Do I look skinny today?
I’m heartbroken while writing this….
Heartbroken because, that’s what my 5 year old asked me the other day. 5 years old. Let that sink in for a second. She’s 5 years old and is already concerned with her body image.
When she asked me that question, I responded with, ‘What makes you ask that sweet heart?’ She quickly changed the subject and let it go. Later on that evening I was tucking her into bed and brought the subject up again. When I did, she told me she didn’t want to talk about it. I responded with she isn’t in trouble, I just want to know where she heard it, and if someone said something to her. She started crying and told me she didn’t want to talk about it. After much prodding I finally got it out of her…
She told me about a conversation between her mother and her brother. Noah said his muscles were big, and flexed and she said her muscles weren’t as big, so she was jealous of his muscles and how they were bigger. I promptly told her that she shouldn’t be jealous of anyone’s body. She doesn’t need to worry about that. She is very strong, and sometimes girl’s muscles aren’t as big as boys and that’s ok, that’s just how girls are built. I also told her that there are many people who are very strong just like her that don’t have huge muscles. I told her that it’s important that she’s strong, and that she loves people, because her heart is what matters most.
Then I told her how strong she was. I watched her do gymnastics that morning, and she was holding her legs in a V. I told her how impressed I was with that, and that I can’t even do that, and I have big muscles. Then I showed her that I can’t do that very good. I told her how proud I was of her and how awesome she does in gymnastics, and how strong she is.
Then lastly, and I think it’s the most important of all. I told her that I think she’s beautiful, and that I love her, and that I will always think she’s beautiful and that I will always love her. I also told her, that I think she’s beautiful not just on the outside, but I think she’s beautiful because of her heart, and how she cares so much for people, and how she’s so smart, and how she’s such a great reader, and how strong she is. Those are the things that make her beautiful. She doesn’t need to stress about her muscles because she’s an amazing person.
It breaks my heart that I have to do that. I breaks my heart, that little girls are subjected to body image issues from the time they are little on. Many people when they first meet Layla, tell her how beautiful she is. I love the compliments, and I know they are just trying to compliment her, but are we sending the right message? Do we want our kids putting so much stock into how they look? I want to focus on what type of person she is. Where is her heart, and does she love people? That’s where the real beauty lies.
I know body image issues exist. I know we all care about our bodies, that’s most of the reasons that people come to see us. We believe in helping people reach their goals, but from a different perspective. WE want to create the healthiest person possible. WE focus on the whole person. WE focus on speaking life, and love into you, to help bridge that gap between the person you are now, and the person we know you can become, not only in looks but in strength, health, and heart.
That’s what we’re about, and I think that’s where we need to focus with our kids. Let’s start them young focused on strength, health, and heart, and I think the self image issues will take care of themselves.
If you’re not a client of mine, I’d love to speak with you about the person you can become. Give me a call 901-388-9979 and let’s talk about how we can make that happen.
Strength:
HH Clean and Jerk
Met Con:
“Nicole”
400m run
As many pullups as you can you do without coming off the bar
AMRAP 20 minutes
Score is total rounds and number of pull ups each round