The standards set by today’s society can make it hard for a girl to have healthy esteem levels. Constantly bombarded by a civilization that is drenched in edited photos of unrealistic looking women, it’s no wonder. Parents have more power than they think. Their words and actions can directly impact how their daughters see themselves.
Increasing your daughter’s self-esteem is important for many reasons. Most girls that are not taught self-love at home, often seek love in other places and people. Teaching your daughter her worth at a young age will help mold her into a confident and secure woman. There are a variety of steps that parents can take to help.
Exhibiting Acceptance Of Your Body
Mothers have a huge influence on how their daughters view their physical appearance because they are their first role models. It is important to lead by example. Avoid letting your daughter hearing you degrade yourself. Most daughters view their mothers as the most beautiful person they know. Additionally, most daughters believe that they look just like their mothers.
Hearing you speak negatively about your physical appearance will cause them to question their own. Embrace and praise your looks, especially in their presence. Allow them to hear you compliment yourself. Compliment them. Furthermore, teach them that being healthy matters more than how much they weigh and being a good person means more than being physically attractive.
Teach Her To Speak Up
A contributing factor to lower self-esteem levels in girls is the fear of standing up for themselves. Many are afraid to express their desires because they don’t want to disappoint other people. Do not allow your daughter to be a crowd-pleaser. Inspire your daughter to stand firm in her thoughts and beliefs. Make possibilities for her to make her voice heard.
Teaching your daughter to be unwavering in her beliefs not only increases self-esteem, but it also encourages her to be authentic. She will never feel the need to hide who she is or what she thinks simply to fit in. Parents that give their daughters these skills are also giving them a sense of power.
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
Every parent wants their daughters to know how beautiful they are. However, when you are working toward increasing your daughter’s self-esteem, parents should try to focus on complimenting them on other areas just as much. The goal is to help them understand that who she is and what she is capable of matters just as much, if not more.
A good way to do this is to push yourself. Every time you praise her physical appearance, praise her twice over for something that isn’t tied to her looks. Make it a habit. Allow her to see you do the same with other girls that come around.
Enhance Skills Not Reliant On Appearance
Have your daughter participate in things that boost her level of confidence but don’t put the focus on physical appearance or material acquisitions. Perhaps she is interested in a particular sport or the arts. Taking part in an activity that allows creative expression is helpful. The idea is to help her recognize other skills that she can excel at that aren’t dependent on physicality.
Avoid discouraging her from taking part in activities that are uncommon for girls. Telling her that she cannot do something because of her gender can have an adverse effect on what you are trying to accomplish. Unless it is absolutely impossible, support her in every way. Breaking the gender barrier, combined with your support, will make her feel empowered and accomplished.
Watch What You Say
Don’t talk down on other women and don’t allow anyone else in your home to do so. It is contradictory to your goal and a sign of insecurity. You cannot expect your daughter to embrace who she is surrounded by negativity pointed at women. Avoid making negative remarks about another woman’s appearance or level of intelligence.
This isn’t only behavior that should be practiced in your daughter’s presence, it should be a habit. Find something positive to say to every woman you come in contact with. First, your daughter will realize that she doesn’t have to be intimidated by the presence of another female. Additionally, she will adopt the same behavior of uplifting others.
Raising your daughter’s self-esteem is a process that will benefit all involved. Parents will learn how their behaviors and word directly affect it, resulting in positive changes to their parenting style. Girls will learn to embrace all of the things that make them who they are and understand what it means to live in their authenticity. Girls with healthy esteem levels are happier, more productive and fearless. Empower your daughter!