How to avoid the comparison trap with your baby
It’s very tempting to compare your baby to his/her playmates. But there are some strong reasons why we should not.
We put an awful lot of pressure on ourselves as moms. We want to give our babies the ideal entry into the world, we want to fit into our pre-preggie jeans right away, and appear to have it all under control. Most of us also desperately want our babies to be developmentally ahead – or at least - on the curve. It’s natural for us to want the best for our little ones and to want them to be the best so there is comfort in knowing that your child is developing similarly to others.
But, the real measure of your child’s development is how they’re progressing compared to themselves - not anyone else and falling into the trap of comparing can lead to a lot of unnecessary anxiety and worry. And who needs that when we already have so much on our plate?
So, next time you find yourself secretly judging at a playdate, remember that your baby is unique and will develop in his/her own unique way.
In a nutshell, this means that:
- While there is a usual sequence of development, babies of the same age may not be developing the same skills at the same time. Your baby’s developmental spotlight may be focusing on gross motor skills while his friend may be focusing on emotional development so there are sure to be variances when comparing them.
- All babies will develop skills and reach milestones at their own pace, faster in some areas and slower in others. The developing brain picks it’s battles and focuses attention on where the greatest learning potential currently is. So, as your baby is excelling at one (gross motor), she may be a bit slower at another (speech).
Now that you know to avoid the comparison-trap, here’s how Nubabi can help you ensure that you are supporting your baby’s development in a way that is aligned to his / her unique developmental timeline.
