11 Body Confidence Things You Can Teach Your Daughter Right Now
byJennifer Germano
Sadly, at one point or another, almost every woman can say she has struggled with confidence. Thanks to dangerous messages arbitrarily deciding what kind of body is "beautiful," and which one isn't, women are held to horrific standards of cultural beauty and attractiveness that can take a toll. While the concept of body confidence is extremely simple, teaching it to children (in order to combat those dangerous messages) can be difficult. After all, you're up against the very society they're part of. Thankfully, there are some things you can teach your daughter right now about body confidence, regardless of how young or old she is.
With a daughter of my own, and the undeniable fact that we live in a world that is constantly focused on how women look, I'm worried. I'm worried that I won't be able to teach my daughter that the media is wrong. I'm worried that I won't be able to remind her that how she feels in her body, is worth may more than what someone else feels about her body. I'm worried that I won't be able to combat horrible social expectations that convince far too many women that they're not enough. I'm worried that she won't grow up learning that she is worthy and she is lovable and she is valuable, and that her body weight or size or perceived level of attractiveness will never, ever, change that fact. I'm worried that instead of feeling confident in her body, my daughter will learn that she should resent it.
I've also learned that being afraid and worried is a pretty normal part of being a mother. I've learned that instead of letting that fear debilitate me, it should (and does) motivate me. That's why, even though my daughter is just a toddler, I'm learning all the ways I can help teach my daughter to be confident about her body. In the end, the media and our backwards culture will have nothing on me.