I look horrible!
“I look horrible today!”
This phrase is a regular part of the morning getting-ready-for-school routine.
It’s not every day, but sometimes Clara wakes up in a bad mood and declares that her hair, leggings or shirt looks “horrible.” On a particularly bad day, all three look “awful.”
She’s 7. She’s not even a preteen yet. I’m not prepared for this attitude.
I also don’t have the time to deal with this as I get myself ready.
“Clara, you look great!” I yell impatiently, not in a soothing tone. “Just get ready or we’ll be late!”
Eventually she stops combing her hair or changing her outfit and moves on. But her mopey mood stays the same.
She’s been better lately. But this morning she woke up not in a good place.
“Ugh, I look horrible today!” went the same refrain as she combed her hair.
I was about to use my same response— this is the definition of insanity — when I thought of another approach.
“Clara, would you ever tell your best friend that she looked horrible?” I asked.
“No. Only if we were laughing about it,” she said.
“What would you do if your best friend came up to you and said you looked horrible?” I asked.
