In a few weeks on Mother’s Day, the kids will be giving gifts of flowers and candy as usual. But this Mother’s Day, the moms have something to give, too. For the women desperately seeking a way to explain the bruises and four bandages covering their nose or the reason that mommy can’t hug you too close to her chest for a few more weeks, look no further. One plastic surgeon has answered your prayers.
Children once only had to associate surgery with injury and sickness. Plastic surgery has opened many doors for tough conversations that parents need to have with their children. As if the birds and the bees conversation isn’t awkward enough. But why did mommy need breast implants? That’s a question that will take some explaining.
Written by a plastic surgeon, the book “My Beautiful Mommy” explains why mommy feels the need to be more “beautiful” again, since her body is stretched and no longer the way it was when she was younger. Instead of dealing with the situation personally, parents can avoid it by turning to this method of teaching their children. Not only is this a way for parents to avoid talking to their kids, but it’s setting a bad example. It’s telling children it’s not all right to have skin that sags or a crooked nose and that everything is supposed to be perfect. And from this, these elementary-school students will become teenagers craving plastic surgery to fix their adolescent body changes.
And if the parents are smart enough to not let them go through with it (and most doctors won’t even perform surgery on individuals under age 18), then they may want it as soon as they legally can. The doctor in “My Beautiful Mommy” is portrayed as a superhero, coming in to save the day. Imprinting such an idea of plastic surgery at a young age is devastating to the young generation that will be the future of this country.
Parents that really need plastic surgery to boost their confidence, do it. But don’t let a book explain to your children why. You were brave enough to go through with a painful surgery-you should have the guts to talk to your own child.