During adolescence I was painfully aware that I stood out due to my height. Between 7th and 8th grade I grew 6 inches. This made me look like I was 17, not 13. I remember vividly crying many nights because my knees were in such pain, aching soreness that no position change or exercise could help.
Middle school and early high school was a very physcially and socially awkward time. Like most kids in early adolescence, I was awkward in my body. Playing sports or simply walking down the street left me feeling inept in my own skin. My physical development was complex. Outwardly I was healthy, popular and captain of the field hockey team but inwardly I was very insecure of my physical body. My mother was overweight when I was growing up and I feared getting fat like her. Despite being an irrational fear, I was at-risk as this can be recipe for disaster. I was unsuccessful with boys, had poor body image and a strict exercise regime. I can thankfully now say that I have overcome a poor body image and disordered eating.
I will be instructing elementary school aged children, it is important even from a young age to help develop a positive self-image, self-esteem and healthy eating habits especially considering the unrealistic images and symbols of our society.
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