Delightfully Different

I was reading my friend's blog today. Heidi and I go way back, and I love reading her posts because she is so open and honest about her life. The post that caught my attention today was a lighthearted post about what exactly is normal. It captured my interest because it is the plight of all parents to ponder that question. Is my child normal? My response would be, "Define normal; or for that matter, define abnormal."

I believe normal is relative. It's affected by our perception of what perfection is, our experiences, our upbringing... The list could go on and on. Sometimes we get so caught up with fitting in, we forget that being different is not a bad thing either. After all, I'm sure Einstein was a little different too. I've always told my children that everybody is really good at something and really not-so-good at other things. It's part of what makes us who we are. Half the fun is figuring that out. It's like little treasures buried in each of us, just waiting to be discovered.

Maybe your two year old hasn't quite learned how to jump like the other toddlers or doesn't know their colors as well. Unless their overall skills are well outside the typical age ranges, it's no reason to be concerned. Is it normal for a three year old to know how to read? Is it normal for a one year old to know how to open a lidded container? It wouldn't be typical to do these things at that age, but are these children abnormal or just delightfully different? I guess that's up to you to decide.