Today's young girls are constantly barraged by images of "perfect" women. I don't know if you've gone shopping for a young girl lately, but the trends are a bit disturbing. It's hard to find trendy and cute clothes that are age-appropriate. Frankly it's hard to find clothes that are appropriate for anyone, much less for their age. With Bratz dolls and other questionable toys, it's no wonder some young girls want to dress provocatively. Heck, even Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobbie have received somewhat questionable makeovers; they look more like teens than innocent little girls now-a-days.

If you're the parent of an impressionable young girl, have her take a peek at this image manipulation quiz. Being able to spot the fact from the fiction in photos can help young girls maintain a positive self-image.

Source

I read a news story the other day that bothered me. A Texas teenager had a custom "dress" made for prom (I use quotes because I'm not sure it had enough fabric to qualify as a dress). When she arrived at her prom, she was denied entrance because her dress was deemed inappropriate. An argument ensued, and the young girl ended up being escorted out of her prom -- in handcuffs -- by police.

Whether you agree with the school or with the young girl, I think the issue at the root of this is that many young girls feel a pressure to be sexy. From rail-thin models to red carpet actresses wearing super-sexy gowns, young girls are bombarded with unrealistic images. If you've shopped for young girls' clothing lately, you've probably noticed how it's difficult to find cute, but appropriate, clothing. A good friend of mine has a 10-year-old daughter, and finding clothes that her daughter doesn't deem "nerdy" and yet still cover everything that should be covered is more difficult than you might think.

From a young age, girls need to be reminded that beauty isn't just what's on the surface. Kindness, intelligence, empathy, a sense of humor ... these are all traits that contribute to real beauty. And, while it's important to stay fit and take good care of yourself, there's no need to wear jeans that ride halfway down your hips with the strings of a thong hanging out. Girls can be beautiful without inappropriately exposing themselves. Girl Power is a great site with self-esteem advice for young girls.

Source

Last Wednesday, French fashion houses, advertising firms, and media houses banded together to declare super-skinny models out of style. With the support of the Minister of Health, they signed an agreement to stop using models whose appearance could contribute to an unhealthy body image for girls. The agreement doesn't exactly restrict the use of too-thin models, but it's a show of good faith.

France's National Assembly is also reviewing a project that could make the promotion of unhealthy body images punishable by law.

Young girls in particular are susceptible to low self-esteem and a flawed body image. The number of pro-anorexia web sites on the Internet is proof that body image is an ever increasing concern. It's high time we all learn to love ourselves a little more -- bumps and flaws included. Fitness and nutrition is for health and wellness -- super-skinny may look good in pair of size 0 jeans but it's far from healthy.

Source

As a teenage girl in the 90s, I remember being absolutely shocked whenever someone would call me pretty. Me? Pretty? I had braces, acne, a flat chest and a stubborn layer of baby fat surrounding my waist. The girls who graced the cover of Seventeen were pretty, but not me. A lot has changed as I now sail through my late 20s. I love my body, my mind and my confidence. But as someone who battled with low self-esteem for years, it really bothers me when I see girls being down on themselves, something that seems to be endlessly perpetuated by the media.

I don't have a daughter but if I did, I think I would do whatever I could to avoid fostering the self-doubt and lack of self-regard I had. So how do we do this? We can't remove the media presence from our children's lives, but we can counteract it, according to this article.

What's your stance of self-esteem and the media? Do you have any suggestions for fostering positive self-esteem?

Source