A user shared that during a family weekend, her 7-year-old niece Zara asked if she looked pretty while playing dress-up. The Redditor said yes, which thrilled Zara — but angered her stepsister Kate, Zara’s mother.
Kate, who has long struggled with beauty standards and now practices “aesthetic neutrality,” has asked that no one comment on appearances — including her daughter’s. She told the OP that calling Zara pretty was harmful because “she isn’t good-looking” and that lying would only set her up for failure.
Now Kate is upset and may not let the OP babysit again. The OP wonders if she was wrong. Reactions online mostly sided with the OP, saying Zara deserves kindness and that Kate’s approach could harm her daughter more.
