Who Do You Want Your Little Girl To Be?
By Inês Almeida (@GirlEmpowerment), the founder of 7Wonderlicous
In our society, the princess culture is well established and little girls are very much exposed to Snow White, Cinderella stories, Barbie dolls and pink products depicting the girlie girl culture.
Many parents call their girls “my princess”. Girls dream of being a princess and hearing it from mom and dad is sweet and wonderful.
Let me ask you a few questions. What kind of princess do you want your little girl to be? Do you want her to become a Snow White type, waiting for his prince to rescue her and live happily ever after… or a princess who can take care of herself, an achiever who can reach for the highest star in the sky? There lies the difference.
According to research, women make their decisions in life based on expectations set by parents, educators and the media at a very young age. Toys, TV commercials, ads, books, movies all conspire to objectify, sexualize and create false limitations of what a girl can be.
They portray unattainable images of flawless faces, full lips and perfect breasts; they showcase women and girls in pretty frilly dresses that do not allow them to move freely, their portrait shyness and passiveness as desirable qualities.
Do you want your little girl to be that kind of princess? Many women today are beauty conscious, they worry too much about their physical appearance, putting all kinds of make-up to look pretty, going on diet fads to the extent of starving themselves just to stay slim.
As parents, you are the number one inspiration and influence of your little girls.
Perhaps it is difficult to counter the messages spread by the media about women but no one is more powerful than you in molding your little one’s beliefs, moral values, personality, and principles in life. You can guide and influence her to become the best person she can be.
Your message, expectations, the activities, and teachings you impart to your little girl will define her character and decisions in the future as a woman. While she is young, provide her with the right message…
- All women are beautiful. Beauty is how you feel deep in your heart; it is not something physical.
- Explain that nothing is perfect or everything is perfect in nature. Set the trees as examples, they have different shapes, some are contorted, straight or bent in weird ways and yet they are beautiful. Women just like trees are beautiful in their own ways.
- Encourage her to eat healthy, be physically active and enjoy the outdoors.
- Participate in sports and be friendly and sociable.
- Be adventurous and explore the world.
- She can excel in science, technology and mathematics like anybody else.
- Tell her to believe in herself. She can fly high and reach for the highest star in the sky.
You can follow the conviction of one of the world’s most famous parent and a real princess…Princess Diana who once said…“I will fight for my children on any level so they can reach their potential as human beings and in their public duties.”
Inês Almeida (@GirlEmpowerment), the founder of 7Wonderlicous, an organisation that focuses on overturning the gender stereotypes that make girls obsess with body image, keep them from taking leadership roles, limit their interests in sciences and math and cause them to feel self-aware when playing sports. Inês and her 7Wonderlicous tribe raise awareness, promote education and create great empowering products for girls. Find her on Twitter or Facebook; read more of her blog posts here.
Related links:
30 Amazing Online Resources To Help Empower Girls
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