As a young girl, my mom was given a framed picture with a little girl in a cute dress shyly looking down.
The words scripted on it said, “Little girls should be seen and not heard.”
When I got a bit older, my mom gifted that same picture to me.
I thought it was cool having something from her past.
I don’t know a lot about her childhood and this made me feel special and closer to her in some way.
For years, as a single woman, I had it hanging in my home, not thinking much about it…until I had my firstborn daughter.
All of the sudden, reading the words on that picture both enraged and saddened me.
This is the message that so many women generations before us grew up hearing.
Is this the message that I received as a result?
I took the picture down and decided that my daughter would never hear that message from me or anyone else.
In that moment, I decided that I would pass a new set of beliefs to my daughter, a new legacy, if you will…
My daughters AND son will hear these words instead:
1. Your thoughts, feelings, and ideas are always worth speaking and being heard. I want to hear them.
2. You ARE enough.
3. All of the answers lie within you. Trust yourself.
4. You will always be seen, heard, acknowledged, and believed by me.
5. You think of the most brilliant ideas and solutions.
6. You are a powerful and infinite being.
7. You are and always will be unconditionally loved and respected by me.
8. Your sensitivity and creativity are two of your greatest gifts. Hang on to both.
9. As long as you believe in yourself, you can do ANYTHING.
10. You deserve support. Receiving help is just as important as giving to others.
Words ARE powerful (if you don’t believe me, take the next 5 minutes and listen to YOUR self-judgments and notice how these words make you feel).
What we say to ourselves and our children have meaning and deeply impact us and them.
The belief that little girls should be seen and not heard was an unconscious belief that was passed from generation to generation in many families throughout history.
This is one belief I’ve put a stop to for all of the young girls that will follow me, my daughters, and their daughters.
We are in a time where our girls are being bombarded with many mixed messages from the media, friends, and boys.
As a result, the number of girls with low self-esteem, eating disorders, and self-hatred is on the rise in epidemic proportions.
Too many young girls are suffering as a result.
Maybe you were unconsciously made to believe some pretty horrible things about yourself as well.
If so, it’s time to create a new way of looking at yourself in the world, if not for you, then for your daughter.
Today, is time for you to create a new legacy for your daughter, to let her know that she IS valued and can positively impact the world in ways that she cannot even begin to imagine.
Your daughter needs your help. She needs to be acknowledged by you.
You can make all of the difference in her life and in yours.
You have the power to create the change you want to see in your family and in the world, but it all starts with YOU.
Now tell me…what’s YOUR NEW legacy? What will YOU choose to pass down to your daughter and sons starting today?
Please post your comment below. I always love to hear from you!
Dawn K. Gibson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Mind-Body Parenting Coach for moms.
She is the catalyst who helps moms build parenting confidence and see + own their value, so they can raise happy and confident kids who feel connected to them as they grow.
She’s the creator and host of the Web TV program, The Confident Parenting Connection with Dawn K. Gibson, LCSW and offers effective private and group mind-body coaching programs to moms in all stages of motherhood.
To learn more about Dawn and to receive her free MP3, please visit: http://dawnkgibson.com
