How do we teach girls to truly respect themselves?

[Xantippe]

Coming in at the 11th hour here.

For our girls–

-teaching modesty and privacy from the age they are potty triained.
-helping then choose friends from a young age and what true friendhip looks like when they are a bit older.
-teaching them that their opinions matter
-teaching them skills and enhancing natural abilities
-sheilding them from inappropriateness, or telling them why things are not approrite in our family tv shows, books, stores and clothing choices.
-teaching them that at times it’s ok to say no.
-teaching them to respect others and to expect the same kindness back-if not it’s ok to assert herself-and not with meanness.
-teaching them the difference between beauty and sexiness.
-teaching them how to choose foods that will add to health and proper hygiene
-teaching them how to take care of belongings

• teaching them about Mary and teaching them from a young age that thoier bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit

It is important for parents to be role models as well as older brothers and sisters. If a mom shops at vicoria secret with ther daughter-and things like this it is not ok. If manners are out the window at home-it is not ok. If bad language is used at home-not ok even with the smallest things-teach.

Teaching a daughter to be quietly confident and kindly assertive helps a lot in the above, and that’s where her opinion-right or wrong should be heard and discussed.
.I also think this is true of sons too.
Just my 2 cents.

Very nice!

 

[DarkLight]

I haven’t really seen that much of that, to be honest, even though I’ve seen plenty of issues relating to self-esteem. Even so, my impression is that a lot of those problems relate to comparisons between women, as I’ve heard a lot of women say that they don’t dress up for men, they dress up for other women. (And that’s something heartbreaking from a male perspective to hear, if one lets his emotional guard down.) Certainly, it’s never a pleasure to see a woman think of herself that way, whatever’s the cause.

Some of this is normal. Women are pretty, women like being pretty, and women often appreciate beauty in other women in a way that most men don’t. Let’s be honest here, if a woman does something different with her hair or makeup, it’s her female friends who will notice and compliment it most of the time.

But I think you are onto something - women do tear each other down a lot. It’s not all men.

Coming in at the 11th hour here.

For our girls–

-teaching modesty and privacy from the age they are potty triained.
-helping then choose friends from a young age and what true friendhip looks like when they are a bit older.
-teaching them that their opinions matter
-teaching them skills and enhancing natural abilities
-sheilding them from inappropriateness, or telling them why things are not approrite in our family tv shows, books, stores and clothing choices.
-teaching them that at times it’s ok to say no.
-teaching them to respect others and to expect the same kindness back-if not it’s ok to assert herself-and not with meanness.
-teaching them the difference between beauty and sexiness.
-teaching them how to choose foods that will add to health and proper hygiene
-teaching them how to take care of belongings

• teaching them about Mary and teaching them from a young age that thoier bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit

It is important for parents to be role models as well as older brothers and sisters. If a mom shops at vicoria secret with ther daughter-and things like this it is not ok. If manners are out the window at home-it is not ok. If bad language is used at home-not ok even with the smallest things-teach.

Teaching a daughter to be quietly confident and kindly assertive helps a lot in the above, and that’s where her opinion-right or wrong should be heard and discussed.
.I also think this is true of sons too.
Just my 2 cents.

I think a lot of the assertiveness is what I’m trying to get at here. I think especially for girls there’s a tendency to teach them to be quiet and obedient, without necessarily teaching them how to stand up for themselves. Parents have to be careful that their children are heard and respected in the home, and that they know when they can say no to someone.

 

[Xantippe]

I think a lot of the assertiveness is what I’m trying to get at here. I think especially for girls there’s a tendency to teach them to be quiet and obedient, without necessarily teaching them how to stand up for themselves. Parents have to be careful that their children are heard and respected in the home, and that they know when they can say no to someone.

Yes.

 

[EasterJoy]

The other question, of course, is how to teach boys to respect themselves, too. Sometimes they make the mistake of believing they do not lose as much by impurity as young women do, when this is not true at all. They see impurity more as “I am a bad person, a predator, if I think these thoughts or do these things” rather than “this is not according to my dignity as a son of the Lord and a man made after Christ.”