Sharing Milestones

So, there are some things regarding my children that I won't post on Facebook:

1. Pictures of my kids without clothes on.
2. Complaints about my kids (this is not because I'm trying to present them as perfect, this is because I am so thankful for them that I can't imagine ever complaining about them in a public forum).
3. Things that could potentially make another parent feel bad or question their child's development.

The last one may sound a little weird, but I think most moms of young children know what I mean. I've had so many talks with other moms who worry that their children aren't meeting milestones because of what others are posting on Facebook. As a mother of twins who are very developmentally different, I know how easy it is to compare and to question. "Why can she do this and he can't?" "Why does he know this and she doesn't?" The list goes on and on.

Kyran didn't walk until he was 2. He took his first steps at 19 months, but wasn't on his feet all of the time until he was 2. So, admittedly, when my friends were posting videos of their children who were a year younger than him with captions like "My super-kid is so awesome because he's walking already!" or something similar, it would tear at me a little bit. My kid is super too, just in different ways.

Yes, I "brag" about my kids on FB, but it's more like cute things that they say or what they've done sweet for each other or other people.  I don't post that my kids are "the insert superlative word here kids ever!" I think most mothers believe that about their kids, but I've talked to moms who are hurt when others say that.

One thing I've stayed away from on Facebook especially are milestones. Every kid is different. Every kid has their own speed, their own strengths, their own willingness to participate in an activity. Karyssa has taught me for certain that just because a child doesn't do something, it doesn't mean they can't. And it definitely doesn't mean they won't.

This blog is another story, though. If you're reading this, chances are you know my kids and me pretty well. You love them a lot. You get excited like we do about the milestones. I also like to use this as a record, so that when the kids ask when they did something, I'll have the approximate age, or possibly the exact date.

So, all of this to say that Kyran is reading. Seriously reading. Sometimes he will resort to reciting what he thinks the book says, but when we redirect him to the words, he reads. He also still needs help occasionally on words that aren't phonetic. We haven't done many sight words. For the most part, he has just learned how to sound things out and spell words by phonics.

The first book he read was Bears on Wheels, on Wednesday, July 10, on the couch of the hotel where we stay in Florida. Since then, he has read most of Go, Dog, Go, and the first several pages of The Cat and the Hat and Put Me in the Zoo. (He tends to get distracted, especially if Karyssa is around).

I am so proud of my kids for everything they do, and most importantly, for who they are. Thank you for letting me share this exciting milestone with you!