I'm Jealous Of My Daughters

Shona Sibary admits that being a plain teen caused her to envy her daughters’ good looks.

- Shona Sibary

It was my younger daughter, Annie's 18th birthday recently and I thought it would make a fitting present to print out the photos on all our smartphones and stick them into an album. Granted, it’s a bit of an old-fashioned concept, but at least she’d have all our lovely family memories in one place to flick through when she fancied. Yet what did I find? Instead, of a variety of fun snaps in the sun and happy nostalgic get-togethers, all I discovered was one posed image after another taken by both my daughters, Flo, 20, and Annie. It came as no surprise to learn there was not one single snap of me. I hate having my picture taken. What floored me, though, was the fact that what my daughters clearly wanted to capture for posterity were countless images of themselves.

Generation selfie

If I sound a little jealous, you’ll have to forgive me. Staring in awe at one photograph after another of my daughters in full make-up, pouting for Britain, was enough to drive the point home that I have never come close to looking like that.

It wasn’t just their beauty that made me seethe with an uncomfortable mix of pride and bitterness. I was also flooded with unease at the confidence they exuded. It seemed to me as if they were saying to the world: ‘We are beautiful, and we know it.’

As someone who has hated the way she has looked since childhood, I am torn between finding this superficial behaviour shallow and annoying, while at the same time secretly admiring their audacity.