How to help a teenage daughter going through body image issues
Between hormonal changes and society’s unrealistic portrayals of what women should look like, teenage girls in Hong Kong and elsewhere face immense pressure, often to the point of developing self-esteem issues
My daughter used to love sports at her Hong Kong primary school but she tries to avoid it now that she’s in Year Seven. She won’t join extracurricular sports clubs and tries to get out of school if she has PE. She’s become embarrassed about her body and says she doesn’t want to change with others because she feels she’s not as pretty or slim as some other girls. How can I help her to regain her confidence and love of sports?
Moving to secondary school is a big change for students. Add to that the flow of hormones and mood swings as pupils grapple to develop their own identity, and you can have an incendiary mix. Your daughter may simply need time to adjust.
There are also other possible reasons for your daughter’s change in attitude towards sports. Sometimes when children mature they develop different interests. As parents, we often organise our child’s time at primary school with activities we feel they should be doing. However, our children become less pliable or biddable as they get older, as they become more independent and realise they have a choice.
At this tricky age girls tend to become very self aware and even hypersensitive because their bodies are developing. Sometimes this means they put on weight, and this can further exacerbate their worries. This is perfectly normal. Some will do anything to get out of doing PE.
