Before I ever became a mom, I made a promise to myself — I swore that I would do my best to never speak about my body in a negative way in front of my children. I imagined having a daughter, and thought about how important it would be to me to teach her to value herself and have a healthy view of her body. Growing up in the ’90s felt like a volatile time for body positivity, and the messages I received throughout my childhood and teenage years have stayed with me to this day — no matter how hard I fight against them.
As it turns out, I never had a daughter
It can be challenging
Because I continue to suffer from depression, self-critical thoughts tend to be a regular occurrence in my head but I never want my children to live their adult lives with these invasive thoughts, so I’m doing my best to combat these thoughts in myself, accept any compliments given to me, and speak kindly about myself and others.
What’s become clear to me is that body positivity isn’t only important for girls — if we really want to change the old narratives around food and weight, boys need to be included in the conversation too. And that starts with us.
