By Fiona Leikness
With all the luxuries of living in the digital age, there seems to be one particular burden that is hurting our children and teens more than anything else. So much exposure to altered or filtered images is taking its toll, specifically on teens. Feeling good about oneself, seeing the world as it really is, or being satisfied with one’s living situation has now become challenging if not impossible for many.
Comparison and huge feelings of insecurity are bombarding us and our kids, especially when it comes to their body image, so it’s imperative for you as a parent or guardian to promote a healthy body image in your kids throughout their younger years. Those formative years play a critical role in personal development, especially as teens. It’s essential to help them navigate their way through puberty and teach them how to appreciate and like their body as it is. But with a little assistance, you can help your teen avoid experiencing many of these negative feelings.
Here’s how:
Talk About Media Engagement & Online Activity
The technological advances in today’s society contribute a lot to the problems around body image and self-esteem. It’s important that you are open with your teen about the dangers of spending too much time on the Internet and.
Although you shouldn’t discourage the use of it entirely, you may want to consider talking to them about how they engage with the content found online and their online activity. Opening up the floor to have these types of discussions can make it easier for them to confide in you and protect them from common abuse in the digital age.
Encourage Self-Care Routines
Encouraging your teen to develop and practice daily self-care routines can be a tremendously beneficial step towards building . Building these routines early on will also help ensure that your teen will have lasting, healthy habits that he or she can keep throughout adulthood.
Some ideas for a new self-care routine might include:
- Washing his or her face each morning and evening
- This routine can help alleviate some acne problems that many teens face
- Laying out clothes to wear the next day
- Daily yoga or meditation
- Setting aside time each day to engage in a hobby
- Saying out loud at least one good thing about his or herself each day
Self-care doesn’t have to be something big and complicated. It can be as simple as washing your face each morning and evening. The time your teen spends caring for his or her body will help him to develop a more positive relationship with his body.
Set a Good Example
Lastly, be sure that you act as a role model for your teen and set the right example. Having an adult figure to look up to, such as yourself, will allow your child to see firsthand just how impactful it can be to limit time online and engage in self-care routines. Remember that seeing is believing, so if you aren’t demonstrating behaviors that you are teaching, then your teenager will be unlikely to either.
Empowering your children starts by evaluating the relationship you share with yourself and working to be the change you wish to see in them. If a positive body image is something you’ve had a difficult time dealing with in the past, communicate that with your teens. Tell them how you were feeling during that time, what you did to combat those feelings, and how you’ve worked to improve since then. Doing this will allow you to improve your relationship with your daughter or son and communicate more effectively.
Be sure to check out our book Conversations with My Kids: 30 Essential Family Discussions for the Digital Age for more discussions and information about this topic. For kids ages 6-12, your family may enjoy our other books, and
Fiona Leikness is an editor for Educate and Empower Kids and student at BYU-I. She is currently studying English with an emphasis on creative writing and editing.
