Alright.... The kids are back to school and the control parents seemingly had during the summer about who their kids were seeing and interacting with is now completely gone. According to the news, our kids are back in school with bullies, drug seekers, kids having pre-teen sex, and just about all the bad influence nightmares a parent could have. We also know that adolescences is a hard time for kids to adjust to their growing, changing bodies -- especially for girls.
I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is there are ways a parent can help kids make it through this age without developing many of the body image issues that plague our society. The bad news is the help that is out there seems not very helpful when faced with the enormity and lifelong consequences for our beloved kids.
A leading psychologist gives the advice that we should help our kids fight the tendency to gain weight as a means of helping them with body image issues. The advice seems logical in the "well, duh!" kind of way.
But is that helping them deal with the real issue of liking who they are -- or are we merely keeping them in parameters that help them not become what they (or we) fear? Yes, I want kids to get more time playing and moving -- that is a healthy choice for all of us. But rather than weight, should we be teaching our children to focus on the choices that really matter in life? Like putting effort into their school work, working hard on the debate/soccer/yearbook activities they are involved in? And then helping them gain an appreciation for how much easier they can participate in debate/soccer/yearbook/etc when their bodies are healthy and well-fueled? Their (and our) lives are made better by a body that has been well cared for -- and with some teaching, those choices can seem obvious and easily made. And then, perhaps, body image wouldn't be such a big deal.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810025239.htm
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