by KATE HUNTER
It all seemed such a big deal at the time – those looong minutes watching my son on his play mat … will today be the day? Maybe … maybe. Tape in the video camera? Check. Should I call Jim and tell him to come home in case it happens? He has a board meeting, but holy moly, our first-born child was about to ROLL OVER. Someone alert the media.
Now, my chubby roller is a lanky eleven-year-old working on his spin bowling and I can’t remember how old he was when he rolled, or crawled, or uttered his first word. We’re blessed that our kids did all those things about the time they were meant to – I realise some aren’t so lucky.
But as time has marched (or rolled) on, I’ve been thinking about those less celebrated milestones – the ones that exponentially improve the quality of parents’ lives. Some are subtle – they sneak up on you. One day, all of a sudden, you’ll wonder why your mood is a little brighter than normal. And you’ll realise – it’s been a week since you wiped a bum, other than your own.
This is no small thing and absolutely cause for celebration.
Here are some more milestones that matter I’ve compiled from my own experience.
1. The ability to fasten a seatbelt. Sometimes I was envious of my mum, who would her five kids into the station wagon to drive to the shops, warning the eldest to hold onto the youngest ‘nice and tight’. I swear that’s why mum had time to serve nutritious meals at a properly set table every night – she didn’t waste a combined total of 62 minutes a day buckling and unbuckling seat belts and car seats. This might seem an exaggeration to anyone who hasn’t fumbled between a booster seat and a baby capsule trying to find a buckle, but trust me – 62 minutes is conservative.