So recently at one our 6-12 month parent classes, the facilitator passed out recommended developmental milestones for babies birth to 12 months. She asked all of us to check off where our babes were from birth to 7 months. Could they sit on their own, were they rolling over, were they babbling, blowing bubbles, putting things in their mouths, etc. As I was looking at the check off sheets…I started to think. What if the little guy was one of the babies that wasn't hitting these supposed milestones? How would I feel? Should I have read him more Baby Einstein books and less Dr. Suess? Was I doing something wrong as a mom? And then I stepped back and really thought about all of this. Did it really matter that much? The answer is generally, no. What would it mean if the little senor couldn't do these things…I don't know.
Would he thrive in life if he couldn't roll over? So after class, I called my mom. I asked her if I hit all the "supposed" milestones on time. She replied, I don't know that was over 29 years ago. Why are you asking me? Are you having difficulty rolling over, sitting, sticking things in your mouth??? No, I replied and started to laugh. This is when I realized that it is nice to double check to see if your baby is growing on target but these are general milestones. Some you will hit early and others late but at the end of the day as long as you have a happy , thriving baby thats all that really matters :)
