My second (almost simultaneous) reaction: If she can do it, let's see if Bailey can spell her name. Bailey is 2, she should be able to do it! And as I asked Bailey to spell her name, I knew that she wouldn't be able to because we hadn't practiced it with her yet.
That initial reaction is how I want to react when I see other kids (or parent's posting) doing new things; joyful for them and seeing the beauty in their individual talent. I don't want my mind to immediately take stock of Bailey's (and my) abilities and compare them!
Often when seeing a child about the same age as Bailey, I watch them and end up being critical of myself because Bailey does things differently, or hasn't learned a certain skill yet. Nope, she's not potty trained yet, we're working on a timetable that works for us. Yes, Bailey watches TV, we all need a little break during the day. No, I don't only give Bailey organic food that I've made myself, we all enjoy the occasional fast food burger. Yes, she goes to daycare once a week, it benefits all of us.
And while these are some things we do, or don't do, I'm not going to judge you if your lives are the complete opposite of ours.
It is a challenge raising kids. There is so much information out there on the "best" way to raise them and with blogs, social media, technology we are inundated with advice {and often negativity} in the Mommy community. I think the majority of us want our kids to grow up to be happy, responsible, productive members of society and we need to remember that our kids are all making their way to adulthood at their own pace {no matter how much we prod and push, cajole and coax}.
This is my challenge to you: Let them be little, make your initial reaction when seeing a child {or parent} do something...be supportive. Not competitive. Don't beat yourself up over something that doesn't matter in the big scheme of things. Enjoy the little moments with your little one as we all know they won't be little for long.
Sit on the floor and play with your kids. Cuddle on the couch and watch a movie {Shrek is the favorite in our house right now}. Ask your kids what they want to do, and go do it. Let the dishes remain in the sink a few more hours.
Being a parent is challenging enough without comparing ourselves to others. Let's challenge each other to see the beauty in different abilities and talents and let's embrace individually!
1 comment:
What a great reminder! I have to stop myself from comparing the boys to other kids their ages and from each other. Every child grows and develops differently. We aren't robots!
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