Parent: Why the glum face?
Child: Mary Beth said I was ugly.
Parent: Who’s Mary Beth?
Child: She’s the girl who sits across from me at school.
Parent: Why would she say that?
Child: I think she was mad at me.
Parent: Why?
Child: She broke her pencil, so she wanted me to give her mine.
Parent: And you didn’t.
Child: No. Then I wouldn’t have a pencil. I may be ugly, but I’m not dumb.
Parent: Do you think you are ugly?
Child: Well, Mary Beth does. And she’s the prettiest girl in the class.
Parent: Do you like her?
Child: Are you kidding, Mom? She’s a selfish, stuck up, bully.
Parent: So, she’s pretty on the outside and ugly on the inside?
Child: I know I’m not supposed to think that, but yeah … she’s a “You know what”.
Parent: Yeah. Sounds like it. So back to my question; do you think you are ugly?
Child: Well, I never thought so. But when I look at other kids. They all have something I don’t have.
Parent: Like what?
Child: Straighter hair. Smaller nose. Nicer shoes.
Parent: Wow! Life isn’t treating you so well.
Child: That’s supposed to help?
Parent: Sorry. I should be more helpful.
Child: Or less unhelpful.
Parent: All I can say is this. If you compare yourself to others, you are always going to find something you don’t have.
Child: Doesn’t everybody compare themselves with others?
Parent: Yeah. I guess it’s kind of natural to do that.
Child: So here comes Mom’s famous, “But”.
Parent: You know me too well.
Child: But …
Parent: But the most important person to compare yourself to is yourself.
Child: Huh?
Parent: Well, if something is bothering you – figure out what to do about it.
Child: And?
Parent: And just compare yourself with how you were before you started doing something about it.
Child: Like the size of my nose?
Parent: I like your nose.
Child: I don’t understand what you are getting at, Mom.
Parent: Here’s an example. I’ll never beat Serena Williams at tennis, but I can become a better tennis player in a month than I am right now.
Child: So, a month from now I won’t be ugly?
Parent: I can tell this talk was helpful.
Child: Give it a month Mom. You’ll improve.
