If you are a parent and hope to encourage a healthy weight and positive body image in your daughter, there are many other ways to do so that won’t lead to unintended negative affects later in life. Take a look at the slideshow that suggest 5 positive ways to teach your daughter about healthy weight and body image.
2. “And though she be but little, she is fierce.”
– William Shakespeare
3. G i r l s a r e a l r e a d y h e a r i n g a l o t o f
c o m m e n t s o n t h e i r p h y s i c a l
a p p e a r a n c e f r o m o u t s i d e s o u r c e s .
I n s t e a d , t r y t o f o c u s o n h e r
p e r s o n a l i t y , t a l e n t s , a n d s k i l l s .
I n s t e a d o f s a y i n g " Y o u l o o k
p r e t t y , " t r y t h e s e :
" Y o u ' r e s o k i n d . "
" Y o u ' r e s o s m a r t . "
" I ' m p r o u d o f h o w p a t i e n t y o u
w e r e t o d a y . "
" T h a n k y o u f o r b e i n g s o h e l p f u l
a n d c o n s i d e r a t e . "
" Y o u a r e g r e a t a t m a t h . "
Compliment her on
who she is, not
what she looks like
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4. Challenge negative
body messaging on
TV and in media.
2
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T V a n d m e d i a a r e c o n s t a n t l y
t e l l i n g g i r l s t h e y ' r e t o o s k i n n y o r
t o o f a t , o r n e e d t h i s k i n d o f
m a k e u p , o r t h e s e k i n d s o f c l o t h e s .
W h e n y o u a r e w a t c h i n g t h e s e k i n d s
o f t h i n g s , c o m m e n t o n h o w b e i n g
h e a l t h y i s m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n
b e i n g a c e r t a i n s i z e , o r t h a t
w o m e n a r e b e a u t i f u l r e g a r d l e s s o f
w h a t b r a n d s t h e y w e a r . N e v e r t a l k
n e g a t i v e l y a b o u t t h e a p p e a r a n c e
o f o t h e r w o m e n i n m e d i a . E v e n i f
y o u d o n ' t s a y i t d i r e c t l y t o h e r ,
s h e ' s l i s t e n i n g .
5. Give her options in
food and meal
choices and make
healthy options fun
and appealing
3
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L e t t i n g c h i l d r e n m a k e c h o i c e s f o r
t h e m s e l v e s m a k e s t h e m f e e l
e m p o w e r e d a n d i n v o l v e d , m a k i n g
t h e m m o r e l i k e l y t o c r e a t e l o n g -
l a s t i n g b e h a v i o r s . H a v e y o u r
d a u g h t e r m a k e h e a l t h y s n a c k s a n d
m e a l s w i t h y o u a s s o m e t h i n g f u n
y o u c a n d o t o g e t h e r , a n d
i n c o r p o r a t e h e r f a v o r i t e f r u i t s .
D o n ' t b e a f r a i d t o a s k h e r w h a t
s h e w a n t s . . . " D o y o u w a n t
r a s p b e r r i e s o r s t r a w b e r r i e s i n y o u r
y o g u r t ? " T a k e c a r e n o t t o b e
c o m p l e t e l y r e s t r i c t i v e o f f o o d
e i t h e r . . . a l i t t l e i c e c r e a m o r
f r o z e n y o g u r t o n t h e w e e k e n d
d o e s n ' t h u r t .
6. Be active with her,
and involve the
whole family.
4
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M a k e t i m e t o b e o u t s i d e a n d g e t
p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y a n d f r e s h a i r
w i t h y o u r d a u g h t e r . G o o n b i k e
r i d e s , i n c l u d e h e r i n y o u r
g a r d e n i n g , p l a y h e r f a v o r i t e s p o r t ,
m a k e s a n d c a s t l e s o n t h e b e a c h .
O v e r t i m e , s h e ' l l a s s o c i a t e b e i n g
p h y s i c a l l y a c t i v e w i t h h a p p y
m e m o r i e s w i t h y o u . T h e s e p o s i t i v e
a s s o c i a t i o n s w i l l m a k e h e r m o r e
l i k e l y t o c o n t i n u e i n c o r p o r a t i n g
p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y i n t o h e r l i f e a s
a n a d u l t .
7. Watch your own
negative self talk.
Lead by example.
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B e m i n d f u l t h a t y o u m a y b e d e a l i n g
w i t h y o u r o w n e x p e r i e n c e s a n d
n e g a t i v e p e r s p e c t i v e s o n b o d y
i m a g e . B e i n t r o s p e c t i v e a b o u t h o w
y o u f e e l a b o u t y o u r o w n w e i g h t
a n d b o d y i m a g e a n d w o r k t o t h i n k
p o s i t i v e l y a b o u t y o u r s e l f . T r y n o t
t o t a l k n e g a t i v e l y a b o u t y o u r s e l f ,
a n d t o w o r k t o w a r d b e i n g
h e a l t h i e r . A s h e r p a r e n t , y o u a r e
o n e o f y o u r d a u g h t e r ' s g r e a t e s t
r o l e m o d e l s . . . a n d s h e ' s w a t c h i n g .
S h o w h e r w h a t e m p o w e r e d a n d
h e a l t h y l o o k s l i k e t h r o u g h y o u r
e x a m p l e . N e e d s o m e m o t i v a t i o n ?
C h e c k o u t o u r p a s t s l i d e s h o w o f
p o s i t i v e b o d y a f f i r m a t i o n s t o g e t
y o u s t a r t e d .
8. Quotes to inspire
your little girl...
“Happiness and confidence are the prettiest
things you can wear.” – Taylor Swift
“I think beauty come from knowing who you
actually are. That’s real beauty to me.”
– Ellen DeGeneres
“You are more powerful than you know; you
are beautiful just as you are.”
–Melissa Etheridge
“I can’t think of any better representation of
beauty than someone who is unafraid to be
herself.” –Emma Stone
“Be who you are and say how you feel,
because those who mind don’t matter, and
those that matter don’t mind.” –Dr. Seusswww.blog.robard.com