When we stand in front of a mirror, the first thoughts that come to mind are not always positive. But they should be.
That’s what British superstar Kate Winslet is teaching her 14 year-old daughter Mia.
While putting her body to good use in ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls,’ Winslet discussed her own body image issues, and the very simple thing she is doing to make sure her daughter doesn’t struggle the way she did.
“I was chubby, always had big feet, the wrong shoes, bad hair,” Winslet told Bear Grylls, according to Huffington Post.
“When I grew up, I never heard positive reinforcement about body image from any female in my life. I only heard negatives. That’s very damaging because then you’re programmed as a young woman to immediately scrutinize yourself and how you look.”
They way we look at and think about ourselves can be far more damaging that the way other look at us — and speaking positively about your own body isn’t something that is always so easy to do.
But if we want young people to admire themselves and understand themselves with confidence, it is so important to try.
So if you’re looking for a positive message to share with a daughter, sister or friend, take a leaf out of Kate Winslet’s book:
“I stand in front of the mirror and say to Mia, ‘We are so lucky we have a shape. We’re so lucky we’re curvy. We’re so lucky that we’ve got good bums.’ And she’ll say, ‘Mummy, I know, thank God.’ It’s paying off.”
Do you have a mantra or message to help improve your own confidence?
For more posts like this one, be sure to check out these:
When will her acting success be enough to stop us talking about Kate Winslet’s body?
The stunning body-positive campaign everyone is talking about.
Kate Winslet explains why she called her son ‘Bear Blaze.’
Victoria’s Secret ad sparks two very different body-positive campaigns.
Top Comments
I agree with the sentiment, but not the delivery. She's still focusing on image; not only that, a certain type of figure i.e. curves and bum = good. What if they were naturally lean and skinny/boyish? Why do we need to reinforce that a certain shape or size even matters? Saying "we're so lucky we have a shape" is just the anti-skinny argument. It's still very destructive,
I try not to discuss those things in front of my daughter and I encourage the women in her life not to either. Instead I try to say "gee I feel good after that walk" or "look at that swimmer, she must be so fit" etc. We talk about why we stay active and eat certain foods i.e. to be healthy and strong. To be curious, and kind. Image shouldn't come into it at all, in my eyes.