No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't.
Marilyn Monroe
I now have a little girl and I am torn. I tell her every day that she is pretty and she just eats it up. When I tell her that she’s such a pretty little girl she does this adorable thing where she smiles and her head turns sideways a little bit, almost like she’s trying to be modest while lapping up the compliment. Then again she isn’t even two months old, so it could just be poor neck control.
Yet, I’m unsure if I should tell her she’s pretty so much. I worry about instilling in her the idea that her value is in her physical beauty (which is substantial.) I also tell her how strong she is, how smart she is. I have no qualms about those, but the pretty I feel like I’m walking a fine line. I didn’t have this dilemma with my sons. I told them they were cute, handsome, smart, and strong. I still do. Yet with her I worry about putting too much emphasis on pretty.
I think it is understandable though. In our culture today there is so much emphasis on a woman’s physical beauty. Girls are bombarded with pictures of attractive women professionally made to look as perfect as possible with makeup, posing, and air brushing. It distorts the bar for true beauty. Even famous beautiful women (truly beautiful women) are mocked if they are captured on film lacking make up and beautiful clothing. We’ve been conditioned that real beautiful women wear professionally done make up and evening gowns all the time.
Inner beauty is widely ignored, which is sad. Inner beauty is what makes a woman truly beautiful. A wonderful personality, spirit, and soul makes or breaks a woman. The most beautiful super model is ugly without it. Even the plainest woman is endeared and loved with it.
This is one of the things I dreaded whenever I thought of possibly ever having a daughter. How do you make her realize that she is beautiful without making her think that is all that matters? How do you make her a strong woman that can stand up to all of the difficulties of being a woman? Those, and that whole how in the world am I going to deal with her when she starts having PMS? (Just a warning for all, it will be like freaking WWIII once that starts.)
Marilyn Monroe
I now have a little girl and I am torn. I tell her every day that she is pretty and she just eats it up. When I tell her that she’s such a pretty little girl she does this adorable thing where she smiles and her head turns sideways a little bit, almost like she’s trying to be modest while lapping up the compliment. Then again she isn’t even two months old, so it could just be poor neck control.
Yet, I’m unsure if I should tell her she’s pretty so much. I worry about instilling in her the idea that her value is in her physical beauty (which is substantial.) I also tell her how strong she is, how smart she is. I have no qualms about those, but the pretty I feel like I’m walking a fine line. I didn’t have this dilemma with my sons. I told them they were cute, handsome, smart, and strong. I still do. Yet with her I worry about putting too much emphasis on pretty.
I think it is understandable though. In our culture today there is so much emphasis on a woman’s physical beauty. Girls are bombarded with pictures of attractive women professionally made to look as perfect as possible with makeup, posing, and air brushing. It distorts the bar for true beauty. Even famous beautiful women (truly beautiful women) are mocked if they are captured on film lacking make up and beautiful clothing. We’ve been conditioned that real beautiful women wear professionally done make up and evening gowns all the time.
Inner beauty is widely ignored, which is sad. Inner beauty is what makes a woman truly beautiful. A wonderful personality, spirit, and soul makes or breaks a woman. The most beautiful super model is ugly without it. Even the plainest woman is endeared and loved with it.
This is one of the things I dreaded whenever I thought of possibly ever having a daughter. How do you make her realize that she is beautiful without making her think that is all that matters? How do you make her a strong woman that can stand up to all of the difficulties of being a woman? Those, and that whole how in the world am I going to deal with her when she starts having PMS? (Just a warning for all, it will be like freaking WWIII once that starts.)
