Does your daughter know you think she’s beautiful? Do you tell her she’s beautiful on a regular basis? Maybe you don’t have a daughter, what about your niece or family friend? Every young girl needs to be told she’s beautiful. It’s our job as adults to make sure our young girls have high self- esteem. We need to constantly remind them that they are beautiful, that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. We need to build them up, so that the world won’t tear them down. They need to know that they are beautiful, inside and out.
Dove believes beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety. Girls are listening – women just need to start the conversation. A simple act, such as starting a conversation about beauty, can make a world of difference. Dove is committed to inspiring all women and girls to reach their full potential. The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem opens up a world of opportunities for women to make a difference. You can find out more at Vive Mejor Hablemos (“Let’s Talk” in Spanish) or Vive Mejors main site.
I remember being very confident when I was in elementary school. I was in all AP classes, I was a girl scout, proficient at tap and ballet, and I had a lot of friends. I was always one of the first ones to raise my hand when the teacher would ask a question. I made excellent grades. Life was good! Then I started middle school. All of a sudden, I started to have doubts about myself. So many of the other girls looked more mature than I did. Their bodies were beginning to develop, and I still looked like the tomboy I was. To top it off, I was extremely skinny. You know the skinniest kid in your school… yep, that was me! Kids would sometimes tease me and say mean things to me. During gym class, we had to change out of our clothes and put gym shorts on. I would wait until all the other girls changed, and then I would change my clothes in private. They were all wearing training bras and I wasn’t. I asked my mom for a bra, and she obliged me, even though I really didn’t need one. Most of the other girls were already wearing make-up, but I was not allowed to. Then there were the boys! Lots of girls had boyfriends. I was no where near ready to have a boyfriend! (Thinking back now, the other girls probably weren’t ready either!) It probably didn’t help that I was mixed, half mexican and half white…. there weren’t many other kids in school like me! I do not remember my mom telling me I was beautiful. I mean, I know she loved me and thought I was beautiful, but I don’t recall her ever saying it when I was in middle school. I think it would have made a difference. Maybe if I had heard, “You’re beautiful,” I would have remained as outgoing as I had been in elementary school. Instead, I became reserved and shy… something I struggle with to this very day. Tell the young girls in your life that they are beautiful, do it often. Tell them how smart they are- that they are loved. Too many of our young ladies don’t know their worth. They don’t know that they are stronger than they think they are. They don’t know that they can accomplish big things. Tell them! Scream it from the rooftops! Every girl needs to know she’s beautiful!!
According to Dove global research, anxiety about looks begins at an early age and holds girls back from reaching their full potential. 72% of girls ages 10-17 feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful. Only 11% of these girls feel comfortable using the word “beautiful” to describe themselves. More than 60% of girls ages 15-17 (globally), avoid activities such as attending school, going to the doctor and giving their opinions. This is not acceptable, it’s heart-breaking. Every girl is beautiful – we need to do better as adults to make sure they know they are!
Mothers are a girls number one role model- we, as mothers, can make a difference in the lives of our daughters.
Dove is hosting their third annual Self- Esteem Weekend, Oct. 5-7, 2012. The theme this year is “Let’s Talk”. Events will be taking place nationwide. Talk to your daughter about beauty. What does beauty mean to her? That simple question can get the conversation started and open up the lines of communication. “Imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.”
Go to ViveMejor.com to access free tools to motivate and inspire a girl in your life. Dove has reached over 9 million girls with self-esteem programming so far, and with your help they can reach their goal of 15 million by 2015! Visit Dove.com to learn more about their partners.
This is a compensated post in collaboration with Dove and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own and I believe every girl is beautiful!
