A psychologist reveals five questions children can ask – and how to answer them
• Can I protect my seven-year-old daughter from the impossible beauty standards of the fashion world?
If your child is upset because a classmate has been unkind about their body, it’s natural to want to ease their distress with: “You’re not fat, darling, you’re beautiful!” However, trying to reassure them in this way is more likely to undermine their body confidence. First, it reinforces the message that being fat is bad, thereby perpetuating stigma, instilling a belief that only some body types are acceptable, and eliciting fear around weight gain. Second, it focuses on bigger bodies being the problem, rather than name-calling and stigmatising behaviour. And third, it insinuates that you can’t be fat and beautiful.
