KINTSUGIconversations

0:00:00 - Allison
Hey everyone. I'm Allison and I'm their mom, cindy. Welcome to Kintsugi Conversations. This is episode one of Kintsugi Conversations and we want to thank you guys so much for being here with us as we dive deep and share our intimate mother-daughter conversations with the world. Today, we're going to be talking about body image, which is something that quite honestly, impacts everyone, men and women, but women in particular. As we all know, women struggle with body image throughout their lives in different ways, and it's something that we have both struggled with in our own way, shape or form, as we've both grown and matured and grown and gone through all of the different things that life springs, from being a teenager to then growing into a young woman, becoming mothers and all that jazz. So, mom, what do you feel like your mom taught you about body?

0:00:56 - Cyndi
You know, actually my mom didn't really teach me anything about body image. We didn't really talk about body image but I do remember, you know, as a young girl, watching her. For one thing, she was always on some kind of diet, she dieted consistently. And I also remember watching her getting dressed, and this was before what we call shapewear was necessarily a thing, but women did wear, you know, back in those days, you know, girdles and so, and I guess what they called back then long line bras, which was a bra that typically was a little bit longer than your typical bra, that stopped, you know, under your breast and I can remember her with safety pins and she would have her girdle and she would actually pin her long line bra to her girdle, making it almost like a one piece, like like the shapewear that we now have today.

0:02:02 - Allison
So wait a minute. You mean to tell me that mama made invented shapewear? Basically, she invented.

0:02:08 - Cyndi
I guess the likelihood that it were. You know, I guess you know spanks or the one piece that the the whole one piece with the bra and the bottom like connected. Yeah, she would pin those two pieces together to make one piece.

0:02:22 - Allison
So okay, ladies, we got to stop right now. We got to give mama her flowers. For those of you that don't know, my grandmother invented shapewear and I feel like she needs some coins for that, because we all utilize it and we want to thank her so much for paving the way Exactly.

0:02:41 - Cyndi
you know I thought she was crazy at the time, but now it's actually ingenious that she, you know, did that and it truly, it gave her that hourglass figure.

0:02:50 - Allison
But you know, hey now you're like okay, I see what you did there, I see what you were doing. So, mom, it's kind of funny. Although you said that she didn't really teach you a lot and you didn't really talk about body image explicitly, it really sounds like you learned a lot from her just by like watching the example that she was setting and the things that she did. What lessons did you think you learned about your body and about body image just by like the things that you saw your mom do you know?

0:03:21 - Cyndi
I just think I learned that you know women needed to be careful about. You know their size and you know being proportionate. You know, like I said, she was always dieting. So you know she ate pretty much what we always ate. But again, you know, the whole dietary thing was very seemingly important to her at certain times. And again, you know the whole shapewear thing, so the clearly body, her body image, was very important to her. So you know, I grew up there thinking I guess that body image was important. You know I was very, very thin so I didn't necessarily have to worry about that. But of course, you know, seeing that, you know it made me kind of look and be like okay. So this is something that you do have to pay attention to.

0:04:18 - Allison
Yeah. So like very early on, it sounds like just like, based on you know what you saw, like it was kind of ingrained in your head that, like women are supposed to be thin and if you're not thin you're supposed to do whatever it takes to make yourself thin, but also like it's clear that she wanted to be shapely and have like the hourglass figure. I know just from knowing you and you know our previous conversations, that you did not have that hourglass.

0:04:42 - Cyndi
Girl, I would have killed to a fan that hourglass. If you talk about a string bean, I was it.

0:04:50 - Allison
So who do you think that's so funny? String bean Do you think that like seeing her want to have the hourglass and like kind of, I guess, manipulate her body to have that like made you want it more?

0:05:03 - Cyndi
I don't know if that made me want it more. I just think that you know, seeing other girls and the popularity that they got from having a more shapely figure, especially my older sister my older sister had that hourglass naturally and seeing the attention that she got from guys made me want to have that, I think.

0:05:30 - Allison
I think that's important too, because, like our initial lessons about body image, right, they don't just come from our moms, like if we have other females in our life, particularly older females, I think that we learn from them as well, like based on how they carry themselves and you know, like their bodies and the attention they get. So it sounds like you've had it come in kind of from both ways.

0:05:53 - Cyndi
Exactly Like I said. Sometimes it's not what someone says to you, but again it's just watching what other people do around you is sometimes a harder lesson than what is actually said to you.

0:06:06 - Allison
I agree, I agree completely, because I think there's sometimes, like, especially when it comes to, you know, the relationships between mothers and daughters, that it's sometimes like more important what you see than what was said to you. Like, you know, even like with me and Harper, I can tell her over and over again, Harper, like don't eat candy, don't eat candy, it's bad for you, it's bad for your teeth. But if I'm constantly eating candy, of course I'm not like setting the example that it's bad for you. So, of course, like she's going to be like well, you're eating it. Like why can't I eat it?

0:06:37 - Cyndi
Exactly, you know it's.

0:06:38 - Allison
There's so much power in like what we do and what our kids like see us doing as well.

0:06:43 - Cyndi
Right, and you know, for our daughters too. You know moms are, you know, your heroes, so to speak. Every daughter, pretty much except for you, know me, you know wants to be like their mom, and you know you want to do what your mom does. That's, that's your, your hero. So of course you're going to want to do what she does.

0:07:03 - Allison
And like even with you and your mom's relationship. Obviously we'll get into this a lot more, maybe not on this episode, but, as you know, episodes fold out. But you know, mom, you obviously did not have the best relationship with your mom growing up, and so, even with that, do you still feel like there were parts of her that you emulated, like that you wanted to be like her? No, you don't think so.

0:07:27 - Cyndi
No, Nothing, no, and actually, you know, fortunately and unfortunately, wanted to be the complete opposite of my mother.

0:07:38 - Allison
Okay, so, even like when it came to body image, though not really right, no, not really.

0:07:45 - Cyndi
Like I said, you know, seeing the whole hourglass thing and all that. You know I noticed that coming from her. I think the biggest impression in my mind from that came from you know, friends at school, friends and other girls at school and seeing my older sister and again, the attention that you know, friends and other people got from guys. I don't think my mother necessarily had an impact on me in that respect.

0:08:14 - Allison
Okay, that makes sense. So you know, obviously, not only did you kind of see how your mom was with her own body, how she treated her body, how she cared for her body, but you also had a daughter. Hi, it's me. I'm the daughter. So I wanted to know, like with me, how did you approach body image when it came to teaching me about my body, teaching me you know what it meant to like, care for my body and like. What did you want me to know about body image as a girl growing up?

0:08:46 - Cyndi
I think the biggest thing I tried to stress to you. There was two things I wanted to well, let me retract that kind of like three things. I wanted to stress to you, first of all, that the things that you saw on TV was not real the, you know the girls and the videos and in the movies and in the magazines. None of that stuff was actually real. It was all either airbrushed or you know it was, you know it was made up. So those goals, as though they were attainable, that wasn't like the way that real women looked and lived.

Secondly, I wanted you to know that, whatever size you are, you were beautiful, no matter what. But I wanted you to be healthy. So I always wanted you to like work out, because I enjoy working out and I, you know, would get you to like work out with me. But it was so much so that I wanted you to be healthy, more so than just for, you know, body image. And thirdly, you know I wanted you to honor your body in a, you know, a sexual way. I wanted you to understand that your body was a temple and that it was something to be honored and to be cherished and not to be given away lightly. So you know all of those things you know play into body image and I want you to know. You know guys are going to like, desire you and want you for your body because it looks a certain way. But it's up to you what you do with your body.

0:10:33 - Allison
Right, right, I don't know. It's funny because, although I definitely feel like you taught me that, like you know, things were airbrushed and that these, these bodies of these celebrities that we saw in magazines weren't necessarily real, I do feel like we also, like we talked about our bodies like a lot, growing up like me and you, and like the other adult women you know in my life. Like one thing that I will never forget is I was probably about gosh, probably 12, you know, 12 years old, and I remember you Coco, that's my older sister and Nana, who is my, actually my godmother doing like the cabbage soup diet, like all of you guys, you know, trying to lose weight together and doing this cabbage soup diet, and I remember like not wanting to feel left out, so like doing the cabbage soup diet with you guys. Now, of course, I was 12, so I didn't last long and I probably cheated after like this sex day.

However, like I remember feeling like in order to like be a part of the, the clique, you know, like our like little, like family unit band of women, like that I needed to do this diet too, or like I was going to be left out, you know. And I also remember, you know, seeing you kind of complain here and there about your body, you know, throughout different stages, and I feel like that kind of painted the picture to me that, like you know, taking care of my body was something that I like absolutely needed to do and that there was a way, like as a woman, that my body should look, you know, regardless of kind of my size, like I should have a flat tummy and my arms shouldn't be flabby and XYZ. I don't know that you like did that on purpose, and I think that there's like some good things that come along with it and probably some bad as well, but I don't know, I just think that that's funny, that like those are the memories that kind of stick out. Yeah, I can remember.

0:12:38 - Cyndi
You know I definitely believe that you know a woman needed to look a certain way, have, again, you know, the flat tummy and whatever. But you know I never necessarily, you know, didn't want to ingrain those things in you. And now, looking back, I feel bad that if I did, you know, ingrain those things in you because it was certainly not my intention. But you know again. You know you pick up and you hear things and you see things that that your mom and the other women around you do and say so you know it is by default.

0:13:21 - Allison
Yeah, I mean I don't think it's something that you have to feel bad about at all, Like I'm okay, guys, I'm not like this broken, tellable woman, but I just do think that it just points back to what we were kind of saying about you and your mom. Like, when it comes to body image, I really feel like as women and as moms, it's more of what we do than what we say, Because we can say all day like oh, your body is perfect. Oh, these bodies in the magazines are fake, oh, you know, you're fine just the way you are. But if that's not what we're doing, then our daughters or the younger girls that we have in our life they're not going to believe that they're going to do and copy what we do, what we do. I feel like it's going to stick with them more than what we say.

0:14:07 - Cyndi
And it's so true how we always tell other moms, especially when your kid's a little, oh, be careful of what you do and say, because you don't think that they're watching and listening. But they are. Again, that is so true. It's been proven that yet again, that it is true.

0:14:27 - Allison
Yep, for sure, and I feel like now as an adult, I've definitely gone through different phases when it comes to body image. I do feel like for a while, the things that I kind of perceived as a kid did impact me and how I felt about my body, specifically when I was fresh out of college. Because, to be real y'all, my body kind of, I didn't really have to do anything when it came to my body until I was about 22. I was thin, had a flat tummy but had a little bit of a shape. I didn't really have to do anything. But it was post-college that I noticed okay, I'm not a girl anymore, I have a woman. My body is doing all types of things that I really didn't ask it to do, whatever.

0:15:17 - Cyndi
Welcome to womanhood.

0:15:18 - Allison
Exactly, and I do remember really kind of going back to the culture in our home when it came to body image as kind of my standard. Okay, I'm supposed to have a flat tummy, my arms aren't supposed to be flabby, I'm supposed to be under a size 12 or under. Because I do feel like and this is a whole other conversation but I feel like in the black community, a size 12 is kind of usually where, culturally, we're taught that it's like if you're above that, then you're on the bigger side and if you're under that you're on the smaller side, which that is not true, by the way, but that's just kind of the message that I guess I got from black female culture growing up. I was on this quest to make sure that I stayed under 12 and make sure that I didn't lose my booty, that my butt stayed plump, that my stomach was flat and that my waist was thin and all the things. And it wasn't only from my family of origin, it was also from celebrities and social media and rap songs and all these things.

But I do feel like I was still impacted, like I said, by seeing all the women in my family do this diet when I was 12. And for a while it was something that I felt like I needed to change my body and manipulate. I remember doing the whole waist trainer thing, and not just when I was working out but almost like wearing a waist trainer constantly. I remember doing different diets and little fad diets and we would actually do them together. But I don't know, I guess I still felt very convicted by those lessons that I was taught growing up?

0:17:17 - Cyndi
How much do you think you were impacted by social media with doing the fad diets and the waist training and all that stuff?

0:17:29 - Allison
Oh, a lot. I mean, I feel like it was when I was like 24, 25, that waist training became a big thing and it was all over social media and everyone was wearing these waist trainer and it was always like what waist you wanted to look like? You had no waist, basically, and everyone was wearing these waist trainers and honestly, looking back, I really don't even feel like just wearing a waist trainer all the time works. I feel like if you wear one when you work out to train your core and help your core muscles, that could work, but just wearing one all the time, I'm not sure that it's effective or safe.

However, at the time, seeing everyone wearing them on social media, it was like, oh, I got to get one of these too. But the funny thing about it is that even though everyone was doing it, you still didn't want everyone to know that you were doing it, so it was like trying to still hide it and all those things. And then also, when it came to the diets, most of the diets that I would find and be like OK, mom, you want to do this diet with me, you want to do that diet with me? Most definitely all came from diets that I saw other people doing on social media.

0:18:38 - Cyndi
I find that was a strange and interesting statement you just made, because you said you will come and be like mom, do you want to do this? So it was basically even though you got some of your ideas about your body image and how your body should look from me, you, on the other hand, would find the diets and would come to me and say, hey, mom, let's do this diet.

0:19:06 - Allison
Yeah, and I thought it, though I feel like it's because I knew that you always wanted to do a diet. I mean, even now, mom, as skinny as you are, you are very quick to say that you need to go on a diet, that you need to lose weight.

0:19:23 - Cyndi
Yes, I admit I do have serious self-buying image issues. I don't see the person that other people see when I look in the mirror. I definitely have an issue with that. So I had this discussion with my husband the other day and, dammit, the comedian's wife who just had the mommy makeover just ruined my little plans. Yeah, please, we're good on that. We're good on that. So not that that was a funny situation at all, and I'm not making light of her surgery and her death at all. So please don't anyone take that the wrong way. But it's just so funny that we as women I don't care realistically how we look, though we're never satisfied there's always something that we feel like is not where we want it to be.

0:20:22 - Allison
That's true, I have a question for you, and it's a little bit of a loaded question, but I'm just curious. So what size do you wear now, mom? What size pants I?

0:20:31 - Cyndi
you know, I'll just beat you. I am Michael 4 to 6.

0:20:39 - Allison
Okay, so I'm a size 8 in pants. So and you know, we have family members and friends who are, you know, my size and bigger. You know we have friends that are probably up to like a size 20, you know, in pants we have a wide range of body shapes and sizes in our circle. So you, as a size 4, always complaining about your body, always saying that you're fat, always saying that you need to lose weight, what do you think that says to not only me, who's bigger than you, but all the other women in our lives that are bigger than you as well? Let's see.

0:21:17 - Cyndi
I'm not concerned about being a homeboy.

0:21:20 - Allison
I mean, maybe you should be, you know, because, like, if you're saying that you're big, but I don't say it's big, but I don't say it's big.

0:21:27 - Cyndi
I don't say it's big we are huge.

0:21:28 - Allison
I don't say it's big, yes, you do. I don't say it to be a homeboy. You do say a lot around other people oh well, I'm getting fat. Oh yeah, and I'm going on this diet. Oh yeah, my stomach, I gotta get right for XYZ. You do, okay. And so what message do you think that you're sending to them?

0:21:50 - Cyndi
I'm probably you're right. I'm probably not sending them the best message, so you know I need to do better. Hopefully I have surrounded myself, though, with people who are strong enough not to give me into my insecurities about my body.

0:22:08 - Allison
But you know and like that's why we're having these conversations, because I don't think that your insecurities are your fault.

I think that they go back to what you saw, you know, as a kid. Like so much of this is like generational and like passed down from generation to generation, and I think that for you, this goes back to you, at whatever age, seeing your mama like squeezing herself into that girdle you know what I'm saying. Like because you said that she wasn't very big and so, even though she wasn't very big, like she was still trying to look smaller, and so I think that that like put into your head, like that you know that women always needed to be so thin and so small, and I think that like it's just ingrained in you because of what you saw. So I'm not blaming you or like pointing the finger at you, you know. I'm just saying like, wow, like look at how powerful what we see as little girls can be, because I mean, I'm sure you were probably what, like 10, 11, 12, and now you're 16. And like it's still somewhat of an issue.

0:23:10 - Cyndi
Yeah, absolutely could make it though.

0:23:13 - Allison
There you go. Are you going to a nude beam? Absolutely, I would like to make it.

0:23:18 - Cyndi
I don't even walk around my house, but make it feel good about myself.

0:23:24 - Allison
Well, let me tell you something even if you were double your size, you would still look good naked, because your body is beautiful and you are a beautiful woman.

0:23:32 - Cyndi
Thank you, but you love me Whatever.

0:23:42 - Allison
Okay. So you know it's the way that I approach my body has changed drastically since I became a mother to a daughter. Like I said in my early 20s, I was not always the kindest to my body, but now, especially because of you know my experience growing up and then your experience growing up, mom I do know that, like Harper is watching and she's listening and she's paying attention to what I say about my body, what I do when it comes to my body and all of that. And so it is my goal, you know, as the mother of a daughter, to kind of break these generational curses. And I don't mean to paint it like I had the worst ever experience, like I don't mean cursing that way, but I just need you know these messages that are sent down from generation to generation about body images, of course. And so you know, with Harper, I really, really try like to not really even talk about my body in front of her, so you know, to not say like ugh, I look fat today, and to not step on the scale in front of her and to not like poke and prod at my body in front of her. So I'm not going to say that I never do it.

I'm human and so of course there are times that I find fault in my body, but I really, really try to be conscientious that I'm not doing it in front of her. I don't think that I have ever said to her like, oh, mommy can't eat this because I'm dieting. You know I will say like, oh, we're just going to have, you know, one cookie, because cookies aren't the most healthy, because you know they have a lot of sugar, something like that. But I'm like very careful, like honestly, I don't even think that I've gone on a very strict diet anytime, you know, in the close future. But you know, if I have been watching what I eat, like she never knows about it, because I do not want her to grow up and have you know, like these kind of body image issues.

0:25:36 - Cyndi
Exactly. I mean, unfortunately they will find her all their own, because unfortunately that's just the way life works, but we, as her mom and her maybe, will do everything in our power to keep them away from her as long as we can.

0:25:53 - Allison
Yeah, it's just it's so hard because I know, like you said, that like these things will find her. You know, especially gosh growing up, how she's growing up with like YouTube and all the social media and all of that. I know that I can't protect her from everything and that she's going to be influenced by so many people, not just me, not just you, not just her family, but people that we have no control over. So that's why I really want to do my part in at least like in our home, like not talking about it, you know, and not modeling for her that I'm unhappy with my body, because the truth is I'm very proud of my body, like two kids, you know.

I'm proud of what my body has done for me and how it serves me, no matter how it looks, and I'm also proud of how it looks, to be honest. But you know, I'm proud of it regardless and I try not to even talk about it in front of her though, like even like her body, you know. I try to make sure that you know our family is not saying things to her about her body. Now we do talk about her height a lot because she is tall, but in terms of like her. You know her stomach and fat or skinny and things like that. Like I try not to even use those, those terms with her because I don't even want her to go there mentally. You know, I just want her to be a confident, a confident girl and grow up.

0:27:18 - Cyndi
You know loving herself exactly, and that's all that we can do, because, like I said, unfortunately those things will find her. You know, it's so sad that kids can be so cool to each other. You know, I was teased so unmercelessly at school by other kids, you know, and it's a shame you're teased if you're too thin, you're teased if you're too big, you know. So there's no, there's no happy medium there, anywhere, so you know, all we can do, though, is, in our old home, try to teach our kids that they are beautiful and they are perfect just the way they are.

0:27:55 - Allison
Yeah, and that actually brings me to what I was going to ask you, mom. Like now you know, as a grandmother, knowing what you know, with all those 60 years of wisdom right like under your belt, having raised me and having seen, you know and heard from me kind of the impact that how you treated your body had on me, how do you think that we as moms and I'm honestly asking so I can, you know, get some advice from you here Like how do you think that we as moms, and just as women in general, can teach these lessons to the young girls growing up appropriately in a way that you know makes them proud of their bodies, also makes them prioritize their health, without growing up with these body image issues that we have?

0:28:40 - Cyndi
Well, I think you're doing a great job and doing the right thing with Thafer by you know just stressing to her. You know how beautiful she is and you know just, you know stressing how. You know healthy eating habits. You know, and you know I've noticed too sometimes that when you are working out, you know Harper will come in and show you know everything like you and want to do what you're doing.

You know I think that's very cute and it's also teaching her. You know that working out is important, not necessarily for you know the benefits of the, of the, you know the body image, but for the healthy benefits of it. So I think keeping her, you know, in all the activities that she's in you know gymnastics, swimming, you know soccer, all the things that she's involved in keeping her busy and teaching her you know how important it is to work out. I think all those things are going to be important to keep instilling those things in her life and just keep talking to her and instilling in her that she is a beautiful brown princess and that she just you know she's great as she is.

0:29:54 - Allison
Yeah, you know, I think that part of my I guess, for lack of a better word fear around you know what body image issues can do, is because in my background as a therapist, you know, working with clients, I did see young girls who were battling with you know, with, you know, with mental health issues that stemmed from their body image.

While body image itself isn't necessarily a mental health issue, we do all know that it can become one, you know, through anorexia and bulimia and eating disorders.

And, like mom, you know, I know that you've never been diagnosed, but we've always wondered, like you said, if you have body dysmorphia seriously because you are small and for some reason, you clearly don't see that you know in the mirror, and so, while this has been like kind of a more like lighthearted conversation, like this can be really serious, you know, for people.

And so I also like have to say in this conversation that, like if you were having, you know, troubles with your mental health or physical health that are stemming from, you know, your body image, if it's becoming something that is out of your control, where you are, you know, dealing with disordered eating or dealing with a very, very unhealthy relationship with food and with dieting. You should 100% talk to somebody because there are therapists that can, you know, help you work through that. Or if you're seeing that in your daughter, there is no harm in seeking help, even if you feel like you might have been the cause, even if you said, wow, you know, I said this, this, this and this to my daughter about her body and now, look, she's doing XYZ. That is still you know. There's still no harm in seeking help and there are people that can 100% help you guys to kind of work through it so that you know she can have a healthier relationship with her body.

0:31:48 - Cyndi
Exactly. Please, please, please. You know there is no harm in getting help for you know, your daughter, and for yourself. You know, unfortunately, you know, in the black community we have stigmatized getting therapy so badly. I'm glad you know we're finally starting to break that cycle. But you know there is no harm in seeking help for yourself and for your family members and you know it is just very important that we not only take care of ourselves but take care of our families, take care of our young, our young girls, take care of our young, our young men, because they also suffer with this as well. You know, these whole, this whole thing of needing the biggest muscles and the whole thing with the steroids that's a real thing as well. So, you know, this whole body image thing is very real, but it does not have to be a deaf sentence or so Please, just, you know, talk to your kids, let them know that you're there for them, you love them and they are great, just the way that God made them For sure for sure.

0:32:59 - Allison
So, mom, as we kind of prepare to round out this episode, I do want to hear from you like your kind of reaction to what I shared and if you have any takeaways or anything that you want to work on, you know, with yourself, as it pertains to body image, going forward.

0:33:19 - Cyndi
You know I do. Again, you know I do feel a little bad that you know, some of my issues with my body image problems rubbed off on you. Again, you do have to be so, so careful what you not only what you say, but what you do and what you let your kids see you do and how you behave, because, again, they are watching everything that you say and do. So even though I did not, you know, mean for my issues to rub off on you, clearly they did. You know they did not necessarily I don't want to say negatively, although they did, but they were not I don't want to say 100% detrimental, because you're such a strong person that you were able to weigh things and do things your own way but I do feel badly that they did in some ways impact you. So that is one thing that I do, you know, feel badly about. But the other thing is, you know, within myself I am, you know, I battle with myself daily. You know some days, you know, I think I'm really really cute and hot and sexy, and then there are other days that I feel, you know, kind of blah. So you know it's a daily struggle for me and that's something that I am working on.

You know I do enjoy, you know working out, so that's something that I continue to do. I have somewhat gotten over the whole eating thing. I pretty much eat what I want because at 60, I'm like I've earned that right now. So I just add you have, you know, eat what I want and then you know, work out to pay for it. You know those are sort of like my things, but I do want to work with you and making sure that Harper and Jackson both understand that diet and exercise are important. But they're important not because of the whole body image, persona. They're important for health reasons.

0:35:28 - Allison
Exactly that's what I wanted to say, mom, because I really, really don't want you to feel bad. I know that it's easier said than done. This was not at all meant to be an attack. While maybe there were some negative messages, there were positive messages too, because seeing you get up and work out every day, I mean gosh. I think you got serious about working out when I was probably about 13 or 14, and literally probably up until COVID, you were in the gym with your trainer Monday through Friday, every single day. That was also very inspirational for me seeing that, and that did make me want to work out and want to take care of my body, like you said, not just so that it would look a certain way, but also health. That painted a very positive message. Even still seeing you at 60 still working out and doing your thing like it's inspirational mom. So don't think that it was all bad at all.

0:36:27 - Cyndi
Thank you, thank you.

0:36:30 - Allison
Okay, guys, as we close up this episode, I did want to share with you guys that we created some affirmations for mothers and daughters about body image.

If you have a young daughter, these are things that maybe you might want to print out and tape up to her mirror so that she can read them to herself in the mirror every day, so that you guys can say them out loud every day. These are just affirmations, kind of sharing and praising our bodies for all that they do for us. If you are older and you have a mom who maybe didn't have the best messages sent to her about body image growing up, like my mom, these can be powerful for her too. They're not just for kids, they can be for adults as well. So we are going to put this PDF for you guys in our show notes so that you guys can download them and use them as they see fit. They're also really pretty. I mean, I don't know, you might want to frame them, put them on your wall, just so that these messages stick with you guys when it comes to loving your bodies for all that they do for us, regardless of what they look like.

0:37:42 - Cyndi
I agree they make a cute little gift. So I agree with the house and frame them and make them a cute little gift.

0:37:49 - Allison
For sure. We want to thank you guys so much for listening to this episode of Kids Sugey Conversations. We hope that you will follow us on social media, if you're not already. We are at Kids Sugey Conversations on all platforms and that it's spelled K-I-N-T-S-U-G-I Conversations and we would love, love, love, if you would like and subscribe to our podcast. We are very new since our relaunch and so all of those likes and comments and ratings mean so much to us, just to have new listeners come across our show and things like that. Thanks for listening, guys.