Body Image and Little Girls (page 4)

Princess

And, yes, a loving supportive family can be important when a little girl is developing her self image. However, her peers are a thousand times more powerful and one negative comment can erase a thousand compliments from family.

Sadly, that is so true. I've had to work hard to convince her that the opinion of a jealous six year old girl shouldn't affect how she feels about herself. Just because Janie said it, doesn't make it true. I have been able to get it across to her that the thousands of compliments she gets from complete strangers should make her realize the girls are trying to make her feel bad and are jealous of something. Zoe loves to dress up. I buy her nice clothes because it's important to her and I can afford it. Some of the girls in school come from families that can't afford the clothes that Zoe has so they find ways to get back at her...chipping away at her self esteem seems to work. It's an ongoing battle. Her best friend is a 9 year old third grader and it seems to really help. They are on different levels so there is no competition between them.

teejay

However, her peers are a thousand times more powerful and one negative comment can erase a thousand compliments from family.

Don't know if I'd put a peer's level of influence at 1000 times that of the family, but it's strong... we all know that.

Just yesterday my daughter and I were playing a game with letters and numbers. She likes mental games like that and was having a ball. While she was trying to come up with an answer, I jokingly told her (as a way of challenging her) that she didn't know what the answer was. She *did* know?she'd been answering my questions just fine up till then?but when I told her she didn't, she burst into tears. I almost did, too, seeing her cry for the reason she did.

To make a long story short, the wife happened to be there and, after I gave J a little lesson in self-confidence, the wife asked her who at school told her she didn't know since at home she gets a heavy dose of "you're smart" and "we're proud of you." But from somewhere/somebody at school she had heard something that broke her confidence.

So yeah. Peers have a high level of influence. It takes vigilance to combat it.

SixofNine

Guess it's time for women to quit dogging men for being shallow then, eh wot?

StinkyPantz

Women are FAR more critical of each other than men are. That doesn't excuse shallow men though.

LittleToe

Six:

Guess it's time for women to quit dogging men for being shallow then, eh wot?

Shhh - quick! Extracate yerself from the thread!
Otherwise us guys wll be extracating you from the beach at low tide, with a seaweed necklace.

But while we're on the subject - suits YOU sir!!

SixofNine

Fine. So what does excuse shallow men then? FHM? Playboy? Shallow women? All of the above? ;-)

StinkyPantz

I have a kind of mean question to ask..

What if your (in general, not Princess') child IS overweight or unattractive or not too smart? How do you build their confidence up then?

SixofNine

My parents tied a steak bone around my neck, so at least the dogs would play with me.

LittleToe

Run Forrest, run!!!

StinkyPantz

Sixy-

Body Image and Little Girls

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