I want to ask you to take a bold swimsuit challenge with me.
It’s summer and it’s swimsuit season and I am sick of hearing myself talk smack about my own beautiful body every time I slip on that little black swimming suit. Sick of it. I’m sick of other people complaining about their bodies. I’m sick of hearing everyone enumerate all their many flaws.
I’m raising daughters and I want them to love their bodies. I get angry at the way media portrays physical “perfection” and insinuates that anything less than a photo-shopped super babe is unacceptable.
For almost 30 years, I’ve been complaining about my body’s flaws and it needs to stop if I want my girls to have a fighting chance at loving their own bodies. I frequently look back at old pictures of myself 2, 5, 10 years ago and think how great I looked and then remember that at the time I thought I was a tub of lard.
Yesterday Laylee was in a bathing suit and she said, “I like my body. I like being skinny.”
I looked her in the eyes and said, “I’m so glad. I love my body too. All the little wrinkles and parts show the journey I’ve been on in my life. I think my body is beautiful.” She seemed surprised because I’ve so often talked about the weight I want to lose and the improvements I want to make.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah. Really. I’m grateful for this body.”
She told me she loved my body too and I decided that if I really want her and Wanda to grow up loving who they are, then I’ve got to stop putting myself down and start trying to really feel the love for myself and be confident.
Please commit with me this summer to not flinch, cringe, make faces or put down your body verbally when wearing a swimsuit. Wear it with pride. Have fun in the water with your kids. Remember that the people who you have fun with are not the ones constantly ripping on themselves. The obviously fat people are the ones constantly tugging and covering up and talking about how fat they are. Don’t be that person. Get your confidence on.
Leave a comment if you’re ready to join me in the swimsuit revolution.
Wonderful post. That was a sweet moment with Laylee.
I have to say, this is exactly what I’ve been thinking lately. I don’t have any children, but I recently took a trip to Mexico and had a number of cousins there – and I realized, I had so much fun with them without once even noticing what my body looked like. Love the inspiration and it’s so true, the more self-confident you are, the more beautiful you appear.
Great post! I love it! As a man, this is dangerous grounds for me to post. I love my wife’s body but she doesn’t see it the same way I do and it kills me!
Love this post. Agree totally and appreciate the reminder. I want my daughter to love herself and her body, too. Trying to do a better job with this also. Great post!
I know this post is over a month old now but it has been on my mind all summer. Dang girl you walloped me flat on my hind-side with your words of wisdom. Thanks for the smack up the side of the noggin to help me realize that putting myself down in front of my girls helps perpetuate a cycle of low self-esteem in them. I’m already seeing it. Hopefully it’s not too late to start some self-Lovin’.