In Their Own Time

Accomplishing Milestones In Their Own Time

As a baby in the NICU, it seemed to take our son forever to learn to eat. After seven weeks in the hospital, we were beyond anxious to bring him home. But the nurses simply smiled and said that he wasn’t ready. “He just isn’t strong enough yet.”

And then one day he yanked out his nose tube and decided to bottle feed. They sent him home a day later.

He does things in his own time.

He was fifteen months and wasn’t even crawling yet. He’d just sit there. And then one day, while making dinner, I looked over to see him nonchalantly walking down the hallway by himself. As if he’d been walking for ages.

He does things in his own time.

A couple of years ago, he decided that he hated swimming. He had a bad experience with an instructor at the pool and refused to swim with anyone. He was terrified of the water. And then, one day last summer, he hopped in his lifejacket and confidently set off paddling around the lake.

He does things in his own time.

I no longer worry about my kids being “on track.”

We all have strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes, we have to do things in our own time.

We work on what needs to be worked on but we’ll take the milestones as they come. Whenever they come. If they come. Encouraging and loving and modelling and waiting. Because with the right support, they’ll figure out the important stuff.

In their own timing.
In their own way.
No matter if it looks like anyone else.

And when they hit their personal milestones, we’ll be there. Forever cheering them on.

Because we all learn at our own pace. And those hard-fought-for triumphs? Well, they just make life all the sweeter.

**Post originally appeared on the MrsMannegren Instagram page.**