The Dove Self-Esteem Weekend 2012 – Help A Girl Develop A Positive Relationship With Beauty

Dove is holding a nationwide rally this weekend to talk about beauty, confidence and self-esteem.

Please commit to talk to the girl in your life.  Self-esteem starts with a simple conversation and you can make the difference in a girl’s relationship with beauty.

With airbrushed magazine covers and television shows flashing picture perfect models there’s more pressure then ever for young girls to look absolutely ‘perfect’.

FACTS¹

• Over 70% of girls avoid certain activities because they feel bad about their looks.
• 20% won’t give an opinion.
• 25% won’t go to a social event, party or club
• 15% won’t go to the doctor.
• 16% won’t go to school

The fact plain and simple is mothers have the single most influence on their daughter’s lives.  Peer pressure is huge but a mom’s love and care sets precedence long before a little girl even sets foot in preschool.

Dove’s research showed that we, as mothers, can make a huge difference in protecting our daughters against negative cultural influences.  We’ve all heard the expression “children are sponges” and it’s true.  When we make comments about how fat our butts are (guilty!) or how we hate our hair, or how we need to lose 20 pounds this has a huge impact on our daughters.  Little girls even pick up on our body language.  We may shake our heads when we look in the mirror or frown when we put on a pair of jeans; these things are negatively impacting our daughters.

As a mom, grandmother, aunt or mentor, we have the ability to help a girl develop a positive relationship with beauty and it all starts with a conversa­tion.  These little chats can happen anywhere, anytime and can inspire a little girl to reach her full potential.  Take a moment to talk to a girl in your life about beauty, confidence and self-esteem. The key to doing this is to make the talk easy and honest.

Ask – The first step is to just ask a girl in your life about her relationship with beauty. Don’t simply as­sume you know or understand because you have experienced it too. Questions you can ask include:

• What makes you feel most beautiful?
• Do you feel beauty is a big source of pressure for your friends?
• What else do you want to ask/know/share about beauty?

Share – Share your own experiences.  Be open and honest, but remember young folks usually don’t like to hear “when I was your age”.

Listen – What responses did your questions elicit?  Are you hearing crickets chirp?  Don’t panic?   Try asking a question like this, “On a scale of 1-10 rate these moments based on how beautiful they make you feel”: Hanging out with friends, playing a sport you love, going on a hike, hearing a compliment from someone you respect… (This may be easier for a young girl to identify with).

Act – At the end of your talk follow up with ideas sparked from your discussion.

• Does she want to talk to her mom, mentor or friends about their relationship with beauty?
• Does she want to choose to look at images in the media differently?
• Does she want to write an e mail or blog post about her feelings?

Take a moment to talk to a girl in your life about beauty, confidence and self-esteem. For more information on how you can help a girl develop a positive relationship with beauty by simply having a conversation please visit Dove on Facebook and download your “Let’s Talk” guide http://bit.ly/DoveLetsTalk.

Many thanks to Dove for this Promotional Opportunity.
No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. I received a free product or sample from Dove. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

¹(‘Beyond stereotypes’, Dove Global study, 2005)