Such pressure, so young

When did there become such obvious pressure for babies to meet milestones by certain ages?

A member of my playroom on JustMommies posted a list of milestones infants should reach by 10, 11 & 12 months old - a bulk of these seemed very 'agressive' - things that Gaby (who was/is perfectly normal developmentally) wasn't doing until 2-3 months after those ages.  It really wound me up and made me angry - not the member who had posted it, but the fact that it became so glaringly obvious to me in THAT moment, that there is pressure placed on children from the moment they're born.  I am not meaning pressure from parents - but just general pressure from certain areas of society.

THAT sort of list is what makes first time Moms/Dads (or Moms/Dads in general) worry without real reason - and can cause the Mom/Dad to miss out on a whole lot of amazing moments with their baby, because they're so concerned that something is OBVIOUSLY wrong because they're not running marathons at 14 months. Exaggeration? Yes - just like a whole bunch of the milestones on that list.

Whatever happened to just appreciating your child as they are???? Taking pleasure in the small things, feeling all loved up & enjoying your time as a parent? If you're constantly walking around with a check list, you're missing out on a lot of special moments in your childs life... YES, we need to be aware of what to look out for that may indicate our children aren't developing to a 'normal' schedule - but at the same time, we need to be aware of the fact each child develops individually & to their OWN schedule, and even if a child is 'behind' - they're still dang special... THE CHILD - as a whole - should be what the focus is on, not what they can/can't do.

& now I'm going to go and kiss my child who can't build a tower with 3 blocks & doesn't play chase - and appreciate her for being her own cheeky, adorable, sweet, beautiful little self.

"... and those of you without faith"

Five small words that are making me reflect and feel a little defensive today... 'those of you without faith'.  The words were spoken (often) by a bishop who was speaking at the national memorial service today, for the victims of the February 22nd earthquake.  Obviously being a bishop, she was talking a lot about god & religion in relation to the earthquake mainly why it happened & how people are coping with the aftermath.

Being that I am NOT religious, a lot of what she said didn't apply to me, and I didn't agree with, or believe - but I also understand that EVERYONE has different beliefs, and in times of immense stress & trauma people do tend to embrace their personal beliefs (religious or otherwise), so it didn't bother me.... but her frequent referral to 'those of you without faith' REALLY did get to me.

No - I'm not religious, BUT that does NOT mean that I DON'T have faith.  I do have faith - a LOT of it!  I have faith in myself & my family, faith in humanity & the goodness that lies in [most] everyone.  Just because my faith isn't 'from above' doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, nor does it mean that it isn't as strong as someone elses.

I do know that emotions are all a bit heightened now, and that the bishop didn't mean what she said with any malice, BUT it did strike a chord with me, and it is something I've been thinking about ever since.  Perhaps had she said "those of you without RELIGION"?

At the end of the day, as I see it faith isn't something that is exclusive to those who are religious.