The Competition Game

I am noticing that there is this funny competition/comparison game that happens with new moms and people who surround new moms.

People ALWAYS want to compare babies to other babies. I think it is kind of odd, but apparently, I am the only one. Sometimes, I will get into conversations about Daphne with other people, and they will have to tell me how she compares to other babies they know in height, weight, number of teeth, number of naps, number of poops, number of diapers, number of sold foods eaten, etc.

I think that is a funny phenomenon for many reasons.

1.) All babies truly are individual and unique. My friend has a baby that is 2 weeks younger than Daphne that does not want to stand up or walk yet, but he has 3 teeth. Daphne is standing and trying to walk, but she doesn't have any teeth. Neither of the babies is really "behind", but it is really easy to try to compare them and think that one or the other is behind.

2.) People try to convince you (if they like you) that your baby is ahead of all the other babies. People always ask me how old she is and when I tell them I get the ubiquitous, "Only (blank) months old and she is already talking, walking, babbling, crawling, etc. It is like they are trying to convince me that my baby is better than all the other babies out there, when in fact there can be no comparison each baby is unique and special in their own right.

3.) I feel no need to put my baby on a timetable of compare her to other babies. I just don't, so when people do try to convince me that she is SO ahead developmentally, I always find it kind of odd.

4.) People worry too much. My baby is barely eating solid foods, and she is 7.5 months old. This totally doesn't subscribe to the 6 month timetable, and I have had people indicate that maybe I should do something about that. I am not budging on this one. Daphne will KNOW when she needs to be eating solid foods, and she will indicate to me that she wants more. I KNOW that it will happen.

Most importantly, Daphne is growing, she is still alive, she is thriving and she is beautiful. I am not into the competition game because she is to perfect and unique for me to be spending all my time working about where she is in comparison to every other baby. It just doesn't matter.