It may seem obvious, but is easily forgotten, that teaching girls that appearance is the first thing we notice about them gives them the powerful message that looks are their most important quality. We don’t feel the need to tell our sons how handsome they are or how much we like their clothes, yet the unconscious biases we carry around means that we say things to daughters that we wouldn’t dream of saying to sons. In a survey I conducted of 400 girls for my latest book, 70% said they were worried about their weight. Some said they skipped breakfast and lunch to stay slim, others that they hoped to have plastic surgery when they were older. In a world obsessed with image, commenting on your daughter’s looks, clothes or related subjects can only exacerbate her already growing belief that image is everything, that how you look – not who you are or what you say – is important.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jun/25/four-reasons-not-to-tell-your-daughter-shes-pretty?CMP=twt_gu
