As I peruse facebook on my lunch break I can’t help but compare William to the other kids his age and how he is doing on the “developmental milestone chart.” Before you gasp to loudly, I know this is something we are not told to do, but let’s face it what parent doesn’t do it at least every once and a while?

At any rate, I have a tough time thinking that because William is two and doesn’t know his ABC’s and 123’s that he is not going to succeed in life. Is it wrong that as a parent I feel he is doing everything wonderfully even though it doesn’t match up with the milestones that some scientist feels he should meet?

For example, William doesn’t know his ABC’s but this morning pointed out that the “o’s” on a magazine cover with ovals. I was so proud of him. He is learning his shapes and we have red and yellow colors down (thanks connect four). The more I see on facebook about kids his age saying ABC’s and playing rock paper scissors make me question if what I am doing as a parent is enough. I then take a step back and think, “Amelia, he is happy, he is healthy, he is personable, loving. compassionate, and he is WILLIAM. Enjoy this time with him, soon he will not want anything to do with you. He will be able to say hi letters backwards. He will read his own bedtime stories and cuddling will be a thing of the past.”

Don’t get me wrong I think that you should work on all of these things with your kids as the time comes, but for now, I will let him be little, call “o’s” ovals, play connect four with no intention of connecting four and cuddle him until he falls asleep, because in a few years I will no longer be able to kiss the pain away, solve the “hard” life problems for him and let’s face it, will no longer be cool.