Sage Sisters

Today at Sisterhood, we talked about a letter from the Ask Amy column in the Seattle Times. Then we asked the Sisters to weigh in with their advice. Here's the letter:

Dear Amy,
My husband and I have a 6 year old daughter. Looking down the road, I'm wondering, how do we help her to develop a sense of self-respect and self-esteem? In a society where thin is everything and being popular is a matter of selling yourself out, what message should we give her? I'm not in the Dark Ages but not sure how to give our daughter the armor she needs to go forth and be her own person. --A Mom and Dad

Here's the advice our Pine Lake Sisters gave:
* No matter how you look or what people tell you, you're always you and that's beautiful! Don't let anyone tell you who you should be. And don't be someone you're not.
* Buy clothes you like, ones that make you feel good. Don't buy something just because it's trendy. I have a friend who wears red plaid every day because she likes it (Shout out to Fiona!!).
* You reap what you sow. Your actions and behaviors come back to you, so do good things an good things will come back to you.
* People are unpredictable. Be ready and open and people may surprise you.
* Never join in with bullying. Anyone who bullies someone else is probably miserable inside.
* Don't judge someone based on their appearance.
* Be your original self.
* Sometimes you don't know who you are or what your personality is. It takes time to figure this out, so give yourself some time and be patient (this is actually a lifelong process).
* Give your kids a chance to be responsible with money and in other areas of life, too.
* Don't give kids everything they want because they won't be as appreciative. Also others can't really relate and may also feel jealous. If you have to work hard to earn something it feels good and satisfying and makes you more confident and self-reliant.
* Choose your role models wisely. If you idolize a celebrity, ask yourself why? Is it for her internal qualities or for external ones?

You know, it's funny that the Sisters gave practically the same advice as 'Ask Amy'. If you have other advice to share, please leave a comment! I think it's important for all Sisters, young and older (ahem!) to do our best to take this excellent advice and incorporate it into our lives. Thanks for sharing your wisdom, Sisters!