Helping Your Child to Have a Healthy Body Image

By Maureen Amberg

One of the more difficult, yet hidden things that our children tend to deal with is a problem with their own self-image. This is largely due to the fact that the media is constantly portraying people as being healthy when their body is overweight, or otherwise less than perfect. That positive picture image is perhaps unreasonable for most people to attain. It is also, in many cases, due to the parents own lack of self-confidence in the way that they look. Did you know that children as young as 4 years old are now concerned with how their bodies look? Those young children will actually alter their diet or exercise to improve how they look.

This problem is often accelerated as a child reaches their teenage years. It goes beyond simply wanting to have the perfect body image, there are times when serious problems can occur and manifest themselves in the form of issues such as anorexia and bulimia. If you would like to be able to help your children to deal with these issues successfully, it really starts with the things that you are doing at home.

From a young age, you should foster a desire for a healthy lifestyle in your children, not unreasonable goals as to their body shape. Each of us are individuals, and your children need to feel comfortable with the individual that they are becoming. This can be done through complimenting them on the way that they look, on a regular basis, as well as being a role model for the type of confidence that you would like them to exude.

Doing this can help you to counterbalance any difficulties that they may be experiencing or pressures that they have from outside sources. When you do it correctly and consistently, you not only give your child the confidence that they need now, but you have helped them to have that confidence for the rest of their lives.

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Description

One of the more difficult, often hidden, issues that our children have to deal with is their own self-image, or body image. Is the media partially to blame?
Young people's self esteem is vital.

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About the Author (text)

Maureen Amberg is an author,entrepreneur and childrens advocate with emphasis on the self esteem and self confidence of children. There are many "secrets" to raising great kids.
http://www.KidsEdgeOnSelfEsteem.com

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About the Author (HTML)

Maureen Amberg has many "secrets to raising great kids.

target="_blank">http://www.KidsEdgeOnSelfEsteem.com