Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Is there such thing as an ugly child?

64 replies

lilystyles · 12/10/2010 20:15

Not sure how I feel about this one but I know when someone desbcribes a child as ugly makes me feel uncomfortable...

OP posts:

overmydeadbody · 12/10/2010 20:34

Ugly is an unnecesary word.

Some children, just like some adults, are not very asthetically pleasing, are strange looking, but so what, they have other tihngs going for them.

Lots of teenagers are funny looking, because they have yet to grow into their looks.

Some beautiful children turn into very plain adults, and some ugky children blossom into beautiful adults.

Thingumy · 12/10/2010 20:34

Totally agree with cupcakes.

nikki1978 · 12/10/2010 20:35

I was a really ugly baby. Really gormless looking. My mother of course thinks I was beautiful :) If I ever show anyone a baby picture they wince

Luckily I am alright looking now.

So yes I suppose some people might think certain babies are ugly just as they might think adults are. To say it is awful but lets be honest I am sure most of us have looked at a baby once and thought they were not the cutest....

Doigthebountyeater · 12/10/2010 20:35

I don't really find any adults ugly. I always think that they have physical qualities that someone else would find attractive. And I'm not saying that to be all holier than thou. I just really can imagine that someone else probably would fancy someone with a big nose/short legs/big teeth or whatever. Look at David Mellor or Bruce Forsyth for example - neither are stereotypically handsome but both are married.

So no kids or adults are ugly; more that some people will always find you pretty or ugly according to their own tastes.

Morloth · 12/10/2010 20:41

Physically YABU of course there are children who do not fit the conventional western idea of attractive.

If you are speaking of inside and out then YANBU because I tend to think of kids as innocents and they therefore can't be ugly.

My children of course are perfect both inside and out all others look like trolls in comparison, it isn't their fault, they are just not lucky enough to be mine.

TrillianAstra · 12/10/2010 20:47

Of course. I think I may have been one.

Booboobebat · 12/10/2010 20:47

I don't think I've ever seen a child I thought was ugly.

I am a bit soppy about kids, though.

I have heard adults describe certain children as ugly, and it makes me wince.

My DS looks like Christopher Robin.

taintedpaint · 12/10/2010 20:48

Of course children can be ugly. But to call one ugly is another thing. I've seen some pretty heinous comments made about the DD of a particular American actor. You can tell she's going to be a stunner when she's older, but she does look a little awkward now and some horrible bastards have shown her no mercy. I shudder when I think she might Google herself when she's older.

I would never say a child is ugly. I just couldn't.

Mumcentreplus · 12/10/2010 20:50

There's a cover for every teapot..

Mumcentreplus · 12/10/2010 20:51

Perhaps some children do not live up to the looks of their parentage..

spikeycow · 12/10/2010 20:52

Some are more attractive than others, but then when they smile they are all gorgeous

lagrandissima · 12/10/2010 20:55

Sounds a bit nasty. Italians say 'every ugly beetle has his mother' - to a mum every offspring is beautiful (especially when asleep).

FattyArbuckel · 12/10/2010 21:01

I'm no Jordan fan but I think Princess is just gorgeous with her crazy hair!

Thomcat · 12/10/2010 21:03

Short answer - yes.

Long answer - to your personal eye there will be babies / children / adults / animals / buildings / etc that do not please you. That's life.

There are children who I may not find pleasing to my eye but I fall in love with THEM, I then don't even see what they look like on the outside.

Others are not pleasing to the eye and they are sullen, grumpy, rude, brats in general and I will never take to that child.

Then again, a beautiful child can come across as such a brat you can't bear to look at them.

It's great when you love the look of a child, something about them appeals to you and then you also connect with them. I just fell in love with a boy my childminder looks after. He's blonde, long hair and stunning and he sung to me. Then he took a massive shine to my DD3 and is the sweetest little boy in the world. I NEEEEEEED to adopt him. It helped that he was beautiful to look at. However the other little boy my childminder looks after who is not as beautiful, he too for me to warm too, not as appealing to MY eye. However, after a few weeks I have got to know him and he's just amazing and so sweet and gentle and kind and ...SCRUMMY.

I've gone on too long, soz!

shimmerysilverglitter · 12/10/2010 21:06

Um I think so yes, but would never say it, only think it.

I should imagine if you are the parent you wouldn't notice though would you?

My kids are gorgeous, they really are but unfortunately I can see already that they are going to have features (their Dad's side) that are going to perhaps not fare too well when adolescence hits (talking noses and ears here).

ivykaty44 · 12/10/2010 21:12

I remember a woman telling me once about her stay in hospital after her baby son was born. Oh the pity she had for all the other mothers on the ward as their babies were really ugly and her baby was such a beauty and she felt a little guilty as they probably were jealous.

The thing that startled her most was 8 months later looking at the photogrpahs and thinking - gosh my son was just as odd looking as all the other babies

activate · 12/10/2010 21:13

YES

FlyingInTheCLouds · 12/10/2010 21:23

my ds2 was an ugly baby, now he is lovely looking.

tittybangbang · 12/10/2010 21:25

Ds2 was an absolute gargoyle at birth, to the point where dh nicknamed him 'Ugly'. Cross eyed, big nose, male balding pattern, wrinkly forehead. Even my mum thought he was a stinker.

He's gorgeous now though - of course! (check on my profile if you don't believe me - he's the one with the curly hair!)

taintedpaint · 12/10/2010 21:48

titty, you're right, your children are gorgeous! :)

monkeyfacegrace · 12/10/2010 22:07

OMG titty, as a stranger am I allowed to recoil at your babies

But...they are now soooo adorable, especially the young lady with dark curls, she may even give my dd a run for her money!

monkeyfacegrace · 12/10/2010 22:10

tittybangbang · 12/10/2010 22:32

Thanks guys!

cory · 12/10/2010 22:36

Ds was an ugly baby. I still loved him to bits, but I could see quite clearly that he was not handsome. He did however grow into a very handsome little boy.

TheFallenMadonna · 12/10/2010 22:36

DS was ugly when he was a baby. People used to say "he's so alert", because you just couldn't say any of the usual things you would say about a baby. He's a lovely looking 9 yo though. Now he's grown into his ears.

Flip

1 2 3