Health Information
Mothers as Role Models
The Self-Esteem Link
Mothers – The Positive Role Model
The Health-Self Esteem Link: Mothers as Positive Role Models for Healthy Behavior
A direct connection exists between your physical health and your self-esteem. In addition, a mother’s weight, body image, attitude, and health habits are strong indicators of whether her daughter is overweight, satisfied with her body, and physically active. Girls look to their mothers for advice on healthy living. And they watch how we treat ourselves, talk about our bodies and practice healthful habits.
You can be a positive role model for your daughter by doing the following in managing your health:
- Choose a doctor with whom you are comfortable
- Write down questions to ask your doctor
- Have a reliable source for health information
- Know your numbers (height, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol)
- Know your risk factors
- Make a connection between your health exam and lifestyle
- Make small changes you can stick with to enhance your current wellness
You should share preventive health practices with your daughter by:
- Being a reliable source of factual information and knowing where to learn more about health topics. You can learn about your health and well-being through our "Health Information" section.
- Initiating open dialogue that includes honest discussions about sensitive health topics like puberty.
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Practicing regular healthy habits yourself that include:
- Engaging in regular exercise and fitness activities that are fun. Include your daughter in dancing, jumping rope or gardening
- Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products or other toxins
- Making healthy eating a regular pattern with your daughter. Perhaps you can cook together!
- Managing stress in a positive manner and demonstrating positive coping strategies like taking a bath, listening to soothing music, meditation, etc.
- Being proactive and offer anticipatory guidance
- Finding a physician who will speak openly about all aspects of health
- Discussing all age-related screenings and vaccinations
The best gift you can give your daughter is to be a healthy and strong woman. She’ll catch the habits by watching you.
Get To Know Her World
Communication Skills for Building Positive Mother-Daughter Relationships
One of the most important, and most challenging, aspects of raising healthy daughters is finding the best ways to foster open, honest discussions about health, beauty and self-esteem. Our daily exposure to multi-media messages about how women should look and act might not align with our personal values. Our girls want to have regular talks with us; however, they may need us to initiate these important conversations about growing up and becoming healthy young women.
Here are some helpful hints:
- Tell the girl or teen in your life about living healthy and feeling good
- Take note of the changes she is going through and celebrate her new self
- Let her know you want to help her make safe and healthy choices
- Be a role model: Make a commitment to your own health and self-esteem
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Show an active interest in learning about "her" world:
- Explore her girl/teen world. Listen to her music, read magazines and watch television shows
- Take a look at the websites she visits
- Invite her friends over and provide a safe place for them to "hang-out"
- Don’t insert yourself into conversations, however become a reliable source of trustworthy information for your daughter and her friends.
- Talk about the images she sees in magazine, videos, TV
- Ask her how she feels about the images she sees
- Point out that a lot of media images are retouched or altered with computer programs
- Help her combat unrealistic images and body types
- Together look for positive images and models of healthy living for her to look up to
In the midst of our busy lives, make it a priority to spend time together. Let your daughter know that you were her age once and can relate to some of her feelings and pressures. Stay calm about the subjects she wants to discuss. End your discussions with positive comments about her abilities and future potential. You might write her a letter or share a special day together. Celebrate your relationship! You will both learn to benefit.