Quote of the day by Blake Lively on parenting: 'We are all born feeling perfect until somebody tells us we are not. The only thing...' Life lesson on raising confident children from Hollywood actress

Adolescence is a period marked by uncertainty. You are often tormented by bouts of self doubt, bogged down by morbid thoughts. Children going into depression for not adhering to some abstract standards of perfection is tale as old as time. Kids who are confident in their own skin and don’t rely on peer validation to build their self esteem are not born, but raised. In an interview, Hollywood star Blake Lively shared her insights on raising children with a healthy sense of self esteem.

Quote Of The day By Blake Lively: Perfection Is Overrated

In an interview with Glamour, the Gossip Girl star when asked how she was raising her daughters, said: “Stop telling little girls that they can do anything. They already believe they can do anything. It opens the door for questions….” We’re all born feeling perfect until somebody tells us we’re not. So there’s nothing I can teach my daughter [James]. She already has all of it. The only thing I can do is protect what she already feels…” she said.

She also explained that she worked hard to listen to her daughter and not project her own insecurities on her.

Deeper Meaning Of The Quote

Blake Lively quote’s challenges a commonly held assumption about empowerment. She explains that like most kids, little girls do have an innate sense of confidence and optimism. They are born believing that the world is full of possibilities. They do not naturally see themselves as limited. It is only through repeated social messages, criticism, stereotypes, and comparison that they begin to doubt their own worth and abilities.

She also explained that people are not born with poor self esteem. Their sense of self worth is gradually eroded when they come across unrealistic expectations, societal stereotypes about beauty, success and power.

Relevance Of Lively’s Words

Lively’s advice on parenting young girls will remain relevant in the coming years as young girls are not born with low confidence or bad self esteem. Their self esteem gets impacted once they come across ruthless beauty standards, and prevalent stereotypes about success, and people who don’t adhere into conventions about what’s considered attractive and successful.

Lively’s words- "Stop telling little girls that they can do anything. They already believe they can do anything," the message is not against encouraging girls. Instead, it suggests that society often focuses on repairing confidence that it first damages. Repeated reminders that girls are capable may unintentionally acknowledge the existence of barriers that should not exist in the first place. Rather than constantly convincing girls of their worth, society should eliminate the stereotypes and biases that make them question themselves.

Who Is Blake Lively?

Lively is an actress and entrepreneur. A former child actor, she had her breakthrough with the coming-of-age film The Sisterhood Of Travelling Pants. However, it was the the teenage drama series Gossip Girl that made Lively a household name. Her portrayal of Serena Van Der Woodsen, the ‘IT girl of Manhattan’ in the TV series, made her a star overnight.

She is also known for films such as the psychological drama All I See Is You, the romantic fantasy The Age Of Adaline, the black comedy A Simple Favour etc.

Blake Lively expanded her entrepreneurial portfolio in recent years by introducing several lifestyle and consumer brands. In 2021, she debuted Betty Buzz, a range of premium non-alcoholic mixers designed for cocktails and mocktails. The brand quickly gained attention for offering ready-to-use mixers made without artificial flavors or sweeteners.

Building on that success, Lively entered the ready-to-drink alcohol market in 2023 with Betty Booze, a collection of canned alcoholic cocktails featuring fruit-forward flavors made with real ingredients.

In 2024, she ventured into the beauty industry by launching Blake Brown, a cruelty-free haircare brand. The product line focuses on nourishing hair with high-performance formulas while emphasizing ethical practices by avoiding animal testing.

Lively is married to Ryan Reynolds, best known for Deadpool films. They have three daughters and a son.