Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May, 2013

How to not screw up your kid's body image

I had a Houston client today talking about his parenting abilities. "When you break it down", he told me, "I am just trying to not f*** up my kids." I appreciate his honesty so much. I think good parents often worry about whether their choices will help or wound their children. My precious six-year-old walked into my room first thing this morning, looked straight at me and asked me if she was skinny. I faltered for a second- taken aback by her question.  As a therapist who works with people who struggle with body image and self-identity, I am very sensitive about this topic. I try not to label my children with terms like "skinny" or "chubby" or say anything that will give them a stigma about their bodies. My hope for my kids would be that they would appreciate and be thankful for the unique qualities in the bodies they have been given. Parents are not solely responsible for how kids feel about their bodies, but we do have a big

12 Ways you sabotage your mental health

If things feel off-kilter in your life, you may be doing some of these twelve things listed in this Health.com article that sabotage your mental health. The great thing about the article is that it also give you practical ideas for what you can do to change those behaviors. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20694928,00.html?xid=healthyliving05012013