My 7 Year Old Daughter is Chubby. How Can I Help My Young Daughter Her Like Her Body? Learn How to Promote Body Positivity in Girls

For me, this is a loaded question. I have so many questions to ask right back: Why do you think she won't like her body? Why does she already dislike her body? What messages have you been giving her about her body? Why do you think being chubby is connected with your daughter liking her body? Let's talk about how to promote body positivity in young girls.

I think that parents are aware of society's body ideals. Many parents also have memories of their own childhood experiences involving their body, such as being bullied about their body or their parents commenting negatively about their body. Parents want their girls to be happy in their bodies, and they want to promote body positivity.

Promoting Body Positivity in Young Girls

The first step in promoting body positivity in young girls is to be very aware of your own beliefs. If your default assumption is that your chubby daughter will not like her body, it is likely due to your own feelings about chubby bodies. Confronting those beliefs is not a quick solution, but a constant work. It takes consistent cognitive effort to create new ideas in your mind about what is beautiful.

The next step is to talk the talk. Speak to your daughter as if you believe she is beautiful. She should frequently hear from you that she is beautiful, adorable, pretty, or whatever synonyms you prefer to use. There are many influences in your child's life, but as a parent, yours is the most constant and can be the most consistently positive.

While you are giving her positive messages, be attentive to what other messages she is getting. Know that you can, sometimes, shelter her from negative body influences. Check out the media she consumes. As she gets older, you will have less ability to limit negative voices from friends and media, but do it while you can. Let her know what your family values and what you believe about her body.

Remember, it is not only how you speak about her body that matters when you are trying to promote body positivity in your girls. How you talk about your own body also influences her. Notice if you use negative words to describe changes in your own body. Consider how you relate to your own weight, shape, and size. Confronting your own body ideals earlier on can prepare you to raise a daughter who loves her own body.

With more awareness, parents can be ready to promote body positivity in their girls and raise daughters who know they are beautiful. Know what you can do as a parent, and use your influence!