What's in an age- Random Thoughts of the day

Throughout the last 2 years of motherhood I have learned a lot, some of it is useful & some not so useful. There is so much to remember, so many "rules" so many "guidelines" and way too many "suggestions". And all of these things vary depending on where you live & who your doctor is, etc. As time passes I realized that some of the "rules" are more of "guidelines". Such as when to offer a sippy cup when do start your child on solids or even when to turn their car seat around.

There are set ages for all of these things, but I personally think that the age is more of a guideline. I mean, does something magical happen over night that makes them safe in all of these situations? I know that most of these "rules/guidelines" have other factors, such as weight and/or height, but I have to chuckle when I hear people going by the age requirements. I know I was the same way, I didn't turn The Bug's car seat around until nearly 13 months. It wasn't because I was afraid of doing it too soon, it was more out of being lazy (I often times refer to myself as the slacker mom.... this was after I read the book Confessions of a Slacker Mom... anyway, back to the point.) and the fact that The Bug is petite, so I didn't feel a huge rush. If I have a child that is long for their age I would really consider turning them around earlier than 12 months. I mean, is it safe to have their little legs squished up if you were in an accident? And it's not as if the evening before turning 1 they magically get stronger. My point here (if you can really call it that) is that you really have to think of certain things as guidelines & discuss them with your pediatrician and go from there. I am just not a person that believe magic things come over night. I guess I should have stated that I WASN'T a person who believed these things... until recently.

I can't say so much that these things happened over night, but they happened in a VERY short amount of time... The Bug is a VERY busy toddler. She keeps me very busy, & she had started having little meltdowns months ago & throwing little fits along with just causing mischief in general. But I kid you not when I say that since the time right around her turning 2, she has honestly become a 2 year old. Those little meltdowns & fits weren't anything compared to what I see regularly now, and the mischief I spoke of was nothing compared to the things she gets into now. She is always seeking for things to get into, cupboards to throw things out of, books to take off shelves, toilet paper to spin or pull off the roll, Toys to throw, and the list goes on and on. Now I'm still a little hesitant in believing that something so drastic could come about in such a very short amount of time, perhaps it is just that I now know she is 2 & I have heard so many things about the "Terrible 2's" and so I am convincing myself that things have intensified. Either way, it is intense.. I wouldn't so much call them the terrible 2's, because for the most part I do find it amazing to watch her grow and learn. Even watching her temper flare up is interesting to see, because I try to see who she is more like, mom or dad. So perhaps there isn't a real answer here, just a thought provoking question... so allow yourself to ponder.

There is however one other thing that has recently changed & I can't dismiss it as easily. Her LOVE for girly movies... you know the ones, the Disney Princess movies. She loves Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, & even Snow White. Before this recent love developed she was happy with anything colorful with animals, such as Finding Nemo, Lilo & Stitch, Curious George, etc. Don't get me wrong, she still enjoys those, but not as much as her love for the Princess movies. This is perhaps one of those nature/nurture debates, but I won't go there, because I don't want to argue about something as amazing as my little girls passions developing. She still does love a variety of toys & activities, but she is turning into a girly-girl. So perhaps something does happen over night (or a short period of time) that allows a child to start to develop those passions & interests. I don't think these developmental change is something that happens at 2, but just happens whenever your child reaches that developmental milestone. But I do know that it came on very quickly for us.



P.S. this is a picture from September, but it went with the ramblings!