Something that took me a while to get back after becoming a mom.
Then on the first of this month, I wrote a post about 10 year old me.
When I look back, age 10 was a magical year.
The last year I liked who was looking at me in the mirror.
The last year that I knew nothing about the words "fat" and "chubby".
Age 10 was the beginning of a long journey with my weight and my looks.
Fortunately for me I have come full circle.
I'm sure that you are well aware that self esteem issues are alive and well.
Young girls are growing up in a critical time.
Can you imagine going through puberty on Facebook.
I'm sick at the thought.
Dove, the company that makes hair and skin care products did some research of their own.
In an effort to empower young girls and women,
they are uncovering the truths about self esteem today.
I'm not surprised at the results.
Dove® research shows that it is still important for us to address girls' anxiety about looks, as there is a universal increase in beauty pressure and a decrease in girls' confidence as they grow older.
Key findings from our latest research include:
• Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)
• Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable using the word beautiful to describe themselves
• 72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful
• 80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty
• More than half (54%) of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic
SOURCE: Dove Research: The Real Truth About Beauty: Revisited
Let's be honest, were any of us in that 11% growing up?
What many of us find, now as adults, is that we were beautiful back then.
We weren't as fat as we thought we were.
The braces weren't so bad.
That zit was't as bad as it seemed.
I saw a picture from my 8th grade dance and thought,
your hair looks great, and you weren't fat at all.
Ever have a moment like that?
All jokes aside, isn't it time to embrace self esteem as a right and not a privilege?
As a mother I have so many jobs, so many hats that I wear.
I want to make sure that I'm helping my girls build their self esteem in positive ways.
Sure I tell them that they are beautiful and precious,
Created with Jess Weiner, Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, this is a great resource for all women on starting a conversation in a simple way. Ask, Share, Listen and Act -- you’ll find unintimidating ways to do make these a natural part of your talk about Self-Esteem.
Share your commitment to girls’ self-esteem with your friends on Facebook! Visit Dove’s Facebook Page or use the Send a Note of Confidence Link to select your message and share with your friends.
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