By now I’m sure you all have seen this article that has been circling the internet titled, “When your Mother Says She’s Fat” written by Kasey Edwards– if you haven’t I strongly recommend you read it! I read it several weeks ago and it’s words have inspired and haunted me ever since.
Several days after reading the article, after having just finished getting ready for the day, I found myself staring into the mirror with a look of disapproval and low self-esteem. Knowing I did not have time to change or devote any more time to such a trifling matter I left my sad looking self in the mirror to get Addie out of bed. While still deep inside my head, dwelling on all of my little imperfections, I felt a little hand stroking my dress. As I looked down at my sweet little girl, she smiled at me as if to say, “Mom, you look beautiful!”. I thought back to the article when the author had hear her mother call herself “fat, ugly, and horrible” and how it completely changed her views of her mother and herself.
Growing up I struggled with my body image. While almost all of it was built up in my head, all I could ever see when I looked in the mirror was how “fat” I was and all my flaws and imperfections. As I’ve grown older, and become more comfortable in my skin and with who I am, I have gained a greater confidence and learned to be more accepting of myself but it is still something I battle with almost on a daily basis. After having a daughter of my own, I’ve realized that my negative body issues are not just about me anymore. If I want to raise a strong confident daughter, I have to be a strong confident mother.
What if one day my little girl tells me I look beautiful and I respond by tell her that what she thinks is beautiful is actually fat and ugly? Would that change the way she viewed her own body? Would that lead to her having a negative body image of herself? After reading this article, it is clear that the answer to these questions are YES!
I’m human, I’m not perfect and I make mistakes but I hope to raise my children to be health, happy, and confident in the fact that their body’s are perfect and beautiful. If we want to raise more confident children, we cannot leave it up to the world to teach them what beauty and happiness is. It is in the home, through our examples that I believe confidence and positive self-esteem can be accomplished.
I’ll have to read that article. Great outlook Sara. And you always look fabulous to me!