Raising Body Positive Kids - "Mommy, how did you get so fat?"

“Mommy, how did you get so fat?” My stomach dropped as my son asked this question. Thankfully we weren’t face-to-face, as I was driving. I took a deep breath and prepared to answer. Raising body positive kids isn’t easy, but it’s worth every difficult conversation.

plus size mother and her son standing with a pink wall behind them.

When my son was a baby, my big belly provided him with a soft place to snuggle and poke.

As he grew older and became aware that not all mommies have big bellies, the questions started to arise. And just like I had in the past, during this car ride, I told my son that all bodies are good bodies.

I talked about how people are different sizes, shapes, and colors. Then went onto share how what matters most is how we care for our bodies and learn to love ourselves.

Learn to love ourselves…something I didn’t start doing until after having my son in my 30’s. And that’s a big reason why I work so hard to encourage my son to appreciate his body.

It wasn’t that my mother didn’t work hard to raise her girls to have good self-esteem. She sure tried her hardest with the tools that she had at the time.

We all try our hardest!

Thankfully our society has changed a lot since I was growing up. While kids still get bullied and adults can be cruel on the internet, we have far more tools and resources to not only raise our kids to be body positive but to find the strength to work towards loving ourselves!

3 Tips For Raising Body Positive Kids

1. Don’t Talk About Your Body

Yes, this can be challenging, but as child and family therapist Amanda Edwards shares, you don’t want to assign a positive or negative value to your body – bodies are just bodies!

2. Encourage Kids To Feel Good About Their Body

To encourage your kids to tune in and feel great about their body, Amanda recommends getting your kids involved in a sport. For children seven and under, an individual sport like swimming or dance, rather than a group sport can be beneficial.

3. Eat One Meal A Day As A Family

Strive to have one family meal at the table a day – and it doesn’t have to be dinner! Speaking of food, eating in secret isn’t a secret! Your kids are watching and picking up on your personal habits so be mindful.

Want to learn more?

Episode 54 of the Plus Mommy Podcast, explores the topic of raising body positive kids. From a conversation, I recorded with my 8-year-old son to an interview with child and family therapist Amanda Edwards.

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 54

The dress I’m wearing in the photographs is from eShakti and the jean jacket is from Dia & Co. While eShakit doesn’t have this same print anymore, they do have other great patterns and styles you can explore size 0 – 36.
Connect with Amanda Edwards via her website, Instagram or Twitter.
Amanda and I co-authored the book The Peachie Moms Guide To Body Love For Moms.

With a Master’s degree in Counseling, I provide nurturing therapy services for children and families in the Parker, Colorado area. My specialty is working with children and their mothers, supporting them to understand one another and grow together, feeling connected each and every day. I’m trained in EMDR and specialize in working with kids with trauma, providing EMDR with an attachment and somatic approach to facilitate healing of the child and the family system after trauma. In addition, I am a certified yoga teacher and use yoga, mindfulness and meditation to address numerous mental health concerns.

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