You, my child, are beautiful

I'm a little cross. No, not a little cross, I'm fuming.

I've been watching daytime TV today (it is #pyjamaFriday after all) and I am horrified by all the segments on weightloss that I've seen in just one morning. From what magazines say about our bodies to one health expert who's catch phrase is "You're too gorgeous to be fat", the shows today have been stuck like glue to this notion that 'you are unattractive if you have some weight to lose and you need to get it fixed. Fast'.

I'm thinking about muting my TV through those segments.


I've been concentrating hard recently on being really careful of my language around the children. I'm not making it a habit to call myself ugly names, or comment on the areas I need to improve. I'm not weighing myself on the scale infront of them and if they catch me then I simply turn it into a game and tell them that every number is a 'good' number. Fat is a banned word in this house. And yet it feels like my efforts are wasted when all around us are influences that tell them the opposite.

The media today focuses more on image (especially for women) than kindness and character. Weightloss isn't about becoming healthier and being able to do more but it's about attracting your desired partner and finally fitting into 'those clothes' - as if you can't wear certain items at any size. Women are told through magazines, adverts and conversations that it pays to be beautiful rather than clever. What kind of world are we bringing our children into?

I thought my own approach would be enough to tackle it but when you look, we are bombarded with messages about what it means to be beautiful.

The clever people on TV shows are portrayed as 'nerds' with ill fitting glasses and acne prone skin. The overweight people are overtly funny but rarely find love even though everyone wants to be their friend. Our clothes are modelled by white, blonde skinny women with well defined cheekbones and our sports gear is modelled by those with toned muscles and pert butts. Key characters in our children's cartoons have slender waists and legs entirely disproportionate to a normal body. Every other advert is one relating to losing weight.

I'm sick of it.

It's not enough to just not weigh ourselves in front of our children anymore. The war is on. This momma bear is going to protect my child's image of what beautiful means as if my life depends on it. Beauty and intelligence are not mutually exclusive. Healthiness is more important than size. You can wear any clothes and be anything you want regardless of your size and shape.

You, my child, are beautiful.



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