Milestones
*sigh* We’re still waiting. Almost ten months, and still no sign of the first tooth.
My daughter was the same. I think she got teeth before she walked, but it wouldn’t have been by much! In all honesty, it really doesn’t matter when teeth come through. My little man eats solids well, and I know that his gums are strong enough to chomp most foods.
As mums we can get ourselves so worked up and worried about when our children reach milestones physically or developmentally. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter! All the fretting in the world won’t hurry the arrival of my son’s teeth. Kids smile when they’re ready, crawl when they’re ready, walk when they’re ready, talk when they’re ready and toilet train when they’re ready. I say celebrate each milestone, regardless of when your kids reach it! Don’t be embarrassed if they walk early or worried if they teeth late.
We all do life at our own pace. Wouldn’t it be boring if our children did exactly the same things at exactly the same time?! When mothers get together we inevitably share news about what our kids are up to. Instead of feeling bad that someone else’s kid is doing something before yours, think of it as an opportunity to learn from that mum! Ask her questions about what has worked for her, and more importantly what hasn’t. We are all better mothers when we share the journey together.
PS – thanks to all the mums who have shared tips and advice with me about teething, solids and pain relief for grumpy bubs!
Neither of my twins got any teeth before 13 months …then the other got his first two weeks later.
I have always avoided the competitive nature of the my child is better than yours because he did xyz better or quicker or younger. I say … in HIS time …too.
I barely recorded any milestones ages anyway … mostly am too busy and too forgetful LOL.
Lovely post.
PS I couldn’t wait for them to walk and talk now I spend my day saying sit down, don’t run , shush up.
An interesting fact is that teething is one of the only milestones that is genetic/hereditary rather than developmental. My Mum is a dental hygienist and so always has good advice and interesting facts about teeth. Amy got her first two just shy of her FOURTH month! and by 6 months she had two top and two bottom. OUCH on the breastfeeding! Will be interesting to see if Stella follows suit and confirms the theory that its a family trait – early or late teething!
Here, here! to worrying less about when things happen and enjoying what’s going on – I wish I’d figured this out sooner.
I was walking at 9 months with no teeth. My kids have all started teething late as well. Thankfully they haven’t walked early though (generally over 12 months)!
True! One little fella in my MG has only 3 teeth and he is 18 months. His mum worries now and then but, they will come. My Irish MIL had a great saying (she has a great old saying for everything in life!) when I was worrying about my 1st child reaching milestones… only of course, I can’t remember what it was now!?! I’ll have to ask her… gee I was helpful there.
As a mom who was constantly told not to worry about the milestones with my oldest child (she was just a little late on a few of them and very late on talking) only to finally be told at 4.5 years that she is somewhere on the autism spectrum, I have to disagree just a little. My gut was telling me at 18 months that something was amiss, and if all the “experts” hadn’t convinced me otherwise I might have pursued more vigorous early intervention instead of waiting until age 3 to even begin that process…not to mention we now have two more children that I worry constantly about whether they are really as on track as I’m trying to convince myself that they are…total head games!
Anyway my point is: yes, each child reaches their milestones at their own time. Teeth are certainly a milestone I wouldn’t worry about. Yes, enjoy each stage that your child reaches…I still do with all of my children. But if something is niggling at the back of your brain, don’t let other people convince you to just disregard it…learn as much as you can until _you_ are satisfied that all is well. I hope that makes sense – just a little soapbox of mine.
@KDL – You make a very good point, and one I wondered whether someone would make. Thank you for bringing it up. You, and other mothers like you, are the reason I said “most of the time” there is no need to worry. Most of the time, late teething, late walking, even late talking is not of great concern. MOST of the time. But if as a mother you’ve got that unsettled feeling that won’t be quietened by the assurances of experts – I agree that you should go with your gut! As mothers we are the experts on our own children, and we have to be their advocates. That’s our job.
GUESS WHO JUST CUT HIS FIRST TOOTH?!!
See, I just had to blog about it… LOL