My daughter is 11 years old. She is so much like me in so many ways and so much better than me in others. I like to think of her as my 2.0 version. She was born with more innate confidence than I ever had. When she was just a wee little baby, my mother said she was intimidating. HA! She was a tough little cookie and remains one today. She is the athlete I wish I had been my whole life and continue to strive for. She plays soccer, she runs, she surfs, she can do most sports if she tries. She is, of course, BEAUTIFUL and I don't just say that because she is my daughter and I don't just say that because she looks that way on the outside. While she is a brown haired, blue eyed beauty, she is also beautiful on the inside - she is smart and caring and kind - funny and curious and adventurous.
We had a conversation the other day about the word "skinny". I don't like that word. While I have been doing a nutritional cleanse and using the support of some awesome organic superfoods, I have been very careful to remind my daughter that I am not "dieting" or trying to be "skinny". I am improving my lifestyle, learning to eat better foods to fuel my body properly, and trying to get and remain healthy so I can have a long life to
She is 11 - so I hope what I said got through. I hope she heard me and hears and sees my example everyday. I hope that she doesn't strive for "skinny" but instead strives for healthy, active, happy, and well... perhaps a little badass too. Because there is nothing wrong with that. ;-)
I have worked so hard over the years to instill a good body image in my 11 year old daughter. She is not an athlete...she will always choose a book over a basketball game. But, the other day she said, "When I was little I felt bad because I look different then my friends, but then I just decided I am beautiful. I rock." whew - so glad!
ReplyDeleteGood for her!!! I hope all of our daughters see their own beauty - on the outside and on the inside. Good job Ariel! xo
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