Embrace Your Body

#1 Key messages to help kids Embrace their bodies!

In this episode, we learn more about our hosts, Taryn Brumfitt and Dr Zali Yager - who they are and why they are here. 
 
Body image is a complex issue, and people of all ages, genders, shapes, and sizes can have concerns about their bodies that hold them back in life. We’re on a mission to change that for us, and for our kids. 
 
In this episode, Taryn B and Dr Z distill down the 4 key messages we need to be passing on to our kids. These key messages are the themes that run through the Embrace Kids film, and are explained in more detail in the Embrace Kids book for parents. 
Celebrate Diversity 
Being kind to ourselves
Focus on Functionality
Social media and real role models
 
With 30 years’ combined experience, 6 kids, and 4 books between them, this powerful collaboration brings an opportunity to laugh and learn. 
 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here 
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here
 

#2 How do we talk about bodies and body image?

Body image is a complex issue, and people of all ages, genders, shapes, and sizes can have concerns about their bodies that hold them back in life. We’re on a mission to change that for us, and for our kids. 
Let’s start by talking about how we talk about bodies, weight, and body image in our home. 
In this episode we talk about using the ‘F’ Word (fat), and why it’s ok to say it, as well as the things we need to stop saying about our own bodies in front of our kids. 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here

#3 Celebrating Diversity!

One of our key messages to support Kids to Embrace their bodies is to celebrate diversity. 
This means celebrating the unique things about us, and our contribution to the world around us. 
It means pointing out the wide variety of flowers that come together to make a beautiful garden and the range of skilled players it takes for a sports team to win. It means constantly appreciating the fact that we are all different, and that is what makes our family, our school, our community, and our world an awesome place to be. Taking this approach can improve body image as it makes young people less likely to think that they have to strive for, or conform with one unrealistic beauty standard or one social ‘ideal’. 
In this episode, we also talk about inclusion and representation of people of all expressions of gender, all shapes and sizes, people from different cultural backgrounds, and people with disabilities. It’s not perfect, but it starts a conversation about starting a conversation. 
We unpack some of what we see in the Embrace Kids film so that parents can talk this through with their kids. 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here
 

#4 Being Kind to Ourselves...

There is so much evidence on the benefits of self compassion for our mental and physical health - and for our body image. In this episode, we talk through the science behind #bekind, and how you can learn to respond to yourself with self compassion instead of critical self talk. Once you’ve practiced this, you can role model, and teach this approach to your kids. Join the self compassion club! 
For more self compassion science and resources, visit https://self-compassion.org/ 
The self compassion traffic light is available here
The self compassion recording Zali recorded for you is here [LINK]. And here’s one for young people [LINK]. 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here here
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here
 

#5 Focus on Functionality!

Your body is an instrument, not an ornament- it’s the vehicle to your dreams. 
The science shows that people who appreciate the functionality of their bodies worry less about what they look like. In this episode we talk through the science and the stories behind the importance of remembering that our bodies do incredible things for us - every day- and have done amazing things for us in the past. 
For body functionality journaling tasks, go here 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here
 

#6 Social Media and Real Role Models...

Most parents we talk to think that social media is causing all of the body image issues for the young people around them. In this episode, we dive into the research about the sorts of media and images we were exposed to as kids, and how social media is different. 
We love social media, and it’s pretty hard to avoid. Rather than promoting abstinence, we give some practical advice about how we can reduce the damage from our nightly scroll. 
See where you can watch the Embrace Kids film here here
Buy your copy of the Embrace Kids Book here
And visit The Embrace Hub for free body image resources here