Saturday 3 September 2005

anything you can do, i can do better


I sense a theme here. When I was pregnant, the month-by-month lists of what you "should" be experiencing used to make me mental. My pregnancy, like everyone else's, never went by the book. What is the point of causing panic in pregnant ladies around the world by inferring that there's a need to worry if you're not experiencing a particular pregnancy symptom? This continues to plague me through the form of the "your baby this month" emails I get from Pampers and Babycentre. (I know I could simply unsubscribe but there are actually some useful articles in those emails and I would have nothing to complain about.) Apparently by month 6, Jack should be pulling himself up to a standing position by himself, sitting up unaided, and writing short pieces for the cello.

The problem is, I can't help but compare his progress to other babies. Not in a negative way mind you - I don't freak out because Jack has no teeth yet or because he hasn't got the hang of finger foods - but a small part of my brain does register what other babies his age are up to and compares them to Jack. A very, very tiny part of me might feel slightly smug if Jack does something earlier than another baby. I suspect this is normal for most mothers and probably continues for the rest of your child's life. I mean, who doesn't brag about their kid in some way? And who doesn't feel a bit put off hearing someone brag about their kid?

Let me say this again: this is very likely why I should never attend mother/baby groups.

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