Beautiful

I rarely wear make up and if I do it's a little eye shadow and sometimes face powder but on the rare days I do put it on, of course Zoe is right there next to me staring up at me the whole time.  She usually says something like, "wow you're beautiful" or "you're more beautifuler than me"...which makes me cringe.  The other day I found myself really upset that she was watching me and wondered why I felt so strongly.  I always tell her that I don't need make up but I wear it because it's fun.  Of course it makes me feel good when she says she thinks I'm beautiful but it breaks my heart to hear her say, "you're more beautifuler than me"...I mean, where does that come from?  She's five and she's already comparing herself to other women?  I hate that.  Is it so ingrained in our culture that young girls are already thinking that way?  I have never acted or spoken that way around her, I have never compared myself to other women or models in magazines.  I'm not bad mouthing make up, I have a good friend who is a make up artist and I definitely have respect for that form of art.  I just tend to be a hippy at heart and don't wear much.  I have a hard time knowing how to approach this subject with my girls.  I don't want to be the lame mom who forbids it but I also want them to know they are beautiful without it.  I have definitely gained confidence as I've aged and in my 30's feel more beautiful than I ever have...silver hair, stretch marks and all.  I also realize I have the awkward middle school years to look forward to, the peer pressure of high school and the belief that they have to look a certain way or boys won't "like" them...because I've been there.  No matter what I say, they will still have those thoughts.  I can only hope that my example rubs off a little and the confidence I show in myself can show them how to see the beauty in their own bodies.  Being a parent is hard but being a parent to young girls who must face the cruel and harsh society we live in is excruciating just to think about.

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