Be Careful What You Wish For—You Might Just Get It

New parents are always anticipating their baby’s milestones—first steps, first words, when they can get around for themselves. I say be careful what you wish for because you might just get it and it may not be all you thought.

Let me explain. I could not wait to see Mouse take her first steps. I was in shock that she was only 8 months when she took the first tentative ones. By 9 months she was almost agile. By 10 months I was already chasing her. At 17 months she is beating me down.

My friends were a bit anxious because their 2 year old was not too verbal. He was very physically active and could understand them but just did not talk or repeat too much. A preschool was also so concerned that they sent home a progress report that caused some heartache and concern that perhaps their child was not developing properly. I did not see any problems; this little boy could sign and from infancy seemed quite wise. I do believe he will be a music savant too.

Sure enough, when he did start talking it was like a flood. He was more the observer and it seemed he was determined to talk on his timetable not ours. Now, he repeats everything so we have to watch what we say. He can mimic musical notes as soon as he hears them and he has no problems with language whatsoever. It is kind of scary to hear your adult conversation out of a 3 year olds mouth so being cautious is now necessary.

There are milestones that pediatricians look for—first roll over, first steps, teeth, standing etc. It is exciting to watch your child grow and learn but we should not get too anxious if they do not “talk” when Johnny does, or roll over like little Patty. I mean McKenna had 4 teeth for over 8 months yet all the other babies her age had a mouthful. Now, she is catching up and there are no problems.                                                                                            

We want our children to be “normal” and for me, that word is a misnomer (a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation).  Normal is a means, not the end. It is a gauge but it is not absolute. Unless you see serious deficits, and they are usually quite obvious (like cannot stand at a year or cannot hold their head up when they are 10 months which may indicate a physical problem) a child grows and learns at their own pace.                          

I have taken care of babies for over 40 years and there is no definite. Some babies learn to walk early but take longer to become verbal. Or others speak very early and are not walking at 13 months. All babies differ.                               

It is when we are in a rush that we discover we may miss out on the smaller moments. I was not really in a hurry for McKenna to walk but I was thrilled when she started so young. She was not much of a crawler she was more of a pusher so I knew she would walk young. She would take the smallest item and push it along the floor and use her legs to semi-walk.

But let me tell you, watching a 14 pound baby walk looked odd to me. She was so tiny and walking all over and now there was no getting to be comfortable that she would stay in a confined place just crawling. Now, at 17 months I am lucky to keep up with her for an hour or so, and then I am exhausted. I long for the days where I could put her in a walker or bumpo but those days were short-lived and so was my relaxation.

Some kids learn to talk young. I met a 2 year old who knew the names of Disney characters and could carry on 3 word conversations already. I was amazed and I also knew there was no whispering or trying to get anything past this little boy, he was already too sharp.

Be careful what you wish for when it comes to babies because once they have mastered a skill, there is no going back. Yes, we want them to become independent and yes, we want them to grow unobstructed. But once they are “out there” there goes our peace of mind and any chance to rest easy until they are back in bed asleep.

"I have dedicated my life to the care and welfare of children. I feel privileged to share what I have learned with you. I am also committed to continuously learning.  I will keep informed of the latest information in parenting children from newborns to teens and pass it on to all of you.”   I will also use that same passion to help you create a dynasty generate increases in your business with straightforward and specialized media managing skills that guarantee your connection and scope will grow. Keep up to date reading our posts and discover valuable insights that can make parenting and succeeding in the business of the blogger– the most exciting adventure. (Debbie Twomey)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged as: babies, differ, milestones, normal, verbal, walking, wishes