Lets teach our girls that they are beautiful………..

I was editing this gorgeous girl’s gallery, and came upon some pictures that won’t make into her proofs, but………they made it into this post.  My girls came with me for the downtown part of Lexi’s shoot.  Their words were, “Oh you’re shooting Lexi?  Can we come?  We love Lexi!”  so the fact that my girls make it hard to say no, paired with the dilemma that I didn’t really have anywhere to leave them that day…..I brought them along….sort of our own little take your children to work day.  I love this picture…my girls looking up to Lexi, it makes me think.  I think of how beautiful she is, you can see how beautiful my girls think she is…..and I hope Lexi knows how special she is.

She’s not just gorgeous on the outside, she’s also kind, and funny, and smart, and witty….and in a small way I hope my pictures help her to see those things about herself.  And then I thought (cause I never stop thinking…I have one of THOSE brains) I thought about my girls, and how to instill in them an innate sense of their self worth.

I tell them every day they are smart, and beautiful, and strong, and that I love them…….but they are girls…..and some day they will stop believing me………..so I’ll never stop saying those things, but I must give them tools, so they’ll believe in themselves…………….so what do I do?

How do I give them the tools they need?  Let them try, let them fail, show them I still love them and that it’s okay, make them work hard so they will feel a sense of accomplishment when they do, never compare them to anyone…….never tell them their feelings are wrong, let them be themselves……….and what else?……..

What else do I do to help them grow up strong and happy?  Girls who believe their hearts, not the unkind of words of others around them…..I know there are parents who are exceptional at this, but for me, this doesn’t come easy.  I struggle with knowing the right thing to do, the right way to teach, to help them grow……I worry that I might do the wrong thing……..

But I didn’t worry this day.  This day, I did the right thing.  I brought my girls with me…..they felt included…..they watched me work and do what I love…….they were happy to look up to a beautiful girl, a girl who on a day where a photoshoot was supposed to be all about her, treated my girls like they were important and beautiful.  They felt important.  They were thrilled.  Thank you Lexi……you’re a beautiful girl!  This day I did the right thing……now for tomorrow….    😉