May 12, 2015
5 Ways To Teach Your Daughter About Loving Her Body
We live in a world that wants us to believe we are not good enough. How else would they sell us that endless parade of products we don't need? Do I even need to mention photoshop and the projections of an unattainable body? The thing is, when we are fighting these battles with ourselves, trying to remember our own beauty, our daughters are watching. I don't want to make you paranoid about the little 'spy' in your life but it is important to remember that she's watching and you are helping to lay the groundwork for how she will handle these issues in her own life. Below are 5 ways you can help give her solid footing.
1. Encourage healthy eating and exercise but never make it about weight.
Being healthy is the part that we sometimes forget. So much emphasis is placed on losing weight and looking better that we ignore the fact that all of those things will take care of themselves if you start with a healthy base. Make eating a proper diet just something you do and the same for physical activity. Encourage her to be active but allow her to find an activity that suits her. Don't sign her up for sports she doesn't want to play. Instead teach her the exercise helps with stress relief and to elevate mood. Don't mention weight or appearance. Doing this will remove the pressure to be thin, that inadequacy that comes from the number on the scale staying the same. Make it a lifestyle.2. Don’t compliment her (solely on) her appearance
This doesn't mean never telling her she's beautiful, but our societal habits tend towards automatically complimenting physical appearance. Make an effort to tell her she's smart, a good student, a good friend and a good daughter. This is so much more important when it comes to developing a sense of self than telling her she looks cute in her dress or that she'll break lots of hearts when she's older.