For a long while the mirror has not been my friend, focusing on the things I don’t like about my body I will cringe at myself in the mirror and quickly chuck on my clothes. I can easily pick faults and very rarely look for anything that I actually like about how I look. The other day I was putting on my makeup, toddler in one arm, juggling her and my mascara smiling and pulling faces in the mirror when I noticed my eyes, that they look kind and I thought to myself that its so rare to look and see something positive. Staring at my beautiful girl alongside me in the mirror I decided my attitude towards myself has got to change, I don’t want her to see me looking at myself the way I do. I want her to grow up with body confident parents. My boys too. I want them to grow up respecting a woman’s body, respecting their own bodies, how can I teach them body confidence when I don’t have it to show them?
I set myself a challenge, to look in the mirror and choose 5 things I like about my face and body. Then next time I see myself and start to focus on the parts I’m not so keen on I need to remember instead the features that I like. My body has been through a lot, three full term pregnancies and recently I’ve blamed it for things that weren’t it’s fault, miscarriage and the breakdown of my previous marriage. Its time we start to be friends again.
Finding 5 things wasn’t easy but here they are;
I would love for you to join in the challenge. This isn’t just for women as body confidence in men is also so important. If you do, tweet me @mummyandmonkeys and I will retweet and include in a roundup of all the posts.
PS I know beauty is more than than just the way you look. This is just one aspect of the new being kinder to myself that I am having a go at.
I tag to have a go;
Hannah at Hi Baby Blog
Sian at Quite Frankly She Said
Louise at Birds and Lillies
Maria at Suburban Mum
Julie at Pondering Parenthood
I really like this challenge. I’m very hard on myself and not confident at all. Surely I will find 5 things I like though? 🙂 x
Oooh good for you I love hearing about women doing anything to stop beating themselves up about how they look. I would struggle with the 5 things challenge which is sad really- will do it today though promise!! X
You shouldn’t beat yourself up so much. I bet there’s lots of lovely things about you outside and in. Good on you for embracing it!
Sally @ Life Loving
#PicknMix
Such an inspiring idea and one I certainly could do with. Since having my daughter my body confidence has taken a hit, despite being the most confident I’d ever been while pregnant! #picknmix
Helen x
I love this although I would really struggle with it. It’s so important to love yourself, even if only parts of yourself, good for you embracing these things. For the record, I think you’re absolutely stunning! #picknmix
What a lovely idea. And for what’s it’s worth, I’ve always thought you were beautiful from your pictures! #picknmix
I love this idea! I think it is such a good thing to do as we can be so negative towards ourselves sometimes. #picknmix
I think this is such a good idea, I always focus on the negatives (my nose!!!) and rarely look at myself in a favourable light #PicknMix
ah lovely challenge – it’s good to remind ourselves of the good and not always focus on the bits we don’t like #picknmix
What a lovely challenge. Always nice to focus on the things we like rather than focus on the things we don’t! xx #picknmix
This is a great idea! Theres so much pressure on women to look like they have just stepped off the catwalk after having children and its not right. Its taken me almost 3 years to start to feel better about how my body looks since having Mia and I still don’t feel confident in it. A great idea! 🙂
#PicnMix
This is a great idea, as someone who has had 3 csections and has horrible stomach muscles I know what its like to feel less than positive about yourself. Definitely have to try this!
What a lovely positive post. It’s so easy to be down on our appearance all the time. I worry about my daughter picking up on negative things I say about myself too. Thank you for hosting #picknmix
Beautiful idea lovely 🙂 I never would have thought of you as not being confident, for a start you’re blinking gorgeous!
Stevie xx
What a great challenge! It’s so easy to just focus on the negative isn’t it? But so important to set a good role model for ours kids. Thanks! #picknmix
This is so lovely! You’re a beautiful lady inside and out, I’m glad you can look in the mirror and start to see that xxx
That’s a good challenge and hard one too. My body confidence is very low and as you say the last thing you want is to pass on hang ups to your kids! I’m reasonably happy with my face it’s more my body that’s the worry!
Thanks for your honesty and sharing.
#PickNMix
I just think its so important for parents to not obsess over their looks, weight etc in front of their children. It just sets a tone – making these things more important than they really are. Being healthy and happy thats all that matters. My Mum was great for this, I never saw her weighing herself or saying she couldnt eat this or that. She never talked much about make up or ‘looking pretty’. I’m currently a bit over weight but I’m fine about it, I’ll try to lose weight to be more healthy but not because I worry how I look or about other peoples opinions. #PICKNMIX
What a brilliant idea! It’s so easy to find the bad things. I’ve made the decision to start Slimming World as I’ve really fallen out of love with my body and I need to change things x #picknmix
What a great challenge! It’s very easy to pick the faults in ourselves #picknmix xx
As a plus size blogger I’m a big body positivity advocate so I was excited to stumble across your post on Twitter! I’m pleased you have been able to find things to love about your body! I hope you will eventually be able to love more than just your slim bits (you mentioned your waist and your legs) because every part of your body is worthy of love – even the jiggly bits! (and you don’t need to worry about them either!). It can be so hard to learn to love our bodies so posts like this are really powerful. Thank you for reminding me. Xx
Well done for this! Without wanting to sounding patronising. Body confidence is definitely something that I’m very keen to instil into our 6 year old. And a point worth making I think – just a smile to yourself in the mirror is good 🙂 #picknmix