Top 3 Beauty Tips for Your Daughter

We grew up in a family of four girls guided by very practical parents. Our mom and dad required that we dress neatly and personal hygiene was emphasized. We had a busy bathroom when it came to face washing and hair combing time.

Overall though we were raised to believe the important thing was how we cared for ourselves from the inside out. Our parents wanted us to have a healthy self image and they managed to put just the right amount of emphasis on our inner and outer appearances.

In today’s world constant attention is placed on how girls look. Even 5 year old Suri Cruise can’t escape the spotlight. Parents need to be ever more vigilant in finding teachable moments to talk to their daughters about what beauty means to you and your family.

Here are our top 3 tips for talking to your daughter about beauty:

1. Leaf through a current issue of your daughter’s favorite magazine and talk about the models. Are all body types represented? Are the clothes they are wearing appropriate to their figures? Which model has the prettiest smile regardless of the rest of her features?

2. Ask your daughter who she thinks is beautiful – whether it be a celebrity or a family friend. And then ask her to explain why. Then you take a turn and find out why. Make sure to include Dad or brothers or other male family friends to get a ‘guy’ perspective.

3. While watching TV, movies or even YouTube videos, talk about the women on the screen. Ask your daughter how the women portrayed compare to what she sees in the ‘real’ world remembering that media plays a large role in people’s opinions of beauty.

Remember that praising your daughter’s qualities – academic, athletic, personality – or whatever she excels in will go a long way in building her self-esteem. Focusing on the whole person and not just the outside appearance will provide your daughter with a well rounded opinion of herself.