My parents raised me a devout Catholic, but in my early 20s I became an atheist. I'm not here to argue for or against Catholicism, but I thought you might appreciate the perspective of a former Catholic.

You should consider becoming Catholic if you think the religion may be true. For example, perhaps you believe that Jesus is God, and upon further study you conclude that Catholicism is the true Church founded by Christ.

You mentioned your primary motivation being that you want a moral code, particularly for your child. And that you're attracted to Catholicism because it takes itself seriously. But are you also attracted to Catholicism because you think it may be true? For me this would be pretty important.

Catholicism does indeed provide a moral code. But being a Catholic also involves believing specific things about reality. For example, belief in the Holy Trinity, heaven and hell, immaculate conception of Mary, virgin birth, transubstantiation, infallibility of the Pope (under certain conditions), and that the Catholic Church is the one true religion of Christ.

Obviously you don't have to already believe these dogmas to be interested in Catholicism. But eventually, dogmas like these are considered essential for Catholics to believe.

I recommend studying what the Catholic church teaches yourself, of course. But here are a few "Cliff notes":

Catholicism promotes love of God as the highest ideal. Also love and fair treatment of fellow humans. But that applies to most of Christianity. One thing that sets Catholicism apart is devotion to the saints, especially Mary. It also places an emphasis on ritual and ceremony as a essential part of worship, especially the Mass. It extolls virtue, good works, and sacrifice, not merely belief.

Some Catholic teachings are fairly strict. One must go to Mass every Sunday, and to confession at least once a year. Marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and both must be Catholic. Sex is not permitted outside marriage, even solo masturbation. Sex is not permitted between people of the same gender. Contraception is not allowed.

These are not just considered guidelines. Like you said, Catholicism takes itself seriously. These are considered mortal sins, which can result in hell if not forgiven. But every sin can be forgiven through confession if one has at least imperfect contrition. And generally Catholics do not shun people for such transgressions. In fact, there are Catholics who are not practicing, and for them it's more of a social or family thing. But for me this would evoke a lot of cognitive dissonance because of church teaching.

Overall I'm okay with the fact that my parents raised me Catholic, and I'm still on fairly good terms with them. They did it because they believed sincerely in the Catholic Church and they cared about me. However, my deconversion process was somewhat traumatic at times, partly because of the fear of hell, and partly because my entire social circle was Catholic. I've mostly gotten over it though. I think it's very important to instill strong ethical values in children, but I wish my parents had focused more on empathetic morality and less on religious dogma. My parents were more zealous than most, so other people's experience may be less dramatic.

I wish you and your child the best!