Our culture is obsessed with appearance, and it can affect a kid's self-esteem. Summertime (and the clothing that goes with it) can be especially difficult.

"So how can parents help their kids get over a poor sense of their physical selves? 'Compliment children's abilities and personal qualities, not just their looks,' [psychologist Laura Mills] says. Beyond calling them cute, note their ingenuity, bravery, co-ordination, curiosity or sunny disposition."

Parental affection also helps kids develop healthy self-esteem. The attention is soothing and can reinforce a child's positive feelings about his or her body. Source: Edmonton Journal

Labels: apperances, influences, media_influences

People who fear appearance-based rejection are more likely to engage in disordered eating and exercise habits. Dr. Lora Park, a psychologist at the University of Buffalo - New York, developed the Appearance-Based Rejection Scale (ARS) to measure the level of anxiety people fear when they expect to be rejected based on their looks.

"She tested the scale on 242 college students, and found that people with high ARS scores were likely to base their self-worth on outward appearance and to rate themselves as physically unattractive...'Both men and women who reported being more sensitive to appearance-based rejection were preoccupied with their body and weight in unhealthy ways,' Park said..."

Park also found that close ties to friends and family, and self-affirming thoughts, seemed to act as "buffers" against the fear of appearance-based rejection.

Middle school girls who find themselves lost and unable to make good decisions can learn how to handle their emotions and actions at junior boarding schools like New Leaf Academy.

Labels: apperances, body_image, rejection