Jeg har læst børnebogen Your Body is Awesome, der er skrevet af psykolog Sigrún Danielsdóttir med speciale i kropsopfattelse og spiseproblemer. Bogen er illustreret flot og relevant af Björk Bjarkadóttir. Bogen er for børn helt fra ca. 3 år – læst af forældrene – og opefter. Jeg kan godt lide bogen. Den kan hjælpe børn til at lytte bedre til deres krop samt skabe en kropsopfattelse med respekt for diversitet. Følgende er en besked i bogen til voksne: “This book is written for children and the adults who care for them in the hope of promoting healthy body image and respect for diversity.”
Hjælpe børn til en positiv kropsopfattelse med selvværd
Bogen forsøger at skabe en positiv følelse i kroppen. Den prøver virkelig at gøre kroppen til “amazing” ting. F.eks: “Bodies are amazing instruments that allow us to do all sorts of exciting things.” eller “Our body can make us feel good. Like when we get a foot massage. Or snuggle up on the sofa. Or when someone strokes our back at bedtime. It’s nice to have a body.”
Bogen forsøger at skabe selvværd i kroppen både hos barnet selv og i relation til andre børn: “It is important to feel good about your body and be happy about the way you are. It is also important to allow others to be happy about the way they are. We don’t need to be like anybody but ourselves. Be kind to your body and treat it with love. Your body is your friend and you will live in it all your life.”
Vigtigheden af respekt for diversitet
Bogen fokuserer en del på et andet vigtigt emne nemlig respekt for diversiteten af kroppe: “All bodies are good bodies. A tall body is not better than a short body – they are just different. Fat and thin bodies are also different. Neither is better than the other. They are just different. Like pink and green. Or tulips and daisies.” Følgende er en besked til voksne i bogen: “Children’s body image is part of their general self-image and therefore it is important that they grow up in an environment that helps them see their bodies in a positive way.”
Hjælpe børn til at lære at tolke signalerne og behovene fra kroppen
Bogen fortæller, at kroppen ikke bruger ord, når den taler til os. Den bruger følelser. Den sender beskeder til os om, hvad den har brug for via måden, vi føler på: “When we feel hungry, our body is telling us that it needs food. When we feel full, our body is telling us it has had enough for now.” Bogen stiller ind imellem også et spørgsmål til læseren: “It is important to listen to our bodies. What happens for instance, if our body lets us know that it needs to go to the bathroom and we don’t listen?” Bogen siger også, at vores krop ved bedst: “It is also important that adults listen to us when we tell them what is happening in our body. When we say that we are full, or tired, or need to use the bathroom, adults should listen. Our body knows best.”
Bogen laver også øvelser
Der er også en slags øvelser i bogen: “Try closing your eyes and traveling down into your tummy. How do you feel in there? Is your stomach hungry? Full? Or neither?” eller “When you breathe deeply, feel the way the air comes through your nose and goes down into your lungs and then goes back out the same way.”
Konklusion
Jeg vil virkelig anbefale bogen til forældre og børn fra ca. 3 år og opefter. Den kan være en vigtig hjælp til, at barnet udvikler en sund og anerkendende kropsopfattelse af både sig selv og andre børn. Som der står i beskeden til voksne sidst i bogen: “All children have a right to feel good in their skin and be proud of themselves the way they are.”
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