Beautiful child, how to respond

[Mlovelybabies]

This obviously sounds like a not-stealth boast, but how do I respond to comments about DD’s appearance? She is 2 and DS is 6. They’re both adorable but DD is especially striking, people cross the street just to comment on her beauty. (She looked like a potato when she was tiny, with jaundice and frequent eye infections! People would peer into the pram, shudder and couldn’t even bring themselves to say she was cute). I know that looks can change and beautiful babies might not be beautiful adults but I worry about the effect on her esteem, and on DS’s esteem. She’s a bit shy and just looks down when they comment on her looks. And I know DS feels jealous of the extra attention she gets even though he’s not particularly hung up on appearance.

my response currently is to say, “yes, they’re both very sweet/lovely/wonderful/etc” and not give it any more time. Does that seem appropriate?

This is very true. This post almost prompted me to comment on how many people gush over my DDs beauty (which they do) - but then I remembered every mum thinks their child is the most beautiful!!!

This 😂

I mean, I've yet to have/see a two year old that I didn't think was absolutely beautiful, but some of the comments on this thread are absolute corkers.

If I knew OP personally I’d be concerned about her, she needs a lot of attention, this kind of behaviour is weird, as if anyone would…
a) peer into a pram and shudder at the sight of a baby
b) cross the street to comment on a child’s beauty.

Apparently she’s put this same post on more than once. She needs help.

I have a biracial child who is very beautiful too. DS.

Don't worry. As soon as teenage years set in it can be a hell.

LOL. It all turned out o.k.

100% this. ^

people cross the street just to comment on her beauty

No they don’t.

I was an absolutely beautiful baby/toddler - I was even a catalogue model at one point. Then I grew into the most hideous looking teen you have ever seen - even my own mother said she never thought I'd 'grow into my face' but I think I have now years later. It didn't help I was incredibly skinny with hair like Crystal Tipps either 😂

Enjoy it while it lasts and try not to be as mean as my mum if she changes when older!

I've got a daughter & son & my daughter is 2.5 & often gets "oh she's so gorgeous" - and compliments on her appearance. I hate this, it feeds in to the whole inequality of sexes & i really feel it starts so young. That females are & should be beautiful & males should be smart without as much care on their appearance. My son doesn't get told he's gorgeous ( even though he is) & didnt as a younger child. It feels so different with my daughter. I often respond with a compliment on her character & my sons character - to include them & highlight who they are, not what they look like.

I’m certain I’ve read this before because I commented saying just say thank you

All 2 year old are cute. The ones who get comments usually have unusual hair. Like red hair or big curls. Their faces are all blandly cute though.

My youngest had a bib that said PRETTY LIKE MOMMY. I never would have bought it—it was in a multi pack. Could get one of those? Two is old for a bib I realize.

Not again.

I swear we get this post every year and it is:

• always the female child

• always starts with "this is not a stealth boast."

• always a mum embarrassed about the extreme beauty of said child, so insanely stunning that people actually cross the road to comment on her ethereal beauty.

Anyway, obviously my daughter was the most beautiful two year old ever to have walked this earth. And when people ran across fields to comment on her lushness, I'd tell them how she once ate her own poo whilst potty training and her gorgeousness seemed to evaporate before their very eyes.

Haha people always comment how beautiful my dog is too, usually when I am with my toddlers who only receive a passing glance. My dog is really cute though.

People say this to DD all the time, I just think it's a thing people say to little kids to be nice. I just say thank you, although now she's 4 she says it herself. I've never heard of anyone getting low self-esteem from too many people calling them beautiful.

Despite all the bitchy comments, I do get this.

DD3 had a particularly fetching smile when she was little, up until about 3. She would smile at everyone and anyone and it lit up her whole face. So many people would comment on her and ignore the other 3 kids, especially hard to deal with when my eldest is very obviously disabled.

I would just say "yes she is lovely but so are they all" and move away. Got a lot of snotty looks as the people thought I should be happy with the compliment and not see that it was a back handed insult to the others.

Funny really as she is ND as an adult (20) and is about as unsmiley as its possibly to get!

My dog gets this all the time. He's an extremely gorgeous golden cocker spaniel with green eyes and long silky ears. He takes it all in his stride , shakes his head and walks on

🤣 dogs are particularly adorable

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Why is it a problem? Her esteem…

My child loves getting compliments.

He’s very attractive. It’s not bad!

It's not quite the same thing, but for years we have spent part of each year in a very traditional area of Italy. When she was young, DD2 had very blonde hair, compared with our other three DCs who have various shades of mid- to dark-brown. Up until she was around 10, middle-aged women would cross the road when they saw her and thought nothing wrong in laying their hands on her head and stroking her hair without any hint of a request for permission. If we were in the supermarket we would often see women laying their hand on her head as we stood in the queue at the checkout. It was embarrassing iand made DD1 furious. DS1 and DS2 found it amusing. DD2 loved it.

She is now coming up to 15, her blonde hair is darkening and it is a long time since any randon stranger stroked her head. She would deny it if asked, but I think she misses that attention. If I was more poetic I am sure there is a moral in there somewhere.

Not as a small child but as teens my brother was always complemented on his good looks, from people we knew, family members etc, ooh isn’t he good looking, I bet he gets all the girls etc. I however, was pale, fat and wore braces. It definitely stung at the time but now it does make me laugh the attention he got because of his looks, especially now he’s a middle aged slightly overweight man. It’s sad people are so drawn to good looks but they always will be so a thank you and move on with your day is definitely the way to go.

I have a greyhound deerhound cross who is the biggest people magnet I have ever known.

He's got friends ALL over town. Treats in every dog friendly shop. I cannot walk through the market on my own without stallholders asking me where my dog is. He does actively encourage the attention mind, by staring at them with his best starvation face.

😆 😘

My daughter has the thickest shiniest bum length auburn hair. It's like gold, it's often commented on how beautiful it looks. At 10 she was so self conscious about it (looks are absolutely not a priority for her and she was embarrassed about the comments) she begged me to let her cut it off. We compromised to her shoulder. It's still beautiful she is still perfik but the comments are not as forthcoming and she is a lot happier.

Awwwwwww.