Oh, you dear child!
Elementary school students are already worried about their appearance
© Cavan Images / Getty Images
Nowadays, elementary school students already talk about the thickness of their thighs and put on make-up in front of school. Our author is appalled.
by Theresa König
I can still clearly remember how ugly I found myself when I was 12. That I found myself too thin, that I would have liked to have breasts like Susanne from 6 b and that I suddenly hated my glasses. However, I also know that up to this point I had never thought about problems of this kind, or at least never thought for more than 30 seconds. I went through puberty. And I know how difficult it was for me to find myself really good from then on. Even today, at 40, I am glad that those days are over.
That’s probably why I was so shocked when my seven-year-old daughter recently asked me what food makes you fat and whether I think her hair is too short. For me she’s perfect anyway, but for the first time it struck me that she could see it differently. Then the mother of a third grader told me that her daughter’s friends were arguing extremely often about whether her buttocks and thighs were too fat. One of them no longer wanted to wear certain pants because she looked “fat” in them. So she planned to go jogging more from now on. A trend that I already find bad with 20-year-olds – but with ten-year-olds?!? Totally absurd.
Shouldn’t children rather collect dirt under their nails than paint them?
This trend is of course highly profitable for industry. There are now nail polishes for children, body lotions for children, shampoos for children, perfumes for children, hair gel for children and even wellness treatments and manicures for children. But shouldn’t they rather have dirt under their nails than paint them? Shouldn’t her hair be disheveled rather than styled? Or maybe even both go together?
I’m not exactly sure if an eight-year-old wants to put on blush or look like a Disney princess is bad. But what I’m quite sure about is that to be more beautiful, she shouldn’t do it because she’s not pretty enough yet. She should find herself perfect as she is, in any pants and without mascara. Regardless of whether she weighs 14 kilos or 44. I am even more certain that looks shouldn’t play a big role in the life of any girl or woman of any age – and even less so for elementary school students. The margin in which women beat themselves up because of their appearance has always been too great. Does it really have to start earlier?
Haven’t girls always played with their mothers lipsticks?
I may be exaggerating. It is possible that girls have always played with their mothers’ lipsticks. Of course, I also know that children grow up earlier and earlier, that puberty begins as early as ten-year-olds. You don’t have to be a scientist to do this, you only have to live next to a secondary school. But the fact that elementary school children are already so obsessed with their looks frightened me nonetheless. Because this is not about playing with lipstick at all, after all, all the beautification measures are meant seriously.
Not only does an entire industry live from the fact that women feel inadequate and therefore buy cosmetics, shapewear and diet products for huge sums, now the children are also involved. Especially the girls, of course.
Bibi? According to me. But the one with the broom, not the one with the Beauty Palace
I’ve been thinking about what I can do about it – and I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to be a strong role model. Because of that, I will only find myself good now. I am not going to talk about the figure or appearance of others. At most I will emphasize my merits and those of my daughters. But only marginally their appearance: Because I’ll tell you how smart you are, how great you read and run fast, how well you sing and climb, how excellent you can calculate and build sandcastles.
In addition, my children have to read books and listen to radio plays. I.Your role models should be Madita, Pippi and Ronja. For me Bibi too – but please the one with the broom and not the one with the Beauty Palace.
Maybe we’ll watch the documentary “Embrace” right away
Maybe tonight I will start reading to my daughters on the subject: The book “Fuck Beauty! Why the desire for flawless beauty makes us unhappy and what we can do about it” by Nunu Kaller is finally on my shelf. And maybe next we’ll watch the documentary “Embrace – You are beautiful” by Taryn Brumfitt. Apparently you can’t deal with the subject of “beauty” early enough …