THE RAMBLING OF A SPIRITED 7 YEAR OLD (who thinks he’s on The Truman Show but if The Truman Show aired on YouTube and was about Minecraft….)
A billion parenting books with all of the milestones laid out. You can sign up for e-mails that update you too. In the early days there’s a constant concern that your baby will be behind. And it’s not about the kid. You know that. The truth is, it’s about you. The dreaded and ever present question in the back of every parent’s head “am I fucking this up?”.
You aren’t. I’m telling you right now that if you’re doing your best, you’re well on your way to do a halfway decent job. I know, I know, but it’s true. You do, actually, got this!
Here’s the thing they don’t explain well enough though, all kids are different and every time they learn something new they focus on that for a bit and ignore the rest. I was SO worried about O not talking. It felt like he was so behind. Why could other 15 month olds say all of these words when he wasn’t. Why does this stupid book say he should know 85 words, 3 sentences, 2 poems, and a soliloquy, when he only knows like 8 words and a handful of baby signs? Sometimes there is a concern. Sometimes there is a bigger reason. Sometimes…they don’t care. Yup, I said it. He did not care. He knew the words he needed to get what he wanted. Yes, no no no, soodit (soother), malk (milk), mama, dada, the baby signs for more, please, milk, bite, and drink. So he focused on other things. He could run, jump, and climb like a champ. He was a pro at his excercise ball work to help his torticollis. He was an excellent dance partier. He had good fine motor skills. He was working his tiny butt off on other things.
One day he said car. That was his word of the day for like a month. Car car car car, vroom vroom vroom. Car Lightna. Lightning. Lightning McQueen……now he’s 7 and I can’t get him to shut up!
My point here is that not every Milestone fits on the calendar in your parenting book. Sometimes they’re in the next chapter. Sometimes in the follow up book. Sometimes, just sometimes, they’re scribbled in the margins.
xxo
C
When O and E were petite.
BeadsBobblesButtons 