Positive Body Image – 13 Tips To Help You Love Your Body
Want to encourage a positive body image? Here are 13 tips that will change the way you think about your body.
Hey my friend,
Let’s chat about positive body image.
Are you concerned about your daughter not having a positive body image?
Here’s a fact we can’t ignore: young girls today get bombarded with so many media messages that can make it hard for them to feel good about their appearance.
They are faced with unrealistic expectations about their bodies and beauty (if they are comparing themselves to other females who have enhanced their looks with lots of cosmetic procedures) and sometimes it just makes them feel crap.
Now for the good news!
Here are some practical ways to help your daughter develop healthy self-esteem about her appearance.
Managing Media Messages For A More Positive Body Image
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TIP # 1 – Establish limits.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting TV time to two hours a day or less.
If your kids are still young, you can be selective about the shows your family watches, instead of leaving the TV on all the time.
You will consequently reduce some of the media influences on your kids and free up time for more productive activities.
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TIP # 2 – Discuss media portrayals of women.
When you do watch TV with your kids, feel free to share with them how the media often portrays women.
Talk about whether your favorite actress represents a realistic image of female beauty.
Compare celebrities who look natural with those who’ve had radical cosmetic surgery.
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TIP # 3 – Present diverse images of beauty.
Guess what?
Not all beautiful women are thin and blonde.
Rent a batch of foreign movies to show your kids different perspectives from other cultures.
Check out paintings online by artists like Reubens and Courbet, who preferred full figure models.
Show them how beauty can be found in all shapes and sizes and in the end it is the confidence that a woman feels and the kindness she shows that makes her truly beautiful.
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TIP # 4 – Encourage your daughter’s interest in a wide range of subjects.
Help your daughter supplement her interests in fashion and beauty with additional academic and cultural activities.
Music lessons or foreign language classes will enrich her life and let her feel more accomplished.
She should be encouraged to have skills that make her value more than just her physical appearance.
Clothing Guidelines For A More Positive Body Image
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TIP # 5 – Avoid overtly sexual clothes for young children.
If you can, steer clear of racy clothing being marketed for children and pre-teens.
Let your daughter enjoy her youth free from preying eyes.
When they are kids, they should have the freedom to be just kids instead of sexualized human beings.
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TIP # 6 – Enforce dress codes for teens.
It’s natural for teens to want to dress like their peers, but parents can still provide guidelines on what’s acceptable.
Yes, you can set some rules when it comes to this.
If you don’t want your daughter going out dressed in the skimpiest clothing, explain to her why you have this dress code in place.
Keep your discussions respectful while clarifying the difference between positive and negative attention.
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TIP # 7 – Shop for clothes that flatter your daughter’s best features.
Everyone is beautiful in their own special way.
Encourage your daughter’s efforts to find her own personal style.
Help her select outfits that work with her body type and make her feel comfortable.
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TIP # 8 – Talk with your daughter about buying her first bra.
The first bra is a milestone in every girl’s life.
If she’s uncomfortable mentioning it, be ready to bring the subject up yourself whenever her body begins to develop.
Your openness can help her adjust to her changing body.
Additional Suggestions For A More Positive Body Image
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TIP # 9 – Support your daughter in maintaining a healthy weight.
Please don’t ignore the fact that feeling comfortable in her body will be something that your daughter is hoping to achieve.
Approach any weight issues with sensitivity.
Let your daughter know that her health and well-being is your top priority.
Volunteer to join her if she wants to join a gym.
Of course its fine to encourage her efforts to be healthy but be mindful if this wanders off to become an unhealthy obsession.
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TIP # 10 – Compliment her inner qualities.
Girls can definitely feel pressured to value themselves based mainly on their appearance.
They need to know how important inner beauty is too!
Help her find more balance by focusing on her internal strengths, from being a good friend to mastering algebra.
This is where true confidence and resilience comes from – from knowing that you possess good internal qualities within.
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TIP # 11 – Monitor her participation in sports.
Sports are often a constructive outlet but play it safe.
Ensure coaches stress positive messages.
Your daughter needs to enjoy herself without any excessive demands.
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TIP # 12 – Demonstrate a positive attitude towards all women.
Your efforts will be more effective and credible if you have a respectful outlook concerning women in general.
Try to avoid making disparaging remarks about family members or celebrities.
Even if your comment seems trivial, teens and pre-teens can be very sensitive to the attitudes of their parents.
Everyone is free to be who they want to be, even if you wouldn’t make the same choices yourself. When we are judgy-judgy of other people, we tend to be judgy-judgy of ourselves too.
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TIP # 13 – Seek professional help.
Most girls learn to accept their maturing bodies, but serious issues may require professional counseling.
If your daughter shows signs of an eating disorder, please make sure to consult your family physician or a counselor who specializes in working with children and adolescents.
Help is always available.
All in all, with your guidance and support, your daughter can develop healthy self-esteem and learn to love the way she looks.
Make sure to keep the lines of communication always open and encourage your daughter to focus on her inner beauty because that in the end will always count the most.
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I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.