DEAR ABBY: My 9-year-old niece asked her mother what kind of makeup would cover her freckles -- her beautiful freckles that God put on her face, a part of her. It made me want to cry.
She has also been begging her mother to let her dye her brunette hair blond (like a little girl at school does). How can we convince her that she's perfect as she is? -- AUNTIE IN THE SOUTH
DEAR AUNTIE: Start by telling her you think she is beautiful just the way she is, and that some people think freckles are angels' kisses and she should be proud of them because not everyone is lucky enough to have them.
As to coloring her hair, say that if she still wants to do it when she's older, her mother will consider it. But once a person starts, it has to be maintained or it looks fake -- as she will notice when her friend's roots start to show. In time she'll realize you are right.