The importance of helping your child develop a positive body image

As parents we can be very helpful in our children’s formation years, encouraging them to love themselves and to appreciate how they look and feel about themselves. There are many challenges in today’s world with body image and our children can be exposed to some very unhealthy misconceptions. In their vulnerable years, they can be easily influenced and our role as parents is to offer a nurturing, gentle introduction to developing in themselves, a positive body image, where self-love takes a focus.

Consider the following suggestions:

  • Model positive body image and self-confidence in your own attitudes and

    behaviours. Avoid making negative comments about your own body. Talk about

    how you work on building a healthy body. Show them that you are very

    comfortable in your skin.

  • Teach your child to use positive self-talk and affirmations to promote self-

    acceptance and confidence. Encourage them to focus on their strengths, rather

    than comparing themselves to others. Talk openly about feeling good about

    yourself is so important.

  • Shift the focus from appearance to health by emphasizing the importance of

    nourishing their bodies with nutritious foods, getting regular exercise, and

    getting enough rest. Encourage them to listen to their body's cues and prioritise

    self-care. Present images of healthy looking people and keep away from the body

    beautiful image.

  • Talk to your child about the unrealistic beauty standards portrayed in media and

    how they can distort perceptions of body image. Help them develop critical

    thinking skills to question media messages. Beauty comes in many forms is an

    important message.

  • Celebrate diversity and teach your child to appreciate the beauty of different body types, ethnicity, and cultures. Talk about differences and how healthy it is that we have variations in our body shapes and attitudes to others.

  • Encourage your child to engage in activities that make them feel good about

    themselves and their bodies, such as sports, dance, art, or hobbies. Focus on the

    joy of movement and the sense of accomplishment rather than appearance or

    performance. Keep an eye on how they dress and affirm responsible dress ware.

  • Create a supportive and inclusive environment at home where your child feels

    accepted and valued for who they are. Encourage open communication and

    provide reassurance and encouragement when they express insecurities. Make

    your home a comfortable inclusive space for everyone in all shapes and sizes.

  • Emphasise the importance of inner qualities such as kindness, compassion,

    intelligence, and creativity over external appearance. Help your child develop a

    strong sense of self-worth based on their character and values rather than

    superficial attributes. It is not what we look like it is alley about what is inside.

  • Limit exposure to media that promotes unrealistic beauty standards or negative

    body image messages. Encourage your child to follow positive role models and

    influences who promote self-love, body positivism, and exclusivity. Leave

    healthy journals and magazines around the house promoting good health and

    hygiene.

  • If you notice signs of body image issues or low self-esteem in your child, seek

    professional help from a therapist or counsellor who specialises in body image

    and self-esteem issues. Monitor your child’s changing attitudes to themselves

    especially when they enter teenage years.

Take care to have no negative talk about body images that you see on television, social media etc. Be a safe house where you understand that people are basically different and that’s OK!

Dear Body,
You were never a problem. There is nothing wrong with your size.... You’re good enough already.
— livesimplynatural