Whether it's the dimples on an inner thigh, the scar of a caesarean section or the muffin top over a pair of skinny jeans, the way mothers talk about their bodies has an immeasurable impact on their sons' and daughters' thinkings about beauty ideals and perfection.
And that's why one mother's social media post explaining the stretch marks on her body to her daughter has gone viral, given its positive celebration of one of the human body's many physical momentos of a fruitful life.
Last week, body positivity campaigner and mother-of-two, Allison Kimmey, shared a picture of herself with her daughter to Instagram and Facebook along with a frank and honest discussion about a recent conversation she had with her daughter during a trip to the beach.
Pointing to her mother's stomach, Kimmey's daughter asked her: 'Why is your tummy big mama?' To which she replied matter of factly: 'Those are my stretch marks.'
After examining them closely, her daughter questioned where the marks had come from.
In response to her daughter's natural inquisitiveness, Kimmey explained: 'Well, when I was a little older than you, I got some stripes when I grew really fast! And some of these stripes are from when I had you growing in my tummy.'
After looking at them again, she added: 'They are shiny and sparkly, aren't they?'
Intrigued and seemingly inspired by the lines on her mother's stomach, the daughter replied: 'Yes, I like this one the best, it's so glittery. When can I get some?'
'Oh, you will get your glitter stripes when you get a little older baby,' Allison responded.
Within a few days, the post received over 24,000 likes on Instagram and 30,000 on Facebook thanks to the mother's inventive and adorable way of instilling body-positivity and self-love in her child.
Urging other mothers to take the same initiative and focus on speaking positively about their bodies in front of their children instead of criticizing their lumps and bumps, Kimmey signed off the post: 'It matters how we talk to our daughters about our bodies. They are listening. They are asking.
'And it is up to YOU to help them shape how they will feel about these things! Will you continue the shame that society has placed on you? Or will you teach her a new way of love?' she concluded.
Living in Florida and indulging in frequent beach days with her children, Kinney's Instagram page is full of images of herself confidently posing in a bikini and sharing messages of body positivity to her 57,000 followers.
However, it appears this particular post has struck a chord with thousands of social media users across the globe, inspiring parents to speak openly to their children about their bodies and the changes their children will inevitably go through as they grow up.
Kimmey's post comes a month after actress Blake Lively spoke out about the importance of making her daughters understand the true meaning of beauty, with or without Hollywood glamour.
In an interview with Refinery29, the mother-of-two revealed she doesn't want her two-year-old, James, and four-month-old, Ines, growing up thinking perfection is the ideal.
'For me, it's important for my daughters to know that it's not real life. They're seeing me dressed up in all this hair and makeup, but they also see me without that. I want them to see both sides, because there is never just one side,' she revealed.
Here's to the women like Blake and Alison who are helping educate young girls about true beauty.
