As to unshaven legs and beauty standards, or How to teach children to value themselves

About unshaven legs (if you're into that).

In a world where beauty is dictated by standards from the media and social platforms, it is important to teach children to value their uniqueness, understand and accept the diversity of the world.

- Children are constantly exposed to images of "perfect" beauty, supported by advertising, movies and magazines. These unrealistic images can lead to body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem, and a constant need for validation. Parents play a key role in helping children understand that beauty is diverse and not limited to media images.

- Teach children that their worth transcends their appearance. Encourage them to develop the skills, talents and qualities that make them unique. By focusing on their strengths, children build pride and confidence that are not dependent on their appearance alone.

- Shift the focus from outward beauty to inner qualities such as kindness, empathy, and intelligence. Teach children to value these traits so they realize that true beauty comes from within. Provide role models who exude confidence and authenticity to inspire children to value character over appearance.

- Create an environment where your child feels comfortable discussing beauty standards and their feelings about them. Answer their questions and discuss their concerns with them. Encourage critical thinking by asking questions about why certain standards are maintained and who benefits from them.

- Exposing children to a variety of ideas about beauty from different cultures, ethnicities, body types, and abilities will teach them to appreciate the richness of beauty. This will teach them to appreciate the richness of human diversity and to question narrow ideas of beauty.

- Show children how editing and montage are used to create unrealistic, idealized images. This will help them realize that the images they see do not always reflect reality.

Parents should help children find love and acceptance in themselves.

P.S. The photo is of a girl. Beach, Hawaii, 1973. What do you think?