**This post is sponsored by Girl Scouts of North East Ohio. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own**
At 20 weeks when Darrick and I found out that Emma was going to have a Cleft Lip and Palate, we were very nervous because we didn’t know what to expect. We were shown pictures of cleft children in the hospital, but since every cleft child is different we weren’t sure what to expect…this made us nervous going into delivery (because of the unknown).
But day she was born everything changed…SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Emma was born with a “wide-smile” that could brighten any room! You couldn’t help but smile when you saw her because she was always smiling, her smile was infectious!!
We fell in love with Emma immediately! She was our baby and she was perfect in our eyes! Not only was she perfect but as the years have gone by we have learned how resilient she is! Emma was born smiling (literally), she was nicknamed “Grinny Boo” by a cousin of mine because when she met her because all she did was smile. The cleft didn’t stop her…and we want to make sure that smile is always there!
“Don’t Let The World Change Your Smile, Use Your Smile To Change The World!”
As parents of a now preschooler, one of the important things that my husband and I want to make sure Emma knows is how beautiful she is. Not a day goes by that we don’t express to her how beautiful she is! Since she is in school, we want to prepare her confidence when it comes to other children.
Emma may only be 3 years old but we have started at an early age of instilling in her who she is and to be confident in herself. We encourage her any chance we get. And although she may have delays in her speech due to her cleft lip and palate to not let that hinder her…she can do anything!
I work so hard with Emma because I was once young and I know how harsh others can be when you have differences. It doesn’t have to be a cleft lip and palate, it can be anything. I love the fact that the Girl Scouts have partnered with Dove and World Association of Girl Guide to bring a campaign together to encourage girls and build their confidence.
Take a Look…
GSUSA, in partnership with the World Association of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Dove, has launched Free Being Me, a global leadership initiative. Using the World of Girls Journey, together with the Free Being Me curriculum, girls explore issues of beauty and body confidence and build their leadership skills.
World of Girls is part of the It’s Your Story, Tell It! leadership curriculum, which was brought to you by Dove. This Journey series gives girls the opportunity to tell their stories through a range of creative approaches. It’s designed to strengthen a girl’s sense of self and boost her ability to seek and meet challenges in the world.
World of Girls provides activities that are a great starting point for getting girls engaged in the important themes of beauty and body confidence. Each World of Girls activity can be expanded on using the activities from the Free Being Me curriculum to help girls dig deeper into these issues.
The curriculum is geared for girls 7-10 years old. But its never too early to work on your daughters beauty and body confidence…this is something that first starts at home. We are starting with Emma early, so she is prepared!!!
If you are interested in more information about the “Free Being Me” initiative, please check out the following links…
Girl Scouts, USA: http://www.gsneo.org/en/about-girl-scouts/who-we-are.html
Girl Scouts of North East Ohio:gsneo.org/mom
