Parenthood - the new competitive sport

It's a primary topic of conversation among parents. It doesn't matter - old or new parents - it's all the same. Typically it starts of with "Has your kid done x, y, z?"

To which you either proudly reply "He was doing x at 2 months, y at 3 months and z at 3 1/2."

"Yeah, mine was doing it all at 2 months."

Hmmm. So as if childhood wasn't stressful enough, we are going to have to force our children to compete before most of them can even say the word? Let's face it folks, kids do their own things in their own time. There is a wide range of normal behavior, and even if a baby doesn't meet one milestone, it doesn't mean that he or she is suffering from a developmental delay. Delays are only diagnosed when a child is CONSISTENTLY behind in several different areas. And just because they may be behind doesn't mean that they won't catch up either.

So take it from someone who is a pro at driving herself crazy. Let it go. If something were wrong with your little one, your gut would tell you. Otherwise, don't try to force them to grow up faster than they already will. These months are precious, and you can't get them back once they are gone.