The Little Tikes Blog
Self Imposed Competition
As moms, we tend to be our hardest critics. We often impose unrealistic expectations on ourselves as well as our children. Whether it’s because we genuinely want the best for our children or for our children to be the best, I’m not quite sure. Perhaps it’s a bit of both.
I remember carrying Milo up and down steps and assigning a number to each step in order to work on counting. This may sound familiar to many of you as something that you may have done with your children, but how many of you did this when your child was only 8 weeks old? Milo could not even sit up and I was trying to teach him how to count so that he would be ahead of the game.
From my experience, competition tends to be self-imposed. Yes, I have come across quite a few moms who ask me when my children started crawling, walking, talking, potty training, reciting the alphabet, etc. However, I’m also guilty of asking other moms the same questions. I’m even guilty of comparing my children to one another. After raising four children, I now feel confident in saying that every child is different and each one will accomplish these milestones when he or she is ready. We have to remind ourselves that it’s not about when we’re ready, but when they’re ready.
My best advice is to enjoy your children - they grow up so fast. Try not to put undo stress on yourself or on them. Undoubtedly what may work for one child, may not work for the other. Trust me…they will walk, they will talk and yes, they will even learn how to use the potty.
