As a mother of a beautiful little girl, just getting her feet under her, quite literally, it is hard not to wonder what she will be like as she continues to grow up.
Her exuberant demeanor portrays a self-confidence that comes naturally. She walks with her head held high and her belly out. She laughs easily and smiles from ear to ear, without care or reserve. She is unconcerned over the clothes she wears or what she looks like in them. She does not judge her body or the bodies of those around her. She is completely happy with her body and un-bashful with her emotions. The world is safe and a marvelous playground just waiting for her to explore.
As she grows up she will be exposed to more. She might be called a name aimed to put her down. She might start to question herself as her body changes. She most certainly will see a magazine with a girl promising everything through her looks; her small waist, large breasts, and airbrushed face beckoning my confident girl to question, judge, and compare herself.
What I would love to tell my little girl and all those little girls who grow up and start to question themselves is that you are worthy, inspirational, beautiful, and marvelous. That despite what the media wants you to believe, what someone who is hurting might say to you to make themselves feel better, you have it within yourself to feel good. Ways to start that process could be writing down three things you like about yourself daily or doing something healthy that you completely enjoy.
What I would love to tell the parents of these wonderful girls, young women, is to remind them of their worth and beauty. Communicate with these young women. Spend quality, uninterrupted time together. This is a great start to fostering the “little girl” traits that can be lost along the way to adulthood. Show support in their endeavors and excitement in their ideas and dreams, but also educate these young women about the effects that media can have and also the effects of what one chooses to believe. Adolescence can be a difficult time because it is a time of independence and sometimes the last thing an adolescent girl may want to do is talk to her parents. I urge you to invite conversations anyway and to try to do things as a family when it is at all feasible.
I would tell the community that we have a wonderful group of young women and they are watching what we do. The choices we make, the way we act, the support we give our youth. As a community having healthy, safe activities to support our youth is a wonderful way to promote healthy development.
It is my hope that as my little girl becomes that young woman, she can easily look past the magazines and lies that promise happiness, can easily debunk a sarcastic comment because she knows her own personal self-worth and is wonderfully joyous in the body she has. It is my hope that all parents can say the same for their own daughters.
Note from the author: Please be informed that the focus of this article is not aimed to exclude the impact of media and body image on the male youth population. Many of the points discussed can apply to the male youth as well.
Each month a mental health therapist will discuss an area of mental health. This week’s contributor is Kelly J. Senty, M.A., Counseling Psychology at Steps of Change.
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