If you’re dreading swimsuit season, know that you are not alone.
Even if you want to believe your body is worthy. Even if you've been in therapy for years. It can still feel really hard to shake the fear that stepping into a swimsuit in public invites judgment, comparison, or scrutiny—especially if you grew up learning that your body should be covered, contained, or improved.
Our reflection and inner critics have a sneaky way of catching us off guard. One glance, and suddenly we’re sucking in our stomach, tugging at the suit, and reaching for the cover-up after all.
To be clear, I don't judge anyone who opts for layers as a way to feel emotionally safe enough to partake. The important thing is that you're there, in that moment, showing up and participating in your life — and your kids’ life — as it unfolds.
But what if I told you that a lot of the covering up we do actually makes body image worse? And not just for us, but for our kids, too?
Our children are watching, and we have a choice: let them see us cover up, hide, and apologize for the bodies that nurture—and often resemble—them, or let them see us embody the values that say all bodies are worthy of being seen and making memories in the sun.
In a nutshell: If we want our kids—decades from now, deep into their own middle age—to throw on the swimsuit in support of their own children’s body confidence, we have to show them how.
Not because we love the skin we’re in (you won’t find toxic body positivity here).
Not because it’s easy—it’s not. Especially if you grew up with body shame and learned that covering up was the safest way to avoid judgment or ridicule.
But because your willingness to show up—in the body you have today—is a powerful act of resistance and repair. And that kind of modeling can ripple forward for generations.
Introducing Reclaim Your Beach Body Legacy: A Self-Paced Workshop for Body Image Resilience Across Generations
Disclaimer: This workshop is intended as a self-help, educational experience focused on body image resilience and is not a substitute for therapy. If you are seeking therapy or need professional support, please consult a licensed mental health professional.
The goal of this workshop is to help you leverage your commitment to your children’s body image resilience to fuel your own body image healing. It’s not therapy, but a self-paced, empowering experience designed to foster growth, change, and—ideally—a little more ease getting into your swimsuit this summer.
What to Expect:
Beginning May 5th, 2025, for six weeks, paid subscribers will receive a new weekly workshop module featuring a practical “beach body image” lesson and a homework assignment(s). The lessons will be progressive, so try to follow the order. This ensures that each week builds on the previous one, which will help facilitate progress.
Free subscribers will get access to previews and descriptions of what we are up to, should you choose to go paid at any time!
*Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full 6-session road map.
Week 1: (This post!) Introducing Reclaim Your Beach Body Legacy
Today, I’m sharing WHY and HOW showing up in your body—at the beach, pool, or wherever summer finds you—directly benefits your children’s body image resilience (and your own).
The video in this module features me talking through these key ideas:
Modeling Body Acceptance
Children learn by watching. When they see a parent show up in a body without apology, they’re more likely to believe that their own body is worthy of love, respect, and beach-time—just as it is.De-normalizing Body Avoidance
So many kids (especially daughters of dieting moms) grow up watching the women they love avoid swimsuits, photos, pools, and joy. Choosing to wear the suit doesn’t just break this intergenerational pattern (#cyclebreakers)—it challenges behaviors that undermine body image resilience. Avoidance reinforces shame, while showing up helps build resilience, teaching our kids that their bodies deserve visibility and respect.Promoting Participation Over “Perfection”
Putting on a bathing suit signals that experiences matter more than appearances. It shows kids that fun, connection, and play aren’t reserved for a certain body type.Reducing Shame Around Natural Bodies
When a child sees a real, lived-in body in motion—stretch marks, belly rolls, scars, body hair, soft arms—they begin to internalize a broader, more inclusive image of acceptability, beauty, and worth.Building Resilience Against Appearance Pressures
Kids who grow up in environments where all bodies are seen and celebrated are better equipped to resist cultural messages that promote thinness or unrealistic ideals. No, it’s not a silver bullet, but why wouldn’t we load up on all the protections we can?Fostering Intergenerational Healing
Even if you didn’t grow up seeing this kind of confidence, choosing to show up in a swimsuit for your kids begins to rewrite that narrative—for them and for you.
What’s Next:
Here’s the full roadmap:
Module 3: Eating to Optimize Body Image, Embodiment, and Wellbeing
Module 4: Four Behavioral Traps that Make Body Image Worse (and How to Break Free)
Module 5: Mirrors, Body NeutralEYES, and Embodiment Exposure
**Bonus: Dressing for Summer Body Image with Size Inclusive Stylist
By the end of this workshop series, I do hope you’ll feel a little better about stepping into that swimsuit. But what I’m really after is something even bigger: I want the legacy you contribute to this summer to be one of visibility, resilience, and unapologetic embodiment—for your kids, your grandkids…and your own inner child.
The chat is open to paid subscribers for ongoing conversation and questions. If there’s enough interest, I’ll host a live Q&A to dive deeper, together.
This week’s homework:
📝 Week 1 Homework: A Letter to Your Child
This week’s assignment is a grounding practice to help you deeply connect with your why—the reason you’re here, doing this work.
Write a letter or journal entry to your child (or a child in your life) that answers one or more of these prompts:
What do you hope they believe about their body as they grow up?
What do you hope they feel—on the beach, in a swimsuit, in their skin?
What do you want them to know when they hear a critical voice inside their head?
What do you want them to do if or when they receive body criticism from someone else?
What do you want them to say to themselves on days when they feel too self-conscious to step into a swimsuit?
What kind of freedom or ease do you dream of for them that you didn’t have?
And while we’re at it—what kind of freedom or ease do you dream of for yourself? What might be waiting for you on the other side of the body image discomfort you currently feel?
You can write this in a notebook, type it on your phone, or even voice-record it if that feels more accessible.
You don’t need to share it with anyone (though you’re welcome to share reflections or excerpts in the chat if you’d like). This is just for you—and for the future you're helping shape.
All content shared here is protected under applicable copyright, trademark, and other proprietary rights. It is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional, medical, or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Engaging with this content does not establish a professional or therapeutic relationship. If you have concerns about your or your child’s health, mental health, or safety, please consult a qualified medical or mental health professional.
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