Tell Her She is Beautiful ALOT

“Your daughter knows when you tell her “You’re beautiful” that what you mean is “You’re beautiful to me.” And though initially she may perceive this to be the most well-meaning lie ever told to her, in time she will grow to recognize it as the most basic truth she can ever hear you speak: No matter what anyone else sees when they look at you, I see you when I look at you, and I say that what I see is beautiful. The end.”

I saw this article on The Gospel Coalition by Jen Wilkins. I know we want to be hesitant about building our kids into narcissistic humans but I also knew it was important to tell them the things others/world will not/may not (or you don’t want it coming from someone else anyway). She says it so well in the article. So if you are a parent to daughter, read it. It is addressed to Dads but I think Dads are the ones more likely to tell their daughters they are beautiful than the Mom. Dads definitely should be saying this and showing daughters how they should be treated by boys but I think if only the Dads tell the daughters they are beautiful and the Moms don’t then girls will quickly come to think “Dad is just saying that. I know its not true because Mom never says it or only says it if I am dressed up/make up on/etc.”  As we all know girls can be more judgmental to one another than guys and girls and that doesn’t exclude family.

 LINK TO ARTICLE: To Your Daughter, Speak the Truth

“When earthly parents model the love of a heavenly Father who “sees not as man sees,” we give our daughters permission to measure beauty differently than their peers: by focusing not merely on the outward appearance, but on the heart.”

whether they are or not according to the world

“Tell your daughter she is beautiful. Tell her, not because she needs to know she’s beautiful, but because she needs to know she is beautiful to you.”