My seven-year-old daughter is already concerned about her appearance. She never wants to leave home without having every hair in place and an outfit that she deems “cute” enough. Long gone are the days of mom picking out her clothes. She has her own sense of style and worries about her looks. I can’t believe it starts out this young. What really worries me is that she has become obsessed with her body. She is slender, however she is also tiny and short and people comment on it. She wants to drink milk as often as possible, because she wants to grow, so that she will no longer be the shortest in class.
According to Dove global research, 72 percent of girls (ages 10-17) feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful and only 11 percent of girls (ages 10-17) are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves. When girls feel bad about their looks more than 60 percent globally (age 15 to 17) avoid normal daily activities such as attending school, going to the doctor, or even giving their opinion.
When I read these statistics, I was beyond shocked.
We can make a difference however and help our young girls be self-confident and have great self-esteem. We can start the conversation with our girls about beauty. Simple conversations between mom and daughter can make all the difference in the world. Dove partner organizations will host events nationwide. Walmart stores will have designated areas within the store where visitors can share a message of encouragement to girls. Our girls need our guidance and they are just waiting for us to start the conversation. Visit Vivemejor.com to access free tools to motivate and inspire your daughter/girls in your life. Vivemejor has some great info, to help in chatting with out girls.
I love the #Doveinspiration campaign that wants girls and women to feel self-confident and know that they are beautiful beings inside and out. Visit Dove.com to learn more about our partners Girl Scouts, Girls Inc, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Disclosure: This is part of a compensated campaign in collaboration with Dove and Latina Bloggers Connect
It is amazing how young some girls start worrying! I try to help my kids learn about the value of healthy eating and fitness in the hopes of being “ahead of the game” when they come up against size complexes and weight issues (the ones they tend to make up in their heads!). I guess I will find out in the next few years if I am taking the right approach but I guess all we can do as parents is support them and make sure they know we are always on their side! Glad my daughter isn’t too worried about her hair and outfits yet 🙂