Unique

Girl with googly eyesA friend recently described to me what bath time was like at her home. She said the word as if it were a mortal enemy…BATHTIME. The fighting to get the child into the bath, then the whining when she washed him and crying when he couldn’t sneak out. She asked, “why he can’t just be normal and take a bath!?” At first, I was shocked…what kid doesn’t want to take a bath? It’s fun for them, all those toys. How weird….

Then I remembered.

My child hated car rides when she was little and most often whined and cried. Most kids are indifferent or relaxed in the car. I was just as frustrated then as my friend is now. Thinking to myself, why does my child hate this when other kids just act “normal.” Or the times we sat with other moms and kids, all eating their food, and mine refused to touch anything on her plate. She hated hamburgers and hot dogs and cheese and chocolate milk.

Often as parents, we think our kids are doing something out of the norm, or strange, or weird. Or we second guess our choices and theirs. I hear many moms using comparison with other children and parents to make judgments about what is typical or normal.

What if nothing is normal? What if every kid really is that different, or weird, or strange sometimes? We’ve just started thinking of it as Unique. I imagine you could identify a handful of unique things your child has done that gave you pause and made you wonder.

So in the spirit of fun and strangeness, share some of the things that make your child weird and unique! I bet you are not alone…

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