Thoughts on Cuteness

It's like this: now that I've blogged obnoxiously about how cute my kid is, cuter than yours, I'll confess that I don't hold much esteem for cuteness as a character trait. It's inherently superficial even as it has the effect of leaving the observer limp with admiration, plus it's loaded with potential for manipulation.

But I'll admit this, my kid is also funny, which is different and way cool. Don't know how, but it is.

So I tend to say, yeah, I know, when somebody points out how cute my girl is, which risks coming off as smug. But I've made a point of learning to not care what people think, so I'll risk it. It's not like I made some genetic contribution to the cuteness or that I've been the Cuteness Coach over here.

Besides, I'm convinced that parents take way too much credit for what really amounts to their kids' essential nature. Some parents act like they get all the credit for how talented or charming their kids are but, seriously, we're like the manager of the basketball team: bring water and towels, cheer on the sidelines.

But the team metaphor has its limits, too, since we parents also seem to spend a lot of time waving around the rulebook.