From the moment we wake up we are bombarded with unrealistic ideas of what life should be like, from the magazine you look through at breakfast time with size zero models peddling watches equivalent to a down payment on a house and telling you "you deserve it" is a little out of proportion if you ask me. Of course we want to see our children be successful but also have an idea of what really makes one happy as well as gratitude and moderation.
As adults we can also forget how children process information and while we often let things go, mean words in social settings such as a school playground or passing comment from an adult who is overworked and over tired can leave a lasting seed of self doubt in a child, a seed which can grow and lead to self esteem and self confidence issues in later years.
I have been working with Families Online, a great online resource for parents and they have put together the #LoveYourselfProject which aims to encourage positive body image and self esteem in young children and to help them realise life is not all about getting the perfect pouty selfie but rather being proud of who they are.
They asked me to put together a little vlog and put the question "what you love about yourself" to my 6yr old son. I have often asked him what his favourite pastimes are or what he enjoyed doing each day but I don't think I have ever asked what he truly loves about himself. What I found interesting was that he said he loves his hair long even though he is not a girl - we have never had an issue with his long hair and have never made him feel anything but positive when it comes to his hair but he has been called a girl many times in the past and even now he carries that with him. Luckily it doesn't seem to bother him but it certainly made me realise how the words of others can affect your children.
So why not join in with #LoveYourselfProject and you too can share a little clip of what your kids love about themselves or simply share your tips on building your child's self-esteem and the best advice will be featured on Families Online - just send any tips or clips to social@familiesonline.co.uk or post them to their social pages Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #LoveYourselfProject
I think this is a great idea. Self esteem can be a hard one, especially for kids. I still struggle with my self esteem x
ReplyDeleteMe too - not all the time but every now and then - I think it's something we all need to be positive about
DeleteLaura x
As a mum I often worry about how to raise the children to have self confidence and self belief so I love the idea of this project. In fact, I'm going to ask my son that very questionable n about what he likes most about himself later!
ReplyDeleteYou really should - I was interested to hear what mine had to say
DeleteLaura x
This is a great idea! Building self esteem in kids is so important xx
ReplyDeleteIt's really a fantastic idea
DeleteLaura x
This is so lovely Laura! I loved reading both yours and Adele's posts on this subject xx
ReplyDeleteSuch a fantastic initiative. It's a really important topic to embrace and one I'm constantly aware of as a mum to two little girls. x
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea, I wonder what my kids will say
ReplyDeleteOh Laura this is really lovely and such an important cause. Well done for highlighting it. x
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous Laura and so important xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic initiative! Brilliant. Thanks for sharing x
ReplyDeleteAs adults we can also forget how children process information and while we often let things go, mean words in social settings such as a school playground or passing comment from an adult
ReplyDelete