05/24/2026
I say this as a reminder to myself too!
We have been conditioned to see our children as problems to solve, instead of tiny humans in the process of development.
*I’m not talking about the children who genuinely have issues that need addressing because early intervention is important
I’m talking about when we pathologize normal infant sleep, children with separation anxiety, children with impulse control, children who can’t sit still, children who have no interest in learning letters and numbers at 4 years old.
These are not problems to solve. These are children developing normally.
We call babies and children “good” when they sleep through the night early, cry infrequently, seem independent, sit still, and know their letters and numbers early.
And we have variations in temperament.
As someone with a strong-willed, sensitive child, I wish I could go back to the first year of life, 1, 2, 3, and even 4 and say breathe, mama. He will be okay. He’s just in process - he will learn gentleness, kindness, empathy. He might take a little longer than his peers, but just keep focusing on connection. He’ll get there!
If there’s once piece of advice I have for parents of 0-5 years old, it would be trust your child’s development. Don’t compare them to their peers. Unless you know in your gut that something is wrong, trust them to become who they are meant to be! They will get there.
Just a reminder, there’s a difference between your anxiety and your intuition. It’s a very fine line and it will do you well to figure out how to differentiate these two powerful feelings.
