Pink responded with the most powerful message when her 6-year-old said she felt like the 'ugliest girl I know'

The world has innumerable sources to criticize and bring a person down. Many people judge every aspect of a person based on society’s unrealistic standards. This inhumane picking can have a negative impact on kids and that’s why the positivity we render is important. As parents, siblings, adults or just fellow human beings, it is important to teach kids to be themselves rather than try to live up to the irrationalities of society. Singer and mom Pink was taken aback when her 6-year-old daughter, Willow, titled herself “ugly,” because of her looks and appearance, per PEOPLE. As speechless as the mom was, she ensured she left a transformative impact on her daughter with her spot-on response. 

The artist won the “Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award” at the 2017 VMAs and shared the experience as part of her acceptance speech which was shared by MTV. She recalled the time her daughter casually said, “Mama, I’m the ugliest girl I know.” The mom was speechless. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about? You’re incredible. I made you, you can’t say that!’” she said. “I didn’t say anything because I was so speechless and I didn’t want to ‘mom her’ and start preaching to her and not be effective so I just stayed quiet,” the singer noted. 

However, Pink knew she had to turn the situation into an important lesson because this was more than what people thought of Willow, it was what she thought of herself. On asking the girl why she felt that way, Willow said, “I just look like a boy with long hair.” The singer remembered going home and crying but she also had the perfect response. She made a “PowerPoint presentation with androgynous rock stars and artists that live their truth, are probably made fun of every day of their life and carry on and wave their flag and inspire the rest of us." A few included Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Annie Lennox, Prince, Janis Joplin, George Michael and Elton John.

Pink recalled her daughter’s “eyes glazing over” as she looked at the artists. She even asked her why she felt the way she did. “I look like a boy,” the 6-year-old remarked. “What do you think I look like?” the singer confidently asked. When Willow replied by saying that her mom was “beautiful,” she explained how people still tried to judge her appearance and degrade her. “I said, ‘Well, thanks, but when people make fun of me that’s what they use. They say I look like a boy or I’m too masculine or I’m too outspoken. Do you see me growing my hair? Do you see me changing my body?" "No mama," the toddler replied. Pink then confidently asked, "Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world?” "Yes mama," the girl exclaimed. 

The artist was sure to let her child and all those at the VMAs know that no matter the critics and judgment, we’re called to unapologetically be ourselves. The mom added, “It doesn’t feel good to hear mean things about yourself but if you’re human, you’re going to hear it. I’m just trying to make Willow more resilient.” She repeated the words she encouraged her daughter with, “So, baby girl: we don't change. We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl. And we help other people to change so they can see more kinds of beauty.”