"The most important thing is to give children the message that they are more than their body. They have a body, but they aren't just a body," Manley said. Teach your children that how they look isn't the most important or most interesting thing about them, Cadillac added. Talk about all the inner qualities that make them special, Manley said.
"Open dialogue for your child to share their experience in their body," O'Malley said. Each of our experiences is unique, so allowing them to share what it feels like for them to be in their body can be helpful for both of you. Have them notice or share parts of their body they like, but also encourage them to feel excited about things that are beyond what their body looks like.
We can teach them to be thankful for their bodies or speak gratitude over their body with little games like: I love my ____ because ____, Cadillac said. For example: "I love my arms because I can hug you with them," "I love my belly because it holds all the yummy food I eat," or "I love my legs because they can ride a bike to my friend's house."
It's important to explain to your children regularly that as we grow, we change in many ways but are always the same person deep inside, Black said. Focusing on how amazing their bodies are and how blessed they are to have certain strengths, turning the focus to what they can do, will help encourage body positivity as they grow.