Why is having high self-esteem so important?

Self-esteem has an effect on every aspect of a person's life. Having high self-esteem means knowing and liking yourself for your own unique and special qualities. It means not being too self-conscious about body image or appearance and accepting your own natural beauty. Sounds so easy, and yet it is a lifelong struggle for many girls and women. An interesting statistic from Dove researchers is that most girls who were asked what person had the most powerful influence on their self-esteem answered "their mother". It is not celebrities or models or sports figures - it is the adult female mentor closest to the girls (usually the mother) who has the most influence over their self-esteem. That's good news because it means that if we, as mothers and mentors, are willing to invest in our young girls, we CAN make a difference. Girls with high self-esteem are more likely to try new things and have confidence in their abilities. They are more likely to have good friendships and be respectful to their peers. They are less likely to succumb to peer pressure, and therefore less likely to engage in risky behavior, such as sex, drugs, and alcohol. The fact is that girls with high self-esteem grow up to be successful women - successful wives, mothers, friends, and professionals. So my message for today is to tell the young girls in your life that they are limitless. Remind them often that they are beautiful both inside and out, and that they have the power and the right to be happy and confident.

My First Blog

Welcome to my first empowerment blog! As many of you know, I am the founder of Snip-its Haircuts for Kids, and after 15 years building my company, I am now just starting to branch out in to new areas. My passion, both personally and professionally, is self-esteem for girls. Why is it that so many women are so insecure? It doesn't matter whether they are pretty or successful or funny or powerful on the outside, they all feel insecure and lack confidence on the inside. I think it starts much earlier than we might want to believe. Ask a group of three- or four-year-old girls how many of them can sing or dance, and probably 100% will get up and start singing and dancing. They are limitless. Now, ask the same questions to a group of seven- or eight-year-old girls, and maybe (if you're lucky) 10% or 20% will say yes - though even those girls will probably not actually get up and dance for you. By about fourth grade, girls' self-esteem starts to drop dramatically, and it continues to suffer through middleschool and highschool. I hear so many women tell me it takes until they are 40 years old to finally start to find peace with who they are, what they stand for, and what they look like. This business of empowerment is clearly a lifelong journey.

Through this blog, I hope to bring you my thoughts on building self-esteem in girls, as well as the stories of other girls who have beat the odds to grow into empowered women. I look forward to hearing your stories too. Write to me.