How This Boy Taught His Mom an Important Lesson on Self-Love

Sometimes those little humans have some pretty insightful things to say.

Laura Mazza, of the popular parenting blog Mum on the Run, was reminded of this at a moment when she needed it the most. After making a parenting faux pas, her son served her with an important reality check, which she shares on Facebook.

“I did something horrible. I broke all my rules. I told my son not to eat too much crap, otherwise he will get fat,” Mazza admits. I can’t believe I said it. The words rolled out of my mouth and I immediately regretted it.”

It was a subconscious slip-up, which came from years of her own mother’s loaded warnings and obsession with weight gain. But she says it’s not fair to put all the blame on her dear old mom, because it’s a mentality which stems from generations of poisonous thinking.

The worst part is, she swore she’d never be like that when she grew up. “I did that to my son…It’s my insecurities projected onto him,” Mazza says.

“I try every day to love my body. To love the changes babies have made. To love the weight gained from being on antidepressants—a side effect that’s been proven—and to manage my binge eating disorder. I try really hard, but sometimes it creeps up. Sometimes the insecurities win,” she admits.

Fortunately, the mom caught herself in the act, and explained to her son she was wrong. Then, after she was done preaching, her son came through with just as valuable of a lesson.

“We scrolled through our photos and came across this one. I saw my stomach and said out loud ‘oh deleting that one.’ And my little man looked at me and said ‘you and me are happy, mummy. You look so happy, mummy. You are beautiful.’”

It was wake-up call Mazza needed.

“When an innocent child can see how perfect you are, you realize it’s time to change the mindset,” she says.

Self-love is important. When we love and respect ourselves, we teach our kids to do the same. “They are always watching and listening, waiting for you to pave the way for them…and honestly, in their eyes, you are beautiful and perfect. I hope you can see yourself that way too.”

Whether it’s your stretch marks, scars or whatever post-baby body change you’re struggling to accept, here’s how you should learn to love yourself.