💔 “Mum, Am I Ugly?”

The Silent Crisis Hiding Behind Your Child’s Selfies

Let’s talk about something that should keep us up at night more than missing PE kits and lost lunchboxes: the war our kids are fighting silently against beauty standards that even grown women with wrinkle cream subscriptions can’t live up to.

Yes, I said war. Because that’s what it is when your 9-year-old is using face filters that smooth her skin, change her eye colour, and give her lips that Love Island pout… and she likes herself better that way.

👧🏽 The New Childhood Crisis: “Do I Look Pretty Enough?”

Remember when we were kids? We were busy collecting stickers, building dens, and cutting our own fringes with safety scissors. Now? Children as young as 7 are asking for skincare routines, contour sticks, and God help us, tummy-flattening leggings.

Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, these platforms are shaping how our children view themselves long before puberty even clocks in.

And spoiler alert: It’s not always cute.

📱 What They See vs. Who They Are

Every scroll brings them a new comparison:

A 12-year-old influencer with flawless skin (courtesy of lighting, filters, and possibly Botox don’t @ me).

“Glow up” before-and-afters from girls who look… already gorgeous.

Skincare hauls with more products than your bathroom cabinet.

And while we’re just trying to make sure they brush their teeth twice a day, they're secretly wondering:

“Why don’t I look like her?”

“Is something wrong with my nose?”

“Would I get more likes if I used that filter?”

🧠 The Price? Their Mental Health and Self-Worth

Let’s break this down:

✨ Self-worth gets tied to looks.

✨ Confidence is built on likes.

✨ Natural features get labelled as “flaws.”

✨ Mental health starts taking quiet blows.

Anxiety, body dysmorphia, disordered eating, depression these aren’t just teenage problems anymore. They’re creeping into primary schools. Schools! Where the only drama should be about who stole someone’s sparkly gel pen.

😰 Real Talk: What’s a Mum to Do?

First things first: this isn’t about banning phones and building yurts in the woods (although tempting, I know). It’s about awareness. Balance. Starting conversations.

Here’s what helps:

Mirror Talk: Ask your children what they see when they look in the mirror and what they feel. Then listen, without gasping.

Filter the Filters: Talk about how influencers edit their images. Pull up a side-by-side example. It’s eye-opening.

Praise Beyond Pretty: Compliment their kindness, their curiosity, their hilarious dance moves—whatever makes them them.

Model It Yourself: If your child sees you poking at your “mum-tum” and calling yourself “a mess,” they’ll copy that narrative. Show them how to hype themselves up instead.

Media Breaks: Build time away from screens where they reconnect with who they are when no one’s watching.

🌱 The Bottom Line

Your child doesn’t need to be “perfect” they just need to know they are enough. Exactly as they are. No filter, no likes, no glow-up needed.

So the next time your child asks, “Mum, am I pretty?”

Look them in the eye and say:

“Pretty is the least interesting thing about you. You’re clever, funny, brave, weird in the best way, and so very loved.”

Because raising children

who love themselves in a world that profits from their insecurity? That’s revolutionary.

❤️ Share this with a fellow mum. Let’s raise confident kids, not confused consumers.

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