As moms, we know that our kids learn more from the examples we set in our day-to-day behavior and conversation, than the lectures we give or the lessons we try to teach. In turn, we know that if we want them to be body positive, it’s important that we send body positive messages about food.
Body positivity is the belief that all bodies are worthy, not just the thin, able-bodied, usually white ones that contemporary American popular culture holds up as "ideal." Body positivity is about recognizing that all people deserve to love and accept themselves as is, and that people should pursue their own health and well-being because they deserve to be healthy and happy, regardless of whether that results in them having a “desirable” body type. Many body positive moms have spent a lot of time unlearning negative messages about our bodies that we grew up with, so we can set a better example for our little ones. We know that our children are watching us, and they’re learning how to feel about their own bodies by how we talk about and treat ours.
The same goes for how we talk about food. Instead of constantly going on and off of diets and talking in ways that suggest we’re at war with our bodies, we try to maintain a healthy lifestyle overall, eating things that make us feel good, moving as much as we can, and resting as much as we can. Instead of talking about foods in terms of rewards and punishment, or quipping about which pantry items will “go straight to our thighs,” body positive moms know that while it’s important to eat to keep ourselves healthy, it’s also totally OK to indulge in foods purely for fun, sometimes. So, with that in mind, here are ten things body positive moms say about food, and that makes it much easier to follow through with action: