FIRST WORD
Let’s Talk About Self-Love
W Britni Petersen
Managing Editor
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Email us at
editor@thefamilymagazine.com e live in a social media world. We post
daily to friends and sometimes partial
strangers. We post about what we are
wearing and eating to intimate details about our
home and family life. Although great for keeping
friends and family “active” in our lives, this type of
sharing, and ultimately comparing, can be unhealthy
for our self-worth and overall mental health.

It’s hard not to compare ourselves, whether unin-
tentionally or not, to others when we peruse through
social media. Perfectly arranged photos, captions,
angles, filters … it’s easy to forget that everyone is
showcasing the best aspects of their lives. You don’t
get to see the realistic, everyday struggles that each
of us experience, but don’t share online. This can
bring us down and make us question ourselves, our
status and our appearance.

So, in the spirit of February, the month of express-
ing our love to others, why not show yourself the same
kind of love? Let go of poor self-talk and practice self-
love. Take time to celebrate your own strengths, your
own unique beauty, your health and your successes
with no comparison to others. This Valentine’s Day,
try and step away from social media and focus on
what matters most: loving yourself and loving your
family. Practice a little self-care like pampering or
reading or expressing gratitude. Then, enjoy some
family time like a heart-themed read aloud with one
of the “Lovable Reads” on pg. 26. Or, check out our
calendar on pg. 42 for some family-friendly fun. Or,
more simply, just give yourself and your loved ones a
big hug and celebrate your worth!
On this topic, Adranisha Stephens wrote about
Sheppard Pratt’s body image campaign, “Love Your
Tree” on pg. 14. The campaign focuses on art ther-
apy as a way to combat poor self-image and promote
self-acceptance, asserting that “there are as many
body types as there are trees in the forest, and all are
beautiful.” Now that’s the kind of self-love positivity
we should all bring into 2019 – and keep it there.

Read on for more great content inside, from the
benefits of sleepaway camp to raising healthy kids to
encouraging a love of reading and much more. ■
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