So, if you'll forgive some musings. Where we are in Croatia is a really popular place to holiday for a lot of other Europeans but not Brits.
Apart from an Irish family, it's just us here. And BLIMEY the attitude to body positivity is so healthy.
This is all from my spot on the sun lounger, observing other families. My fave holiday past time! But the women and young girls are just existing in their bodies - every body size and shape here and they're all in bikinis.
Not posing, not taking endless photos or attempting to lessen their bodies in any way - just wearing a bikini, walking around very nonchalantly and (too all appearances) not fretting about how they look. Really engaged groups of families playing and just being.
It's been really liberating and so interesting to see when I'm so used to seeing women fret, cover up, try to squash or squeeze and lessen their bodies.
There also is a LOT less phone use around us - the teens don't seem to be constantly photographing or posing and wow they're so much more serene and self confident. Playing as well! Diving, splashing, chasing, throwing a ball in the pool.
It's been so inspiring and I'd love to carry some of these observations home with me. I hope I will. It's really made me think about how many messages are internalised from 90s magazines for a lot of us to social media for young people now.
Seeing my eldest DS (tween age) chucking off his rash vest and wanting to show more skin and being SO much happier in himself here has been truly wonderful (he doesn't have social media or anything like that but has recently entered that slightly awkward pre teen age and been a lot more self conscious which has been hard to see and to navigate with him)
Anyway! My 2 pence worth...but so interesting.