Parenting Sites 411

So Amy found out that her boy is a little speech delayed.  I think the doctors are just playing it safe.  Consider this:  the child is not even two years old yet.  I understand you want to catch problems early, while they’re easy to work with.  I can respect that.  But doesn’t it seem like everyone is a little uptight these days about when kids are supposed to be catching these milestones?  If your child isn’t walking by 1 year, well, maybe they’re developmentally delayed?  If they’re not speaking in sentences by 2 years, they’re speech delayed?  What about the child who is three and is not potty trained yet?  No child should drink a bottle past the age of 18 months or the earth will cease to orbit the earth!  Well, that one I sort of agree with.  But there definitely wasn’t that great of attention spent on that particular issue when my oldest son was a baby.  None of these issues were that prevalent when Harry was a baby.

Now, I think a lot of parents are constantly worried and upset about where their children are at developmentally and where they should be and why they aren’t quite there.  I do think that everyone should just relax a little bit.  While there are milestones and guidelines for a very good reason, each child develops at their own rate.  A child that walks at 17 months can be perfectly normal.  Same with a child that doesn’t speak much at all until he is 3.  And what about the kid that doesn’t potty train until he is 4?  A-ok.  How do I know?  That was my son.  And he is currently in the second grade and one of the smartest children in his class (according to his teacher).  He reads at a fifth grade level and is otherwise no different than any of his peers.

Yes, we should be conscious of our children’s development.  But if a child is 21 months old and isn’t rolling out the vocabulary quite yet, I think that’s perfectly normal.

I’m sure most of you out there in the land of parenting blogs have come across Amy at one time or another.  She is no stranger to mommy blogger and daddy blogger alike.  Considering her popularity and visibility, it’s easy to forget that she’s a parent just like the rest of us and sometimes she doesn’t have all the answers.  Shoot, when do any of us have all the answers?  Today, she (rather tentatively) posted about a concern she has about her darling boy Noah.  Noah is 21 months old (where does the time go) and he’s not saying much.  Sure, he says ABALL! and ABEER! (and Amy has video proof!) but he’s not saying much else.  Her doctor wants to play it safe and have him come in for some speech delay testing.  Of course, this is just routine and “just in case”, but it’s hard not to worry and fret when you’re a mom and this is your little baby.  Chances are, nothing at all is wrong with Noah.  My oldest boy, Harry, didn’t talk until he was 3 years old (and didn’t walk until 17 months!) and he’s just fine. One of the smartest kids in his class, in fact.  Some kids just do things in their own time and on their own schedule and that’s definitely what this sounds like.

This is a sensitive subject for parents.  No parent likes to think their child might be behind or that they’ve somehow done “something wrong” in raising their baby.  It’s easy to feel a little defensive and a lot worried when something like this comes up.  But it comes up and actually quite often.  It helps to know there are others out there who are going or who have gone through what you’re going through.  If just so you can see that it is possible to make it to the other side!  Best of luck to Amy and Noah.