Little girls are a treasure and bring so much joy to life!  I want to encourage you today to keep in mind while you are raising your darling little girls, to not always talk about how beautiful they are. It is easy for us as moms to praise our daughter’s appearance without giving it much thought. I know my girls used to receive compliments often from family members and even from strangers at church, “don’t you look pretty today?” You know what I’m talking about. Everyone is well-meaning, but if we aren’t careful to balance these comments out, our girls will internalize the message that their worth is found in their appearance. As their mommas, we have to be intentional about praising their heart and their actions too. Call them out and praise them when you catch them being kind, generous, thoughtful or courageous. Did she share her toys during the playdate? Praise her! Did she say hi to the new girl at soccer? Praise her! Did she work really hard studying for a difficult test? Praise her! Did she try something new and fail? Praise! Praise! Praise! Telling her grandparents or her dad about the virtues you’ve noticed in her while she’s in earshot never hurts either.  

Make sure she sees you putting as much effort into your own character as you do your appearance. Include her in the things you do to serve others (babysitting for a friend, making meals to take to a new mom, etc.) and talk about why you're doing those things. Much more in parenting is caught than taught and she will learn what to value from the things you value, not only what you say.

It is important for our girls to know that beauty is on the inside as well as the outside. More than ever, our girls need to know that there is worth within them that is more than skin-deep.

Looking for a great resource on teaching virtues to your kids? We love this book from Courtney DeFeo!