Roslyn and I attended a baby shower over the summer. We sat next to this little old lady. We really enjoyed her company. She and Roslyn had some great conversations. Then food came out. Roslyn focused on nothing but getting my cookie! The woman made a comment that made me shudder. "She sure does love her food! Well, don't let her get used to that."
At what point did we start talking to BABIES about how to eat to protect their body image? When did it become okay to talk about limiting food for young girls? We have a body image problem in America. Boys and girls feel like they need to look like people who don't really exist -people who have been altered to such a state that it is not humanly possible to sustain life.
Boys and girls starve their bodies of vital nutrients. They destroy their teeth. Their organs shut down. They die before our very eyes. They are our brothers and sisters, our aunts and uncles, our mothers and fathers.
I will not tell my daughter how beautiful she is, or how her clothes make her pretty. I tell her how great her determination is and how she will need it when she needs to do hard things. I tell her how wonderful it is that she is so sure of herself and what she wants. I tell her how her confidence makes her shine. I tell her how much I love her kisses. I tell her what a great job she does at taking care of her babies. I applaud her ability to stick to her guns, and not let anyone change her mind (even though that part makes it really hard to parent).
