I read a blog post today about teaching children and girls in particular to love their bodies and be comfortable in their skin, and it really made me think about the obsession in society with beauty and perfection. I don't have any children yet, but you can bet I will want to teach them to love their bodies and appreciate their own talents and attributes. Mike and I always tell Bear she is beautiful, so I guess that is a little practice for teaching children to love themselves.
The blog had several suggestions for raising children with a good self-image. One was to never talk badly about your body in front of your children. Another suggestion was to monitor the media your children see. It also said it is important to show your children that you are comfortable in your own body, and to model what a normal (not photo edited) body looks like. That means talking openly about the body and not covering up or acting ashamed by your nudity.
I know that is easier said than done because I grew up in a family and religion where you were never supposed to show your naked body. I remember seeing a naked old woman in a pool locker room when I was a child and thinking it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. My family wasn't big on hugging or touching either. I'm not saying my family was bad, but I want something different for my children. I don't want them to feel like they are ashamed of the way they look or that they are afraid to ask for a hug. I feel nakedness and imperfection is OK, and I want my children to understand that as well.
Teaching children to be comfortable with their bodies is no easy task in today's world of over-the-top sexuality and obsessive perfection. They are bombarded by influences and pressures from friends and media. But parents can do a lot by celebrating differences and strengths and frequently letting their children know how beautiful they are. I hope I will someday be that parent who has taught their child self-confidence and love and tolerance for others.
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