Why I Want My Daughter's To Be #LikeAGirl Unstoppable

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As a mam to two daughters - one of which is almost a teenager, I worry a lot, as being a teenager in today's society can be hard work. You are expected to perform well at school, sometimes school can be tough as other girls can be rather mean and your body is changing as you reach puberty. You are also often expected to conform to how society think's you should be. 

So when I heard about the new #LikeAGirl Unstoppable campaign from Always  I knew that I had to find out more as I remember watching the original campaign last year. Last years campaign set out to challenge the negative perception people often have to do things "like a girl " as it is often used as  an insult. I know I have heard this phrase said a lot of times with people saying things such as "don't cry like a girl " or "don't throw like a girl", often to boys. 

The campaign went viral last year and was viewed more than 85 million times in 150 countries and shared by more than 1.5 million people worldwide.

This year on the 7th July Always launched the follow up to last years successful campaign named #LikeAGirl unstoppable. It aims to help girls stay confident during puberty and beyond.

 Always have carried out a survey which found that 59 % of girls lose confidence at puberty and many never fully recover. I want my girls to be whoever they want to be in life and full of confidence and self-belief. 

 I gave my eldest daughter a white box and got her to write on it things that people have said that she can't do just because she is a girl. She spent a few moments thinking about it and then she wrote down be good at playing football. I asked why she said this and she said because people say only boys can play football and girls are rubbish at it.

The second thing that she wrote on the box was being funny, I asked her why and she said because most people say girls should not be funny. 

She then wrote cant be strong, again I asked what she meant and she said that boys are stronger than girls. I said yes sometimes as they are bigger then girls but girls can still be strong not just physically but mentally too. 

I think that the campaign is just fantastic for highlighting to girls and even women too that yes sometimes society may try and box you in or say you can't do something, but it is up to us mothers to teach our children that no matter what, you can do or be whatever you want and not to let others put you down.  Every girl deserves to be happy and confident and believe she is capable of anything she wants. 

If you have a daughter don't let puberty and society steal her confidence -  she is unstoppable just #LikeAGirl.  

 

* Source The Always confidence and puberty wave 111 study.