I have a confident, cheeky, happy eight-year-old daughter who beamed with pride as she stood in front of the whole school and demonstrated her spelling skills during her recent Year 4 assembly.
She’s growing up, changing, maturing and the teenage years are looming in front of us, approaching faster than I would like.
I don’t want to see that confidence undermined or eroded away. I don’t want her questioning her appearance, her size, her value in this world.
With the increasing number of advertisements targeting her as she grows older, I question how I can ever counteract the powerful messages they are sending out. Messages that are telling her she needs to be perfect when she’s exactly right as she is.
This video posted by Killers of Confidence looks at the messages being given out by the hundreds of advertisements that target young people and the effect they can have on their image and self-esteem.
Advertisements that tell girls they should be tall, skinny, tanned, pretty and rich. Advertisements that tell boys they should be tall, dark, handsome, tough, muscular and protective. Advertisements that promote perfection, as if it is achievable, as if it is the only thing that matters in life, as if our children need to change who they are and the people they are growing up to be.
The video is over a year old but the message is just as powerful, and just as necessary.
It takes confidence, determination, drive and a strong sense of self-belief to override these messages. It shouldn’t be that way. Let children be themselves and be whoever they want to be.
This post is inspired by Kat’s post: Dear So and So – Miss Respresentation.