Do we have a blinkered view of our children?

Sometimes I think all children have double identities. There’s the ‘at home’ child, the one the parents know and love, and there’s the ‘out in the world’ child, the one that the rest of us see. Here’s what I mean.

Picture 1: Jess* has decided not to let her two girls do gymnastics because she’s worried about the impact it will have on their body image. She believes our local gymnastics club is far too competitive, driving girls to achieve beyond their capabilities, and keeping close tabs on their weight in the lead-up to competitions. Jess is adamant: she doesn’t want unhealthy beliefs about their bodies being forced on her daughters.

The Flipside: Jess’s older daughter, six-year-old Cara, comes over to play at our house. As she sprawls on the living room floor, piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, I catch a snatch of the song she’s singing under her breath. ‘I’ve got a fat farm on my bum … I’ve got a fat farm on my bum …’

Read the full post at happychild here.

* Names changed to avoid embarrassment.