Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Changing the focus on appearance one little girl at a time

I came across an article shared by some friends (credit: Emily, Ange, and Jackie) on Facebook yesterday that struck a chord. How to Talk to Little Girls by Lisa Bloom is an article about changing the way women see themselves one conversation at a time by changing the way we talk to the little girls in our lives. Being an Auntie of 3 nieces (soon to be 6 after I'm married), and um, being a girl myself, this article really hit home for me.

Bloom says that by complimenting a girl's appearance before her intellect, we are "teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice.." and that "looks are more important than anything." As I read through her article, I sheepishly recalled the thousands of times I greeted my nieces with "You look so beautiful!"/"Look at that gorgeous hair!"/"I love this outfit!"/"Are you the cutest thing ever or what?" Sigh. It's hard not to oogle over their beauty, but their minds are just as amazing and easy to compliment. Time to make a change.

Read the article.

It's just so true. Let's take a cue or two from Ms. Bloom and start inspiring the little girls in our lives to grow up as confident, capable, world-changing women. Hopefully the popular media will follow our lead.

What's your take on this? We'd love to hear your comments.

Lisa Bloom is on Twitter and Facebook.
Posted by Stephanie Ferrari, MS, RD at 5:34 AM
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 14, 2011 at 6:41 PM

    What a great article to pass along! I think this concept should be applied across the age spectrum. It seems that at virtually every stage of life, not just childhood, the emphasis on appearance is rampant. I don't remember ever caring about my appearance until the end of junior high. I was a huge tom boy and I based "success" off of being athletic and beating the boys at every sport on the playground. However, as soon as high school rolled around the amount of attention placed on beauty suddenly skyrocketed and I felt completely out of the running next to my classmates with super model looks! I wish the world were not so hung up on outward appearances. It truly breaks my heart to read about young girls feeling the need to wear make up, teenagers receiving boob jobs as high school graduation presents, etc. Thank you for discussing this article, and I will certainly be more cautious in the compliments I give out to my two young cousins and any children I interact with!

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  2. Stephanie Ferrari, MS, RDDecember 27, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Thank you so much! After living in a society where appearance is on the forefront, it will likely be an adjustment for all to change this behavior. But it's all about taking the first step toward something you believe in, right? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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