Blog 5

This week, we read alot about body image. We all know that body image has been important to us since we were little. If you were a bigger kid, you were called "fat". If you were too tall, you were called "beanstalk". If you had glasses, you were called a "dork". Amazingly, this all starts when we are all just young! When my son started school, he came home and told me that some of the kids were teasing him. This bothered me because I know how cruel kids can be. I was one. I ask myself, why is body image so important, even as a young child? Why are we so stuck on having to be skinny, beautiful, and well dressed? Why do we only feel like a "sexy" women if we are showing lots of skin? Why was I jealous of so many other girls? I remember some of my most embarrassing moments, being jealous, were in middle school. The gym locker room to be exact. In sixth grade you have to change into gym clothes. I still remember starting to change into mine. While glancing around, I saw everyone else had on bras. I did not. I did not even have breasts at the time. That was so horrible. It almost made me feel like there was something wrong with me. After that, I did wear a bra, but I also dressed in the bathroom. Years later, I still do not have a big chest, but I do not care. I am who I am. I am old enough now to know that I am beautiful, even without gorgeous long hair or a size D chest. What about our young children though? Our young girls love barbie's and brat's. They play with these toys, thinking that this is how girls look. Barbie has the perfect body. How many people do you know that look like her? Not many because she is not real. My point is, we need to teach our children that everyone is different. No two bodies are the same. That is ok, because we are all beautiful in our own ways. If I teach my daughters anything about body image, I hope they just take in that all I want for them is to be healthy. Same goes for my boys. Big, small, muscular, whatever! Just be healthy and happy. Everyone is beautiful in their own unique way!!