'Does this outfit make me look fat?': Reality star on how parents shape kids' confidence
Jamie Otis is encouraging fans to love their authentic selves.
On Monday, the "Bachelor" star took to Instagram to share a sweet video of her and her daughter, Henley Grace, hitting the pool. Alongside, Otis penned a candid message about body perception and confidence.
In the video, the mother-of-two filmed herself and her five-year-old daughter jumping into a pool filled with noodles and floaties. The duo smiled and laughed at the camera while holding hands.
On the screen, the "Married At First Sight" alum typed a paragraph that explained to parents how they can encourage their children to love their bodies.
"How can I help my daughter grow up confident so she doesn’t call herself fat, ugly or worthless? By showing her you don’t think you’re fat, ugly or worthless," she said.
In the caption, Otis opened up about her childhood and how it caused her to question her body and beauty.
"...Have you ever had someone ask you, 'does this outfit make me look fat?' My mom used to ask me this all the time...I'd always reassured my mom she looked great, but every time she asked me if she looked fat, she unknowingly put the question in my own head," she revealed.
"...At first I'd just stare at myself in the mirror and wonder if I had cellulite or I'd hunch over to see if my belly would roll...soon I began seeing my 'rolls' as unattractive and I'd find 'cellulite' that didn't even really exist," Otis added.
The reality star also explained how she's hoping to change how we talk about our bodies.
"The way she talked about herself and the way she treated herself in front of me...led me to an eating disorder...I feel like our parents and their parents grew up being brain washed into believing that the only way for a woman to feel beautiful and look attractive is to be skinny. Well, I'm hoping to change that narrative for myself and more importantly, for my kids," the 36-year-old said.
"I would be freaking devastated if my daughter grew up on diets and weight loss pills, constantly weighing herself and working out to be skinnier just so she could feel beautiful," Otis concluded.
In the comments, fans were quick to praise Otis' self-love message.
"I love this message," wrote Canadian TV host Tracy Moore.
"You are beautiful, and I love that you’re teaching your daughter to be confident no matter what!" commented a follower.
"I'm so tired of the daily beating I deal myself. Thank you for reminding me that my size doesn't define me," shared someone else.
"Love this message. I try very hard not to judge myself, and now that I am working on a better self inside and out...when a child asked me why I am working out, I respond with because I want to and it makes me feel good, not for anyone else," added another.
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