Super Bowl Watchers~ Did you Just see the DOVE Commercial??

[dori30]

I still have tears streaming down my face!

Having two little girls, who are not yet past that magical age where becoming self-conscious and body-image crazy has begun, that commercial really struck a cord in me. I desperately, desperately want to help my girls have positive body images through all of the stages of their lives. Some of the things we are doing as a family are:

~No tv (well, we DO have one, because I just saw the Dove commercial! ) but it is in the basement and we only get three channels (and two of them are fuzzy). We get dvds from the library and only watch them on Friday night movie nights (really there is no other time during the week anyway!)

~We ski all together as a family each winter season and we kayak all together as a family all summer long (dh is a teacher). I run every morning and am always careful to respond to their questions about why I do it everyday with comments about how it makes me STRONG, mentally and physically (and NOT because mommy has a terrible body image she is trying to cure).

~ We NEVER make the girls finish their plates or drink all of their milk or whatever before they leave the table. We have always given them the answer when they ask, "can I be done?" that they should be done if they feel done. We are hoping to plant that seed early, to get them in tuned with how it feels to be full.

~We are starting a mother-daughter reading club in the fall. I have read about how a local group of mothers began a similar book club at my oldest daughter's age (she is 9) and they STILL meet regularly and all of the girls are graduating high school this year. What a great way to talk about issues that are important to girls in a non-threatening way (discussing the book characters with similar issues seems to pave the way for opening up the discussions at home about the girls' own lives).

Am I paranoid? Gosh I don't think so but I am determined NOT to let the scale or acne or some careless comment from a family friend dictate the way my girls feel about themselves for the rest of their lives. I guess the post this weekend about "what did you eat as a child" really got me thinking about all of this. What things do I want to do differently for my girls, then my (well-meaning and loving) parents did for me...?

I would love to hear other's ideas about what they are doing to help their own sons/daughters have healthy and positive body images and self-esteem.

dori

[sugarless4life]

LOVED the commercial. Its about time people looked for the REAL BEAUTY and not the superficial!!

Betty

[tresbonne]

I saw this commercial and have already looked at the website. www.campaignforrealbeauty.com
You can replay the commercial there.
I would also recommend the book: A Waist is a Terrible Thing to Mind by Phillips, Conheim and Forester. ISBN 0-9679576-0-5

There is a lot of this going on and that no matter how much we may protect our children, many inputs will effect them, such as school friends.
Even down to the little cruelties of who lets who sit with them at lunch and the reasons why.
Even if they grow up, having never directly heard "bad things", hearing something in college or from their first boyfriend may send them into a tailspin. They need "tools" on how to to deal with these instances.
I had a great foundation at home, but my toughest years were not the years I spent at home...it was the year getting ready to leave home and the first few years out of home.

[elyseelyse]

Originally Posted by dori30

I still have tears streaming down my face!

Having two little girls, who are not yet past that magical age where becoming self-conscious and body-image crazy has begun, that commercial really struck a cord in me. I desperately, desperately want to help my girls have positive body images through all of the stages of their lives. Some of the things we are doing as a family are:

~No tv (well, we DO have one, because I just saw the Dove commercial! ) but it is in the basement and we only get three channels (and two of them are fuzzy). We get dvds from the library and only watch them on Friday night movie nights (really there is no other time during the week anyway!)

~We ski all together as a family each winter season and we kayak all together as a family all summer long (dh is a teacher). I run every morning and am always careful to respond to their questions about why I do it everyday with comments about how it makes me STRONG, mentally and physically (and NOT because mommy has a terrible body image she is trying to cure).

~ We NEVER make the girls finish their plates or drink all of their milk or whatever before they leave the table. We have always given them the answer when they ask, "can I be done?" that they should be done if they feel done. We are hoping to plant that seed early, to get them in tuned with how it feels to be full.

~We are starting a mother-daughter reading club in the fall. I have read about how a local group of mothers began a similar book club at my oldest daughter's age (she is 9) and they STILL meet regularly and all of the girls are graduating high school this year. What a great way to talk about issues that are important to girls in a non-threatening way (discussing the book characters with similar issues seems to pave the way for opening up the discussions at home about the girls' own lives).

Am I paranoid? Gosh I don't think so but I am determined NOT to let the scale or acne or some careless comment from a family friend dictate the way my girls feel about themselves for the rest of their lives. I guess the post this weekend about "what did you eat as a child" really got me thinking about all of this. What things do I want to do differently for my girls, then my (well-meaning and loving) parents did for me...?

I would love to hear other's ideas about what they are doing to help their own sons/daughters have healthy and positive body images and self-esteem.

dori

Sounds like you are a wonderful mom to your two girls. I have 2 girls as well. My 5 year old is on a Mite co-ed Ice hockey team. And, my two year old can already swim on her front and back w/o only a small YMCA float devise on for balance.

[LowCarbRachel]

My daughter is 7. We talk about eating when hungry and stopping when full. This is my big one right now. She's even started saying, "I think I'm at about a six...I'm done." There is no "diet" mentality. I just want to foster an awareness of listening to our hunger signals.

We talk about what's in food and drinks. She decided on her own to ask for water at restaurants, even when the server is pushing her to order a diet drink or a soda. However, we also talk about balance and how if we're going to have a treat, we might want to have it with some protein. She's still a pretty picky eater but she often asks to try what I'm having at a restaurant.

We talk about how being active feels good and makes us healthy. And all of these sorts of things. I am so not perfect, but I know my daughter observes every single thing that I do, and I want to be a good role model for her by sharing what I think are the three keys to successful balance in terms of weight loss: eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, eat mostly wholesome foods, be active.

I hope these messages will play into her teen years. I know I can never stop talking about these sorts of healthy behaviors with her, though.

Rachel

[Caly1]

I really loved that commercial. I was surprised that they aired it during the superbowl, kinda geared more toward the female audience. But it was really good.

[dori30]

Originally Posted by LowCarbRachel

We talk about how being active feels good and makes us healthy. And all of these sorts of things. I am so not perfect, but I know my daughter observes every single thing that I do, and I want to be a good role model for her by sharing what I think are the three keys to successful balance in terms of weight loss: eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, eat mostly wholesome foods, be active.

I hope these messages will play into her teen years. I know I can never stop talking about these sorts of healthy behaviors with her, though.

Rachel

Rachel~ You make such an important point! It is amazing what they are absorbing when we look into a mirror and smile (or grimace) without even saying any words. We are always teaching and that is where this gets so hard!

I also like what tresbonne said about giving girls the tools to fight the senseless comments/images/pressures. I realize that I only have so much influence on my girls- I plan to take full advantage of the time I do have to plant seeds of healthy self-esteem and body image but I am so discouraged at the thought that what a friend (who might be friendly or mean to my daughters... for whatever reason) will have far greater influence at some point in their lives. I guess it is those tools I am looking for the most.

dori

[sugarless4life]

Originally Posted by Caly1

I really loved that commercial. I was surprised that they aired it during the superbowl, kinda geared more toward the female audience. But it was really good.

Yeah, that's what I thought and then I said to myself "HOORAY, FINALLY A COMMERCIAL WITHOUT BUDLIGHT IN IT!"

[Belle9]

Sure, they may wander astray in their teens and twenties, but they will have the great foundation you are giving them to fall back on. Without that, it is so difficult to form their own healthy values, identities, etc.

I will try to do all I can do as a teacher (still in training for that) to be the best possible influence on the students. I do not have the highest hopes though since I probably will be teaching high school! Did any one of you have a teacher you remember from high school? Or was it ALL about your friends?

And, no, I did not see the Dove commercial. I only just now tuned in to the game, lol, but I can guess at the gist of it. This is wonderful, and you know what, I hope a lot of men watched it too.

[robinhood]

That is a really good idea limiting your daughters tv usage,That is what I have done with my 2 boys.I really have become more aware of things concerning their views of themselves.Even when I take them shopping for clothing I used to always buy them the name brand everything,But now I let them pick out their clothes and I make sure we go to different stores.
My boys do not seem to care what they wear and they love the cheap shoes at payless with the cartoon guys on them.So I save money and I have taught them to wear what they like and not try to impress people. So now they have x-tra money in the bank that mommy did not waste on " fashion'

[doodles]

That was a beautiful commercial. If I didn't already buy Dove regularly I would now.

[LoriWants2Lose]

The commercial made me cry, but everything does LOL Will definitely make more of a point of supporting Dove products. We buy a few but could purchase more.

Lori

[Caly1]

Originally Posted by LoriWants2Lose

The commercial made me cry, but everything does LOL Will definitely make more of a point of supporting Dove products. We buy a few but could purchase more.

Lori

Dang, that is some gooood advertisemnt! Who ever thought of those ads should be getting the executive office. . I just bought 3 more dove products at wally world earlier

[angela233]

Dori,

I love that commercial. My daughter is 10 - I'd love to start a mother-daughter book club with her and friends, do you have any suggestions of books or any other ideas?

thank you

angela

[Jennyl]

I never saw the commercial. But I have tried to be aware of what I say and do with my daughters. I have had a weight problem for a while now but I never put myself down in front of my girls....I never say that I hate being fat...even if I think it I never say it out loud to them. I never buy magazines and apart from the occasional teen hearthrob magazine my kids have never asked for them, except for national geographic. I keep healthy foods around as well as treat foods. My girls are 13 and 14 now and very active and healthy...I hope I did something right

[dori30]

Originally Posted by angela233

Dori,scholastic

I love that commercial. My daughter is 10 - I'd love to start a mother-daughter book club with her and friends, do you have any suggestions of books or any other ideas?

thank you

angela

Sorry Angela! I had no idea this got moved here. If you go to the Scholastic website, you can get lots of great info on starting your own mother daughter book club. We are going to start with the "Dear America" series (fantastic books!). I am not sure if I can post this here or not?? Here is where they give great ideas for starting a club scholastic

Let me know if you still have questions after you visit this site. Good luck!

dori