I grew up in the era where skinny cheerleaders were the envy of the girl’s, and the eye of the boy’s. Where ‘grunge’ was not an acceptable class, let alone bookworms or ‘nerds.’ I struggled to find myself during this time – I was athletic, but I wasn’t built to be a cheerleader. No matter how many meals I skipped, or sports I played I was never considered ‘skinny’. I never realized how beautiful I was, just the way I was. Not until many years later do I look back and wonder why I was so unhappy with myself. I was trying to fit into a mold that wasn’t made for me. It wasn’t made for anyone.
As my oldest daughter hits Junior High I start to worry. I worry that she might start to feel the way I did, worrying about her body image, worrying she isn’t beautiful enough. Though she is strong and confident, sometimes those things are the best ways to hide behind feeling insecure.
Did You Know?*
Among high school students, 44 percent of girls and 15 percent of guys are attempting to lose weight.
Over 70 percent of girls age 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities, such as attending school, when they feel bad about their looks.
75 percent of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating. This compares to 25 percent of girls with high self-esteem.
Teen girls that have a negative view of themselves are four times more likely to take part in activities with boys that they’ve ended up regretting later.
7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.
The top wish among all teen girls is for their parents to communicate better with them. This includes frequent and more open conversations.
(Facts about Teen found at dosomething.org)
That is why I am soo excited to hear that Dove & Kroger have teamed up for the Self-Esteem Project.
Encouraging girl’s to embrace their unique beauty and talents, the Dove Self-Esteem Toolkit gives you personalized activities to help your girl (or girl’s) to love what they see. Join the #GirlsUnstoppable conversation online, and make a difference!
“Each time you buy Dove® at Kroger, your purchase helps provide self-esteem programs for girls across the country. Dove® has reached more than 11 million girls so far, and with your help, they can reach their target of 15 million by 2015. Together, with your contribution, we can make all girls unstoppable!”
Enter to win $15 of Dove products!
