I’m sad to say that another person in the media is making it difficult for mothers and daughters to have healthy body images. So I signed another online petition: Rex Reed, at the New York Observer: Apologize to actress Melissa McCarthy about your comments on her weight. And I’m writing this post.
This isn’t my first post on body image. And it’s too important of an issue for it to be my last. Although I’m focusing on females in this post, I realize that males can have problems with body image as well. I’m hoping for healthy body images for fathers and sons, too.
Ideas to Help Mothers and Daughters Have Healthy Body Images
I am happy to see something very helpful gaining publicity: Seventeen’s Body Peace Treaty. Whether or not you want to sign the online pledge, it’s a great reminder of things we can do to feel good about ourselves and have positive body images, regardless of our age.
Here’s an interesting CNN video featuring Victoria’s Secret supermodel Cameron Russell: Model’s Frank Talk: How I REALLY Look.
Rebekah from The Golden Gleam started a photography campaign called #realme. It encourages mothers to value their beauty in everyday life. I love her statement about her #real me Facebook page timeline photo: “This is what I normally look like and this is what I look like when my children tell me I am the prettiest mom in the world.”
Here are some posts with ideas on helping women and children have healthy body images:
- Inspiration from Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton
- Help Our Daughters Have Healthy Body Images
- Helping a Daughters Self Esteem from False Media Images from A Daddy Blog
- Top 5 Tips for Raising Kids with Good Self Esteem
- Help Our Daughters Have Healthy Body Images: The Saga Continues
- Helping Our Children Have Healthy Body Images (my post at Living Montessori Now)
- Helping Children Develop a Healthy Body Image by Kate from Making Our Memories at Rainy Day Mum
- 15 Pounds Lost in Less Than 3 Months! (my daughter’s post at Fit Body Full Life about body image and reaching her ideal weight through a healthy lifestyle, including healthy eating and exercise)
- Be the Best Mom: Modeling Positive Body Image by Stephanie from Twodaloo at B-Inspired Mom
- Thumbs up to Using “Plus-Size” Models (Update)
- Healthy Body Image: Appreciating Your Inner Beauty (my daughter’s post at Christina Chitwood Performance) (Update)
- Operation Beautiful Meets 100 Acts of Kindness Project
- Changing Negative Body-Image Messages to Positive Body-Image Messages
- New, Positive Body-Image Messages for Our Children
- 11 Disturbing Facts about Body Image
- 3 Positive Body-Image Messages Found Online
- Having a Positive Body Image with Vitiligo
- How to Accept Vitiligo and Other Imperfections (my daughter’s post at Christina Chitwood Performance)
- Positive Body-Image Dance Workout to “All of Me”
- Colbie Caillat’s “Try” Video Promotes Self-Acceptance
- Positive Messages about Vitiligo
“The Best Fashion Statement” Word Art Freebie (without watermark)
Let’s continue working together to help both mothers and daughters have healthy body images!
Note: I also have a blog post on “Helping Males Have Healthy Body Images.”
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Related Posts
11 Disturbing Facts about Body Image
Body Image Resources- Having a Positive Body Image with Vitiligo
3 Positive Body-Image Messages Found Online
New, Positive Body-Image Messages for Our Children
Family Fun with 100 Acts of Kindness and Operation Beautiful
Changing Negative Body-Image Messages to Positive Body-Image Messages- Operation Beautiful Meets 100 Acts of Kindness Project
Thank you for including my guest post on B-Inspired Mama in your resources! This topic is a bit hard for me to write about, but so important to spread the message. Wonderful post.
Thanks for your kind comment, Stephanie! It was my pleasure. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with such a difficult and important issue.
It’s funny that I had just left a comment on your Facebook page, and then I saw that you had left a comment here. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
thank you Deb, this is an issue that I think about often as my daughter becomes older and more aware of others in the media. Great resources.
Thanks for your kind words. It’s definitely an issue we need think about if we have daughters, no matter what age they are.
The media has influenced society on how to view body perfection. They think that skinny and be like on of those overpaid celebrities is what everyone should aim for. Unfortunately, the children think that’s the truth. Sad.
Thanks so much for your comment, KC. It really is sad that children think that’s the truth. I hope the online petitions and efforts people are making to change that can make a difference.
Body image is so convoluted in America, and different for every culture. There really should be no one accepted image of beauty. Internationally, different countries have their own images of beauty, and they are so far removed from what we believe and promote. I pray that one day we can get to that level of understanding in our Nation.
I just found this. Thanks so much for your comment, Elizabeth! I totally agree. I pray for the same thing.