Tales of a coffee-holic: Objectification begins with a compliment

Stop telling small children that you know or you meet how cute they are.

We have a habit of fawning over children and praising their parents for creating such cute kids. Most kids are adorable and parents like to hear it, however when you see a friend or acquaintance’s child and you always praise them for their looks, what are you really telling them? You are telling that child that one of the most important things about them—maybe the most important thing—is how they look. This is true for all children, but especially for girls.

We have this culture that tells girls their looks are one of the...