I had a vanity when I was a little girl. It was the perfect size for me. It was also the perfect place for me to become a young lady who believed that her dreams could one day come true.
My vanity was painted white and had a white bench for me to sit on. My vanity had a round mirror and little drawers to store things in. I loved storing my prized possessions inside those little drawers. One drawer held all my plastic jewels. Another was full of hair baubles, clips and pony tail holders. Still another contained kid’s make-up and nail polish. My vanity held all my special things.
My room was usually a mess but my vanity was kept very orderly. It was a place of pride for me. I loved to sit at my vanity and prepare for my day. I loved to look into the mirror and dream about what exciting things the day might bring to me. My vanity gave me a place to sit and dream. It was a place for aspirations to take root. It was a place where my dreams began.
Little girls want to believe that they’re beautiful. They want to know that they’re special. They want someone to look at them and like what they see. The truth is, little girls spend a lot of time looking in the mirror and wondering. They wonder if they’re pretty. They wonder what they can do to make themselves elegant and breathtaking. They imagine that they’re worth looking at.
For a little girl, this “wondering” is where self esteem begins. Tell a child they’re beautiful and give them a place where they can begin to believe that what you tell them is true. You’ll have a little girl who likes what they see in the mirror. You’ll have a little girl who dares to dream. You’ll have a child who believes that they can make their dreams come true.
I’m not a supporter of encouraging a child to be stuck on their physical appearance. I am a supporter of feeling good starting from the inside out. Self esteem isn’t build upon physical appearance. It’s built upon a sense of personal value and empowerment. A kid who believes that they matter, and believes they have a way to touch the world, will like what they see when they look in the mirror. If a little girl likes herself, she’s going to like what she sees. She’s going to believe that she has something to offer others. She’s going to look in the mirror and dream that she has something to offer the world.
Why do they call a vanity a vanity? Is feeling good in your own skin vain? Is it wrong to like what you see when you look in the mirror? I don’t think so. Vanity is looking at the outside instead of what a person has to offer on the inside. Self esteem is different. It lets us like what we see in the mirror no matter what we look like. This isn’t vanity. This is being comfortable in our own skin. This is liking who we are.
Some people don’t want to give a child a vanity because they believe it will encourage them to be vain. I don’t believe that a child will become vain because they’re given a place to look at themselves and like what they see. I believe having a vanity is a good thing if it’s a place where adults encourage a child to love themselves and love others. A vanity is a good thing if it’s a place where a child dares to dream, because they see themselves and they believe in what they see.
If you want to give your child a vanity, but you’re concerned about your child becoming self centered or overly focused on their appearance, then take charge. Let your child know that you love them and that you like what you see when you look at them. Tell your child about all the ways you believe that they are beautiful. Include more than just the physical aspects of beauty. Then, encourage your child to believe that their reflection is beautiful. Tell your child that what they see in the mirror is worth dreaming about. Help your child believe that they can make their dreams come true.
I’ve been a teacher for over a decade and I’ve spent my teaching years encouraging children to believe in themselves. I’ve never had a student that didn’t have great potential. I’ve never taught a child that wasn’t beautiful. All the children I have ever taught had reasons to like what they saw in the mirror. I was just a person who helped them see all these reasons. I helped give them reasons to dream.
There are many ways you can help a child believe in themselves. There are many ways to give them reasons to dream. A child vanity can be a tool to facilitate the development of self worth and personal vision. It’s just one tool, but I believe it’s a good one. There are many wonderful varieties of children’s vanities. You might want to explore the options and consider the styles that might fit your little dreamer. Expect to get excited about the possibilities. Enjoy considering all the options.
Help someone to dream about their future, their hopes and aspirations. Help someone say, “I like what I see when I see me.” Give a little girl in your life a vanity. Sit with her and look in the mirror. Tell her that you like what you see.
