessert to one child · Slate Magazine
- Summary: Grandma's body shaming over dessert sparks parenting conflict. Mother-in-law refused dessert to 6-year-old Monica because she was 'too fat', causing family…
- Keywords: monica, harry, pam, garrett, mama bear, care and feeding, parenting advice, dessert, body shaming, grandma, halloween, trick or treating
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/advice/2026/10/parenting-advice-grandma-body-shaming.html?via=rss
- Author: Nicole Chung
- Published: 2026-10-14T17:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: monica, harry, pam, garrett, mama bear, care and feeding, parenting advice, dessert, body shaming, grandma, halloween, trick or treating
## Mother-in-law denies dessert
My mother-in-law let Harry have cake but not Monica because she said Monica was 'too fat'.

> Monica is a little on the chunky side, but not seriously so
## Daughter cries after refusal
Monica cried when her mother-in-law refused dessert, saying she was 'too fat'.

> Monica told me that Pam let Harry have cake for dessert, but not her
## Mother-in-law defends action
Pam said she meant well and that she did a better job of watching Monica's health than the parents.

> We should be grateful to her for doing a better job of looking out for Monica’s health
## Family conflict escalates
The family plans to cancel Halloween trick-or-treating after the incident.

> We had planned to have Garrett’s parents join us and the kids for trick-or-treating on Halloween
## Husband's response
Husband says his mother 'meant well' but the mother-in-law hurt Monica's feelings.

> My husband says his mother 'meant well' and I’m being overly harsh
## Parenting advice
Experts say the mother should protect her child from cruel family members and set boundaries.

> Your husband should tell his mother that she needs to apologize to Monica
## Key takeaway

Mother-in-law refused dessert to 6-year-old Monica because she was 'too fat', causing family tension over her treatment.