On this week’s ‘Parenting’ segment, one parent is worried about her 10-year-old son developing body image issues.
“Over the summer has been taking part in a summer camp,” she told Moncrieff. “At the end of the camp everyone got a hoodie as a prize.
“The hoodie was too small for him, and he got really upset... his best friend at camp got a hoodie in the same size, and it fit him perfectly.
“He now keeps referring to his weight and height, and over the weekend he asked me and his dad why he’s so much bigger than everyone else in his class.”
She said her son is not “very overweight”, but he is “quite tall”.
“He seems to have gone loving the title as tallest in the class, to now hating it.”
'He's beginning to notice his body'
Child psychotherapist Dr Joanna Fortune said it’s important to acknowledge young boys can also develop body issues.
“Self-esteem, while often spoken about as a girl-specific issue, absolutely is not,” she said.
“It’s a child issue.
“He’s at that age when we do know that children are beginning to notice their own body image through the eyes of others or how they perceive others are looking at them.”
She said the boy likely “wants more than anything else to fit in and blend in with [his] peer group”.
“He did the camp with everyone else, they all got the hoodie, and his didn’t fit,” Joanna said.
“He’s allowed to be frustrated – you have to accept and acknowledge this.”
Stressed boy. Image: Prostock-studio / Alamy Stock PhotoJoanna encouraged the mother to listen and empathise with her son’s concerns, while also showing him there’s nothing wrong.
“Let him know that all bodies are different and what makes them so amazing is that the fact there isn’t one type of body,” she said.
“Don't sugarcoat it but use some Positive reframing – his height and size are showing that he is growing and developing.
“Explain to him what our bodies do, not just what they look like.
“We need to talk about strength and health, not size and shape when we’re talking about our bodies.”
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