This post is part of the YummyMummyClub.ca and Dove #YMCBeautifulYou program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.
Yes, I am.
They might only be almost 10 and 7 now, but they will be confident, beautiful women when they are older.
No, I’m not rushing them to go grow up.
My goal, as a mom of daughters, is to nurture them and guide them so that when they are women, they have the knowledge and skills to be the most confident, beautiful women that they can be.
I try to lead by example.
With all of the media that they are exposed to, it is harder to make sure that they know what real beauty is. Magazines have ads trying to sell make-up that sounds like it will be the instant way to look beautiful. Television ads are trying to sell shakes to make you skinny which they try to convince you is what beautiful looks like.
I don’t wear a lot of make up.
I don’t drink the quick-fix shakes.
I teach them to appreciate what real beauty is.
I guess it’s working.
As I watch the video the girls made, I’m happy that they see beyond physical appearance. We have talked about this because I don’t want them looking at the magazines or TV ads and believe that that is what beauty is supposed to be. This mom thing is not easy. That video gives me hope.
It won’t always be easy
As they get older and start to feel more pressure from peers, this will become more difficult. In 2010, Dove Global did a study and found that over 60% of girls avoid certain activities because they feel bad about their looks.* For example:
- 19% won’t try out for a team or club
- 23% won’t go to the beach or pool
- 13% won’t give an opinion
- 15% won’t go to school
I would feel so upset to know that my girls felt that their looks would hold them back from anything.
As moms of girls, we need to stick together!
I am fortunate enough to have several friends who also have daughters, and we get together to talk about mother-daughter stuff. We are trying to foster good bonds with our daughters so that as they grow up, they don’t start pushing us away. As peer pressure becomes more prevalent in their lives, we need to help them stay as the fun, out-going, beautiful girls that they are, and not let others make them feel less than that.
Dove Self-Esteem Workshops
Dove will be hosting a series of free workshops in October across Canada, Hosted by YMC Bloggers and #YMCCommunity Bloggers.
These workshops hope to start a dialogue between mothers & daughters about self-esteem, and beauty pressures and to provide mothers & daughters with a special memory of an enjoyable experience.
Mothers will leave feeling motivated to make efforts to foster self-esteem in their girls; they will also feel confident that they have new tools and resources to use.
Girls will leave feeling valued and that they have new skills and knowledge to help them embrace their own unique beauty and feel more confident to face day-to-day challenges.
Click here to find out more about these workshops.
72% of girls feel pressured to be beautiful.*
“…to be beautiful” But they are beautiful.
They are unique and they are beautiful.
They define what beauty is by who they are.
Did you know YMC is hosting 25 free Dove Mom and Daughter Self-Esteem Workshops across Canada?
Join us to start the conversation with your daughter about the real meaning of beauty.
Then visit the ‘How To Find Your Own Unique Beauty’ page for inspirational stories and resources to help young girls learn about true beauty.
We need you to be a part of the Dove mission to improve the self-esteem of over 15 million girls by 2015.
*Source: Dove Global study, 2010