I thought she was taking her for a diet plan. My mom did that to me at age 8. NOT GOOD. Hanging out on the fringes seems boring but not damaging.

Your MIL should not have taken her. You should not be accepting free childcare from MIL - because therefore you have to put up with this type of thing. Don't rely on this arrangement for childcare. If it's an occasional visit you have control - can ask re: activities, and can veto a visit if not appropriate.

Maybe it's just a small part of their day together.

It's fine, OP, however I'm a bit surprised that MIL would agree to watch your DD on her WW meeting day, unless you really need childcare that day... not exactly bonding with Grandma, is it?
Or maybe your DD enjoys it because she gets to watch a movie?
Anyway, with her eyes glued to the screen, I hardly think that there would be psychological trauma to your DD, except from what she's watching, ha ha.

This thread is a year old people.

I'm really surprised that anyone has a problem with this. Weight Watchers is an extremely healthy way to approach fitness and healthy weight. You are not allowed to be in weight watchers if you are underweight or at the low range of a healthy weight. Provided that Grandma herself is doing it for the right reasons, I think it's actually a good thing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The meetings are completely innocuous. The leader will chat about what's going on in the program, do her little lecture/theme of the month, give out stickers to anyone who dropped some weight, entertains some questions about the point system/nutrition, and that's it. There's no shaming, name calling, or catharsis going on. Lighten up. You are putting your fucked up notions of body image onto her. And what's so shameful about being overweight anyway?

Are you kidding me? Do you live in our society?

Yes, I live in our society. And I'm overweight. And I refuse to be ashamed of it. I'm not going to walk around like I've committed a crime just because I carry some extra weight on my body.

No one is saying to be ashamed of it or act like you've committed a crime. But you should care about it. You should certainly care about being overweight.

I have body/food issues too op, like you. And I also struggle to not pass those to my dd, however, I see nothing wrong with the WW meeting, as long as they are NOT to your dd. To me, they are no different of what my dd hears from Doc McStuffing about eating healthy and exercising to be be healthy or something similar at kid's shows.

And I do know my child pays attention to it because sometimes she will say: "Let's go for a walk! Doc McStuffing said it is healthy for me to exercise!!" (or something similar).

It IS a big deal. A huge deal. Diet talk, in any shape or form, does not belong within a child's hearing. It messes them up.

OP, you may benefit from checking out "The Feeding Doctor". She has a wonderful blog with several post concerning how nutrition talk, let alone diet talk, sends questionable-to-wrong messages to children, and on why Dr. Satter's Division of Responsibility is a sensible, no-stress feeding model for children.

This seems like one of those things that if you don't like your MIL, it'll be a big deal.

If your DD is off in the corner listening to movies, etc., why is the exact location a big deal? Now if your MIL is trying to lecture your DD about eating that might be problematic.

Anonymous wrote:I would NOT allow this. No way.

Have you ever been to a Weight Watchers meeting? If so, when?

Totally overreacting. I am a Weight Watchers member and have been to countless meetings. The topic of conversation at Weight Watchers is healthy eating and exercise. Nothing wrong with any of us learning about these topics.

I would NOT allow this. No way.

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want her to go, make other childcare arrangements for her when MIL is at meetings.

+1

For real! Your MIL has made a commitment to weekly WW meetings -- good for her! Do everything you can to support that. You should have immediately made other arrangements for your DD, regardless of whether the meetings were innocuous. This is MIL's time for herself.

If you don't want her to go, make other childcare arrangements for her when MIL is at meetings.