How to Support Your Child's Body Image
Encourage body acceptance for your child no matter what., Help your child learn to like how they look., Support your child when they are self-critical., Remind your child that weight doesn’t affect happiness.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Encourage body acceptance for your child no matter what.
A positive body image stems from your child knowing that healthy can look many different ways, with different shapes and sizes.
They don’t have to look a certain way to be healthy or attractive.
Remind your child of this often so it becomes ingrained in their mind.For example, you may say, “Healthy does not mean skinny or super buff.
Being healthy is based on positive eating choices and regular activity, not a certain weight.” You may also point out examples of different body types that are healthy.
Even discussing the different ways athletes’ bodies look depending on their sport can show how healthy and fit can look differently. -
Step 2: Help your child learn to like how they look.
Children often develop low self-esteem or bad body image because they are dissatisfied with how they look.
This may stem from issues related to puberty, not looking like others, or another reason.
Children who are dissatisfied with how they look often compare themselves to peers and people on television.
Support your child’s body image by helping them like the way they look.Tell your child that people they see in the media are not realistic portrayals of people.
Say to your child, “You are unique and wonderful just as you are because you are you.
The way you look is great because it’s you.” , Many children will criticize themselves because they are insecure and compare themselves to their peers.
If this occurs, support them and remind them that there is nothing wrong with them the way they are.If your child says something like, “I’m fat and ugly” or “Why would anyone like me?”, remind them how they shouldn’t criticize themselves.
Say, “I know you feel that way, but those feelings are not true.
Instead of focusing on feelings that make you feel bad, focus on the things about yourself that are positive.” Remind your child not to compare themselves by saying, “No two people are the same, so you will not look or act like someone else.
That is perfectly fine.
You are just as important as someone else.” Remember that children learn this type of thinking from hearing other people talk like this, so it is important to avoid saying these kinds of negative things about yourself or others around your child. , Negative body images and low self-esteem can occur when someone links their happiness or success with their weight or size.
Instead, help your child learn that being happy and successful in life doesn’t have anything to do with your size.Tell your child that happiness is based on many different things, such as enjoyment of life, relationships with others, a career they enjoy, and other things. -
Step 3: Support your child when they are self-critical.
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Step 4: Remind your child that weight doesn’t affect happiness.
Detailed Guide
A positive body image stems from your child knowing that healthy can look many different ways, with different shapes and sizes.
They don’t have to look a certain way to be healthy or attractive.
Remind your child of this often so it becomes ingrained in their mind.For example, you may say, “Healthy does not mean skinny or super buff.
Being healthy is based on positive eating choices and regular activity, not a certain weight.” You may also point out examples of different body types that are healthy.
Even discussing the different ways athletes’ bodies look depending on their sport can show how healthy and fit can look differently.
Children often develop low self-esteem or bad body image because they are dissatisfied with how they look.
This may stem from issues related to puberty, not looking like others, or another reason.
Children who are dissatisfied with how they look often compare themselves to peers and people on television.
Support your child’s body image by helping them like the way they look.Tell your child that people they see in the media are not realistic portrayals of people.
Say to your child, “You are unique and wonderful just as you are because you are you.
The way you look is great because it’s you.” , Many children will criticize themselves because they are insecure and compare themselves to their peers.
If this occurs, support them and remind them that there is nothing wrong with them the way they are.If your child says something like, “I’m fat and ugly” or “Why would anyone like me?”, remind them how they shouldn’t criticize themselves.
Say, “I know you feel that way, but those feelings are not true.
Instead of focusing on feelings that make you feel bad, focus on the things about yourself that are positive.” Remind your child not to compare themselves by saying, “No two people are the same, so you will not look or act like someone else.
That is perfectly fine.
You are just as important as someone else.” Remember that children learn this type of thinking from hearing other people talk like this, so it is important to avoid saying these kinds of negative things about yourself or others around your child. , Negative body images and low self-esteem can occur when someone links their happiness or success with their weight or size.
Instead, help your child learn that being happy and successful in life doesn’t have anything to do with your size.Tell your child that happiness is based on many different things, such as enjoyment of life, relationships with others, a career they enjoy, and other things.
About the Author
Laura Reyes
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
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