RAISING CONFIDENT KIDS

How to bring up young 'uns to feel good in their own skin

- Amber Bramble

Growing up can be hard and for many of us, it carries memories of being made to feel like we had to live up to a certain body stereotype. Thankfully, the conversation around our bodies is changing for the better in many ways but there's also room for us to do much more.

Body-image activist and Embrace filmmaker Taryn Brumfitt has been working for years to help people feel better in their own skin.

Now she's spreading the message to young people with her upcoming film Embrace Kids, along with the newly released book of the same name, which she co-wrote with body-image expert Dr Zali Yager.

Taryn says we need to recognise that fat is just another part of our bodies.

"It's a three-letter word that wields so much power," she explains. "And we've got to take the power from it and help kids acknowledge, through our language, the celebration of all the different shapes, sizes and abilities of bodies. It's a beautiful thing and we're not all meant to be the same."

WHEN DOES IT BEGIN?

Unfortunately, many of the messages that we learn about body size start very young.

"We found that even as young as three, children will tell us that thin is good and fat is bad," says Zali.

However, it's often around the age of seven to nine when kids start to voice concerns about their appearance. The good news is that parents and other family members can have a huge positive impact, giving kids the confidence to navigate those difficult teen years.