I Want To Raise My Daughter To Be A Confident Woman, But First I Need To Become One

 

I love how carefree my daughter is. How she doesn’t care what others think yet. I love that she will dance and sing in public. How she jumps in front of the camera, big gap-toothed smiles and silly poses. I love that she willingly shows off her artwork and stories. And how she can sit and play for hours, with nothing on her mind but the current task at hand.

I wish my daughter could always be like this. That she could continue to carry herself proudly, unafraid of judgment or criticism. I want her to always dance like nobody is watching, to continue to sing as if no one can hear her, and paint and write her emotions without worrying what others opinions are.

My daughter loves meeting new people, unafraid to bring them handwritten letters with freshly picked wildflowers. Her friends at school range from kindergarteners to students in grade six, and she is constantly smiling and waving to our neighbours whenever we go outside. She loves trying new things, whether it’s a sport, game or new class at the library. She’s not afraid of failure, because in her eyes she hasn’t failed.

I hope that I had something to do with this. I hope that I taught her the valuable lessons that have made her this way. That maybe my encouragement, the little pushes I send her way, the praise and unconditional love I give her, have shaped her into this bright, smart and beautiful person.

But as my daughter gets older and begins to notice more subtle things, like the way I carry myself or how I mumble responses to strangers, I worry she will inherent my shyness, my awkwardness, my low self-esteem.

If children learn by example, then I need to fix my own self-esteem problems.

It’s been a work in progress. Every day is a challenge as I force myself to walk a little taller, to raise my voice a little higher and to accept myself for who I am.

By eating healthier, getting more sleep and more exercise in my daily life I hope to show my daughter to treat her body right. By chasing my dreams, going to school, working on my blog and photography I hope to teach my daughter to believe in herself. By maintaining close friendships, a good marriage and remaining close with my family I hope to show my daughter the importance of good relationships.

There’s no guarantee that any of this will work though. I understand that I still have a lot of work to do. I know I have a lot to learn. And I’m willing to do my best.

Because I want to raise a self-assured and confident woman, but first I need to become one.