How can good looking children have not particularly good looking parents?

[smyshna]

Genuine question, just curious if anyone else has noticed this.

DH is very conventionally attractive. His two sisters are also very pretty and both modelled when they were younger. DH has been scouted too but wasn’t interested.

His parents are lovely people, but neither is what you’d call conventionally attractive. Even looking at photos of them when they were younger, you wouldn’t say either was particularly good looking.

I know genetics is a lottery but it seems quite remarkable that all three children turned out good looking. They’re all genetically related. Has anyone else come across this?

Nutrition plays a part. I have family members that are all much taller than their parents, who were brought up in a deprived area.

Some percentage of children have been unknowingly brought up by fathers who are not their biological fathers.

This is estimated at anything between 10% and 20%. It is of course difficult to get an accurate estimate for obvious reasons (e.g. in France DNA testing is illegal unless court ordered), but this is what the few medical studies existing would indicate.

Yes it’s very common and many people are not photogenic, they may have been very attractive in their youth but it is not reflected in the images,

It's just luck, obviously. I don't mean to be dismissive but what else could it be? I'm the opposite I have an unlucky mix of my parents and am less attractive than either.

Some people look cuter and more conventional as a child then grow out of it and become the parents

All the ‘odd looking’ kids I knew turned into fairly stunning adults

Your features haven't fully formed, so if you think good looking is childlike (most men like small features with big eyes) that will be why. Slightly disturbing post.

Somehow my own kids are both stunning and model-like with quite "east Asian" almond eyes. I would say neither DH nor I are as attractive and we definitely have no Asian heritage! Just the genetic lottery I guess...

1. we tend to be much more forgiving of children’s looks than adults
2. in the case of mine me and dad balance out. It could’ve gone really badly and child could’ve ended up with his nose and my chin, but actually we seem to have evened each other out (fingers crossed it sticks)

The genetic blend
luck
nutrition and grooming plays a big part

Well it’s just the outcome of the millions of possibilities that is the wonder of your genes.
The same as extremely attractive parents with very ordinary offspring. Or very intelligent parents with non-academic kids. Or a very musical child with tone deaf parents.DH and I are sofa slugs, we have one very athletically gifted child.🤷🏼‍♀️

Complementary features.

A midwife friend has told me that two beautiful people can make an ugly baby if their features aren't complementary. On the contrary, two average or even ugly people can combine in the right way to have a gorgeous kid who actually looks like them, but just a much more attractive version.

It can go the opposite way too with beautiful parents making not so beautiful children. The Beckhams aren’t exactly bonny kids and Michael Sheen’s daughter - sheesh. Also Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s daughters.

It works the other way around as well, I’ve seen good looking couples have children who are…er… less “aesthetically pleasing” than themselves too!! Look at celebrities for examples.

It's not disturbing if you actually read the post. Her husband is obviously no longer a child

Your MIL had an affair with a super-hot man? Three times

What are you talking about?

Well her dh is the child in question. So I would suggest it's not her with the "disturbing" thoughts 🤔

And your dh has not asked any questions? 😂

I always joke MIL had an affair with an Arab. He almost looks more Middle Eastern than me despite having two white parents, it makes no sense.

My brother and his wife are if I’m honest at best average (his wife), slightly unattractive (my DB) and yet they have the most beautiful daughters (now adult and were always beautiful so not just a childhood thing!)

Two negatives make a positive or three 🤷🏾‍♀️

Features balancing out? For example someone with a big mouth and small eyes together with the opposite and then producing kids with more harmonious features?

Most people usually have at least one good feature, for example beautiful eyes, or high cheekbones, full lips or a good nose... it's just luck which of those best (or worst!) features you get from your parents.

I think genetics are mysterious. My father is much shorter than his father and used to go on about how this was due to poor wartime diet. But I pointed out that DSis and I are much shorter than my mum despite being well fed. And my own DC are shorter than DH and me, too. Our genes seem to be shrinking our offspring's height, despite good diet, whereas all their cousins are now well over 6ft tall.

Just a lucky mix isn't it? Attractiveness comes down to things like how symmetrical your face is and how wide your jaw is as well as pleasant individual features.
Sometimes you get very conventionally attractive parents having less attractive children - Demi Moore and Bruce Willis for example, the daughters all unfortunately look like Bruce.