Milestones are for Crap
Every baby is supposed to reach a certain set of developmental goals each month. I'm sure very good research has gone into the creation of these milestones, but in my experience all they do is make sleep-deprived parents insane. For example, G is way ahead of some things (like wanting to bear weight on his legs and laughing) and behind on others (like holding up his head while on his stomach). Some of this surely relates to our own interactions with the kid (I'm more likely to prop him up in a sitting position than put him on his stomach; I spend all day trying to make him laugh; he has a big head that perhaps takes more effort to lift). How do we deal with the milestone issue? By hiding the child development books and banning Google, for two. We're also using the stomach down position (ickily referred to as "tummy time") more often: note Molly and Mimi's legs in the photo.
2 comments:
as you know, i was very committed to the "your baby this week" emails from babycenter throughout the pregnancy; I pored over my pregnancy books so carefully they are now in profound disrepair. BUT I AM DONE! DONE! with child development. it sucks. it is unhelpful.
and thus, I found your post very validating, because i'd been worried that I was just sulking in a corner by myself, but now i realize that all that child-development crap is just a big conspiracy TO MAKE US CRAZY.
Yes, they are for crap. Laney is nearly 9 months old. Just 2 weeks ago she figured out how to role from her stomach to her back. Now she's quite proficient at it and starting to crawl...backwards. If Millie had taken that long to figure out that particular rolling milestone I'm sure I would have scheduled an appointment with our pediatrician. I guess in some ways I really am more relaxed with my second baby.
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