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Kids health

Your Preschooler May Already Be Worried About Their Body Image

A new partnership between Blippi and the Dove Self-Esteem Project focuses on building self-esteem.

Your Preschooler May Already Be Worried About Their Body Image

mojzagrebinfo via Canva

Do you know what your pre-schooler thinks when they look in the mirror? Hopefully, they feel good about how they look, but research from the Dove Self-Esteem Project shows that body confidence concerns can start as early as age four. And the study found that body image concerns can influence children's willingness to participate in school, clubs and sports—activities that can help promote self-confidence.

Charlotte Markey, who wrote The Body Image Book for Girls says children see cultural messages promoting narrow beauty standards early in life. Though the Body Positivity Movement led to more body diversity in children’s content, Markey says there is still lots of room for improvement.

A boy wearing a hoodie looks at himself in a mirror.

“A lot of children’s media relies on gender-based stereotypes,” says Markey. While female characters are often valued for their appearances, male characters are more likely to be valued for their actions. 

Of course, pop culture for kids is more than movies and books. A 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine says children under eight spend more time per day on video platforms like YouTube than they do watching television. 

Sara Grimes, a professor at McGill University with expertise in children and digital culture, says exposure to ‘get ready with me’ and ‘what I eat in a day’ videos may unintentionally introduce kids to concepts like eating disorders and unrealistic beauty standards. “Even if they have all the filters on, there's going to be a lot of mature content and ideas that slip through,” says Grimes. 

New content from Blippi and the Dove Self-Esteem Project

This is why, Blippi, the much-loved children’s show, is partnering with the Dove Self-Esteem Project to help preschoolers and their parents spark conversations about self-esteem through entertaining resources.

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Marcela Melero, chief growth officer at Dove, commented on the initiative’s overall goal. “We want a future where young people feel empowered to confidently challenge beauty standards, advocate for themselves, and feel connected to and celebrate their bodies,” she says.

Ages four to six can explore recent episodes, music videos and YouTube Shorts featuring talent shows, engaging stories and catchy songs. The “My Body is Amazing” number was used in a Dove study which found that children who watched the music video felt more confident and positive about their bodies.

This content is available for free on Blippi’s YouTube channel and a 75-minute special is available on Prime Video. During the episode, Blippi and friends encourage kids to discover all the cool things their bodies can do. Grimes says focusing on the body’s health instead of its beauty is an important part of building positive self-esteem.

Families looking for extra tools can check out Blippi and Dove’s body confidence kit for caregivers. The booklet provides prompts, tips and activities for parents looking to discuss self-esteem with their children.

Two children and three adults wearing colourful costumes smile to camera. Image courtesy of the Dove Self-Esteem Project

3 ways to promote a healthy body image at home

Modelling behaviour

According to Markey, most parents make errors when trying to help their children develop a positive body image. She says focusing too much on a child’s eating and activity habits may lead to kids feeling self-conscious about these issues. “We want our kids to trust their bodies and to take care of them,” says Markey. “We don’t want them to be worried about avoiding certain foods, or taking a certain number of steps each day or aspiring to unrealistic appearance ideals.”

Try to avoid speaking negatively about your own body and framing exercise as a dreaded obligation. Dove's body confidence kit says parents and family members who are unhappy with their bodies are more likely to have children who also experience low body confidence.

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Of course, learning to love your body is often a tricky task. Be patient with yourself and check out self-esteem-building resources for adults.

A woman sits cross-legged between two children on a yoga mat.

Find the right content

Kids come in all races, shapes and sizes. Shows and books which continuously prioritize diversity can make children feel included and inspired.

Instead of watching content where characters are valued primarily for their looks, Grimes recommends shows like Future Chicken—a Canadian children’s series about the environment filled with empowering messages.

Shows and books like Doc McStuffins, where girls are praised for their intelligence and kindness, are another great example-setter for all children. “It’s so important boys also see that women are valued for things beyond the stereotypical, hyper-feminine beauty ideals,” says Grimes. “This is something that’s good for all kids, to see women who are astronauts and data scientists and Olympians.”

Grimes also says that it's important not to villainize content about makeup and hair care. An overly negative attitude towards beauty practices can alienate many kids who see their moms applying makeup in the mornings.

“That can be a way of expressing yourself and, if it’s one of many and it’s a choice and it’s not making you feel bad, this can have a positive place in people’s lives,” says Grimes. “You know, makeup can be fun.”

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A father and daughter smile at each other while reading a book. Crystal Sing via Canva

Understand curiosity and mimicry play

If a child has questions about words, terms and ideas associated with unhealthy lifestyles, Grimes encourages parents to assess the situation calmly. After watching an influencer discussing diet, a child may have questions about unfamiliar concepts like weight loss. This curiosity is understandable and not necessarily a red flag. If you notice a kid’s stake in unhealthy behaviours, however, it is time to intervene.

“Don’t panic,” says Grimes. “Listen and see what’s going on and then address it.”

Similarly, pretending to apply makeup or make TikToks is normal and not a huge cause for concern. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that their self-esteem is damaged,” says Grimes. “All of us as children did this emulating kind of play. It’s called mimesis. It’s like mimicry play and it’s a way of processing, of making sense.” But, if your little one wants to use makeup to address body-image issues, intervention is important.

In severe cases, Grimes says professional help could be really useful for struggling children and their families.

This article was originally published on Oct 11, 2024

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Alina is a journalism student at Toronto Metropolitan University and an editorial intern at Today’s Parent. After working in a Montessori environment with students aged 4-11, Alina discovered a keen interest in covering childcare.

She has also studied pop culture writing at New York University and fashion/lifestyle journalism at City University of London.

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