It’s happening younger than ever. Girls as young as five are worrying about their weight, and by age nine the insecurities can hit hard. In this episode we unpack a listener’s heartbreaking question: “Is my daughter pretty enough?” - and share the practical steps that protect kids from body image pain without making it worse.

KEY POINTS

• Body image worries now start between ages 5–9 for many girls
• Why reassurance backfires & curiosity helps
• The 3-step approach: Curious → Validate → Reframe
• Teach function over appearance to build positive body appreciation
• The strongest predictor: how parents talk about their own bodies
• What mothers model → daughters absorb (instantly & powerfully)

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE

“Don’t rush in with reassurance - get curious, not furious.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Misconnection: Why Your Teenage Daughter Hates You, Expects the World, and Needs to Talk by Justin Coulson
• The Misconnection Summit
• Enough - A video resource for teen girls

ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS

1. Get Curious (Not Furious): Ask where comments came from before correcting.
2. Validate the Feelings: “That must have felt really crummy. I’m glad you told me.”
3. Reframe: Shift to body function (what it does, not how it looks).
4. Model Neutral-to-Positive Self Talk: No dieting talk, no body bashing, no opting out of photos.
5. Build Gratitude for the Body: Surfing, running, hugging- celebrate capability.