Wow, does your child do that already?

It is amazing how we compare ourselves to others in life. It seems that it’s human nature to want to know how we’re faring on life’s journey vis-à-vis our peers. It’s important though that we take cognizance of the fact that everyone’s journey is different and that while we might arrive at certain checkpoints ahead of others – that’s no indication of how well we are doing in life. This also applies to our babies and our children. I remember the almost obsessive fascination I developed with all the weigh-ins at the clinic during our son’s first few weeks on the planet. It was as if every gram he gained was a direct reflection of my ability to be a good mother (with sufficient quantities of nourishing milk!). I would peek over at other babies’ charts to see if my son’s growth trajectory was on par with theirs (and honestly, I’d hope that he was outperforming them – after all – it sounds cooler to say that your child’s in the 75th percentile than in the 25th percentile!).

In hindsight, I can clearly see how silly I was. When it comes to children, despite the fact that there are numerous books available purporting to be the ultimate guide to them, they tend to follow their own agenda 😉

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When it comes to developmental milestones, we need to accept that while your child might learn to clap a bit earlier than your friend’s, it is not an exact guarantee that he’ll become a member of the One Direction of the year 2032 😉 We need to make sure that we provide a fun, loving environment in which they can grow and learn and discover the world around them at a pace that they enjoy. There are many toys on the market and so much literature on which toys they should be playing with at which age and how. I found the program quite helpful in terms of age-appropriate toys and the accompanying book, which was developed by a panel of child development experts also proved quite a useful reference, which is why I’d like to give away a one-year membership to this program worth R1700. Every 2 months, you’ll receive a toy and play guidelines. The first parcel also comes with a fantastic book with developmental milestone indicators that I also found very insightful and practical. The little back pack it comes with is also quite special – I’ve found it quite useful as a nappy bag for little outings while I wait for my son to be big enough to carry around his own goodies in it 😉 To win, simply share your comments below and I might be sending you an e-mail in the next few weeks to get your details to get your subscription to going. It’s also available in Afrikaans as .

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Modern Mommy Written by:

6 Comments

  1. Truida
    Mon, 01 December 2014
    Reply

    Hi Jo-Ann, love your new blog. I am a new mommy-to-be and hope our little girl hurries up as I cannot wait to meet her within a few days. Educational toys are so important especially because there is such a lot of junk on the market. I will definitely check out the link. Keep on posting! Xx

  2. Roxanne
    Mon, 01 December 2014
    Reply

    Great post its so true, that we as humans compare ourselves to each on a daily basis. This is how we strive to do better and grow. However, we should know when to stop cause there is always some1 better of then you or some1 worse of.

    I read to my 3month old baby daily and also let her listen to classical music.

    As a mother i just want to strive to give her the best.
    I dont know any mom who wouldnt want to.
    Please may i win this prize?

  3. Lynn
    Mon, 01 December 2014
    Reply

    Hi Jo-ann, you’re spot on. I struggled with breastfeeding during those first few weeks, and did the exact same week at every weigh-in. Thankfully I soon realised that this was our unique journey. Sometimes I do find myself comparing my son’s progress to others, but then I have to remind myself, that he is healthy, will develop and reach his milestones when he is ready. Having said this, the extra bit we can do as parents using resources available to us will definitely help!

  4. Victoria
    Tue, 02 December 2014
    Reply

    My little son is 3 months will be 4 months soon his currently the sweetest baby boy . His at that stage where his eyes follows me in the room , he likes it when I sing for him at bath time and plays with his little rattle when he holds onto it ..but eventually ends up in his mouth .. This prize will just assist in the process of growing and learning, glad I read this post as I was not familiar with such a way of learning for babies so I geuss in this way I’ve learnt something new also , thanks

  5. Anna
    Mon, 08 December 2014
    Reply

    Oh my goodness! I felt as if I was reading our story! We are now almost 5 weeks old and I hate that silly scale! We are in the 25th percentile club and kills me!!!!!!!! I am a therapist but every little bit helps because all training goes out the proverbial window as it does!

    Loving your adventures- thanks for sharing!

  6. Andrea
    Mon, 15 December 2014
    Reply

    I recently found out I am expecting (first time mom to be) and I absolutely love the posts. I have no idea what to expect and heaven knows if we are equipped to take care of an amazing little human, but its comforting to see not everyone gets everything right from day one. We learn and adapt all the time. While the little one grows I will continue to follow your posts, hopefully I will have amazing adventures to share too (:

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