"I feel pretty"

At church on Sunday I was in and out of the restroom with some of the Sunbeams I was teaching, and each time I noticed that there were teenage girls primping in front of the mirror. One girl in particular seemed to be scrutinizing every strand of hair on her head and every pore on her face. I remembered the intense pressure to look pretty I felt when I was there age (and still feel to a different degree today) and began to wonder how to help my daughters feel comfortable with their appearances so they don't have to feel that same stress. Lydia already seems to be very conscious of her looks and I worry that she is developing sensitivities that will be difficult to overcome as she gets older. At her dance pictures on Friday she noticed that she was the only one wearing pink tights and it took a lot of convincing for her to accept that it was okay to be different. I can only imagine how it will be when the discussion isn't over the color of tights but whether or not she is allowed to wear middrift shirts or spaghetti straps. As I watched the girls at church I could feel that they were desperate for approval, and I hope that if my girls feel accepted at home that they will be less likely to seek validation elsewhere. I also want them to gain testimonies of their individual worth early. Knowing that they are daughters of God with infinite potential will help them to resist the pressure to conform to the world's standard. I am realizing that being a mother of daughters is tricky business and I pray for the guidance I need to help them to become all that Heavenly Father intends them to be, which is far more than just looking pretty.