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You are here: Home / Family / Raising Strong Girls / Everyday Heroes and Role Models for our Daughters

Everyday Heroes and Role Models for our Daughters

July 18, 2012 by Deanna Tousignant 15 Comments

This post is part of YummyMummyClub.ca‘s support of the Dove Celebrate Mom Contest. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors. 
When I was asked to write a piece for the Dove Celebrate Mom Contest, I was excited and immediately said “Yes!”. The message that Dove is trying to impart, how positive female role models play a huge role in nurturing self-esteem is young girls, is one that I believe strongly in. So I leapt on board but I was at a bit of a loss as to who I was going to nominate for the chance to win $2,500 for herself and $2,500 to be donated to the charity of her choice.

I sat here thinking about how there are so many amazing moms out there doing fantastic things both big and small, donating their time, fund-raising for charities, volunteering, working through adversity, struggling with disease, inventing, creating, and producing. I thought of the many inspiring women who work as scientists, political activists, artists, dancers, Olympic athletes, writers, environmentalists, brain surgeons, judges or lawyers. And I realized I didn’t want to nominate a single one of them.

As a mom with two young daughters self-esteem and role models are topics that are constantly on my mind. According to research done by Dove, only 9% of Canadian girls between the ages of 10-17 are most comfortable using the term “beautiful” to describe their looks. A positive role model can make a world of difference by helping a girl develop a positive relationship with beauty and encourage her to achieve her full potential. When girls feel they have a role model, they are less likely to let anxiety about looks hold them back.

However, I think the role models that have the biggest impact on my daughters’ lives are the simple every day ones. Now I’m not saying I don’t want my girls to grow up one day and invent a new way to travel, cure cancer, or dance in the Winnipeg ballet. But to me, the heart of the Dove Celebrate Mom Contest is celebrating the simple everyday heroes, the plain Janes, the everyday role models, those that handle the daily grind with grace and verve.

So with all of that in mind, I would like to nominate my mom. She has done absolutely nothing of great significance with her life. She is however an amazing woman, and a fantastic grandmother and I couldn’t imagine a better role model for my daughters. We are blessed to have her in our lives.

My mom who as the eldest of six children has always had a big heart and a helping nature.

Two long haired sisters in the 70s.
My mom and her sister. (Mom’s the one on the right.)

My mom who over the years has worked as a florist, a hotel receptionist, a toy store clerk, a short order cook, and a furnitire salesman.

My mom who stayed at home with us kids, in a time when many of her peers were working. And looking back I know she often lamented her lack of freedom, stuck at home with three kids and no car, making due with the same clothes for ten years at a time; living life in stained clothes and dealing with boogies, diapers and skinned knees while teaching us to sew and cook and play.

My mom who strongly believes in providing trucks for little girls and dolls for little boys.

My mom who has always taught me that the best way to be beautiful is to be healthy and to be comfortable with yourself.

My mom who is the handy-man in the family, and the one I call when I have a plumbing problem or need to borrow a wrench.

My mom who stepped in and tried to take over the family business after my dad has hospitalized with congestive heart failure, only to discover that the business was failing, and after years of trying to make it work and slipping further into debt she had to make the heart-wrenching decision to dismantle and sell everything off.

My mom who is always there for me, always ready to listen or to lend a helping hand.

Grandmother in the sunshine with her grandchild.

My mom who is always eager to spend time with her grandkids, gives them 100% of her attention and is willing to get down and get dirty playing in the grass with them.

My mom who stepped in and took over as the major bread winner, when my dad’s various medical conditions forced him into early retirement.

My mom who at the age of 56  had the courage to go “back to school”, taking classes and training to be a certified Financial Assistant.

My mom who is simply beautiful inside and out.  She has never let the daily grind grind her down. She is my hero, and I am so proud to have her as a role model for my daughters.

Who is your hero?

Check out more stories about amazing role model moms on YummyMummyClub.ca: www.yummymummyclub.ca/family/mummy/celebrate-­‐a-­‐mom-­‐in-­‐your-­‐life

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Filed Under: Canadian Contests, Finds, Raising Strong Girls Tagged With: contest, self esteem

Comments

  1. Paula Schuck says

    July 19, 2012 at 8:47 pm

    Deanna: your mom is beautiful! I like this piece but think that when you say: she "has done nothing of great significance" it is not true. She is a mom and a grandma and it sounds like she has done a lot- including go back to school at 56. That is a big accomplishment to me. Paula@inkscrblr

    Reply
  2. Torviewtoronto says

    July 19, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    nice post to read 🙂 Deanna

    Reply
  3. esahm says

    July 19, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    This made me smile! There are the heroes we hear about on the news and then there are the ones that make our lives better daily. Your mom is definitely a hero and a great role model!

    Reply
  4. Little Miss Kate says

    July 20, 2012 at 1:30 am

    You mother sounds like such a wonderful person. It is great when we can have those positive role models in our lives. It is great that your girls will also have such a beautiful woman to look up to as they grow!

    Reply
  5. The Zoo says

    July 20, 2012 at 3:28 am

    How special that you have that bond and love with your Mother and that she shares herself with you kids. Everyone wins!Besos, SarahZookeeper at Journeys of The Zoojourneysofthezoo at hotmail dot com

    Reply
  6. Doris Calvert says

    July 20, 2012 at 7:21 am

    What a great and touching story! You are right, this is the kind of person who should be a hero, what a woman your mother is, I am 51 and can't imagine going back to school, just for that she is amazing, and look at her children if they are all like you she raised kind,caring smart children:)

    Reply
  7. Tarasview says

    July 20, 2012 at 2:41 pm

    that is beautiful!

    Reply
  8. Deanna says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:26 am

    @Paula My sister called me up to say something very similar, so I guess I didn't express it quite right. It's just that my mom has never "made the 6 o'clock news", she has never done anything newsworthy or truly extraordinary, yet I think she's a hero all the same.

    Reply
  9. Deanna says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:31 am

    @esahm Thanks Sarah, that's exactly what I was trying to express! Everyday role models like my mom are the ones my daughters will be seeing and interacting with on a daily basis, and hopefully having more affect on their outlook then the movie star type.

    Reply
  10. Deanna says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:32 am

    @Little Miss KateThanks for the kind words Kate. I truly do feel blessed for having my mom around to be in my daughters' lives.

    Reply
  11. Deanna says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:34 am

    @The ZooThanks Sarah. You're right, I do feel lucky to have such a great bond with my mom. The occasional kid free night when she takes my daughters over to her place isn't so bad either!

    Reply
  12. Deanna says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:36 am

    @DorisAww, thanks Doris. My mom has worked so hard in the past year or so, with going back to school and retraining. She just refuses to give up. I am so proud of her.

    Reply
  13. shashers Life says

    August 1, 2012 at 3:02 am

    your mom sounds amazing! 🙂 you are very blessed to have been raised by such a strong and loving woman.

    Reply
  14. Sober Julie says

    August 1, 2012 at 3:05 am

    Your Mom has done something amazing, she's shown her daughter what it's like to be fearless and live outside of boundaries which could constrict us.Bravo

    Reply
  15. ~Shannon~ says

    August 22, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    What a wonderful tribute to your mom! Lovely!

    Reply

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