Reflection: It is HARD, if not almost impossible, for girls (and women) to feel good about their unique bodies and body types with the barrage of “perfectly polished” images we see each and every day. We can’t avoid these images, as they are ubiquitous: in magazines, on the Internet, in movies, on TV, on billboards, in newspapers, and at bus stops…images of what we should look like are everywhere! And, when we see these edited and airbrushed images, we can simply feel not good enough and conclude we must change – we are not enough as we are.

The best we can do to help girls feel good about their bodies is to educate them about the media and the media’s purpose to make money from our not feeling “perfect” enough and wanting to be different (or to look like the models we see). We also need to teach girls to go inward and look at and appreciate their individual bodies, not outward to look at the bodies of others. The “comparison game” needs to stop. Finally, we need to coach girls to focus on their AMAZING bodies and all they can do and to see their bodies as something to respect, honour and accept; not punish, put down, or feel the need to change. Body image and feeling good about our bodies is an on-going challenge – and of utmost important to talk about with girls. (Excerpt from Raising Bold New Girls, 2015)

Here are some body image ideas to explore with girls:

• Girls are more than their bodies
• Teaching girls to befriend their bodies and focus on their body strengths
• Stopping the “comparison game”
• Positive self-talk
• Body language: positive and affirming comments only
• Learning to take a compliment
• Having body compassion
• Practicing self care
• True beauty – finding uniqueness
• Knowing there will be “good body days” and “bad body days”: they simply come and go