As human beings, we have an instinctive desire to categorize the many different facets of our world to make it all feel organized, understandable, and comfortable. 

As society has evolved, labels have allowed us to categorize fellow human beings, arguably the most complex and critical part of our world. 

Labels are often established in childhood, and children do not get to choose the labels they are assigned at such a young age. 

Labels like black, white, gifted or loud serve to define children for us, impacting them in adulthood. 

Catie’s Closet is here to let children define themselves for the world.

 

Negative Impacts of Labeling

Labels hurt children in both overt and subtle ways. 

One of the most detrimental effects of labeling children, is the self-limiting beliefs it imposes on them. 

Self-limiting beliefs are ideas we have about ourselves and who we should be. These ideas are formed through years of being told who we are by those around us, and it all starts with the labels we receive as children. 

If a young boy is always called a troublemaker, he will likely grow up to believe that is all of which he is capable. When he is confronted with the opportunity or idea to venture outside of this box,  it will feel scary or unnatural as it does not align with the label he was assigned. 

Labels also pave the way for stereotypes. 

Especially with social labels, such as race, gender, and sexuality, we attach stereotypes and connotations to each label, whether consciously or subconsciously. Essentially, we define people within these labels based on various stereotypes. 

This threatens how the world identifies an individual child and even how the child will identify with the world.  

After surveying the children of Catie’s Closet, we discovered  the biggest impact we have on kids comes from giving them the ability to just be themselves. Each student has free agency to choose how they dress. This gives them an opportunity to live beyond their labels, redefine their story however they want. 

This inspired the Be Me movement.

 

Be Me Initiative

The Be Me initiative is so much more than the power to dress how you want. It empowers kids to explore who they are as individuals and gives them the boost they need to express themselves with unapologetic confidence. 

When students shop at Catie’s Closet, they can look around and find clothes that fit however they feel about themselves that day.  Their experience allows them to try on new hats, physically and metaphorically, and discover all the possibilities of who they can be.

The Be Me Initiative seeks to break down labels and the barriers they create. It strives to empower us all to push past our assigned labels to live life authentically. It’s better to eliminate labels than to try to unlearn them and overcome how they hold us back in adulthood. 

Together, let’s help children tell us who they are. Let’s leave space for children to discover their likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and build their own story, without the limitation of labels. 

 

Ready to live life beyond labels? Join the Be Me movement by donating today

Your $50 donation will provide two children with the life-changing opportunity to break free from labels and find out what it means to “Be Me”. 

Interested in making a sustaining impact? Join Catie’s Circle as a recurring giver. 

Learn more ways to get involved with Catie’s Closet and the Be Me Movement here.