When you’re a parent, negative body image doesn’t just affect you.
Children are much more observant than we realize, and it’s only natural for them to mimic their parents’ behavior. So when they see Mom or Dad putting themselves down based on their appearance, they can’t help but be critical of their own bodies.
Ashly Locklin is a lifestyle coach who prides herself on empowering other women. The mom-of-two has worked hard to overcome her own struggles in learning to love her body as it is. While she still deals with insecurities, the 35-year-old resists judging herself every day for her daughter, London’s sake – and to teach her an important lesson.
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Recently, Ashly shared a photo of herself and London enjoying a day at the beach. The two wore matching swimsuits and brilliant smiles as they posed together. And as she explained in a heartfelt Facebook post, Ashly had two choices that day as she pulled the swimsuit over her body. She could stare in the mirror and pick apart all her perceived flaws or show her daughter that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, as well as within ourselves.
“I wanted to pinch my extra thigh and butt bulge, but she was watching. I wanted to stand in front of the mirror and suck it in at different angles, but she was watching,” Ashly wrote. “So instead… I stood in front of the mirror, grabbed her hand, and said ‘Look at us!’ We smiled and twirled in our new suits. I left my coverup in the room. And we strutted our way to the beach.”
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“Her sense of beauty and self-confidence comes from me and I want her to know that beauty comes from within. That perfect bodies aren’t a requirement for fun. That anyone can carry themselves with confidence. That size doesn’t dictate worth, beauty, or the amount of joy you deserve.”
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“The most beautiful combination is a woman who radiates confidence from every pore of her body and emits joy like electricity – no matter her size.”
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With a mom as fantastic as hers, London is sure to grow up loving every single part of herself, all the while radiating confidence and pure joy. This is a lesson every parent should not only teach their children, but themselves as well.
Share this story to spread Ashly’s empowering message to other moms. We all deserve to feel beautiful.
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