Week 26 (Six Months!) – Cause and Effect

I know that every parent thinks their child is a genius or at the very least above average, but like all those children on Lake Wobegon, mine really is. For a few weeks now Elise has been dropping things from her high chair, or from the couch or from wherever. Now, you may be thinking that her grip is simply too weak or that she is destine to be clumsy. However, if you’ve met her, or have read our blog about the claw, trust me the grip is fine. (and I have the clumps of hair missing to prove it.) I think Ellie is experimenting with gravity. She has this triumphant look of, ‘cool, things fall… hey parents, did you know that?’

Okay, maybe she just likes to make noise, but what really is impressive is that she has learned that when she drops something it goes on the floor. She has learned that if I drop something out of my high chair on the left side, I will lean over and look for it on the left side and vice versa. This is the complicated concept of cause and effect.

As I write this, I realize that this may be another one of those moments where Meredith and I are far more impressed with something then most people would be. I think all parents do this sort of thing though, especially with the first baby. We read into everything. I can’t truly explain the roller-coaster ride that is reading the mayo clinic’s guide to the first year and comparing Ellie’s skills to what a six month old should be doing. For example, it says that by this time your child should be sitting up on their own for five minutes or more. No problem, she’s been doing the sitting thing for weeks now. My baby is so advanced. But it also says that a baby should be eating solid foods pretty regularly. Well, how come getting Ellie to eat cereal has been such a challenge? Is there something wrong with her? With us? Are we forcing it on her? Will she develop an eating disorder?

Honestly, Meredith is the worrier, but I have found that I am so much more protective and worried than I ever thought I would be. It’s so frustrating. The logic is that Ellie will do things in her own time and the books offer a rough guideline, but there is this lingering panic that everything you are doing is stunting your child’s development. So then are we overcompensating? Okay, see, I could go on like this forever. Basically, the gist of it is, you read what you can, you create the environment for Ellie to figure things out and Mother Nature will take care of the rest. Above Average, Average, Genius, it doesn’t really matter. I can’t believe I’ve actually turned into one of those types of parents. But whatever your baby can do, mine can do better. ;-)