Every year more and more teens are opting to undergo elective surgeries to feel better about their appearances. According to ABCNews, over 90,000 elective surgeries are done every year on teens and that number is growing.
Would you let your teen go under the knife?
When I saw that number, my jaw just about hit the floor. That is a lot of children that are opting to get special, and sometimes dangerous, procedures to feel better about themselves. I have to wonder what the parents of these children are thinking?
Recently a girl named Nadia Ilse was in the news because she chose to have plastic surgery. She had been taunted by peers about her ears, being called names like “dumbo”. This risky surgery cost around $40,000 by a charity named Little Baby Face Foundation. She may feel better, but is this really the best answer?
I was bullied as a child, and completely understand wishing I could change my appearance, but I think it’s time that parents teach their kids how to love themselves just as they are!
My childhood caused me to be VERY self conscious. It’s something I struggle with to this day. That’s why when I had kids, I worked with them on loving themselves. They were raised to love the things that make them unique. They understand it’s the jerks doing the teasing that have the problems, not them.
Enough is enough! A far healthier alternative is to develop the character and confidence necessary to navigate adolescence with a respect for yourself – and others. Traci S. Campbell
Let’s find ways to work on teens’ self esteem rather than agreeing to let them go under the knife. Could you live with yourself as a parent if you agreed to a risky surgery, and your child didn’t make it all for the sake of vanity? I know I couldn’t.
Here are some great tips to help promote teen self-esteem from Traci S. Campbell
• Forget Hollywood – be your own personal celebrity. Forget about the fake glam and glitz and learn to make your own style!
• Go in before you go out: Take time to talk nicely to yourself so you feel fabulous when you take the time to dress up to go out!
• Get old-fashioned: Foster old fashioned beliefs like empathy, putting others first, and honesty and integrity. These are character traits that make you an awesome person, not what size clothes you wear.
Turning a teen’s self esteem around isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight. Being a teen is a tough time full of uncontrollable hormones, and peer pressure. It’s also a time that parents need to stay strong, and let their kids know that they are loved NOW. Changing the outward appearance is a temporary fix for what is going on in the inside of a self-conscious child. Let’s find a way to make them feel better about themselves permanently.
How do you guys feel about teens going under the knife? If your child was unhappy with their appearance would you agree to let them have plastic surgery?
About Ashley Sears
Wow, that’s just crazy! I love my kids and want them to feel good about themselves, but I also want them to know that changing their appearance will NEVER change who they are inside. I have a nephew who has already undergone 3 plastic surgeries (at age 5) and will probably have at least 1 more – these are major surgeries due to health problems resulting from a potentially deadly birth defect. That’s an entirely different situation. “The other kids made fun of me” is no reason to change things – kids that are mean will find other reasons to make fun of someone. Wow…
I agree with you Jennifer that is entirely different. These numbers are talking about elective surgeries only.
I think it depends. There may be some real issues that plastic surgery could help. Every teen is self-conscious about some body part but as we grow older we realize that it didn’t really matter. Teaching kids how to deal with bullying and body image is the better approach.
Cecile, I can see your point. I was mainly asking about elective procedures. If this was for cleft palatte or things like that that could improve quality of life. I am all for them.
I would consider it for things we would consider “deformities”, but I’m a little biased since I’m planning a surgery for myself. I knew a girl in high school with an extremely slanted-to-the-left nose that had it corrected and I didn’t think any less of her. It made me more confident and happier.
Brooke, I can see your point, but as parents when do we draw the line. I am curious to see what you guys think about that.
Actually, yes I would. You can teach your child that all you want but at some point something is going to happen that will damage their self esteem, no matter how hard you try to build it up. My daughter hates her nose. The funny part is, it is not even a source of bullying or teasing, she just honestly hates it. She calls herself Penelope all the time. I have told her when she turns 16 we will see about a nose job. At that age, she will be able to make her own decisions. I have never, ever had plastic surgery and don’t intend to, even though I have things I would love to change about myself. I am okay with me. However, my child is her own person and if she wants to change something, I am not going to tell her she can’t, anymore than I would tell her she can’t wear a new eye shadow or change her hair color.
I think it all has to do with personal preference. Some people are happy with the way they are and some people just aren’t.
If it’s for pure vanity purposes, then absolutely not. I would feel like I was telling my kids there was something about them that wasn’t acceptable, and I certainly wouldn’t want to send that message.
Good point, Liz. I have to agree with you personally.
Definitely not! No way. If there were medical reasons behind it then maybe, but definitely not for vanity purposes like Liz above me said.
oh WOW! If it’s elective then absolutely NOT! I can totally see the need for plastic surgery if there was physical deformity, damage due to an accident, burn victims, etc etc. But just because they are teased about something that isn’t necessarily “broken” is no reason at all!
I had a cousin who had plastic surgery as a teenager…but his was because was in a 4 wheeler accident and had to have it to try to repair him to his previous appearance.
But I have other cousins whose mom actually took them to have elective plastic surgery for birthday presents. They’ve had nose jobs and other crazy stuff. It’s ridiculous! They grow up thinking they have to be different than what they are before they can be beautiful and that’s the wrong thing to instill in your child. Now they are in their 30s and you know? they want more elective procedures to change how they look, instead of just being content with themselves.
I think it’s much more important that our children learn how to be happy with themselves. Not try to change themselves for others. There will always be someone who won’t like something about you. You can’t please everyone; so just learn to be happy with who you are.
I would not let her if it was elective but if it was for a medical reason I would. I think my daughter is perfect in everyway, and I tell her that everyday. I don’t ever want her that she is not perfect.
Kelly, you and I are on the same wave length. I tell my daughter she is awesome, and eventually they start to believe it.
Definitely not. I know my husband and I would rather spend time helping her/him understand that he/she was beautiful inside and out…irrespective of what other people said
I can’t really answer that question. I think my children are all perfect, in my eyes. I think that if there were a problem with proportionality, it’s a matter of telling them that they will most likely grow into whatever it is, and if it doesn’t, well, they’ll be adults someday, and they can pay for it if they decide they really want it. Unless it were something that was being done because it absolutely needed to be done, it’s not happening.
I agree wholeheartedly! And I think parents need to teach their children to not only love themselves, but love others as they are, too! Bullying breaks my heart!
It would be a resounding NO especially just for vanity. Same for tattoos
I agree with some of the comments above, if needed I would be okay with it (I mean I had breast augmentation when I was in my 20′s and am so happy I did it:) But I also agree that teaching a child self-esteem is the most important thing
This is such a hard thing! I hate that our society makes girls especially feel like they have to look a certain way.
I don’t know! I feel strong for both Hell No & Hell, why Not… I think, as each person is different, it would depend on the kid, the reasons, the benefits VS the risks… etc..
I just can’t say. Never been faced with it…
I think it depends on why. My cousin had her ears pinned back when she was young because she had the nasty “Dumbo” comments hurled at her day after day. I’m not sure that’s “plastic surgery” per say, but still altered her appearance. I don’t blame either her or my aunt and uncle for wanting it done either, I think her self-esteem was suffering horribly. For just ‘pretty looks’ though…umm no.