11 Signs I'm Raising A Proper Nerd

My 7-year-old son is a proud nerd. I know nerd culture is very in vogue, but I would like to think that even if he lived in a less nerd-friendly time, he’d still be as unabashedly into all things nerdy. Here are 11 examples of his exquisite nerdiness:

1. He will correct anyone and everyone who refers to the monster as “Frankenstein.” Frankenstein is the doctor! The green guy with the bolts is Frankenstein’s monster!

2. He recently uttered these words to his friend’s dad: “I’m not very good at sports, except archery.”

3. He often pairs a tie and Newsies hat with one of his many comic book character T-shirts. (He only has comic book character T-shirts.)

4. Far from being discouraged by his diminutive stature, he bragged that he’s the only one in his class small enough to be a hobbit.

5. “If they do make an Aquaman movie, it better be executed properly.”

6. He named the stray neighborhood cat “Crookshanks,” after Hermione’s cat in Harry Potter.

7. The only time he’s shown any sign of sadness while watching a TV show was when his favorite contestant on The Quest, a reality show inspired by The Lord of the Rings, lost. He teared up. I looked at him. He defensively responded, “I’m not crying!” Okay, nerd.

8. He has written a rap that rhymes “Pekingese” with “allergies.”

9. After watching Young Frankenstein (again “Frankenstein” refers to the doctor!), he raised his hand in class à la Inspector Kemp. He said no one noticed, but it was still an act of comedic triumph.

10. He did impressions for his school’s talent show. They included Captain Kirk and the local weatherman. They sounded nearly identical.

11. We just finished sketching designs for his Riddler Halloween costume. It’s June.