Girls and women today face an unprecedented media onslaught that is designed to make them dissatisfied with how they look. This attack is on behalf of a multi-billion-dollar industry that knows if women had healthy self-images, the industry would collapse.
The results in our society are alarming. According to Media Family.org, "In a survey of girls 9 and 10 years old, 40% have tried to lose weight..." More than 50% of girls age 13 are dissatisfied with their bodies. This is creating an immense physical and emotional cost on our young women.
As parents of pre-adolescent girls, there are things you can do to help your daughter resist this onslaught on her body image, and teach her an outlook that will be an asset for the rest of her life.
Your Daughter Is Listening
Adult women are so trained to complain and apologize about their own appearance that they do it automatically. Remember that your daughter is watching and listening, and to her, you are still more powerful than the media. Stop insulting yourself. Stop complaining about your weight. Stop putting yourself down. When you dress up, be proud of how you look instead of listing everything that doesn't look perfect. When you look at family pictures, don't talk about how awful you look. Your daughter is learning that this is how women think; this is how women act. Decide what values and the body image you want your daughter to adopt, and talk about them instead.
Start Young
I am convinced that I remember every single piece of advice that my dad gave me. He was my hero (still is), and I was eager to learn from him. At the time, I pretended I was bored, or too cool to care, but inside I was holding on to every word.
I heard about one mother who decided she was going to teach her little girl the concept of a "Strong Woman". She started when her daughter was three years old, teaching her a list of things that make a Strong Woman. A Strong Woman is smart and strong and brave; a Strong Woman doesn't wait for a knight in shining armor; a Strong Woman saves herself.
Now, this little girl watched all of the standard children's videos. Instead of only choosing positive examples, her mom let them all through; but then they talked about the women in the videos. "So is Snow White a Strong Woman?" she'd ask. "Nooooooooo!" her four-year-old daughter exclaimed, her little voice crackling with scorn. "Shnow White is not a Shtrong Woman! She doesn't even do anything!"
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