I Owe My Self Confidence To My Mom And Dad | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

I Owe My Self Confidence To My Mom And Dad

What's wrong with being confident?

71
I Owe My Self Confidence To My Mom And Dad
Shannon Whitmer

I've always loved myself.

Sure I've had bad acne, jacked up teeth, a botched side cut I gave to myself, and flare-ups that caused me to lose too much weight and look like a skeleton. I've acknowledged those things but never loved myself less because of it. I've never really understood why there is such an enormous amount of insecurity among young women my age. (Let me take a moment here to acknowledge that I am a privileged in the United States when it comes to beauty standards, being naturally blonde, caucasian, blue-eyed and thin.

As a kid, I could walk down the toy aisle and 90% of the Barbies would look like me. But with that being said, I know a ton of blonde haired blue eyed skinny white girls that are incredibly insecure, so there must be something else at play here.)

And I think I can owe that to my parents. Since the day I was born my parents have flooded me with compliments. "You're beautiful." "How did two people like me and your dad manage to have a daughter that looks like you?" "Shannon, you would look pretty wearing a garbage bag."

When I jokingly talk about my "awkward phase" they say things like "Shannon, you NEVER had an awkward phase. You were always stunning." Despite me most definitely having an awkward phase.


They've never been critical of the way I dress or how I do my hair. (The worst response was probably after I gave myself a sidecut, and even then I would describe their reaction only as "mildly shook.")

It was drilled into me as a child that I was essentially a goddess. And even though I know I'm not and my hair gets messy sometimes and I squint a lot when I laugh and my acne likes to rear its ugly head from time to time and I'm by no means a supermodel at all, I really don't care. I've almost never dealt with insecurities about my appearance and I think this is all due to my parents again and again and again telling me I'm beautiful during my childhood.

Even now that I'm away at college the compliments keep flooding in. Whenever my sorority has a date party or formal my mom asks for pictures of me in my dress and when I send them the response is always "You're beautiful!"


And some of you might be saying "Beauty doesn't matter! It's what's on the inside that counts!" And that's true, but in society today, particularly as women, we're bombarded with strict beauty standards and a need to be beautiful. Makeup, tanning salons, Spanx, pricey skin treatments, hair removal, etc. It can be overwhelming and really chip away at one's self-esteem which affects them in other areas of life. The way my parents built up my self-confidence in my youth allows me now as a young adult to not worry about beauty standards or feel insecure about my face or my body and instead focus on the things in life that really matter.

Mom and Dad, if you guys are reading this, thank you!

If any other parents/soon-to-be parents are reading this, remember to tell your sons and daughters that they're beautiful and handsome and amazing and perfect again and again and again, you have no idea the lasting effect it will have on them throughout their lives.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

2279
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1370
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200600
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

21154
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments