We all love to fit in with our friends, wear fashionable clothes and feel good about ourselves. Even we adults do! But, as a young girl have you ever considered the message that is being sent to others by what you are wearing? Do you think fashion should come at all costs, even at the price of comfort and respectability?

Here’s what we mean: if you are wearing a t-shirt with a slogan on it saying “It’s all about me”, then the message that the outsider might get is that you are self-centred and greedy. It doesn’t emphasise any of the positive qualities that you have within yourself. Would a slogan of “So many boys, so little time” give the message that you are an air-head that only cares about what boys think about you? Believe us; you have so much more to offer the world than just how “cute” you can look in the latest fashions!

So, while shopping or deciding what to wear, here are a few great things to remember: Read on…

You may have already heard the saying “Strong is the new Skinny”!

If not, I am glad you are hearing it now. There is something remarkably empowering about promoting strong positive role models, as opposed to the wafer-thin girls we are accustomed to seeing in magazines and music videos.

Why being skinny lowers your self-esteem!

Think about it – in order to achieve a wafer-thin, slim line figure you would have to deprive yourself constantly of all the good things life has to offer. (Unless of course you are part of the small percentage of the population naturally born that way).

I know, I have been there…. so now for a little confession of my own.

I am definitely not in the small percentage of the population who was born to be wafer-thin, but like most tween and teenage girls I always aspired to be. Who wouldn’t, when it appeared to be the skinny girls who were the most popular, well liked girls in our society?

I was actually overweight for most of my teenage years and it seemed the more I tried to be skinny – by depriving myself of food and situations that involved any sort of celebration with food – the more sad and depressed I became. Life wasn’t fair! Why could all of my friends eat whatever they wanted and look amazing and me….well I was starving most of the time!

My weight was ALWAYS on my mind and I tried all methods of dieting (or should I say deprivation) in order to achieve the image I had set for myself in my head.

Why being strong is empowering

More recently, as an adult, I discovered something called CrossFit, and whilst I am not about to go on a “let’s promote CrossFit” rampage, I will say, undeniably, that since starting this fitness regime, I have never felt stronger – not only in my body, but in my mind and my spirit! I have found what really makes me feel good about myself.

Any fitness regime or sport that promotes strong, healthy and glowing role models is an absolute winner. No longer do I deprive myself of food or get depressed by adopting an “it’s not fair” attitude – I can’t wait to get up each morning and fuel my body with the cleanest, healthiest food available, in order to make my muscles function to the best of  their ability! How empowering is that? I am in complete control!

Now let me introduce you to Camille Leblanc-Bazinet…

Camille is one of the world’s best female competitors in CrossFit. But that is not necessarily the reason why she is my role model – I absolutely adore her for the fact that she revels in the opportunity to be a positive role model for the next generation.

“CrossFit right now, the people that are changing this world of ‘fitness’, we are the model for the next generation,” she says. “This is our job to change the perspective of the younger people for what they would like to be when they grow up”.

Five things that being STRONG will help you accomplish…

1. The ability to set goals, put in hard work and achieve.
2. Self-belief and an “I CAN” attitude to life.
3. Recognition and respect by your peers because you had to work HARD to be STRONG.
4. An overwhelming feeling of goodness inside from fueling your body correctly and from the release of great endorphins from exercise.
5. A positive attitude and the addition of like-minded positive people to your circle of friends.

In a nutshell, being STRONG will empower you with confidence and self-esteem – something we can’t endorse enough at Juliet’s Closet. In comparison, aspiring to be skinny will leave you feeling empty, deprived and HUNGRY!

What do you think about being strong? Would you like to know more about exercise and recipes that will help you achieve this? Leave a comment or email me direct to let me know your thoughts.

Find out more about CrossFit here.

Have you seen these words before? Maybe it’s posted in your classroom? Or maybe you have seen it on the internet? Let’s talk about what it means and how we can be friendly and responsible social media users.

Whether it’s SMS, Email, Facebook or other social media apps, using these technologies says a lot about us, how we respect others and how we wish to be respected. For example, imagine you have spent ages editing a really cute photo of your puppy on Instagram. A bit of cropping, some nice background softening and you’ve got yourself the perfect portrait of your little pup. You upload it to your profile and your friends respond with “Awww! How sweet!” or “Love your work!” or “I just want to cuddle him!” All pretty great things to read, right? Now, imagine if one of your “friends” commented with “What an ugly dog!” or “This picture sux! Why would you put that pathetic photo on your profile?” Makes you feel pretty rotten, doesn’t it?

Now, let’s have a look at the T.H.I.N.K. system. It stands for:

Is it True? Are we saying what is real or making up a rumour?

Is it Helpful? Are we being supportive?

Is it Inspiring? Will our comment motivate our friend?

Is it Necessary? Do we really need to say it?

Is it Kind? Perhaps the most important aspect to think about!

We all know we should think before we say something to someone’s face, and the same goes for what we type. Actually, shouldn’t we take this even more seriously? Once we’ve typed and sent it, it’s there for good. No deleting, no taking it back, and apologies may not make the cut once the damage is done.

What are your tips for being respectful online? Have you ever had something hurtful sent to you? How did that make you feel?

Please add to our Children and Social Media Forum.