Resisting Kawasaki Shoes or not: A Self Esteem Story About Children Fashion Trends

by Positive Parenting Ally
(Denmark)

(Webmaster's Children Self Esteem Stories:)

One of my good friends works as social education worker in a continuation school for Danish kids and the other day she told a great children self esteem story that I would like to share with you.

You know, one of those self esteem stories that leaves a long-lasting stamp in your consciousness and which you keep returning to to ponder and wonder.

Anyway, the context of the children self esteem story is this:

Today, fashion seems to enter kids' life earlier and more powerfully than before. Kids seem to be fashion-conscious to a degree that utterly fascinates my scientist brain but somehow also worries my parenting heart.

The path for what kind of clothes are acceptable and are not is very narrow and highly defined by prestigious brands ... and this goes for kids as young as 6 or 7, sometimes even younger.

So at the moment in the institution where my friend works, there are certain shoes that seem to constitute the absolute top of being trendy.

Kawasaki shoes they are called. Perhaps this isn't unique for Denmark, but also goes for your country as well.

Anyway Kawasaki shoes are at the absolute top of the attractive image building.

For instance, when the kids in my friend's institution were to have their group photo taken, there was fighting over who was to get to sit in the front row.

Why? Because those in the front row could proudly show off their fancy Kawasaki shoes!

If you had Kawasaki shoes, you were in ... if not, you were out ... or so it seemed!

Fascinated by my friend's colorful tale of fashion slavery even for kids I asked, 'What happened to the kids who either couldn't or just didn't follow these fashion guidelines?'

Her answer was this: Some of the kids who weren't up to date fashion-wise did seem to be negatively affected by the peer pressure and were objects of other kids' ruthless ridicule.

But, she said, there was a handful of kids who didn't seem to care the slightest bit about fashion and who were still popular and fully accepted by the others.

That was interesting, I thought! "What was the difference between these kids and the others", I asked, intrigued and curious.

According to my friend, these few children were true power stations of self esteem. They were so filled up with true positive self esteem and self worth that they didn't feel the need for the other kids' admiration.

And if once in a while they were teased, it didn't affect them because they didn't identify with the teasing - they simply didn't care. (Not reacting to the teasing makes the teasing useless for the teaser so he or she quickly stops.)

This children self esteem story is an example of what high self esteem in children can do.

Positive self esteem empowers a child to say "no" to silly norms and group pressure. They know deep in themselves that they are not liked for how they look but for who they are! This is the power of high self esteem: To have trust and faith in your own self-worth.

By your Positive Parenting Ally,

Birgitte

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