A nice article about why not to worry if your child isn't reaching a milestone: in
Avoiding New Mom Comparison Traps Evonne Lack writes that new moms especially are constantly wondering what's normal and what's not. But, just so your child reaches milestones within the normal range, how relatively early or late he reaches them has no bearing on how he'll measure up later.
"So if your 18-month-old says only one or two words compared to your same-age nephew's dozen," writes Lack,"it doesn't mean your child won't eventually gab your ears off.
I think it always helps to remember that Einstein didn't really talk until he was three.
But at the same time, worrying is natural. As Lack cites from our interview, "We're hardwired to push our kids to compete. After all, our ancestors' children had to be strong enough to get that last piece of meat or outrun that dangerous animal.
"It's also natural to want our kids to acquire skills, so we compare for reassurance."
Avoiding New Mom Comparison Traps Evonne Lack writes that new moms especially are constantly wondering what's normal and what's not. But, just so your child reaches milestones within the normal range, how relatively early or late he reaches them has no bearing on how he'll measure up later.
"So if your 18-month-old says only one or two words compared to your same-age nephew's dozen," writes Lack,"it doesn't mean your child won't eventually gab your ears off.
I think it always helps to remember that Einstein didn't really talk until he was three.
But at the same time, worrying is natural. As Lack cites from our interview, "We're hardwired to push our kids to compete. After all, our ancestors' children had to be strong enough to get that last piece of meat or outrun that dangerous animal.
"It's also natural to want our kids to acquire skills, so we compare for reassurance."