At 20months..
At 20months your child should.. I sit reading the parenting books much as I did when I had my first child, except now I am all to aware that these books are just a guide, and are not definitive. With my eldest son, i continually worried that perhaps he was not attaining milestones quickly enough, and i felt pressure to ensure that he did.
In reality, I was lucky with my eldest, he walked before 10 months, and could follow even quite complicated instructions by 12months. That didn’t stop me worrying when he didn’t utter many words at all until he was almost 3, but he has spent the next 5 years making up for that! Middle boy, E was a talker and a mover, meeting every milestone well before the books said he should, he thrived, though we had struggles with physical things like climbing, which I had never experienced with his big brother.
Looking at my parenting books, which yes, I still own. Yo is typical for children her age, her language is according to the book probably a little advanced. Then I notice that I do not know if her colour creativity is where it should be, as to be honest, she’s number three and I’ve learnt only to allow paint to be used in the garden or under extremely close supervision (preferably one parent per child..). I panic, and instantly pull out the poster paints.. yes..I am still sent into a frenzy that perhaps my child is not performing as well as they should be. I then panic at the paint all over the kitchen table..and Yo panics as her hands have turned green and orange.. We spend the next 10 minutes washing our hands and cleaning the table, we’re happy, and unwittingly she’s learning lessons about mess and cleanliness. Children learn through play, and they learn at different rates depending on what they see on a daily basis. My children are lucky that I have the ability to spend time playing with them, they have lots of outdoor time and all the freedom which that brings. So, if you’re worrying about what the parenting book says, put that book away, and just do something together with your child(ren) however simple or silly you might think it is.
