Our Child's Body Image Starts With Us

What are we teaching them?

We know they watched us when they were babies. They learned to walk and talk and sing and dance by watching us. But they’re still watching us, and listening to us, and they see how we treat ourselves. They hear our opinions on body types, diets, health, and nutrition. What are they learning from us now? Our featured article is one mama’s story. And my personal thoughts on this are at the bottom of the newsletter in Just Sayin’.

I can’t wait for you to see our Recipes of the Week! I hope your family enjoys these five yummy dinners!

And I hope you all have a great week. I’ll be back in your inbox on Wednesday with our Extra, Extra! treats!

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I Was In Elementary School When I First Realized My Body Wasn’t Good Enough

By Jenni Brennan

Photo by Caique Nascimento on Unsplash

I was only 7 years old the first time I became aware my body was not good enough. Seven years old. . .

Standing in the middle of the Sears department store, my grandmother shook her head and sighed as she explained that because I had inherited the family’s big “fanny,” I could no longer shop for back-to-school clothes in the little girls' section anymore.

No, from that point forward, I needed to shop in the “husky girls” section. 

I was 8 the first time I became aware that my body could be openly mocked and sexualized.

As the school bus drove by me on my walk to elementary school one morning, a few boys poked their heads out the window and shouted to me about the size of my breasts. From that point on, making fun of my large chest became normal. And not a single adult tried to stop it.

I was 12 the first time I became aware that others could decide what was acceptable for me to wear.

My body didn't deserve the tight bodysuits and short sweater dresses that were in fashion at the time. Members of my extended family and my peers were sure to let me know with upturned noses and comments like “Oh, you’re going to wear that?!”

I was 19 the first time I lost a lot of weight. I quickly became aware that “thin me” was a more valued member of society than “fat me.”

It was almost a guarantee anytime I saw someone for the first time since losing the weight, they would excitedly congratulate me on how great I looked and would eagerly ask for details on how I managed to lose the weight.

I was 23 the first time I gained the weight back and fell into my deepest period of depression.

Surely if I was more likable and attractive after weight loss then the opposite must also be true. Feelings of worthlessness, embarrassment, and shame about my body and myself set in.

I was 25 the first time a doctor told me I was too heavy to carry a healthy pregnancy to term.

I was already 10 weeks along. For the rest of the pregnancy, every waking minute (and a lot of sleeping minutes) was filled with feelings that I was and would be a bad mother because of my weight.

My weight and my body have been open for judgment, comment, and mockery for decades. But no one has been more harsh or more judgmental about it than me.

Until now.

I was 42 when I finally put away my scale and stopped valuing myself based on that number.

For the first time in my life, I don’t know what number is on the scale. I no longer use that number to measure my worth.

Instead, I focus on other numbers.

Instead of the number on the scale, I focus on the number of hours I get to spend with people I love and who love me back — whether I’m heavy or thin.

I focus on the number on my bench press or leg press at the gym and how those numbers keep increasing weekly.

I focus on the number on the speedometer on my cardio machines and how I’m able to make those numbers climb.

Instead of that scale, I focus on the number on the blood pressure monitor and how I no longer need to take medication to lower them.

I focus on the number of times a day I made a healthy choice. And how I nurtured my body instead of punishing it.

And I focus on the number of things I like about myself like my humanity, my patience, my ability to listen, and my commitment to always showing up for my kids.

Other people’s opinions of my body and its acceptability for society are no longer how I measure my own worth.

They aren’t how I’ll measure the worth of others.

They aren’t how you should measure your worth either.

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RECIPES OF THE WEEK:

Our recipes for Mango Chicken Tinga Soup, Creamy Meatball Casserole, and Sheet Pan Shrimp are a few of the amazing dinners you and your family can enjoy this week. Take this page with you on your grocery run and you’re all set.

Chicken Gyros

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced

• 4-6 pita bread

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Tzatziki sauce (store-bought or homemade)

• Sliced tomatoes

• Sliced cucumbers

• Sliced red onions

• Optional: sliced lettuce, crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley

Instructions:

*Marinating the Chicken:

1. In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

2. Add the thinly sliced chicken breast to the marinade. Make sure the chicken is well coated. Cover the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or ideally, marinate it overnight for the best flavor.

*Cooking the Chicken:

1. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Once hot, add the marinated chicken slices to the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and has a nice golden brown color.

3. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, slice it into strips.

*Assembling the Gyros:

1. Warm the pita bread either by placing it in the oven for a few minutes or heating it in a skillet for a minute on each side.

2. Spread a dollop of tzatziki sauce on each warm pita bread.

3. Place some sliced chicken on top of the tzatziki sauce. Add your desired toppings such as sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, lettuce, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley.

4. Fold the pita bread over the filling, and if desired, wrap it in parchment paper or foil to hold everything together.

Shortcut Manicotti

Ingredients: