Even the Princess at 8 is starting to get critical about herself - I often hear that she thinks she is too tall (and too thin) - when grade 1's think she is a grade 4 and ask advice. When her friends remark that she is so very tall. She once told me that she was never a cute grade 1 because she was too tall. Believe me, we try to focus on the positive of being tall. And although she is often told she is pretty by others she certainly does not think she is. But there's a fine line between being humble (like we want our children to be) and not seeing our own prettiness. Believing ourselves to be less attractive than we are. I guess it is a balance to teach our kids, and especially our girls as certainly the beauty label does not fall so heavy on our boys, that you are pretty and awesome in your own right without spurring on vanity.
I think this also goes down on us as mothers and how we see ourselves. A negative self image can not possibly create a positive one for our daughters. So let's rejoice in our frizzy hair, too big chins, too narrow lips and too round faces. In our flabby thighs and too narrow shoulders. Let's see ourselves positive. Let's break the negative cycle.Because hec, living up to Barbie is still not possible Let's face it generations of woman have failed - let's help this one to know they do not need to measure up to the impossible. That there is beauty in all of us - we just need to see it.
And please have a look at this - it may just inspire you to see yourself in a different light.
