"I'm fat!" "I'm ugly!" "I have nothing to wear that doesn't make me look gross!"

Despite all your pep talks and positive reinforcement, you can't seem to get through to your daughter.  She's unhappy with her appearance and convinced that everyone else is looking at her with judgment.  You're sad that she's so one, too focused on her physical appearance and second, doesn't appreciate her unique beauty. How do you help your daughter develop a healthy body image?

Healthy self esteem comes from the inside. As much as we would like to be able to pour it into our kids like a bucket, it isn't that simple. However, there ARE ways we as parents can help:

Mommy guilt is one of the most common feelings mothers go through at some time. Moms will feel guilt for not being able to provide the very best for their children. This makes them see themselves as inferior at being a parent as other moms. Just remember that you are not alone. There are many other moms who go through the same thing. Here are some ways to help combat the mommy guilt before it takes over your self esteem.

Be nice to yourself – Every mom has experienced a moment, when raising their child, where something happened to them that made the mom feel like it was their fault. This is probably one of the most popular forms of mommy guilt ever. Your child falls and bruises their knee; your immediate reaction is to berate yourself as a mother.

“I’m a terrible mother,” is how it usually begins. Be kind to yourself, because you are a good mother and nobody needs to be a SuperMom - it's not good for anyone. Things will happen with your child and no matter how hard you try to provide for the safest environment possible, things will still happen. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mother.

Many people suffer from self-esteem issues. Teens are often more effected by esteem issues. They are going through changes, both physically and mentally. This can radically effect how they view them selves and their capabilities - and your ability to understand what they're going through can help a lot.

Self-esteem is more than how a teen views their appearance. It is how they view themselves as a whole. It could be how they see themselves in academics, sports or performance based activities. Doing well in these areas can build self-esteem, but may not be the case. Many teens that are outstanding in these fields and are judged good looking by their peers can suffer from self-esteem issues. It is in how they view themselves and their performance.

What if I told you I'm going to show you how to use praise effectively? I hear some of you saying but I already use praise! Yes but read on and you will be pleased you did.    First I'm going to explain why praise is one of the most effective tools in raising happy, well-balanced children. AND it's FREE!

Next I'll answer some questions I'm often asked by parents about praising children.

Finally I'll demonstrate how descriptive praise will motivate your child.

Even though a lot of people have fond memories of campfires from their youth and they enjoy camping not many people know how to give their children those same fond memories from their camping trips.

Having a fun campfire, having something that will leave a very positive mark in the memory of a youth is actually pretty easy but it is something you have to practice a little and plan for a little.

Can you leave that positive memory without planning it and without a little prep work and practice? Yes you can but it's an iffy proposition at best.

Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That’s why I decided to put together four separate “top 10” lists of healthy foods that burn fat and build muscle.

In a search for happiness, many people look for it in other people and not within ourselves. Many people feel that things like money, a better job, better relationships..etc will make them happy. In reality, to find true contentment you must look inside yourself and learn to be your own best friend. That means you have to trust, love, and care for yourself just as you do the people you consider to be close to you.