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Since 2004, the Dove Self-Esteem Project has helped more than 20 million young people develop a positive relationship with beauty and body esteem through interactive curriculum in school and at home.
This year, Dove and Shonda Rhimes are partnering together through Real Beauty Productions to help showcase the incredible journeys of women and girls who have been impacted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project.
Chelsea, who participated in the Dove Self-Esteem Project over 10 years ago, is now a professional actress and through her work with Dove, has discovered how to feel comfortable in her own skin, define beauty on her own terms, and in turn go after her professional ambitions. Caralyn is a high school student and aspiring actress who has faced harsh criticism about her looks which forced her to drop out of doing the thing she loves most – acting in school plays.
Chelsea’s story of triumph over negative self-esteem serves as a wonderful example for Caralyn, who is growing up in a world where bullying isn’t only limited to whispers in the hallway at school, but can be surrounded by the always-on chatter of social media.
Girls today face incredible beauty pressures both online and off. By spending an hour with a girl in your life and sharing our own experiences, you can help her develop the tools and confidence she needs to develop healthy self-esteem.
We’re here to help! The activities we’ve developed will give the girl in your life an opportunity to reflect on her own beauty and find strength in re-writing a challenging beauty moment in her life.
Keep in mind these five key takeaways:
- Mentorship is meaningful - The act of spending quality time face to face is a valuable tool in today’s fast moving digital world. Mentorship is powerful because by sharing similar stories and creating honest conversations you model empathy and self-care for the girl in your life. Having a mentor who listens can significantly enhance feelings of self-esteem and confidence.
- Acknowledge her feelings - Appearance-related anxiety and body bullying are very real things in today’s girl world. By validating her reality and sharing some of yours, you help her to recognize that her feelings are not “in her head”. But rather than bonding over the negative feelings she may feel, encourage her to develop positive words and phrases that can replace the doubts or fears she has about her appearance. Focus on how she feels when she hears/says those words.
- Encourage her to explore her talents - We can help our kids discover more who they are by exposing them to different experiences and interests. Encourage them to feel the joy of self-expression whether it’s trying out for the school theater production or swimming team, encouraging them to discover.
- Talk about technology - Talk to your child about how they use technology and social media. Discuss who is allowed to view their personal account and when they post something, talk about how the comments make them feel and give alternative points of views. Social media should not be about competition and comparison. Help her to explore and develop her online identity to be close to the person she is in real life.
