Baby contests

So recently a new mom to be I kind of know sent me a link saying "vote for my baby" and it was this cutest baby contest on a parenting website.

Now really.. This is just taking the my baby is better than your baby thing a bit too far.

I mean there were contests for babies from 0 to 1 year from 1 to 2 years and from 2 onwards... Something just doesn't seem right. 

And that too from a parenting website... Dont they have some kind of social responsibility? Just to get more hits on their page they are encouraging parents to make such little kids compete against each other? And based on what? Not intelligence, general knowledge or talent but on their looks???? 

Really you want your little girl to have a warped perspective of how important her looks are over having knowledge? You want your son to be competitive for something that they haven't earned themselves? 

Why can't these websites arrange for quizzes and puzzles that kids have to solve to win prizes? 

Apart from that what about the feeling of defeat that you put your two year old through if they don't win? 

A two year old, hell even a one year old today is very sharp, they know when all the people around them are showering them with attention, calling them cute and adorable. Even at that young age they know and understand admiration,attention. 

So when they don't win a stupid contest that everyone in the house is talking about how do you think they are going to feel? 

Do you really want to help them cope with friends saying to them "acha you didn't win that contest for cute babies? You're not so cute then? Ha ha ha" because people say things like that children even more so actually. 

I don't know, maybe I'm a little conventional or old fashioned even but I don't think parading your kids in silly costumes and make up is good for their self esteem... 

Let them be kids... Competition is going to come their way sooner than you think... But you as a parent don't do that to them. Winning some silly contest online against some random stranger doesn't make your child special: he is already special and he is the cutest... 

Just let them be the li'l monkies that they are!