As I dressed my niece's Barbie dolls on Thanksgiving and watched her match shoes and purses to outfits, I was glad that I had congratulated her on her good report card that day. I want her to know that being a girl or woman is about more than just matching shoes to outfits.
The pressure on young girls today is worse than when I was growing up. Chatty, confident girls begin to doubt themselves when they start to compare themselves to the perfect images so prevalent in our culture. The message they're getting is that how a girl or woman looks is more important than anything else. The problem with this is that it doesn't take into account a girl's talents or smarts. As adults, we need to encourage our daughters and nieces to pay attention to their whole selves, not just their nail polish and shoes.
I'm happy to say that I have many nieces who are smart and talented. They get good grades, play instruments, sing, dance and play sports. My wish for them is that they will never judge themselves solely by how they look, cute as they may be. I want them to see the same accomplished and talented girls that I see, and to be proud of who they are, inside and out.
Hi Jane; Just wanted to let you know that I will be forwarding this one to my daughter and to all the other wonderful nieces that we share. It is truly an important message for all of them and for everyone else, too. Thanks for being such a great Auntie.
ReplyDeleteJane, rest assured that you're doing more than your part in this, by setting an example of that kind of woman. Kids don't really care what we say, but they watch closely what we do and how we behave. In that regard, they're certainly learning from you.
ReplyDeleteLinda, John,
ReplyDeleteA warm thank you to both of you.