Don't Sweat It

People like to believe in the lowest denominator.  I realized this after eating more than fifty rocket suckers within two days.  My salivary glands began to puff up, I thought for sure the next morning I would be dealing with a case of mumps, rather it was over use of the sour taste buds, which made my tongue raw, and glands puff in response.  I also realized this after I experienced some ridiculous gossip, which I will address in my next post, The Lowest Common Denominator And Adults. LOL Is it the internet, is it because now media wants us to believe that everything is a worst case scenario?  Do we worry because there are now labels like ADHD, ADD, varying degrees of autism, if our kids are not compliant in school? Thirty years ago, parents didn't use these labels.  There were no labels to define behaviours or they just weren't popularized.  We would just say "boys will be boys" , or "nice girls act that way", and that made everything okay.  Teachers were comfortable with kids who were more active or inactive (think my brother attached to his stroller at the age of six).  Now, it seems that there is a carbon cutout ideal for elementary school kids, preschoolers, and even adults. Our kids are expected to be able to absorb everything around them.  They have a huge amount of "things" that divert attention, I Pods, Playstations, Facecrack, television, to name a few.  We didn't have that growing up, we did have Saturday morning cartoons, and about an hour of Scooby Doo after school (if we were really young, that bear named Jeremy, or if we were really lucky, the Littlest Hobo). Only the rich kids at the end of the street had an Atari system.  Oooooh.Our parents did not schedule us normally.  Now, kids seem to have much more on their plate, hockey, horseback riding, playgroups, bowling, and trying to be the "perfect" kid. Einstein didn't talk until the age of three (or so the myth goes, and it is debatable), here's one take  ( http://physics.about.com/od/alberteinstein/p/einsteinpro.htm  and another http://dyslexia.learninginfo.org/einstein.htm ) by the time a child hits the eight year old mark, they pretty much know how to learn.  Unfortunately, parents are pressured to hit benchmarks that are possibly to early.  Edit here is a fantastic link (with other links that I will check out later :http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/What_is_Gifted/2echildren.htm . The Lowest Common Denominator also ensues competition between parents which is extremely detrimental, and will most definitely at one time or another, blow up in their faces.  Many parents love to hear about the child who isn't speaking French by age four, but they do not like to hear about the amazing invention that another four year old made using a crystal radio and a wad of gum. In a conversation the other day, a question arose, should X be toilet trained by the age of two. Now, I am by no means a parenting expert, but, my response was, at Grade 8 graduation, there are no children in diapers, don't rush it, it will come on it's own time.  Like everything else, including speaking.  I remember having to learn how to pronounce my L's and R's in a speech therapists room (actually, I am pretty sure it was just a teacher reading from a book).  I was approximately eight years old. I think parents worry way too much. Parents are fast tracking their children, much like themselves.  Unless there is something desperately wrong, don't sweat it.  Your kid will fling their diapers when they are ready, not when you or your mother in law are ready.  Your child will enunciate when she wants to.  Sure, take time with the kids to help them with their L's and R's, but also be aware that kids compartmentalize.  They may be mechanical and focus all their attention at a certain age by building with Lego and don't care if they are two years old and not commenting on current events, or the upheaval in Libya.  Or you could have a child that is three, and is commenting on the possible Air Canada strike, but refusing to listen. Just wait it out and consider the fact that their peers become a great leveler with social behaviour.  But also realize that trying to keep up with the neighbours and after school activities might be tiring your kids out.  Also realize that our world that we live in is changing exponentially, and that now kindergarten kids are carrying cell phones.   The old "normal" may not be what it was when we were kids or even when our kids were young.  The responsibilities that are placed on kids are enormous, and could we have handled it twenty or thirty years ago if the gods just dumped all the electronics and television shows on our laps at the ripe old age of two, I think not.