I'm not against a lot of things, but ...

I'm not against plastic surgery.

Last summer Ellie split her chin open. I don't know how many stitches she got (They kicked me out of the room before I could pass out.), but it was enough to leave a scar. We knew it at the time. The ER gave us the choice of seeing a plastic surgeon on the spot. We opted out, but we did agree, if the scar becomes problematic later in life, we'll get it taken care of. We've also agreed to get her a nose job if her little button turns into the famous Burkitt beak.

Have you seen this? It's a children's book set for release this weekend in honor of Mother's Day.

Written by a plastic surgeon, this book's purpose is to help children understand a "mommy makeover," the popular tummy-tuck and boob-job combo. Newsweek's article explains its inception, author and potential market. (Don't you love how the doctor depicts himself? He looks like Superman!)

I don't have a problem with the book. Not necessarily. I understand this is a great way to explain to kids why mommy has bandages and needs time to recover. I don't have a problem with the need for the book either. I understand why women want the surgery! My body was hijacked twice. After housing and sustaining other beings for two and a half years straight, it's just not the same. I'm covered in stretchmarks, and my bosom has definitely seen higher points. I'm not complaining; it could be worse. (Yes, I saw the original episodes of John & Kate + 8!)

So, what's my problem?

Last week our 7-year-old neighbor was over playing with Ellie. (This was part of the spring break fun.) The girls wanted a snack and, after a plethora of choices were offered, they decided on chips. Before I could dump a portion into each girl's bowl, Johana stopped me. "Wait! What about the fat?" This first-grader snatched the bag and very carefully checked the fat content per serving -- both saturated and unsaturated fats. Only then was it deemed "okay, as long as we don't eat any cookies."

I fear our focus, as a society, is highly skewed. Taking care of yourself is a good thing. We want to look good, but when all we do is altered by how we want to look, something is wrong.

I'm not against healthy living. (Obviously. Haven't I written about Burger King more than once?) I'm actually thinking about getting a Pilate's machine. (I say that as if I need to prove my health-consciousness.) And I'm not against teaching our kids good habits at a young age. There's a reason I'm a SAHM - right? But do I really want my 4-year-old dissecting the ingredients of her snack for the sake of her waistline? Do I want her thinking she needs surgery to be beautiful?

The mom in this children's book doesn't just deal with what went wrong (the extra stretched-out skin); she also gets a nose job and breast implants. She explains to her inquisitive daughter: "[I'll be] more than different ... I'll be prettier!"

I'm against teaching our kids - especially our daughters - that their value is found in their appearance.

"Can Ellie change her clothes? She needs to be pretty to play with us." My daughter is only four and she's already hearing statements like this. She thinks she needs to wear make-up and high heels or she won't have friends. And her worst fear: she'll never find a man to marry her. She knows I don't shower every day and I rarely wear makeup; I'm quite possibly the lowest-maintenance woman she knows, but still -- these lessons of face value are what our society is teaching her.

"Your adornment must not be merely external ... but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." - 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NAS)

I go out of my way to praise Ellie's freckles and kiss her little chin scar. I love her big belly and her crazy, Afro hair. And I tell her so all the time. I remind her she is most beautiful when she's kind and compassionate. What about you? How do you teach your kids to value inner beauty? What ways do you exemplify a love of imperfections?