We had a bit of a quiet week last week. We’ve all been feeling a bit worn out and run down and both the children have been sniffling and coughing a fair bit.
So we didn’t really get up to much beyond the normal school routine.
Which means I didn’t really take many photos other than the headshots of the children that I try to take every day. So this week’s living arrows is from just before bedtime one evening; a quick snapshot of my funny girl.
Nerys has been rocking pigtails pretty much every day for the last week or so.
She asked me to do them one morning, with three clips on each side too, because that’s the way her friend at school has her hair and “she looks beautiful every morning”!
I find it fascinating that at three she already has this idea of beauty. That she is starting to look at other people and think of them as being beautiful. I’m also aware that I do tell her a fair bit that she’s pretty/lovely/beautiful. And I know that there are some people out there who argue that we shouldn’t say these things to our daughters.
But you know what?
I think she is pretty, and lovely, and beautiful. So why shouldn’t I tell her that?
I also tell her most days how wonderful it is that she is so tall and strong. That she is so kind and thoughtful. I tell her that I’m proud of her for trying hard at school.
Hearing a mix of all these things will, hopefully, give her a strong foundation of self-confidence for when she grows older.
What do you think about this? Should we try and avoid talking about the way our children look, or is it ok to tell them that they’re pretty/handsome/beautiful?
I don’t disagree – I tell my daughter every day that she’s clever, lovely, sweet, friendly, and beautiful. She doesn’t walk round with a big ego, but she walks round knowing her mummy loves her and I think in this current day and age it’s needed. Gorgeous photo and I hope you’re feeling better x #LivingArrows
I don’t disagree, it’s so important to give children high self esteem and confidence. Such a lovely photo, I hope your feeling better.
It’s so funny isn’t it? Athena talks about princesses being beautiful and how she’s beautiful when she wears pretty dresses and I try and tell her that yes, she’s beautiful in pretty dresses but she’s also beautiful in her PJs, in her jeans and with mud on her face too! x
I do the same with Monkey, self confidence I think is really important especially in the current environment. Telling them they are clever, thoughtful, caring, handsome I think definitely helps. This is lovely head shot I am so impressed you do it daily x #livingarrows
I always tell my girls they are beautiful in every situation and they say all the time to me ‘look how beautiful I am’, which I love and I hope that self confidence stays x
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling our children they are beautiful, or clever, or anything else really. I think it’s my job as a parent to make sure my kids believe in themselves. And this is a lovely picture too 🙂 #LivingArrows