We all want our children to feel good about themselves. The challenge is how to place emphasis on the right things so that our kids can spend their childhood having fun, not worrying about how they look, and so that they can grow into strong confident adults. And, by the way, this is not just about girls. It is well known that a growing percentage of boys develop eating disorders and other body image issues too. So we asked the experts what we can do as parents, and here are some tips from them:
Setting an example: This is perhaps the most important of them all. Rather than complaining about body shapes, it’s vital to learn to praise your own body for the amazing things it can do (such as carry a baby). Your child will internalise these healthy body messages and you’ll probably feel happier for it too!
Praise: Instead of telling kids how pretty or handsome they look, praise them for their achievements and qualities. This way, they will learn that they have value beyond their appearance. “You are beautiful, inside and out” is not just reserved for Caitlyn Jenner. “You are so healthy and strong” also works.
Food: Instead of dividing food into good/bad with respect to weight, a more useful division can be “sometimes” and “always” food. This can be used to explain why we eat some foods less often and in smaller quantities and why others are really useful and necessary for growth and development.
Exercise: Exercise is a great way to build positive body image when there is a focus on exercise as a way of being healthy and strong, rather than losing weight. It helps kids to be proud of what their body can achieve and gain confidence in their own abilities.
Media: No need to ban ALL Barbie episodes, but make a point of talking with your child about how people are portrayed in the media. This will help them grow up more aware and mindful that what they see on TV, in books and in magazines is not always “reality”.
Enter Lottie. Lottie is a doll that puts the focus back into what kids can ‘do’ rather than how they look. Lottie is a stargazer and a fossil hunter. She also rides horses and jumps in muddy puddles. The dolls, which are designed with a child’s proportions rather than an adult’s, were created to challenge negative body image concerns, premature sexualisation and the demise of childhood. She doesn’t wear make-up, high heels or jewellery. Instead, the focus is on empowering little girls to be who they want to be, and celebrating girlhood. Sounds pretty awesome, right? (For their full range, visit their website here)
*** COMPETITION (now closed) ***
We have five Lottie Dolls up for grabs – win one by commenting on this post to let us know how old your child is, and what they want to be when they grow up. Don’t forget to provide a valid email address so that we can contact you if you win! T&Cs apply.
My granddaughter is almost 4 and wants to be a Princess when she grows up lol x
tilly mae 6 wants to be an actress
My daughter is 4 and she wants to be a vet
Brilliant idea let children be young and free to learn play and grow into beautiful balanced adults with proper support
My daughter is 3years old and would love to be a cake baker when she grows up…though I think she really wants to be a cake taster 🙂
I have 5 and 3 year old girls, promoting positive body image and the emphasis on doing /being rather than looking a certain way is a no-brainer. Hurrah for Lottie dolls!
My son is 20 months old and I think he’ll either be a rugby player, an engineer or a pilot!
Yes! I absolutely love Lottie! Totally put all this into practice even when my inner critic tells me my ‘mummy tummy’ must be dealt with! My daughter is coming up for 4 and for a very long time wanted to be a christmas tree. Now she wants to be a unicorn. As long as she’s happy.
My daughter is nearly 3 and wants to be a doctor so she can wear her blue stethoscope and give people stickers from her book 🙂
My twins jayci an kaid 4 wants to be a policeman an a ballerina n babyG he’s 2 wants to be Mickey mouse xxx
Amy-Marie wants to be a ‘lion vet’ or a ‘police lady’ but also a mummy ❤️
Sorry, forgot to mention she is 6 years old!
My daughter Florence is 6 and wants to be a postwoman apparently.
My youngest grandaughter is 2 in September,and she wants to grow up to be a proper little madam
My grandaughter will be 2 in September and would like to grow up to be a proper little madam
My girl is almost 3, I loge the look of Lottie dolls but haven’t got her one yet. Too many to choose from. Would love to win one for her.
I’m not sure what she want to be. Probably a dinosaur she loves them lol
my daughter almost 3 she wants to be a princes
My Charlotte is only 6 months and I’m sure she’ll be a great addition to any profession she chooses.
My son William is 5 and wants to be a train driver and Daughter Ivy is 2 1/2 and tonight declared she will be a ballerina.
My daughter is 5 years old and she would like to be “an ice-skate ballerina on Mondays, a rock star on Tuesdays, an airloplane driver on Wednesdays, a doctor on Thursdays and an ice-skate ballerina again on Fridays.”
Pops aged 4 wants to be a power ranger and a mother
My daughter is 2.5 her current answer when asked ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ is FUN! But she does love playing emergency (after a recent trip to A&E) and fixing everything from itchy noses to missing apples :-/… I hope she always values FUN even when she’s 90 ;-).
Carys (age 5.5) wants to be a ballerina
My child is seven and wants to be a deep sea diver.
My daughter is 2 and a half, she’s doesn’t really know what she wants to be when she goes up, sometimes a dancer, sometimes a mummy, sometimes a builder, of course she can be all those things when she’s older if she wants.
My daughter is 3 and wants to be a snowman when she grows up!
Amy is 7 and used to want to be a Ballerina, but now would like to be a Fairy Doctor when she grows up.
My daughter, aged 8, wants to be a teacher (year 4) because she “likes children”.
My daughter who is almost 6 wants to be a palaeontologist or an archeologist, but also wants to have a go at everything else.
my 4 year old wants to be “a mystery solver – just like Daphne from Scooby Doo!”
My 2.5 year old daughter wants to be a writer or reader – that’s pretty much a daily activity at the moment!
I have a 3 year old niece who is crazy about animals, especially dogs! She’s too young to understand properly about jobs and careers but she does want to work with animals “all day” when she is older! I also have a 16 year old daughter who has Autism, who still loves to play with her dolls! She has wanted to be an RSPCA Inspector since she was tiny and has applied for a course at college to help her achieve this lifetime goal!
Our daughter Eilidh is 9 and would like to be a nature artist when she grows up.Her brother Andrew is 6 and isn’t sure yet what he would like to be.
My daughter is 3 and at the moment wants to be a midwife (to get out babies and clean up blood), an astronaught (because she wants to visit the stars and is upset she doesn’t have wings) and a mammy! She says she wants me to be a doctor when I grow up, obviously I’m not grown up enough yet in her eyes even though I’m a teacher!
My child is 8. She wants to be a fireman!
My daughter is 6, and she wants to be in the SAS 🙂
My niece is 6 and would like to be a Mummy when she’s older.
I have two daughters: 1 and 4! My oldest would like to be a veterinarian, while my youngest is happy to eat everything she can get her hands on.
Clara is 2 I don’t think she’s quite decided what she wants to be yet but with lottie as a role model maybe she’ll be inspired to be an astronaut or archaeologist!
My daughter is 4. She wants to be a pirate archaeologist. (I think they are both basically treasure hunters which sounds really fun). She has pirate and fossil Hunter Lottie. We love them.
I just read the terms. I’m Canadian so I can’t win. Good luck everyone. Lottie dolls are awesome.
My son is nearly 3 and he wants to be a builder.
My soon to be three year old daughter wants to be an astronaut princess dinosaur huntress.
My daughter Isabel is 7 and she wants to be an author when she grows up.
My daughter Ellie is 5 and a half . She recently said to me she would like to feed and put pandas to bed , so in adult terms I guess that’s a Zookeeper
My daughter is nearly one and I have yet to discover what she wants to be.
My daughter is 4 and when she grows up she wants to be “super, super fast”
My daughter is nearly six and loves Lottie. She also loves Barbie but I can’t bring myself to bring them in to the house – we do have conversations about body image, and the article is right, you don’t have to completely ban things. But I don’t want to ‘buy-in’ to that culture. I’d rather spend my money on businesses/ products that contribute positively to society.
My daughter is 4 and has always wanted to be a vet when she grows up. She also likes to flex her muscles like Popeye to show me how strong she is. She also knows about “sometimes foods”. They seem to be teaching her well at school.
My daughter is 3 and she said she would like to be a doctor to help poorly people.
My daughter Alba is four months old. She wants to stay curious and to keep being a healthy, happy and loving person, whatever her age.
My daughter is 5. She wants to be a doctor when she grow up. But, she’s also really into science and likes to use recycled materials for her “inventions”. I recently bought her the Lottie Robot doll for Christmas.
Miss 6 wanted to be a tree for an awfully long time. Don’t fret though, she’s matured – now she wants to be an ambulance driving mermaid.
My daughter is 4 and she wants to own a cake shop for animals!!!!!!!