Teaching Your Child About Body Positivity

Social media, television, magazines, advertisements - all types of media shape our idea of what the ideal body is and how we feel about our bodies. What is body positivity? Body positivity is to have a positive body image, even if it doesn't fit the ideal appearance, shape and size of the bodies that we see in pop culture and society.

 

Yes, sure media can have a positive impact on society, but when it come body image, the impact is often negative, especially for girls and women. When you look at advertisements and television, it is usually a traditionally feminine female who is very thin gracing the cover of magazines or the traditionally handsome, well-built male playing the leading role in a show or movie. 

 

When little children, as well as adults, see these images in the media over and over again, they get absorbed in what they see and are influenced by these messages over time. They want to imitate what they see in the media because they accept this as a reality and want to be like those people they see on the television. If the majority of the ads and commercials out there only feature unrealistically beautiful women or handsome men, basically, we are telling our kids, “This is how you should look.” This type of ideal reinforcement can definitely have an effect on body positivity. 

 

So what are the goals of the body positivity movement? Some of the goals are to challenge how society views the body and promote the acceptance of all bodies, even our own. 

 

To learn more about body positivity, check out www.thefeministparent.com/. The FP offers articles, opinions and ideas about how to increase your kid’s consciousness about these things without the boring lectures and hideous eye rolls. Check them out today!