I watched a movie entitled “I Feel Pretty” with my teen daughters (one will be 13 in Jan). Although the movie had a couple close your eyes moments, it was a great movie I believe was ideal to watch with my daughters. In the movie, Amy Schumer, lacked confidence until one day she attended a SoulCycle class, fell off the bike and bumped her head. After gathering herself up from the fall, she was suddenly the most confident woman! Although she thought she had changed physically, she had not. Her new found confidence landed her a position with a high-end beauty brand company and new boyfriend that was smitten by her flamboyant ability to have so much self confidence. At the end of the movie, she bumped her head again and realized she had never changed physically and she was beautiful the way she was. She realized her looks did not define her but confidence is EVERYTHING!. Now to my point…

As we head into a new school year, what my kids don’t know is I feel a bit of anxiousness for them. I know how difficult middle school and high school can be. I realize that it can be a place that shapes your self confidence for many years to come. Having teenage girls can be difficult, not because they are not good children, but because I understand the potential barriers that are ahead of them. I understand that it's important they have a great amount of confidence because all it takes is for someone to make an ignorant comment and it shapes how they feel about themselves well into adulthood.
It's important that we raise girls that are confident. While some girls are not inherently wired that way, it is detrimental that it is spoken into them. It is imperative to their development to be affirmed. Watching this movie with my girls was a great moment we shared because they watched a message unfold about the importance of self confidence, the myth about perfection and how others perceptions are not important. I hope they remember this movie the next time they may feel an inkling of a lack of confidence.
“Reality is, it's beyond parks and playdates.”