The Nativity Factor

My seven year old daughter loves to sing and dance, mostly to Hannah Montana and Demi Levato. And she has been singing all the songs for the Nativity play to us and showing us the dance moves.
So today, I go to the nativity play and my daughter is happy to be part of the massive ensemble that is ‘Nativity’. She knows her friends lines as well as her own and is genuinely full of Christmas happiness.

I find myself looking at the leads in the play and noticing that the majority are blonde and blue eyed. Traditionally pretty. I start to wonder, why isn’t my child the Star or the Angel or Mary or even one of the little dancers? Why can't you see her singing?

Am I being paranoid? Is this just a horrible flash back to my own childhood where I desperately wanted the leads but just didn’t get them?

My daughter was happy with her part and loved the whole experience.


Dear God, am I going to be one of those hideous pushy mother’s?


Then again studies have shown that the more attractive you are the more successful you are likely to be, and the hierarchy of the society begins in the playground.

Karen Lorenz of Careerbuilder.com said;

‘Studies show attractive students get more attention and higher evaluations from their teachers, good-looking patients get more personalized care from their doctors, and handsome criminals receive lighter sentences than less attractive convicts. But how much do looks matter at work?

The ugly truth, according to economics professors Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas and Jeff Biddle of Michigan State University, is that plain people earn 5 percent to 10 percent less than people of average looks, who in turn earn 3 percent to 8 percent less than those deemed good-looking..
Good examples of this recently are - The X Factor - not a single fat person in the final. Then there is the Tony Blair/Gordon Brown comparison. I mean really, who did we all like best originally. 

This all sounds like I think my daughter isn't beautiful, she absolutely is both, bright and beautiful, she has lots and lots of friends at school, but she isn’t blonde, she doesn’t look like a child Barbie. She is not doll like and subservient she is spirited and independent.
Is she going to miss out on opportunities at school because the adults sub-consciously or consciously pick an outdated view of beauty and behaviour in British society?

OK deep breath.
I suspect I am reading way too much into it and have just turned into a typical Mum who knows how fab and talented her child is and just can’t understand how nobody else can see it? You all thought the same when you went to your childs nativity................didn't you?