5 Ways To Encourage Your Children To Love Their Skin
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Having a child is not the tough part, raising them is. They are exposed to the world and its views, and as parents, it is up to you to make sure they adopt the right morals. In a society where colorism is deeply ingrained, it’s hard to shield your children from the discrimination that prevails. Your kids watch movies, read books, listen to songs and engage in conversation with people who might give them the idea that there is only one kind of beauty in the world. For generations now, society has believed that fair skin is the gold standard of beauty. People with dark skin face discrimination and are considered inferior. Although things are changing now, this deep-seated notion that skin color determines one’s beauty takes a toll on one’s self-esteem.
We live in a world that feeds into our insecurities. Industries make money from trying to change people in the pretense of making them “better”, and children, teens, and young people fall prey to the idea that they are not enough. It’s hard to live in a world where there is constant comparison, and physical beauty seems way more important than inner beauty. But as parents, you can help your children learn that skin color does not determine their beauty and each person is beautiful just the way they are. Here are 5 ways to encourage your children to be comfortable in their skin:
1. Be An Inspiration
Parents are a child’s first teachers. They instill moral values in their children and influence their perception of the world. Your kids look up to you and follow what you do. They believe in what you do and will probably look at the world the same way you do. Their little eyes are always watching you. Therefore, ensure that you model the behavior you want your children to see. Inspire them to be good human beings and teach them the importance of inner beauty.
2. Make Them Familiar With Diversity
The world is a diverse place. Expose your children to different cultures, races, and religions, so they learn to respect and appreciate others who are not like them. Make your children understand that they are beautiful, whether they are dark-skinned or light-skinned. Show them powerful and influential members of society from different walks of life and teach them that one’s background or appearance does not determine their character or beauty.
3. Teach Them A Skin Care Routine
Taking care of your skin is essential, irrespective of what the color of your skin is. Establish a skin care routine with your children. Start young and make sure they don’t neglect their skin, hygiene, and health because they do not fit society’s beauty standards. Talk to them about how beautiful their skin tone is and how they have to care for it so it’ll remain healthy. You can even go shopping together and pick up things that help your skin shine and stay supple.
4. Have Open Conversations
You might want to shield your kids from colorism and discrimination, but that does not mean that they won’t be exposed to them from outside your home. Therefore, have open conversations with them about the realities of the world. Teach them right from wrong and remind them that if someone makes a derogatory comment on their skin color, they have no reason to be ashamed. It reflects poorly on the person’s character and not your children’s appearance.
5. Teach Them Not To Judge Themselves
With social media taking over the world, it’s easy to compare yourself with others and judge yourself. Telling yourself that you’re not good enough makes you lose self-confidence and self-esteem. Teach your kids not to compare themselves with others and accept themselves for who they are, including their flaws and shortcomings. Teach them to appreciate their best qualities and work on becoming better versions of themselves.
There are some difficult conversations that you might want to avoid with your kids. But shying away from them will probably make matters worse. Therefore, it’s best to talk to them when they are young and teach them how to love and accept themselves. What are your thoughts on this article? Comment below and let us know.
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