Did your mom have a direct impact on how you think about your body and the way you’ve treated it over the years? There is almost always a piece of that relationship that directly correlates to your own body image and the way you view food and exercise. And now, as a mom yourself, you want nothing more than to have a positive impact on your own kids’ body image, especially your daughter’s - whether they’re 5, 15, or 25.

Dr. Michelle Deering is joining us today. She’s a nationally board-certified sport psychologist and a licensed psychologist that has worked with athletes and eating disorders all the way now to the relationship between a mom and her daughter. In fact, she considers herself a Mother Daughter Relationship Personal Trainer and believes that every mother and daughter should have a thriving loving relationship.

And I will tell you that even for us boy moms, these principles definitely still apply!

Dr. Deering is the author of the book “What Mothers Never Tell Their Daughters”, a sought-after speaker, online educator, and consultant. You’re going to love this conversation.

Interview:

Hi there, Dr. Deering, welcome to the podcast!

We’re going to cover a lot of really important ground in this conversation, and I can’t wait to discuss our mindset, current body image, and how that impacts our relationship and conversations with our kids, but first - you’re a former athlete, right? Tell us more about that!

But now, you’re training has shifted gears.

1. Tell us what a “Mother Daughter Relationship Personal Trainer” is and what that encompasses? Why do you focus your work on moms and daughters?
2. For us moms, there’s nothing we want more than to see our kids become confident, courageous individuals, and especially this next generation of women - our daughters. I don’t think there is a mom that’s listening that feels like her connection with her child is as solid as it could be, especially to empower her in the best ways possible. What are some steps we can take today to create a stronger connection, whether our daughter (or son!) is 5 or 15 or 25?
3. For me personally, there are a lot of struggles in my past with my body image, with eating disorders, dieting, with trying to figure out my body and learning to love it. And I don’t think I’m alone. A lot of us women feel so much shame connected with our bodies, and it’s the last thing we really want to have a conversation about, especially with our kids. What’s the best way that we as moms can navigate these conversations best with our daughters so that they’re set up for a better outcome?
4. Turning our attention to our relationship with our own body, right now, something that can be REALLY challenging as a woman is the comparison game with our own self… looking back over our life and seeing a time that we were really fit, trim, athletic, or we didn’t have injuries sidelining us. Comparing our current body to that “better body” back in the day can be discouraging and often paralyzing. What are your best pieces of advice, as a sport psychologist, to help us overcome these negative thought patterns?
5. How might our current attitude and mindset about our bodies impact our kids, our daughters especially, and the way they view their bodies?

Ok, to wrap up I always like to leave moms with one simple action step that they can put into place TODAY.

1. What is one simple thought or encouraging piece of advice that you wish every mom knew and believed?
2. Where can we go to grab some of your resources and learn more from you?

More Resources

Get her book and learn more from Dr. Michelle Deering here!

Grab her free resource The Quick Guide to Less Arguments with Your Daughter

Take Megan’s FREE Body Type Quiz now!

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