For the love of Whomever... How many times do we overhear mothers discussing their kids milestones as though balloons and streamers will go off for whomever has the most impressive account of their kids "achievements"? I'm sorry that this blog is, straight off the bat, pure ranty (hey - give me credit, it's been a while) BUT... tonight at dinner I could hear the ping-ponging of baby-achievements at a table next to me, and it honestly makes me shudder!
How old was Ghandi when he took his first steps as an infant? When did Che Guevara cut his first tooth? Was Martin Luther King rolling over by 4 months? Did Siddartha toilet-train easily? Who bloody knows... and, furthermore, does it really matter? Did it have a staggering impact on what they then went on to achieve?
I know on occasion at mother's groups and playgroup and the like I've pitched in when someone has asked, because you almost feel like you HAVE to speak up... Heavens forbid you don't, else they'll all assume your child hasn't reached that milestone, or *gulp* that they hit it "late"... so of course when people have discussed it, I've discussed it too. With Tyler, he hit all his milestones really early, which would result in a "Wow!" (followed by that sideways look of "well, now you're just bragging!"... FML I'm only even saying it because if I don't you'll judge me worse than if I DO!) and with Maya she's been pretty much bang on average (which you then get the "Oh... that's late compared to your son then!") We cannot win... noone can!
Of course we "cannot win"... Because it's not a competition! These are babies. Unless there's something seriously wrong, it really doesn't matter... and even if there IS something seriously wrong, it's not like you're going to love them any less.
Furthermore - people whogo into detail about how "excelled" your child is and how you think he might be "gifted" and are planning to start "extending him" - oh come ON! Get real. You're child is like, what, 8 weeks old? Let babies be babies. Not trophies. They're divine little creatures needing only their basic needs met, and an excess of your heart...
Rant over. Night peeps and peace out :)
The world will always contain people who are more successful, and those who are less successful, than you and me. All of that is completely irrelevant to our lives.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Wholeheartedly. But when it comes to normal stages of growth and development, or fundamental motor skills, I don't think they should be viewed as competitive... It's the application of applying said skills once developed that creates a grounds for competition ;)
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