Pint-sized Body Image

Shaping the Way Our Children See Themselves

By Lisa B. Samalonis

One morning before school, Michelle Bradley of Sewell, N.J., noticed her daughter, Dana, checking her reflection in the mirror and pulling her shirt sleeve. "I don't like this top, Dana said. "It makes me look fat." Michelle told Dana she looked pretty, but Dana changed into another shirt anyway.

Dana's awareness and unpleasant feelings toward her body image are not an uncommon feeling among young children in today's body-conscious culture. "Body image is an issue for preschoolers today and it can get worse as a child ages if they do not get the right messages from their parents," says Dr. T. Joel Wade, chair and professor of psychology at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

Dr. Wade, who conducts research in the area of body image and self-esteem, says that parents want to be careful not to compare their preschooler's body images to an unrealistic body image, which may lead to eating disorders. He reminds parents that children's bodies often change as they reach puberty.

Dr. Abby Aronowitz, psychologist and author of Your Final Diet (Single Star Press, 2003), has worked with many children and their parents on body image issues. She suggests that parents give compliments to their child that focus on their character and skill development as opposed to physical attributes.

"Talk about their kindness, humor or abilities, as opposed to how they look," Dr. Aronowitz says. "Frequently complimenting their appearance leads to too much emphasis on it. Compliments about weight loss can reinforce the obsession about it and tie self-esteem to the number of pounds on their body."

Dr. Aronowitz says parents can nurture their child's body image in several ways.

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