I look like Bruce Jenner according to my daughter...and myself

My six-year-old daughter Grace has recently joined a drama class.

Many of the exercises encouraged by her teacher involve imitating classmates and mimicking the actions of various people in an effort to show children how simple it is to slip into someone else’s shoes.

Unfortunately for me, this particular exercise has leaked into our family life and Grace has taken to imitating my words and mimicking my actions on a daily basis.

Let me tell you, you never truly know yourself until you see yourself through the eyes of a six-year-old.

Honest to a fault and mortifyingly accurate, Grace has channelled her inner mummy for the last three days and, I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been pretty.

I’ve learned that I have a serious side-eye and I can whine with the best of them, but nothing has surprised me more than my apparent self-obsession.

I was genuinely under the impression that when I became a mum six years ago, my priorities shifted and I saw my reflection less in one year than I had in the course of a day before that.

My haggard appearance certainly appeared to suggest so, anyway.

Well, how wrong was i?

Having clearly eavesdropped on conversations between me and her dad, Grace memorised every word and repeats them at random intervals throughout her day.

“Do I look like one of those mums that other mums will like?” “Will this shirt make my presentation more or less interesting?” “I look like Bruce Jenner today, don’t I?”

Talk about a shock to the system.

When I shuffled awkwardly towards my husband on the third day of Grace’s little performances, I was mortified to learn that my daughter had it spot-on and, according to my husband, she was actually going easy on me.

“What about your classic ‘Do I look like David Gest after a hard night? “, he asked.

I cringed as I wondered what kind of effect my constant need for approval would have on my daughter and why I felt the need to compare myself to men with very, very questionable plastic surgery.

What kind of example was I setting her?

My husband has told me not to worry because Grace has started imitating him now and it looks like we have three days of receding hairline and beer belly issues to deal with.

I'm off the hook...for now.