This evening I was watching a popular reality television show when I found myself sadly wondering why women put up with men who cheat. In this particular episode, a man has three kids with three different women and they are all arguing with each other due to him. The thing that troubled me the most about this whole situation is that the ones who lose out in this fiasco are the children. As siblings, they should all be raised around each other or, at the very least, know each other. Since the mothers can't seem to get along, it doesn't seem like this will ever be possible. Even more galling is that, while these women argue with each other, this man is like a spectator who is watching a show being acted out on stage. Some of you might argue that this just happens on television but I beg to differ. Time after time, I see familial situations like this one where women are devaluing their worth for the "privilege" of being with a man. It brings me back to my childhood when my … [Read more...]
The True Definition of Beauty! #DoveInspired
As an educator, I get to see first-hand what happens to young girls who have low or poor self-esteem. Almost immediately, not feeling good about themselves catapults them into a downward spiral that they cannot always recover from. This is especially true during adolescence when the added factors of going through puberty and peer pressure cause many young girls to doubt their own self-worth. Many of my female students come to me to share their feelings about not being pretty enough, about not being as beautiful as their friends, or wondering why certain boys are not interested in them. Notice that all of these feelings stem from what they think other people's perception is of who they are or whether they are good enough. The thing that is lacking from this equation is a feeling of love and worthiness from within. The problem is that a lot of young girls have not been taught how to love and value themselves first. We need to teach young girls and young women that they … [Read more...]
Who Are You Calling Old?
I'm getting old and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have never been one of those women that is overly concerned with getting old and have always considered aging to be a blessing. It is proof that you have been around for a long time to witness all of the beautiful things that life has to offer. Having said that, I am now realizing that one cannot necessarily predict how he or she will react to realizing that they are aging and that their body is changing. This is probably because aging is somewhat of an abstract concept until you begin to see the physical effects of it on the body that you still see through young eyes. Lately, this whole concept has been becoming a little less abstract and a little more concrete for me. Some of the changes that my body is going through are not so subtle anymore. The first sign that things were awry was the fact that the skin on my face has been undergoing some bizarre changes with regard to texture. I have had oily … [Read more...]
Bare It All…
Today I read an article that really caused me to reflect on my own individual parenting practices when it comes to teaching my children about positive self image and about the beauty of the human body. The article was written by a mother who was sharing her experiences and beliefs with regards to exposing children to nudity. Now, before you start rebuking this post and summoning the Holy Spirit, please note that the purpose of this post is to reflect upon and address this issue from a purely parental point of view so any notions that you might have about propriety or lack thereof can be checked at the door with your coat. Let me begin by saying that I have always felt that it was important to teach children early on that nudity is nothing to be ashamed of and that they should love their bodies. Although I have never gone out of my way to parade in front of my kids naked, it is inevitable that they sometimes walk in on me when I am coming out of the shower, when I … [Read more...]
