Mom Shares in Heartfelt Post How She'll Teach Her Daughter to "Love Herself"
After Laura Mazza snapped a photo of her daughter in a Hulk costume, the mom felt inspired to pen a heartfelt note to her girl, emphasizing why it's so important that she teach her daughter to "love herself" and that if she wants to be like the Hulk, she damn well can be. Although directed at her daughter, Laura's message is an important and universal one that all parents of girls need to read.
"I want to teach my daughter to love herself," Laura wrote in a post to her blog's Facebook page, Mum on the Run. "That above all, she's smart, she's funny, she's clever, and she can achieve anything she wants . . . and her body is just the place that holds all of her amazingness."
The mom continued, outlining all of the things she wants her girl to know and learn about her body.
That all bodies are different, different heights, different shapes, different sizes, all of them are unique . . . like hers. That being skinny doesn't mean you're healthy, and having fat doesn't mean you're unhealthy. That what you weigh doesn't determine your health.That you should judge a person by their character, never by their body size. That she should never worry nor care if she is being judged for her body. That she should strut in whatever bathing suit she likes in any size. That scales are rubbish, and don't teach you anything but self-loathing. That someone else's body isn't you competition, how they look, their skin, their size, it doesn't make you any less than the beautiful person you are. That it's okay to compliment others and being nice to others is the key to happiness. It's also okay to take a compliment and not feel like you should shut it down. You serve nothing by putting yourself down.
That her body is hers, and hers alone and she can share it with whomever she wishes. That the way she gives birth doesn't define how much of a woman or mother she is. That her body will change after birth, but doesn't make it any less of who she is and she should be proud of all she's done.
Laura rounded out her incredible message with a nod to the adorable photo she took of her daughter. "That she [be] invincible and that if she wants to become the Hulk, then she can become the Hulk; ain't no one gonna stop her!" she wrote, which prompted other moms to share photos of their daughters dressed as superheroes in the comments.
"We teach the same thing to our girls," wrote one commenter (who posted the above photo). "This week she likes to be Ironman! She's usually dressed up as a ninja turtle or batman!" Another added, along with the image below: "Fantastic!! We are sending the same message to our 3-year-old daughter . . . and our 5-year-old son for that matter. Here is Miss three dressed as Spider Man . . . "