Parents,help your child dissolve body issues -By Sri Krishnaji

A wisdom lesson for every parent to help their children with shame around their bodies.

What do you say to your children about their appearance?
What have you been telling them over the years- both in moments of anger, in moments of fun and moments of love?

To reflect on this is very important, because your words and comments become your child's way of looking at herself or himself.

Every child has three major influences in their life - parents , school and friends.
As your child grows older, he or she tends to prioritise one, over the other. But remember, the influence of the parent over the child is supreme and continues to influence them through out their life.

Your child can overcome with some support, a negative comment made by a teacher or a friend- but if you as a parent made a negative remark it would hurt him or her the most.

Biological parents or people who stood in the position of parents become mirrors for children, to see themselves. If you judged them as not good looking, fat, lean, short, dark or too white - that becomes their inner judgement and a way of looking at themselves.

If you made them feel beautiful, if you loved their nose, their hands, their head, their eyes, their dark or fair complexion, their thin or fat bodies - with that special kind of love which only a loving parent or grandparent can give - that becomes their way of looking at themselves. Your love becomes a strength for them to conquer life’s challenges as they grow up.

Do you know that there is an interesting data on people and their impression of their appearance?- More than 80% of people see themselves as being less beautiful, than how others see them to be.

Shame around the body is one of the biggest reasons for depression today, in people of all age groups through out the world.

So, what is the solution?

A massive spiritual shift has to happen in family cultures, from the way body is being judged, to a space of care and respect for the body.

Most people obsess over their bodies - All the time commenting , criticising,  fussing and meddling with every part of the body- from the shape, size and colour of their toe nails to
the shape, length, width, curvature and colour of their nose.

Extreme obsession and judgement, over one's body appearance creates unhappy and insecure human beings. I have seen many people who are obsessed over their bodies. they constantly keep judging their bodies, and the result is that they are perpetually unhappy.

To overcome this, they go through many cosmetic procedures and yet are unhappy. Because the truth is that in spite of all this, your body and face will continue to age. We have to understand, that we cannot find our happiness through perfecting our body appearance. We have to realize that physical beauty is not permanent and that human body is not static. This is the truth.

We must teach our children to respect their bodies and learn to care for them.

To help your child, you have to begin the journey with yourself. So, I am leaving you with a question :-
“What is your judgement of your body?”

Namaste