I want people to stop calling girls, young girls especially, pretty. When you call her pretty, I’m sure her eyes will light up and a smile will creep across her face. I’m sure she’ll have a good day, and most likely feel better about herself even if just for a little bit. But here’s why you shouldn’t…

We raise little girls on the belief that they’re pretty. But they are so, so much more than that. Pretty is an understatement to give a girl. Her strength and power, her mind and soul is not pretty, it’s remarkable. We raise little girls to believe that they should light up and giggle when someone comments on their physical appearance. We raise little girls to believe that being called pretty is enough.

When you call a girl pretty you are giving her a broad definition of the complex being she is. Pretty is repetitive, a word that has little to no meaning. Don’t call her pretty, because truthfully that’s not what she wants to hear.

Call her extraordinary. Tell her she’s powerful and independent. Say something about the bright smile of hers that brings happiness to others. Notice how her eyes are sparkling in the light, and comment on it. Call her intelligent and remind her of the way her knowledge is so incredibly powerful. Don’t zone into her physical appearance, because the picture is much bigger than a body; her story goes deeper than her skin.

When you call a girl pretty, you are not doing her any good. We need to start inspiring little girls to be more than pretty, we need to inspire them to be marvelous. Heart, body, mind, and soul, all working together to develop an innocent girl into a strong young woman. Stop making girls feel as though their physical appearance has anything to do with how they’re going to be perceived in our world. Young girls look upon women in magazines as role models, teach them to look to women like Anne Frank, Madame Curle, Sally Ride, and all the other women who have changed this world beyond social media.

Don’t inspire beauty, inspire strength. Women around the world are viewed as inferior, and it’s partially to blame on the fact that we don’t push little girls to be anything more than pretty. Don’t let her grow up thinking her looks will land her a rich husband, and a huge house. Don’t tell her that the boys will all fight over her one day. Don’t say you’re so pretty. Do not dare make her feel like her beauty is the only thing boys will obsess over. Don’t make her grow up feeling as though she needs to rely on a boy.

So next time you go to tell a girl she’s pretty. Remember this, she may be little, and cute, and maybe your brain can’t pull out another adjective, but pretty does not define her. She is so much more than a physical appearance. She is intelligent, and wise, she is powerful, and strong. She is hilarious and energetic. She is courageous and fiery, and exploding with passion.

Teach young girls, teenagers, and women, that pretty is just one adjective that scratches the surface of who they are, but it sure as hell isn’t what they should be called. Teach them that they’re more.