  When I was a girl, I never was compared to my mother. I didn't look like her, I didn't act like her, I just was nothing like her.
That kind of bothered me because, unlike a lot of people I knew, I really liked my mom. She was (and still is) a very sweet woman - very easy going, but at the same time, my brothers and I knew better than to talk back to her, disrespect her in any way. Now I'm a "grown-up" with kids of my own and my poor girls are always being compared to me. Although both my girls have blonde hair to my medium brown, our facial features are strikingly similar - as are our personalities, I'm afraid.
Both my girls have my defensive mechanism in place the minute they hear anything the slightest bit negative towards them. That, my friends, is all me! We're all very conscientious of our looks and bodies - my youngest is constantly looking in the mirror - not to admire herself, but to self-criticize her shortcomings - very sad, I know, and believe me - I've tried to encourage her and convince her she doesn't have anything to worry about, but she's 15 years old and her looks are her whole life right now.
And, actually, I find myself doing the exact same thing - I pass by the mirror while dressing this morning and at first I think - "Hey, I don't look that bad...for an almost 40 year old women with three kids - I always have to add on that little disclaimer) But then I made the mistake of stopping directly in front of the full-length mirror and taking a good hard look - I was ok until I turned to see the back side - "I have back fat!!! " Having totally depressed myself for the morning, I finished dressing and went to work. Sigh... 
