Marathon Momma: More photos from our photo shoot yesterday. This girlie loooooves the camera!! 😊😜 I wish I could have been half as beautiful as her when I was her age. I was more like that awkward pre-teen who never felt like she fit in and had no fashion sense or self-awareness as far as looks and, sadly, hygiene were concerned. 😳 sometimes I don't like that she is so into appearances. And I think girls these days are exposed to beauty expectations at a much younger age than my generation. It's sad that kids can't just be kids. With that being said, I have never pushed her or forced her or even drew her attention toward beauty. But, rather, she has always sought it out on her own. And although she is beyond her years in this sense, and many girls of her generation are, too, I do think there is a part of it that is pretty cool--in that she is going to approach middle school and the awkwardness that goes along with it from a perspective that allows her to feel more at ease with her appearance than I had. And even though I am constantly reminding her that her personality, intelligence, thoughtfulness, and concern for others are way more important than her beauty, Let's face it: our society judges first on appearances. Whether we like it or not, it is the truth. And no matter how much education, encouragement, and socialization we give our young girls, they will always be judged first by the way they look. So if they feel more comfortable in their own skin while going through the tough middle school years, I guess I am for it. #sweetie #loveymygirl #lovemykids #lovemyfamily #mygirl #tweenstyle #tween #tweenmodel #tweenfashion #tweengirl #tweenager #tweenlife #momlife #mommylife #family #photography #photoshoot #blackandwhitephoto #blackandwhitephotography #portraitphotography #parenting #parenthood #parents #parentblog #blogpost #parentingproblems