Parents play a huge role in the development of a child's body image. The way that parents feel and act about their own bodies influences how their children feel about their bodies.
Parents can either send positive messages or negative messages to their children.
According to an article by Caroline Bologna titled "10 Everyday Ways To Foster A Healthy Body Image In Your Child," a positive body image could cause the children to have higher self-esteem and more confidence. A negative body image in children could lead to things like depression, eating disorders, and other unhealthy habits.
All parents want to instill the thought of a good body image in their children, and an excellent way of doing this is by parents modeling healthy behaviors themselves.
Instead of talking to the child directly about an issue, such as being overweight, parents should eat healthy and not overeat in hopes that the child will do the same.
Studies have shown that parents eating breakfast with their children, as a family, can lead to a more positive body image for the children. Having family meals together can have long-term effects on children, as they will likely take those same tendencies into adulthood.
Talking about healthy eating choices out loud are also good ideas for parents. According to an article by Jamie Howard titled "How to Help Kids Develop a Healthy Body Image," children are always watching and analyzing what their parents do, so if a parent talks though a decision to eat more vegetables for dinner because they had pizza for lunch, the child will hear that and think about that when they have to make eating decisions.
According to an article titled "Developing & Modeling Positive Body Image," it is important for parents to encourage their children to eat a large variety of foods and to not mention dieting.
Parents can also exercise regularly and make sure they stay physically active with their kids. When parents smile and look proud of their bodies, the kids will tend to do the same.
According to an article titled "Encouraging a Healthy Body Image," parents need to act with babies and toddlers in a way where they move around a lot and encourage the babies or toddlers to use their body in as many ways as possible.
For kids of all ages, getting sleep is extremely important in the effects it has on the body. If parents get enough sleep each night, it will encourage their kids to not go to bed too late and to give themselves enough time to sleep each night.
Parents can also talk about their own bodies in positive ways. If kids overhear their parents being proud of their bodies, they are more likely to do the same.
Good mental health is also important for parents to exhibit qualities of when modeling healthy behaviors for their children.
Parents can show appreciation for diversity when around their children so children realize that how a person looks does not make up who he/she is. Parents can demonstrate a respect for people of all ages and body types.
According to an article titled "Promoting a positive body image," it is important for parents to encourage critical thinking in their children by openly criticizing the media when they see a message that persuades people to have a certain body type. The children will realize that the message is made to make money or sell a product, and they will realize that they don't have to conform their body to be like the ones they see on television and in advertisements.
Children are especially susceptible to being very emotional, so parents can show their kids how to deal with their emotions in the proper way.
According to an article by Dayle Hayes titled "5 Ways to Promote a Positive Body Image for Kids," parents should focus on being healthy instead of tracking weight when modeling healthy behaviors to their kids. Instilling healthy habits in children, such as fun, physical activity with the family and healthy, tasty snack choices will benefit a child much more than having them watch their calorie intake or making sure they workout everyday.
These healthy lifestyle choices that parents model for their kids will make their kids feel better overall and stop focusing on or worrying about their body image.
While children may be affected by the media, their peers, or other adults in their life, their parents are by far the most influential people in instilling a healthy body image in them, and modeling healthy behaviors is the best way for parents to do so.