Once factors like social media, growth, and desire for peer acceptance come into play, children cannot help but focus on their physical appearance. Various social media platforms expose young people to unrealistic beauty standards that don’t suit them, making them think badly about how they look. Not fitting in society’s definition of beauty can indirectly harm a child’s self-esteem, leading to low confidence levels that can negatively affect the different areas of their lives. As a parent, you have the responsibility to make sure your child knows their entire worth regardless of appearance so that they can have just the right amount of confidence.
Let Them Express Their Style but with Guidance
With different styles surrounding them, your child can easily pick up some designs of their fancy — even quirky ones. The sartorial choices they decide on are one of the earliest decisions a child makes. Simply turning them down with bluntness and negative remarks about their selection of clothing can lead to arguments, and they might lose confidence.
What you can do instead is to seriously consider their style and add extra choices to make their selected looks more refined and ideal for a specific event. By doing this, you show them that you value their opinions. In addition, developing their style can enhance their sense of fashion, which will eventually help them pick the right clothes for different seasons. With a refined sense of style, they can choose a beautiful gown for their prom or select a dress from a bridal store that suits their style for their future wedding ceremony.
Use Words of Affirmation
When your child feels inferior due to their appearance, a combination of physical acts and words is needed to show them that they’re perfect just the way they are. Words can go a long way. Simple, meaningful expressions can make children believe more in themselves, especially if they come from a person close to their hearts.
Expressing words of affirmation is also a great way for you to help them understand that no standards can make them feel inferior and inadequate.
Tell Them the Things They’re Good at That Surpass Looks
When they reach the age when all they think about centers on appearances, you can help them focus on the things they do great. It’s nice to highlight their achievements in different fields, such as acing school subjects, being great at various sports, and having other unique talents and skills.
You can teach them how to appreciate the things only they can do, and this will help them see themselves in better lighting, which will boost their confidence and make them understand that in the grand scheme of things, appearance is but a speck.
Teach Them How To See the Good In Everything
Negative things spawn more negativity, and this kind of mentality will not only make your child adopt a lousy image about themselves but also other people. When the first things you notice about other people are the terrible things, you draw unnecessary stress.
Therefore, it is important to start young when instilling a positive outlook in your child. Teaching them to see the good in everything is a quality that will help them throughout their childhood and adulthood years. In doing so, you help your children create change in the world by raising them as individuals who believe and see the good in others.
Physical Activities Over Gadgets
The internet presents unrealistic beauty standards. This technology constantly exposes your child to posts that tell them they aren’t beautiful enough by urging them to modify and enhance their looks. This may cause their confidence and self-worth to plummet. To combat this, you must limit their screen time and immerse them in other fun and engaging activities that will help them enhance their skills. In addition, giving them hobbies and introducing them to recreational activities will be good for their mental and physical health.
Allow Them to Know the Wonderful Things Only Their Bodies Can Do
If your kid feels like their appearance is substandard, it’s difficult to tell them otherwise because of the other factors influencing them. However, during this situation, you can shed light on the beautiful things their body can do. For instance, you can tell them that talking lets them bond with their friends or that running allows them to feel the incredible rush of wind.
Running, speaking, and breathing may look insignificant because these are actions your child experiences daily. But when you expound and explain to them in detail how valuable these aspects are, you’ll be able to make them feel unique and worthy.
Bringing up a child is no easy task. As a parent, you have to take on the role of a friend, counselor, and coach who will always be nearby to offer them comfort and support.
