As a mom to five children I am often reminded that there are a lot of little eyes watching me and what I do every day. My kids have said and done many things I know they learned from me- both good and bad. Sometimes I wish they could just close those little eyes! I know I have to be aware of what I am inadvertently teaching them. A very important aspect of this is how I treat myself. The way I view myself and the way I talk about myself set a very important example for them to see. Another important aspect is how I care for my body. I want my children to love and care for themselves. Most likely the way they treat themselves will be a partial reflection of the example I have set for them.

My children see the way I feed my body, the exercise I give it, the value I put on sleep, and many other important aspects of care I give it. There are times when some of these things slip. If I don’t eat the way that I know fuels my body best, I feel the effects of that. I want my children to recognize how they feel when they eat different foods. When I don’t make getting enough sleep a priority, I tend to get cranky and am not as effective in my everyday life. Making sure my kids understand this and know that I see it as an important aspect of health is another building block for them to have. 

Kids see what we do much more than they hear what we say. My children often ask me, “Did you go running this morning, Mom?” However, I don’t really have to tell them. They know what I do because they have seen it over and over. I also like to encourage them to be active and talk with them about some of the benefits I feel from doing this.

I will be one of the biggest examples my kids have to follow. I know that as they get older they will have pressures I won’t understand. If my children recognize that taking care of their bodies will help them love themselves more, I feel that they will have a desire to do so. Will they have hard times and frustrations about their bodies? Absolutely! But as they take care of their bodies they will recognize more fully all of the amazing things bodies do and not just focus on what they look like. 

There are others every day that watch us and our examples. Most we will probably never know of. I know for myself there are those that I admire for the way they love and take care of their bodies. I see how they speak about their bodies and it inspires me to work towards that. It may be our very own little ones watching us or it may be a dear friend we help. We just never know who we may be helping!