When I first found out I was having a little girl I was so excited! But deep down I panicked a little bit, being a girl is hard! We constantly compare ourselves to others and think we should look a certain way even when it is not true. As someone who has battled an eating disorder I knew I would want to do everything in my power to never let my daughter feel that she has to do something like that in order to alter who she is, that she is perfect just the way Heavenly Father made her. I have read several articles on how to handle this subject with your children, but this article really spoke to me when I read it so I wanted to share.
Take the time to read THIS I really liked what she had to say and especially the advice and quote at the end. I hope that I can always instill self worth in my daughter as she gets older because we all know I think she is perfect and always will be.
4 comments:
Being a girl IS hard! Loved the article. Thanks for sharing!
Carter walked in when I was looking at this and started laughing at the picture of miss B. He obviously thinks she's pretty perfect too!
Some of those stats you read are CRAZY, I already stress about instilling the confidence in my children that will allow them to make correct choices, despite pressures from society and peers!
What a great (but upsetting) article. Preschool registration is this week, and already I am worried about Lexi being away from me, and the influences and messages she will encounter. I especially liked the reminder that children mimic their parents. If we are always focused on our weight, what message are we sending to our daughters? That was a good reminder for me. I may complain about my “baby weight” a little too often. Thanks for sharing. You are such a gem, and such an amazing mother. Blakely is so lucky to have you (and Hank too :).
I liked the article. I have only had Jude to worry about for so long that I haven't thought about this subject very much! I did want to share something too though. Jude and I took a "Boost" class here in London. It is free from the community and was given by a dietitian. It was great. We did a 6 week class where the kids do easy and fun exercise games and activities then the kids eat a healthy snack while the parents learn about nutrition for their kids. There were a few things I really loved.
The first was to put small amounts of food on your child's plate and let them ask for more. (Which made me start doing the same, my eyes are way bigger than my stomach!) Before you give it to them encourage them to listen to their body and make sure they are still hungry. My parents are amazing, but I didn't realize I could be full and not overly stuffed!
The second thing was to learn the guidelines for "control". I can't control how much Jude eats, or how quickly he eats. But am completely in control of WHAT he eats. I learned to let him help me plan meals so he excited about the food. Then if he doesn't want it and only wants "treats". I simply set the meal aside and tell him he can't have anything else until his food is gone (or set an appropriate limit--four bites or whatever). He can take all afternoon if he needs to, but he is still listening to his body and not eating snacks or less healthy food rather than what I prepared.
Lastly we got a paper with photos of all different kinds of veggies and fruit in it. Jude LOVED crossing them all off as we tried each one. It really encouraged him to eat a wide variety of healthy foods.
One more thing! Sorry this is very long. They taught us not to reward your kids with "dessert" or something "good" if they finish their meal. This teaches them to value the treat more than the healthy food on their plate. It also encourages a sweet after you eat every time. I had to correct that one. I have been known to tell Jude if he finishes his dinner he can have a treat. Not any more.
Anyway I totally agree with just loving your children exactly the way they were made, but I loved learning a little more about how to "teach" them to care for and love their own bodies. It starts at a young age as the stats in article clearly show!
Anyway, thanks for sharing. Hope that was in anyway helpful and not just me on a soap box!
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