What messages about beauty are we sharing with the girls in our lives? Whether we have daughters, granddaughters, nieces or young friends, the way we think and speak about beauty impacts the girls around us. Really! My friend Alexandra Kuykendall is a mom of four daughters, and she has thought a lot about the messages she conveys to them and to other young women. I loved her thoughts so much that I asked her permission to include them in my upcoming book, Hello, Beauty Full. Read on ...
Elisa
Five Ways to Let Girls Know They are Beautiful
By Alexandra Kuykendall
Your joy is beautiful.
"You have a beautiful smile." "Your eyes twinkle when you're thinking about that." "It makes me happy to see you so happy." There is a radiance about people who are enjoying the moment. We can teach girls with the ways we affirm them in those moments of joy.
Your talents are beautiful.
"You did that puzzle all by yourself? You are so good at that!" "Wow! You are fast on your bike!" "I think that drawing is lovely. Can you tell me about it?" We are each unique, and there is no reason we shouldn't point out our girls' natural abilities to encourage them to live into who they were made to be. They don't have to be delicate talents either (think fine arts). They just need to be uniquely hers, and we need to be genuinely interested in them.
Your heart is beautiful.
"Thank you for that hug. That helped cheer me up." "That was so thoughtful when you brought your sister your bear." "Great job including everyone when you were at school today. I can tell it made your friends feel special." God's heart is for us to treat each other well. Beauty in action is certainly attractive. Catch her doing something right.
Your thoughts are beautiful.
"What did you think of that story?" "I've never thought of it that way." "That is a great idea!" From her opinions to her ponderings, you gain insight into who she is. When you affirm her questions or insights you are letting her know she has something valuable to contribute to discussions and the world. Her ideas matter.
Your presence is beautiful.
"It's so good to see you." "I'm glad you're here." "I've missed you." All are my fallbacks when I greet a girl and nothing else comes to mind. These are ways to let a girl know her very existence is a gift to others, and you're glad she is around. This speaks right into why she is valuable. She is valuable because she bears her Creator's image. It's so simple and indeed beautiful.
Alexandra Kuykendall spends her days washing dishes, driving to and from different schools and trying to find a better solution to the laundry dilemma. She is a regular contributor to MOPS International's Hello Dearest blog and the author of two books The Artist's Daughter: A Memoir and Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me to be released next spring. Alex lives in the shadows of downtown Denver with her husband Derek and their 4 daughters who range in age from 12 to 4. You can connect with her at AlexandraKuykendall.com where she blogs about life and love from her vantage point. This blog has also appeared on AlexandraKuykendall.com and MOPS.org.