(no subject)
Many of my friends are having babies.
I'm not naturally a baby lover so it takes something more than the presence of a small human to cause me to coo. Show me a cat, on the other hand, and I'm all over it.
If a child is a cute baby who is smiley and responsive, then I have no problems cooing away with gay abandon.
If the baby is the sort who is cross-eyed, drools, has no tongue control and looks goofy or permanently startled, then I have trouble feigning enthusiasm. (<-- I met such a baby!) I feel bad for being superficial - heck I was a fat stupid looking baby myself.
However I find that if you miss a beat and fail to immediately share in the unadulterated joy of a new parent, then you may as well have openly insulted the parent. When introduced to a new baby, raising your eyebrows in surprise/horror with or without a sharp intake of breath is not a good reaction, no matter how the baby in question looks.
I once casually mentioned to a proud mom that her son's crossed-eyes could be corrected with therapy. I don't actually know this. I was trying to sound hopeful. She answered, "oh he doesn't need that. He's only the slightest bit cross eyed, he'll grow out of it."
Did I say, "Dude his eyes are IN his nose bridge. I can't tell where he's looking."?
I did not.
I just said, "Ah yes. These babies keep on changing. His face will change, of course."
If and when I pop sprogs, I expect my friends to be honest. If, in order to save them from a lifetime of teasing and abuse, I have to cause my kids to wire their jaws, go for tongue therapy or, if all else fails, wear sunglasses from an early age, I will.
I'm not naturally a baby lover so it takes something more than the presence of a small human to cause me to coo. Show me a cat, on the other hand, and I'm all over it.
If a child is a cute baby who is smiley and responsive, then I have no problems cooing away with gay abandon.
If the baby is the sort who is cross-eyed, drools, has no tongue control and looks goofy or permanently startled, then I have trouble feigning enthusiasm. (<-- I met such a baby!) I feel bad for being superficial - heck I was a fat stupid looking baby myself.
However I find that if you miss a beat and fail to immediately share in the unadulterated joy of a new parent, then you may as well have openly insulted the parent. When introduced to a new baby, raising your eyebrows in surprise/horror with or without a sharp intake of breath is not a good reaction, no matter how the baby in question looks.
I once casually mentioned to a proud mom that her son's crossed-eyes could be corrected with therapy. I don't actually know this. I was trying to sound hopeful. She answered, "oh he doesn't need that. He's only the slightest bit cross eyed, he'll grow out of it."
Did I say, "Dude his eyes are IN his nose bridge. I can't tell where he's looking."?
I did not.
I just said, "Ah yes. These babies keep on changing. His face will change, of course."
If and when I pop sprogs, I expect my friends to be honest. If, in order to save them from a lifetime of teasing and abuse, I have to cause my kids to wire their jaws, go for tongue therapy or, if all else fails, wear sunglasses from an early age, I will.