A couple of days ago, Ballerina came up to me with magazine in hand and pointed to a small picture of a little girl, smiling.
She said, "Mom, I wish I was as pretty as she is. She has a beautiful necklace. I wish I was pretty like her and had a beautiful necklace." So I took a look at this girl and she couldn't hold a candle to my Ballerina (honestly). And I said, "Oh, you are prettier than she is." But Ballerina just shook her head and insisted that this girl was so pretty and she wished she looked like her. I couldn't figure out if it was the necklace that made her think she was beautiful or what. I told her that Heavenly Father gave her one face and that she is going to have to learn to like it because it's the only one she'll ever get and I think it's beautiful. Not sure if I should have handled it that way or not, but it looks like I need to get ready for all sorts of hard questions and topics. I just hope I can have the Spirit there to guide me in my responses so I can say what will best help my kids with whatever arises. Isn't she a little young to be thinking this way?
4 comments:
Sigh. I don't know. I'm afraid that with modern media, EVERYthing is starting a little young these days.
This breaks my heart! How in the world does it get inside our heads so young? That's just crazy. Be sure to tell Ballerina that we all see pictures of her all the time and think she is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!
If that is the magazine girl that Ballerina is 'comparing' herself too you are right it's not even a question how much cuter Ballerina is. That is hard to hear since she is so young! I did a good job of putting myself down and being super hard on myself (something I still struggel with...)but my mom use to put it into perspective that I am a daughter of God and He made me and when I say negative things about myself that I make Him sad. I think you handeled it fine. Goof luck! You can tell her that aunti Jeana thinks she is beautiful and much more so than the other girl.
Wow that's so sad!
Ballerina is very very beautiful. There is no doubt about that.
I wonder about teaching the balance between understanding how beautiful they are and that beauty is not skin deep.
Have you seen the Dove campaign? It's really sweet.
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