Do any mums of daughters have any good ideas about this?
I grew up with a very strict, controlling dad. He had very specific ideas about how women should look - slim, fit, natural. He constantly told us about his ideals.
When I was in late primary school, I put on some weight. I wasn't an obese child by any stretch, but pudgy. Nowadays it would probably scarcely be remarkable! The result was years of stopping my pocket money till I lost weight, withdrawing privileges that my slimmer sisters had, making me run around the block with him whilst he shouted at me to keep up, shouting at me whilst I ate ("stuffing your face again, are you?") and sneering when I dieted ("slimming, are we?").
I spent most of my teen years eating awful lo-cal ready meals, replacing meals with shakes, skipping meals, eating secretly, compulsively doing exercise videos and generally feeling shit about my body. At uni, I developed a raging eating disorder. When I look back, I feel sad and angry about how I was treated and the lasting effect it has had.
I want to avoid passing on these attitudes to DD but don't know how. I think one fundamental thing is not making food a reward or punishment. Also not insisting she finish everything on her plate. Modelling correct potion sizes.
Anything else? Has anyone else had similar issues and managed not to screw up their own daughters? :(