Q &A: My child feels ugly! How can I help?
Ruth A. Peters, Ph.D.
Question: My twelve-year-old daughter had a horrible Thanksgiving. She barely
ate and complained about being fat and ugly compared to her cousins. Not only do I
disagree with this perception but it breaks my heart to think that she’s feeling
poorly about herself. I can only imagine how she’s going to handle Christmas, with
the dinners, treats and parties that our large family engages in. She’s a lovely young
lady and beautiful in my opinion. I can remember feeling too pudgy as a kid, and
she does have my somewhat unruly hair. But to think of herself as “ugly” is just not
true! Many times I’ve tried to point out how nice she looks in a certain outfit, but
she blows that off, saying that it makes her look fat or out of style. It’s as if she
wishes she were someone else—like one of the models on the magazine covers! No
matter what her Dad and I say to her, it just doesn’t seem to make a difference.
And, with the holidays approaching she seems to become angry or depressed when I
suggest going shopping at the mall. Is this normal, or should my daughter seek
counseling? Any other suggestions?
Answer:
Pre-teens are like puppies in many ways—with some body parts just begging to be grown
into, and others that they wish would just stop growing! It’s a developmental stage that
resides in the middle ground, with childhood being left behind and adolescence looming
in the not-too-distant future. And, to make matters worse, many kids this age believe that
they truly are “ugly”, and there just doesn’t seem to be anything that their folks can say
that would change that perception. Tweens and teens, especially girls, often express
concerns ranging from feeling that one’s face, body, weight, or hair style is
unattractive—causing lots of self-absorption, introspection, anxiety and perhaps even
depression.
So, what’s normal?
A focus on appearance during the adolescent years is a common and expected aspect of
development—for boys as well as for girls. But, it becomes problematical
when kids begin to worry about their appearance to the exclusion of many other values or
activities. Growth spurts (or lack thereof), acne, braces (or crooked teeth) can affect the
youngster’s emerging self-esteem. Add in your child’s increasing understanding of what
society believes to be beautiful—cool clothes, flawless complexion, a six-pack abdomen
for guys or an hour-glass figure for girls, and the issue can seem insurmountable to the
vulnerable tween or teen. So, what can you do as the parent to help ease the pain as well
as helping your child feel more comfortable within her own skin? Check out these
possibilities…
Warning signs:
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Be on the look-out for your child’s frequent references to feeling ugly, the consistent
need to be told that she looks fine, excessive exercise or calorie counting, and guilt or
distress about overeating. These are warning signs that the child is overly focused on
bodily appearance to the exclusion of her positive attributes.
What to do about it:
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Encourage physical activity. Athletics encourages the child to focus upon her
body more for performance than for attractiveness. Whether its team sports,
lifting weights or jogging down the block with the dog in tow, encourage activity.
This helps kids to reduce anxiety and feelings of self-consciousness and
depression, and it can jump-start the process of building muscles and becoming
trim and fit.
Talk about smart eating at the next holiday event. Let your daughter know that
you’ll help her to plan appropriately for the upcoming holiday parties and events.
This may mean eating a nutritious, filling meal before going out to dinner with the
extended family (so she can have a salad or appetizer and not feel guilty), or
helping her to plan fun activities with her cousins when they are together again.
Perhaps she can bring a board game or a deck of cards, or if the weather is nice
they can engage in outside activity that not only burns calories but is fun and a
great stress-reducer. If she sees that she has control in the situation, she’ll better
be able to relax and enjoy herself.
Offer solutions when possible. Some of the “uglies” cannot be changed
immediately—that gawky body just needs to catch up with itself, and the face will
eventually grow into the nose by age fifteen! However, you can advise specific
ways to help your child to look her best—by checking in with the dermatologist
or orthodontist to help out with embarrassing acne or crooked teeth. Helping her
to find clothing and hair styles that work well with her body and hair texture
should help during this awkward time, but many kids will not trust their parents’
judgment. If necessary ask a friend or relative who your daughter considers as
stylish and knowledgeable to help with this endeavor.
Confront your child’s standards. A review of the literature suggests that about
forty to sixty percent of adolescents say that they are unhappy with how they
look. Kids come in all shapes and sizes—tall, short, muscular, flabby, curlyheaded or boasting stick-straight tresses. I’ve found that a redefinition of what
makes someone really attractive is necessary—which includes their compassion
and personality as well as physical attributes.
Talk about body changes. Bookstores and libraries offer several selections for the
pre-teen and teen about “what’s happening to my body.” Also, books are often
more accurate than is your memory in terms of what to expect when it comes to
body changes during puberty and when they will occur. (For single parents with a
child of the opposite gender I feel that a good job of educating the kid about
puberty and what’s up with the underarm hair can still occur—just be sure to do a
little research yourself so that you don’t scare the wits out of him!)
Mention the gimmicks: Media idols really aren’t so perfect in person. Explain to
your daughter that camera angles, lighting and make-up help the stars to look as
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they do. Even celebrities are now complaining about the “reality” shown by
HDTV—wrinkles and skin imperfections are even more visible with the newest
technology.
Be careful with flattery. Praise positive effort such as perseverance at school or
persistence on the practice field. Watch out for “person praise” such as looks,
intelligence or ability. Your effort praise helps your child to develop her sense of
identity, and if it can extend beyond the physical to character, commitment and
conscience most likely she’ll feel better about herself no matter how bad a hair
day she’s having!
Be flexible with the dress code. Realize that the clothing that your child wears
helps her to feel more accepted within her peer group. It’s your child’s selfexpression, and unless it is inappropriate try to let her make her own selections.
Again, as mentioned above, if a certain style shows off her coloring, body
characteristics or personality it may be a good idea to throw in a nice compliment
about her wise taste in fashion.
Avoid teasing. Even cheerful comments can harm a child’s self-confidence,
“What a cutie you are—so petite, and look at that red hair—how unusual!” may
not be taken well by pre-teens and teens.
Consider a little “pick-me-up”. A new outfit, contact lenses, a makeover or new
haircut can be just the thing to give your daughter the right ego boost to get her
through this tough time. But, back up the focus on appearance with interest,
encouragement and support for other activities such as chorus, softball or working
out at the gym.
Listen to peer pressure comments. Pre-adolescents often live in a culture of
cruelty where teasing is in and difficult to avoid. Often, your child will feel better
just telling you about the criticisms or comments, and may not listen to your
advice or suggestion. That’s okay—as long as she’s talking about the situation it
allows you to monitor her moods and self-perceptions.
Check out your own conduct. Evaluate your own weight and body concerns and
how you talk to your daughter about them. Instead, discuss health, exercise and
nutrition when it comes to your own body—don’t focus on weight, calories or
dress size.
If it gets out of hand.
If you feel that “the uglies” are getting the better of your daughter, and you’ve tried most
of these suggestions and she’s still upset, consider a visit or two with a child/adolescent
specialist. Sometimes Mom or Dad just “won’t do”, and the child needs the guidance of
a trained professional. Remember, this is a tough stage of development and a difficult
time of the year for just about any kid. Support and encourage your daughter to realize
that a healthy body is a beautiful body, one that remains attractive longer and leads to a
better lifestyle than an over focus upon weight, dress size or hairstyle.