How children learn to love their bodies
Sarah is sad. The nine-year-old doesn't like her hair, thinks her stomach is too fat and her legs too short. She would like to be just as tall, slim and blonde-haired as her idol, Queen Elsa from the Walt Disney film «The Ice Queen». Sarah is not alone with her negative body image. A study by Health Promotion Switzerland shows that 59 per cent of girls between the ages of 13 and 16 are dissatisfied with their bodies and feel too fat. Among boys, 44 per cent are not satisfied and would like to be more muscular.
As many as 30 per cent of eleven-year-old girls and 20 per cent of boys of the same age consider themselves to be «a little or a lot too fat».
Children are also increasingly concerned with their appearance and body weight, as a HBSC study from Germany shows. Almost 30 per cent of eleven-year-old girls and around 20 per cent of boys of the same age consider themselves to be «a little or a lot too fat».
These figures are thought-provoking. With our body positivity tips, we show you how you as parents can help your child to feel really comfortable in their own skin.
Body Positivity,
English for body positivity, originally called for the abolition of unrealistic ideals of beauty and more social justice.
Numerous studies prove this: Those who do not conform to the current ideal of beauty, i.e. white, slim and standardised beauty, are discriminated against in professional and everyday life.
The movement from the USA, which has spread worldwide through social media, is fighting back against this. There are already over 10 million posts on Instagram under the hashtag Body Positivity.
(Image: Rawpixel)
1. do not criticise your own body
As parents, you play an important role model. What relationship do you have with your own body? What influences your satisfaction? Are nutrition or diets an ongoing issue for you? Model a positive relationship with your body for your child. Constant nagging will rub off.
2. marvel at what the body can do
It is often only after an illness or an accident that you realise how ingenious the body is and what it can do: breathe, think, digest, sleep, regenerate, hear, smell, taste, etc. So ask your child every now and then: What can your hands, feet, arms, legs do, what can your stomach, back, head do? Enjoy the variety of our movement possibilities together and regularly thank your body for them.
3. sensitise your child to their body signals
When am I hungry? At what moments do I eat more to satisfy my hunger and am I actually full? When am I tired and need a break? Is something weighing heavily on my stomach, for example the fear of a lecture? Is my head buzzing with thoughts? Help your child to recognise their own body signals and pay attention to them.
4 Don't talk badly about other bodies
«Look at this fat woman! Wow, this man has a great washboard stomach!» Words are powerful. Disparaging or judgemental remarks about the body shape of others seep into children's minds and continue to ferment there.
Talk to your children about photo editing, filters and other tricks that make people look seemingly perfect.
5. help you categorise fake images correctly
TV, internet, advertising: unrealistic ideals of beauty abound. Talk to your children about image editing, filters and other tricks that make people look seemingly perfect.
These influencers are committed to promoting a positive body image:
Anja Zeidler
Charlotte Weise
Milenka Emilia
6. be aware of the power of influencers
They have a greater influence on children than parents generally realise. What digital content does your child watch regularly? Which role models does it emulate? Show an interest in this and discuss it regularly with your child.
7. discover talents that have nothing to do with appearance
Is your child helpful, loyal, skilful, interested in sports or music? The more your child is encouraged in their abilities, the better their self-esteem will be protected from negative influences.
8. celebrate supposed flaws as trademarks
Let your imagination run wild and make up bombastic names with your child. Big noses become intergalactic sniffing trunks, freckles become sparkling starry skies, thin hair becomes telepathic fairy splendour, huge moles become universal tattoos or wide feet become Tarzan-strong hobbits. (Reading tip: Birthmark, scar, burn: I am different)
9. hug yourself daily
How often and in what way do you touch each other in your family? There are many ways to meet each other physically and lovingly in everyday life: hugging, kissing, walking hand in hand, leaning against the other person and resting your head on their shoulder, rubbing your heads together, whispering something sweet in their ear, patting them on the shoulder, stroking their head, joking around, cuddling, measuring strength (for example arm wrestling). What else can you think of?
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