When my daughter was a baby, everyone raved about her cuteness.

“You should make her a baby model,” they’d say. “She’s just too cute!”

Granted, most babies are cute, but after one too many strangers approached me, I decided to give it a try.

I found a reputable baby agency to represent Quinn in these adventures and was excited when we got word of a casting call.

Once we got there, however, my excitement quickly fizzled.

How would they choose among all of these cute babies, I wondered. Of course I believed Quinn was cutest – I’m her mom – but realistically the kids were all really cute.

As we sat there in front of the hiring staff, with a white board bearing Quinn’s name, age and assigned number, I felt pretty sick about the whole thing. Once her little hand lifted to help grasp the sign while she raised her head to look at me for approval, I knew that would be our last casting call.

My daughter didn’t need to learn about the modeling industry so soon. Rather than shuttling her to casting calls in Culver City, I chose instead to take her on regular visits to the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld and literary adventures.

It’s too bad Dina Lohan didn’t do the same thing.

Lindsay Lohan, Dina’s daughter, is perhaps Hollywood’s hottest mess. In and out of court, Lindsay can’t seem to stay straight.

Reports of her crashing parties only lend more credence to how far her star has fallen. She’s lost numerous roles – including one as porn actor Linda Lovelace – and has stripped down naked for Playboy for a million bucks. And, adding insult to injury, the shoot allegedly had to be re-shot when magazine executives decided they wanted to go in a different direction.

Meanwhile, Lindsay’s mom, Dina, is only too eager to defend her daughter’s nude shots as “tasteful.” Dear old mom has “supported” her daughter through her many trials and tribulations.

All the while, Dina collects a paycheck on Lindsay, whether it’s actual money or entrance into exclusive locales.

Never mind her daughter is a pale shadow of the beautifully healthy redhead she once was.  Shucks, even Lindsay’s teeth are in the news, as her rehabilitated chompers seemed to be in as much decay as her reputation.

Perhaps it’s far too late for Dina to intervene. First, it seems as though Dina doesn’t think proactivity is required with her kids. Second, at this point, Lindsay may not take too kindly to a mom who is suddenly present without her hand out.

It is just too bad Dina wasn’t as smart as the parents of Ella and Jaden Hiller.

Ella and Jaden are the twins who originally portrayed baby Lily on “Modern Family” – the part has since been taken over by Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, who seems to enjoy the camera’s attention much more than the twins ever did.

Ella and Jaden never seemed happy to be part of the “Modern Family” cast. After a few episodes they appeared to have three facial expressions: bored, irritable and indifferent.

Their mom, Michelle Hiller, told People magazine that the girls “just wanted to be kids.”

“Ella and Jaden are enjoying new toddler adventures in swimming, dance, gymnastics, and rock climbing," says Michelle. "They are happy with the freedom of being 3 [years old]!”

As evidenced by a recent YouTube video of the now-happy twins, mother knows best.

And while there’s an argument that young adult Lindsay made her own decisions, whereas the twins are young children, there’s also the very real truth that Dina could have done something sooner to have helped her daughter at least try and overcome her demons.

Moreover, it’s not as though Dina hasn’t been by Lindsay’s side the whole time, accompanying her down her self-destructive path.

As a “Mean Girls” fan, I hope Lindsay proves us wrong and pulls a Robert Downey Jr.-style comeback.

But it would be even better to see Dina release a book about mistakes she’s made in an effort to prevent other similar mother-child catastrophes rather than a tell-all on a sadly damaged daughter for whose creation she shares the responsibility.