As we plunge into summer weather, my recent view from the pool has made me very reflective. If you are reading this and you have met all of your summer fitness goals and fit beautifully into your two piece with six-pack abs, this article is not for you! If you are like me and had visions of grandeur to “eat healthy” or “tone things up,” but your goals went about as well as mine did, you may find yourself squishing into an unflattering two piece, packing yourself into a tankini, or just flat-out wearing clothes to the pool! Well, no more for this mama!
It was on our second pool trip of the season that I began to notice all of the little things happening around me. (Full disclosure: I was in a cover-up wearing dark sunglasses, pretending to read a book, but secretly people watching.) The first thing I noticed came as an absolute surprise, and it might to you as well. Did you know that ALL sizes of women have cellulite? I honestly had no clue. (Well, we must remove the teens in their too-small bikinis.) But, yes, all sizes of women have some form of under butt or side thigh dimples. It’s crazy! I’m not alone!
The next thing I noticed was that most moms unpack and lather their little ones while constantly pulling down, pulling up, recovering, and readjusting themselves. You know, if we’d just leave our swimsuit alone and quit messing with it we would look a little less like air traffic controllers and blend in more! Moms, NO ONE is watching you (well, besides me that day!).
I also noticed that each mom, regardless of size, was at the pool to be with tiny loved ones. There was no paparazzi, no hunky celebrity crush coming, and no film crews. Just moms and their kids, and a dad thrown in once in awhile. Even so, each mom went to great lengths to make sure her swimsuit clad body was quickly covered with either a towel or the water. Why all that worry? No one was watching. Seriously! Everyone I saw was going about their own business. Kids were playing, teens were laying out, and no one was there to judge the moms.
So please, QUIT WORRYING. We put so much pressure on ourselves to be in great “swimsuit shape” that we are often missing the point. Our minds are cluttered with so much self doubt that we forget no one came to the pool with the sole purpose of staring at us! Find a swimsuit that fits you and makes you feel amazing! Your kiddo isn’t going to look back in twenty years and say, “Mom, our pool time would’ve been so much better if only you would have looked ____ in your swimsuit.”
So, let’s quit tainting our poolside moments, and enjoy pool time with kids this summer!
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