I know I've whined about platitudes a few times here before, specifically about pregnancy loss and prematurity because those are the things I know pretty well. I hadn't thought about it before, but heeded platitudes can sometimes be dangerous. A friend called me yesterday concerned about her 15-month-old son's speech delays, and she was getting increasingly frustrated with the people that were telling her not to worry and not to do anything.
I understood where she was coming from. See the rest of the story here at the mississippimoms.com Moms Squad blog.
3 months ago
5 comments:
Excellent post. My daughter was diagnosed with a genetic disorder when she was six months old, because I asked about "minor" things I was noticing. Vindication indeed. I was relieved when I found out because we got some direction on how to help her ... and because I knew I wasn't being "over-reactive" or crazy.
"Don't worry, the perfect guy is out there somewhere. God is just getting him ready for you."
They don't help anyone. hugs!
I trust a mother's instinct above all else when it comes to my own child.
A) Not talking at 15 months is not abnormal, so it's not a platitude to tell her that there's no reason to worry - it's good advice.
B) Even if something is wrong, worrying is a waste of time and energy, which is why the Apostle admonished us to "Be anxious about nothing." Far better to spend the energy to solve a problem than to worry about it.
You're absolutely wrong, Tony. Telling someone not to worry when you're a) not an expert and b) not a parent to her child is obnoxious. Don't do it.
MOST children begin talking between 11 and 14 months, at least with one or two words. It is therefore abnormal, if not uncommon, for a child to not be talking by 15 months.
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