Today, Maxine took her first real steps.  She is so proud of herself and holds onto her little belly to steady herself.  Hey, whatever works.

Yep, I’m sure you guessed it.  Love Explosions.

Her doctors have been fretting over her resistance to walking for a while.

I have not.

Maxine is almost 19 months.  A few months ago, just before she got the croup, she was taking a single tentative step here and there.  After the hospitalization, she stopped.  Even though I never left her side, she needed the reassurance of closeness to me.  She didn’t want to take risks.  She had to find her way back to that place of security.  I understood that.

I don’t believe in bribing, coaxing, cajoling, or manipulating my children because I think they should be doing something because of some chart or because the neighbor’s kid did it when he/she was XYZ age.  I don’t believe in pushing my girls to do things before they are ready.  That includes weaning.  That includes walking.  That includes sleeping in their own beds.  That includes almost anything.

I say throw the charts out the window.  Relax.  Enjoy your babies.  Seeing those first steps at 19 months is just as sweet as seeing them at 9 months.  Resist the urge to enter your baby in the race to nowhere and live in the moment.  The rat race is always hiring.