Love yourself. That’s sometimes a tough one isn’t it?… I have been overweight for as long as I care to remember and loving myself has never been top of my skills set. I’m so much more capable of admiring one of my qualities, such as my drive; than feeling good about one of my physical characteristics.
I know I’m not alone in having a less than desirable internal monologue, when it comes to my physical appearance. Why is it we tolerate so much more of trash talk to ourselves than we would ever say (or even think!) about another person, especially a friend. We wouldn’t say it to a friend, but we often say it to ourselves multiple times a day. It’s so entrenched in our personas that it almost becomes second nature. We think if we give ourselves a break and a kind thought, that somehow we are being big headed and that just wouldn’t do. So the cycle continues.
When I was pregnant I started to become petrified of the impact of my weight struggles could have on my daughter throughout her life. How could I ensure she would grow up with a positive body image? How would I deal with my dieting in her presence? What would be the best way of promoting health over everything else? How could I guarantee that she wouldn’t fall into the same cycle that I had? A cycle of never truly feeling good enough; of always wanting to be different. I wish back then someone had taught me how to be confident.
The thing I’ve realised is that there are no guarantees. There’s nothing I can say or do, that will unequivocally guarantee she will turn out any different to me. No guarantees at all. I’ve come to realise that all I can do it try. Try to set a good example; try to show her what a healthy lifestyle is and hope that her life isn’t tainted by negative body image. I would rather she grew up overly confident, than ever feeling inferior, for even a second.
One of the greatest gifts I can give to her, is to teach her how to be confident in her own skin, as she goes through various life stages.
To relish in these time before she begins to feel all of the inevitable outside pressures, I asked her (aged 3 3/4 years) what she loves about herself. I hope she always does.
What does Ava love about herself? Check out this video.
Comments 5
she is adorable Aby, I how I wish I loved my eyebrows that are probably my most disliked body feature. She is the cutest!
Oh she’s so cute! Her eyebrows ARE gorgeous!
You are gorgeous and so is she, i’m sure she’ll grow up feeling creative, confident and self-empowered to go out and grab the world by the whatsits just like her mama 😉 x
Thank you so much x
Just adorable Aby! And Ava should love those things about herself, and lots more besides!