Raising a Daughter with a Positive Body Image

Poor body image is an epidemic among girls and women in the U.S.  From a very young age girls are exposed to societal and cultural expectations to be thin.  Ninety-four percent of women report having a negative body image and wanting to change something about their bodies.  This is passed down from one generation to another in families.  You can start when your daughter is a child to ensure that she has a healthy relationship with her body  and throughout her development by:

Being a Role Model – How you feel about your body has a direct impact on how your daughter will feel about hers.  Seek professional support if you are struggling with your own body image.

Appreciate Our Bodies -  We live in a society that objectifies and judges bodies.  We can teach our daughter to appreciate what her body can do.  For example, appreciate your legs for they can dance or appreciate your hands for they can draw.  We can appreciate aspects of our personalities like your compassion or thoughtfulness for others.

Counter the Media Culture – Help your daughter understand that images in magazines, on TV, or in social media are most likely not real due to air-brushing, photo-shopping, and other modes of editing.  Pay attention and limit what your daughter is watching.  Expose your daughter to literature with strong, independent, and capable women.  

Center for Children and Youth elaborates more on these tips for raising our daughter with a positive body image: