Romina Garcia wants children to love themselves just as they are.
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As a mother of four (and soon to be five), the children's book author and blogger realises how important it is for kids to accept themselves and others.
It's a simple message but one children, teenagers and even adults struggle to put into practice, particularly if they are being bullied or have low self-esteem.
Doubts about appearance and self-worth continue to plague young people, boys and girls alike, with a third of children saying body image was one of their major concerns in a recent Mission Australia Youth Survey.
But by teaching children to be comfortable in their own skin as early as possible, Mrs Garcia hopes the lesson will serve them well as they enter adolescence. Her recent picture book, Sunglasses Love Noses is the first in a planned series focusing on this issue.
"The book is about being comfortable with who you are and accepting others," she said.
"I want to empower children to feel confident about themselves, just as they are. I want them to know their own worth without seeking validation outside of themselves.
"It's about tolerance, self love and body image at a tender age. At that age, it's crucial children start thinking and speaking about and to themselves kindly, so this process has the potential to carry through to adulthood."
Mrs Garcia, who lives in Albion Park, said her own experiences and a desire for her own children to be confident in who they are inspired her to write the book.
As a child, she was teased by other students for being "the little wog girl" with hairy legs.
"I used to go home and cry and pray to God I'd wake up with smooth skin, so to know I'm helping children like themselves a little bit better, it's the best thing in the world."
She has read the book to classes at a number of schools across the Illawarra and finishes the readings by getting each student to say what they like most about themselves.
"I want them to focus on their positive aspects, I want them to say it out loud and for it to be acknowledged and give them the chance to show their peers their strengths," she said.
"If they can't think of anything because they're shy or whatever, it gives another child the opportunity to speak up and point out that child's strengths. This activity allows the children to see each other's strengths rather than their differences."
Mrs Garcia believes parents have a crucial role to play in encouraging their children to speak up when they're feeling low, in order to improve their confidence and boost their resilience.
With her own children, Mrs Garcia found simply opening up the communication channels gave her an insight into what they, and other primary school students, were concerned about. The key was to ask specific questions to help children address worries.