The Measurement of Milestones

Measurement – it’s a natural human instinct.

We measure time, distance, capacity, success, and achievement.

Many forms of measurement I understand; time and distance for example facilitate civilizations’ successful functioning.

There are however some forms of measurement that lack the same definition and purpose.

Parents worldwide often over analyze a measurement: the measurement of milestones. From the moment you become a parent other, often well intentioned, people question you with regards to your child’s development.

Your email inbox highlights notifications of what abilities your growing baby should have. Mothers’ groups chat about sleep achievements, feeding sessions, physical gains… Milestones become all encompassing. A sign of how on track your baby is.

What happens when your baby or child doesn’t hit their milestones?

Drift. You begin to drift away. Calls are made. Therapies are introduced. Research is conducted. You drift into a different realm of parenting. Parenting a child with developmental delays. I know this, because I have been, and continue to, drift into this realm.

First came determination. A resolute power that you will put in place all that is required to help your child succeed. Until you slip into frustration and fear. The unknown looms. Quashed by your child’s resilience. Just as determination returns and the cycle continues.

In this image, my daughter is 2 years 6 months old. She is standing with the support of a pumpkin tower. I remember building this beside her. I remember capturing this image – her first time standing successfully at a pumpkin patch. I remember the blood, sweat, and tears we all put into achieving this milestone. Literally.

I changed my perspective when it came to my daughter’s development.

Milestones have become inchstones. We move at a slower pace covering a lesser distance in one sense. But in reality, she has worked harder than most and traveled further than I can ever express.