Bikini Season & Your Daughter’s Self-Esteeem
It’s bikini season. Summer always means there will be women (and young girls) wearing skimpy clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination. Dads, you know what is appropriate and what is not for your daughter. But you must know she is constantly bombarded with these images, both in real life and on television. The toll that perfect airbrushed, photo-shopped pictures have on a young girl’s self esteem have been well documented. Body dissatisfaction, depression, low-self esteem and unhealthy weight are all rampant among girls.
Here’s what you can do to help boost your daughter’s self esteem and remind her that bikini models aren’t the norm.
Give her physical affection. Hugs, pats on the back and kisses mean the world to your daughter. A daughter’s self-esteem is best predicted by her father’s physical affection.
Tell her that you love her. Not just on special occasions, but regularly. This might be easy when she’s a precocious five, but she needs to hear it even more when she’s a moody 15-year old. Why? Because when a daughter hears “I love you” from her father, she feels complete.
Be careful with your comments. If you comment on her weight, physical appearance or athletic abilities, she’ll focus on her “external self “and worry about retaining your love through her achievements and appearance. Admire her deep, intrinsic qualities. Don’t tell her “You’re beautiful and I love you.” Tell her you love her because there is no one else in the world like her.
2 Responses to “Bikini Season & Your Daughter’s Self-Esteeem”
Let’s not forget the effect that all these skimpy bikinis have on our young boys. When we go to the river for picnics and boating with extended family, we are surrounded by a “bikini parade” of teenage girl cousins and their tag along friends who are ages 13-18 (some very well endowed) and wearing bikinis from Victoria Secret that leave very little to the imagination. I don’t like for my 11 year old son to be around all this, but when I try to say something tactfully, I’m told I’m being a “prude.”
So young women (especially the ones with large breasts, you know because it’s totally their fault) should cover up because your son can’t help but be a normal heterosexual male and look at them? Way to blame the victim and repress your son.