Would You Allow Your 7-Year-Old To Get Plastic Surgery?
The other day on Facebook there was a thread that was discussing the recent news coverage of a 7-year-old girl who, in fact, did get plastic surgery.
The girl’s mother wanted to protect her daughter from bullying and help give her the chance to grow up without being tormented by others for her differences.
What Lies Beneath…
This really points to some of the gigantic problems boiling just under the surface in today’s society. We have become extremely introverted and separeated from our community, not to mention within families. How many of you can say that you know the neighbors 3 houses down from you? (I know I can’t). We all become so busy in our individual lives that we miss out on the strenght we can gain when we have that sense of community.
This article also was a flashback for me to my own childhood when I was bullied as a child and teen. I can attest to how horrible and scarring bullying can be. There were periods of life where I longed for plastic surgery so I could look like the airbrushed models on Sixteen Magazine. Yet, the real underlying issue for me was just the need to feel loved and accepted for who I was.
The Hidden Gift
You know, in spite of how horrid it was to be picked on by other kids, my tormenters were really my teachers. I learned so much about compassion for others by receiving it’s opposite. We can’t take it all away.
In… fact, it’s not our job to take it all away. That’s not to say we should leave our kids to fend for themselves in potentially dangerous situations. Instead, our job as parents is really to give our kids the tools to transform all the different stumbling blocks we face in life into stepping stones that will lead our kids to places they couldn’t reach without those experiences.
Parenting By The Minute Solutions
It really is so easy for parents to give their kids these transformative tools, just 60 seconds a day will do it. Simply being completely present with your child for just a minute at a time can really foster that sense of connection and self-assuredness. Being there and talking to your child, letting them know how much you love them no matter what is pricelss to a child. Take a minute out of your busy day. You will be helping your child build a brighter tomorrow.
