One Mom's Journey

My toddler had never been exposed to cable television.  We streamed everything via our Boxee Box. Recently, my husband decided he wanted cable so that he could watch sports live.  In comes traditional television for the first time in 4 years.  I had no idea what I was going to experience.

My three year old was watching something on Teletoon (or something like that) and up pops a commercial. Harmless enough; toys, branding, the usual, but this was the first time she had been exposed to this - and what happened next was shocking.  For the first time ever, she started asking for everything she saw on commercials.  Mommy, I want one of those, I want that too.  Can I get that for Christmas?  Can you buy me that?  Everything she saw, whether it was a toy or an item of clothing - she wanted it.

In come self-esteem.  Little did I know that I was doing my daughter a favour by not having traditional commercials polluting her mind.  She had never compared herself to others, she had never disliked her clothing, until now.  I will never forget watching her watch a commercial with a bunch of teenage girls, with their long straight hair, cell phones and high boots walking down the street looking so cool and "typical" television perfection.  She has short and super curly gorgeous hair - now she wanted long and straight hair like them.  Poor thing...what have I done?  What has society done?


Children compare themselves unknowingly, naturally - why? because we have taught them that.  From the day they are born, Susy compares her son to Janet's son; developmentally, milestones, height, size, hair growth, speech, eating habits, sleeping habits etc.  Then we top it all off with commercials!  What has society done to market their items, their products, their people...they have created comparisons - a way for us as people to measure ourselves.  It is depressing.

The first questions that popped into my mind was, what can I do about this?  When I came across this info-graphic, it really spelled it out, and now I am trying to implement some of these things into our every day lives.

I am starting to educate my children at a very young age about self-esteem through small steps.  Showing them by being their role model.  I am going to look at myself through new eyes.  I am going to stop comparing myself to others and be happy with how I look and what I accomplish. I am going to stop reaching out and looking for approval.  I am going to tell my children how clever they are and how proud I am that they accomplished certain things.  I am going to stop pretending that they don't hear and see everything little thing that I do.  It is going to start with me.