Teach Children to be Kind to all Sizes

With the school year starting again…I thought I’d share this blog I wrote a while back. With so much bullying and pressure going on at schools these days, I think teaching the children in our lives about being kind is important…no matter what their classmates look like…

Why do people like to insult those that are overweight? Especially women; women like to put down other women. You go to the store, the spa, the gym, or even a restaurant and get an ugly look or two from other women in the room. Is it your hair, makeup, outfit, the way you walk, your body type, your race, that you’re too friendly or not friendly enough? Who knows…all I know is women make other women feel insecure when it should be the other way around. Women should always support each other in all they do, complement one another, empower one another, and offer a simple gesture such as letting them know if their slip is showing from under their dress. I believe most women are natural born leaders, teachers, and full of strength and grace in their own unique way. But it’s those few women that make us all seem like we are all a bunch of judgmental shallow bitches. 

Example:  I saw a post on Facebook a while back that was disturbing to me; it still is till this day. Now if you post something on your social media walls for the world to see, you should always be prepared for the opinionated comments of others, right? I guess my bluntness and opinion hit a nerve because it wasn’t pretty after I gave it.  But I have to admit, I felt it had to be addressed and I couldn’t help but comment on it. In my newsfeed, I see a picture of a heavy set woman wearing some really short white shorts walking on a track at a nearby park in my community and the same area I went to high school at. At this particular park, there are many people in the neighbor that walk and jog the track with their children, so chances are; everyone knows one another in some way. Now I’m not the fashion police by all means, but they were not very flattering on her and may be just a tad too short for her figure, I will admit that. What bugged me was why on earth would someone stoop that low and take a picture to post it? To think this a person that other women admire and look up to, loves quoting the bible, etc. posted this. You’re on the track walking just like the woman in the white shorts was. What was the point in taking a picture of her and posting it on facebook other than to make fun of her? Why not keep your ugly opinions to yourself instead of looking like some mean high school bully. Are you really that shallow? I guess so. The social media world is just as small as our world, you never know who knows who and would recognize the person in the picture, so always think about that when you decide you want to post pictures of other people that are in your community .

Next time you see a woman that you feel shouldn’t be wearing something, think of this: First off, this woman may be someone’s mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, best friend. She may be a doctor that has saved many lives or may have even been deployed and fought for our country. Would you like it if someone posted a picture of a family member or close friend to make fun of them…Probably not?  Who knows what that woman is going through in her personal life, she may have medical issues, lost 200 lbs and felt great about herself, lost a loved one, was able to walk again after a car accident, a cancer survivor, be an angel from heaven, or just had the guts to wear what she wanted because she’s just that confident or felt that way that day.  Didn’t matter what she was wearing, the point was, she was out there walking to make a change in her life or to enjoy the nice weather. Seeing this was a reminder how people can be so cruel and why our children today turn into bullies. Kids nowadays are mean and bully other kids…why? Because they learn how to be mean shallow pricks from their parents and do not know any better since that was the behavior displayed at home. Teach the children in your life to love and appreciate all shapes, sizes, colors, & genders. Teach them kindness, positivity, acceptance, and most of all be that example for them. The world cannot become a better place if these simple things are not taught at home. What kind of example are you setting for your peers and more so your own children being that cruel making fun of others? There are many single people that act this way and wonder why they can’t meet Mr. or Ms. Right, maybe it’s because the shallowness scares people off. I’ve never had self esteem issues, not even as a young girl. Unfortunately, there are many girls and women today that do and it’s mainly because other women bully them and put them down. I hear clients speak of things like this all the time. How the constant criticism from other women really affects them. And it happens everywhere where they go. One thing I’m grateful for is my mother raised me well. She taught me that you have to always accept everyone for who they are and what they look like. That god made us all different and special in our own ways, and making fun of people is cruel. For women to flourish, we have to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness that we all individually carry. I don’t care what Vogue or any other beauty magazines insist we look like; we are all beautiful in our own way. Let’s be better women by not putting our own gender down; inspire other women around us to do the same thing, especially those younger than you. Remember, as women, individually we are strong and together we are powerful.