Partnering with your Daughter for Healthy Body Image: Moms are the ultimate Influencers
Most women struggle with their body image at one point or another. Body dissatisfaction is common, whether we experience it as teens, young adults, or later in life. The way we look in a swimsuit, celebrity stories about “bouncing back” from pregnancy and staying “ageless,” and others’ comments about what we eat are just some of the ways that women are reminded daily that our physical appearance is seen as a metric of our worth. All this pressure can take a toll on our body image.
Body image affects the quality of our lives
Although some may see body image as a trivial topic, it is not an issue of vanity. Body image is an important part of our self-concept or personal identity, which plays a vital role in our psychological and physical well-being. In fact, the topic is so important, there is a field of science dedicated to studying it.
Negative body image is associated with depressive symptoms, disordered eating, and preoccupation with physical appearance that can limit our daily lives. Have you ever dreaded having your photo taken, felt reluctant to be seen in a swimsuit at the beach, or turned down participation in physical activities for fear of body judgment? Many women avoid all kinds of opportunities due to body concerns. We should not have to live this way – and we can do better for our daughters and the other girls in our lives
Body image concerns begin early
It is especially disheartening to witness the beginnings of body dissatisfaction in young girls. When most people think about body image, they focus on puberty and the teen years. But did you know that body concerns can begin as early as 3 years of age? Girls start to evaluate their bodies in the preschool years and the messages they receive from others – family, peers, and media – have a major impact on how girls think about their bodies.
Body image is relational: Moms matter most
As moms trying to do the best for our daughters, we can set the foundation for healthy body image development in the same way we would for their education and interests – with intention. But where do we begin? Among all the voices out there, which ones can we trust? Thankfully, we can look to science, and science shows that moms matter most. How you think and feel about your body, and the messages that you pass on to your daughter, are crucial for her own body image development.
Body image book for moms: A science-based, user-friendly guide
Our book, Beyond Body Positive: A Mother’s Science-Based Guide for Helping Girls Build a Healthy Body Image, is based on scientific research, our own research with children, and focus groups with local moms. We equip moms with tools to gain healthy body image awareness and we provide practical tips for every day, age-appropriate opportunities to guide healthy body image development in their 3- to 10-year-old daughters.
We focus on self-concept development beyond physical appearance and emphasize positive health behaviors and respect and care for the body. We discuss ways that moms can help their daughters navigate peer and media influences as they get older, and we provide sample mother-daughter activities for moms to put the tools into practice and bond with their daughters. Moms can feel empowered knowing that they are being proactive and investing in their daughters’ wellbeing and full potential.
–
Janet Boseovski is a professor and head of the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is Co-Director of the DUCK Lab and serves on the Board of Directors of the Greensboro Science Center and the Jean Piaget Society for the Study of Knowledge and Development.
Ashleigh Gallagher is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She enjoys applying psychology beyond academic contexts and has co-authored a book for those who are looking to do so as well.
Visit Head Start for Healthy Body Image for more of our writing on body image development.
Want to see more blogs like this and get notifications on local events and happenings? Subscribe to Triad Moms on Main’s free weekly newsletters here.
Sponsored by Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
