Feeling Good Week 2022 - Body Positivity
This week is not only Feeling Good Week in Hertfordshire, but it's also Place2Be's Children's Mental Health Week!
The theme for Feeling Good Week is Body Positivity which is a brilliant thing to focus on for young children because toxic body ideals seem to be EVERYWHERE.
I'm running workshops for several schools this week and in preparing for them I initially (naively) thought "how can I properly grasp this topic when I've never been overweight?". It was only after yet another phone call with my Doctor about my horrendous, itchy and painful acne that I realised I have huge issues with body positivity, they're just not necessarily about my weight!
I hope it's just a case of too much mask wearing, but since last summer, I've been experiencing the worst flare up with my skin ever. I feel this is important to share because despite trying to hide my face with more mask wearing or shielding it with my hands, I simply can't get away from the fact that I HAVE ISSUES, TOO!
I think a lot of shame we feel around our bodies comes from trying hard to hide them away and not talk about them. If we just stay small and keep quiet about our stomach rolls, hairy chins (don't get me started!) or spotty face, no one will notice, right? Wrong! I can now count on two hands (!) the number of times kids in class have put a hand up totally randomly and said 'err what's wrong with your face? Why is it all spotty?'.
I'm realising that teaching children body positivity starts with my response to that question. Initially, I felt my inner teenager want to curl up and die out of shame the first time I was asked this and all the kids turned to stare. Yesterday, however, I tried a different response. I was honest. I said my skin isn't very happy at the moment and the Doctor is helping me but sometimes it makes me sad.
Shame breeds more shame. The more we cover up, pretend the issue isn't there or deny how it really makes us feel, the bigger the problem gets (and all the while, children are learning from us to regard themselves in the same unkind and judgemental light). It's a never-ending cycle, unless we deliberately take actions to end it. I hope that in owning this struggle I'm having with my body, the children will learn to own and accept theirs, too.
How honest are you being with yourself?
Is there a part of your body that you can't stand to look at, let alone touch?
Be brave and talk about it. Seek help. Bring it into the light and stop shaming yourself over it. Chances are, no one else has even noticed it!
Wishing you lots of self-love and acceptance,
Charlotte x
December 2021 - possibly one of the worst flare ups!
Today - after a few weeks on antibiotics, it’s looking MUCH better!