A recent article in Real Simple magazine’s May issue, asked readers “What’s the Greatest Gift your mother ever gave you?”  One of the responses that stood out was from a woman who wrote, 

“My mother told me, every day, that I was beautiful inside and out.  When the mirror reflected my braces, clunky navy blue glasses, the body of a 12-year-old boy, and that horrific perm, I wanted to doubt her, but she was so steadfast and convincing that I didn’t.”    

            -excerpted from Real Simple, May 2009

This Mother’s Day, remember and celebrate the enormous impact you can have on the body image and self-esteem of the young girls in your life.  Whether you are a Mom, Aunt, or Grandmother, you are a powerful force in helping these girls develop a healthy sense of self, confidence, and love of their own bodies.

Often times, when we are in the community educating young people about positive body image, we ask them “when do you think we start to develop our body image?”   Most people guess that this occurs some time during early adolescence – or those “awkward” middle school years.  In reality, body image begins to form at a much younger age.  Think about all of the things a toddler sees you do and tries to emulate – funny faces you make, the way you eat your food or perhaps that four letter word you let slip.  If she sees you criticizing body parts in the mirror or cursing your waistline, she will learn that being critical of her body is something she is supposed to do, as well. On the other hand, if she can watch you displaying body confidence on a daily basis, she can begin to do the same.

Telling your daughter she is beautiful, both inside and out, is just one piece of helping her to develop a positive body image.  Here are a few more tips and important ways you can help your daughter love herself and her body:

• Love yourself.  As a mom, you are the most important role model for your daughter.   It’s up to you whether you model body appreciation or body dissatisfaction in your own life.
• Celebrate the diversity of beauty with your daughter.  Avoid falling into the media’s narrow definition of what is beautiful.  Remove magazines and other media from your home that pay unnecessary attention to body size, appearance or criticism of the way people look.
• Place value on talents, interests, and intellect instead of solely on physical appearance.
• Teach those around you about the hazards of making negative body comments and ban them from your home. Tell your family and friends that you wish to teach your children about loving their bodies which cannot be done if the people around them are commenting on their bodies or your children’s bodies!
• Teach your children that healthy people come in all shapes and sizes. Work on stamping out fat discrimination one person at a time – start with yourself and your children.

To all of the mother’s out there, and all of the individuals celebrating Mother’s Day, The Center for Eating Disorders wishes you a happy Mother’s Day. May it be a day filled with joy and wonderful positive thoughts and actions.