Here's the thing. All babies are cute.
Baby ducks are cute, baby rabbits are cute. Puppies and kittens make YouTube one of the most visited sites on the Internet. And I'm sure baby river otters are about the most adorable things on the planet. My child is cute.
My mother, an artist, and my child
But at what point do we stop telling little boys that they are cute and pretty and keep telling little girls that?
I feel like much of society bases a woman's worth upon her physical beauty. So, while people keep telling my daughter that she's cute, I keep pointing out numbers and letters. I point out plants and animals. I point out her grandmother's art work we have hanging in our house, the photo of her great grandmother in front of the plane she flew as part of the WAC, and photos of her aunts who all have masters degrees. I point out her mother's framed MD degree.
My grandmother, a WWII WAC pilot
I want the world for my daughter. And with her strong, accomplished, and feminist role models, I'm sure she will be able to do anything she likes. She'll end up smart. Which is beautiful.
