The illustrious and wonderful blogger, podcaster, author, techie expert, wife, and mom Lisa Hendey invited me to talk about my book, Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body, over at Catholic Mom. In the interview, I share everything from information about the writing process to tips on how to raise physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy daughters.
Here’s a snippet from the interview:
“We live in a society where girls are constantly at risk of sacrificing their true selves – whether they try to find love in the arms of a boy who doesn’t really care about them, wear immodest clothing to get attention, or turn themselves into a shiny, pretty package using extreme dieting or obsessive exercising. Our daughters face a lot of pressures today, but with our guidance, prayers, and the grace of God we can help fight back against a culture that undermines their worth as women and help them hold onto their true selves.
My oldest is only 6, but I’m already trying to be very conscious of what I say in reference to food or our bodies. Even if I’m having an “ugly” day, I don’t voice any of this aloud. I try not to talk about weight or my body at all. Likewise, food isn’t bad or good in our home. Some of it may not be as healthy for our bodies, but eating a Reese Peanut Butter Cup is not a sin. I encourage my daughters to listen to their bodies and to eat by their stomachs rather than by the clock. This can be challenging as a mom because I sometimes feel like I’m constantly plying children with food; however, little ones eat so intentionally and don’t clean their plate or ignore their hunger pangs unless we teach them to start doing that.
I also let my girls be girls. I used to balk at the idea of a 2-year-old wanting to try on my fancy shoes or pretend to put makeup on with my blush brush, but then I realized they weren’t wanting to do any of this out of vanity. My middle daughter is especially drawn to girly things, and I want her to see the tremendous value in femininity. Women were created to be drawn to beautiful things; there is nothing wrong with that. Similarly, accentuating our God-given beauty isn’t something we have to teach our children to avoid. We just need to remind them that their true value runs much deeper than their rose-colored lipstick or the size of their jeans.”