I used to hate my body. There was a time I described myself as fat, ugly, disgusting, broke and sad. And yes, I also thought that having the perfect body would make me the happiest person on earth!
I learned to embrace my body for my gorgeous little girl Mikaela, who’s now a fully-fledged teenager. I felt a powerful instinct to protect her from the pain of being at war with herself and the constant barrage of ‘heroin chic’ images and ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ messaging that I was brought up with. I desperately wanted her to have a different experience with her body than I did with mine.
My journey to embracing took months of unlearning behaviours and values that were ingrained in me, and months of reading and educating myself to learn and embrace new behaviours and philosophies.
When I learned that body image was the number one concern for children in Australia and around the world, I was angry and heartbroken.
I started the Body Image Movement to show Mikaela and millions of other people around the world that the way you look is the least interesting thing about you. The joy and freedom that’s possible when you don’t let your body determine your happiness is so liberating. I want that for everyone!
We weren’t born into the world hating ourselves. Our kids are picking up this belief as they move through childhood. So, how can we help them to respect, cherish and enjoy their body?
Here are five things you can do to help your kids embrace their body.
1. Role model body positivity by voicing your appreciation for what your body can do.
2. Don’t say anything negative about your body — or other people’s appearance.
3. Celebrate the diversity of different body shapes, sizes and colours.
4. Be kind to yourself, and your body.
5. Engage in fun movement and eat healthy foods because you enjoy them, not because you ‘have to’.
How do you actually do this? Let’s break it down:
- Get rid of the scales, hide them, or at the very least don’t let your kids see you on them.
- Make a pact with your friends to never talk negatively about your body or the bodies of others again.
- Walk around your home naked — letting your kids see you comfortable in your body sends a very clear message.
- No more diets. Diet is a four-letter word and the first three letters spell DIE — it’s a sign for sure!
- Move your body for pleasure and not punishment — go for a run because you love and respect your body, not because you ate some cake.
- Remove diet books or any other content from your home that doesn’t support a good body image.
- Eat a rainbow of food and educate your kids on how to nourish their bodies for energy and vitality. Help them to understand how different types of foods can make you feel.
- Remove the labels ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ from your vocabulary. It’s just food!
- Put some positive affirmations on your fridge about diversity, inclusivity and how awesome our bodies are.
I don’t expect everyone to love their bodies. But it is possible to appreciate your body for what it helps you to do, and to not get hung up about how it looks.
Want to learn more? We’ve got you!
We’ve spent the past ten years spreading the story of how to embrace your body in every way you can imagine! Check out some of the resources below with your kids, and start building a positive body image together:
- Watch the Embrace Kids film
- Read Embrace parenting magazine
- Listen to the Embrace Kids song
- Visit the Embrace Kids Hub for parenting tips, resources and sign up for our masterclasses.
