Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, though, teenage girls don’t always see it that way.
Movies, magazines, and television programs are selling a very limited beauty ideal to teenage girls–one that can wreak havoc on their self-worth. As parents, teachers, coworkers, relatives, and friends, it’s up to us to help them not buy into it.
While the teenage years are riddled with angst and insecurity, they are also a rich time for personal development. You can take advantage of this time by helping teen girls in your life gain confidence in their true beauty by showing them you understand your own.
1. Honor Beauty Everywhere
Finding beauty everywhere sends a strong message to your teen. Point out the varied beauty of the flowers in your garden. Compliment a stranger on her lovely eyes. Praise the talents and kindness of others. When looking at celebrities, point out their differences. Notice different eye colors, body shapes, hair colors, clothing styles, and personality traits. Identify role models who are beautiful on the inside and outside. Talk about your own favorite features—whether they are physical or not. By drawing attention to how diverse beauty can be, you’re empowering your daughter to find her own unique beauty.
2. Help Your Teen Express Herself
Fashion and makeup are two major ways teenage girls express themselves. You may cringe at some of the choices she makes, but give her plenty of room to develop her own sense of style. When it comes to makeup, help your teen establish good habits. Introduce her to basic skin care, like the Sei Bella™ Necessities Set. Compliment your teen’s efforts to look nice, even if she’s a little heavy-handed at first. Give her times or events when she can experiment with different colors and styles—and join her! Use the Sei Bella catalog and tutorials online to show your teen that makeup isn’t about creating a false mask for the world, it’s about playing up her natural features and emphasizing her unique beauty.
3. Lead by Example
You are a role model to the teen girls in your life, whether they treat you that way or not. They will learn from your behaviors and comments. Refrain from complaining about a body part or comparing yourself to others. If you radiate confidence and kindness toward yourself, you’re giving them permission to do the same. So be brave and go out without your makeup. Be a little more confident in your swimsuit. And don’t dodge the camera when someone is taking a picture, your confidence is contagious.
The teenage years aren’t always easy. But they can be some of the best years of her life. Your self-assurance and gentle guidance will help build your teenager’s confidence in herself. Every day, your example will show her that true beauty is as much about who you are on the inside as how you look on the outside. Together, you can celebrate how beautiful it truly is to be a woman.
(This article was previously published for Melaleuca Wellness)
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This article is spot on. It is unfortunate that this isn’t the message women get. My wife is gorgeous, but she is so hard on herself. I think a moderate amount of pressure to be beautiful is important so that women feel a need to take care of themselves, but Hollywood takes it too far! Isn’t scary that Hollywood gets to set the benchmark for women? SCARY!
It’s hard to watch beautiful young girls think they are too fat or ugly because they aren’t as skinny as the bulimic and anorexic models. An American icon for beauty is Marilyn Monroe. She was a size 6/8 and is still one of the most beautiful women to ever live. We need to point out facts like that more often.