My older daughter didn't learn to read until age 6, even though we read around her and to her all the time. I'm sure that would give some people conniptions, but we found out something with her, something I wonder if these parents would even consider trying:
If we let her do things in their own time, when she decided to do them she did them like a pro. Dropping the paci? On her own, age 8 months. Dropping nursing? From twice a day to none in less than a week. Potty training? Nothing to complete at age 35 months in less than a week. Reading? Nothing to second-grade level, less than four months.
Painless. Easy. No muss, no fuss, no agony. She never felt like a failure, which is good because she is a complete and utter perfectionist. If we'd put pressure on her, she'd be in counseling now!
Now we're adopting that same play and have fun philosophy with Foxy nine years later. She still has a paci she likes, but she uses it more like some people chew on pencils. She tapered off nursing rather than dropping it cold. Potty training may be a longer affair. But I refuse to make her and myself miserable.
Also, N regularly makes my brain melt. If you hear a shlurping sound around her for no apparent reason, it's that she's absorbing brain cells from my brain several states away. The sound is the brain cells integrating in her head. You'll know I just read a journal post. Read and snuggle... wow. :) :)
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If we let her do things in their own time, when she decided to do them she did them like a pro. Dropping the paci? On her own, age 8 months. Dropping nursing? From twice a day to none in less than a week. Potty training? Nothing to complete at age 35 months in less than a week. Reading? Nothing to second-grade level, less than four months.
Painless. Easy. No muss, no fuss, no agony. She never felt like a failure, which is good because she is a complete and utter perfectionist. If we'd put pressure on her, she'd be in counseling now!
Now we're adopting that same play and have fun philosophy with Foxy nine years later. She still has a paci she likes, but she uses it more like some people chew on pencils. She tapered off nursing rather than dropping it cold. Potty training may be a longer affair. But I refuse to make her and myself miserable.
Also, N regularly makes my brain melt. If you hear a shlurping sound around her for no apparent reason, it's that she's absorbing brain cells from my brain several states away. The sound is the brain cells integrating in her head. You'll know I just read a journal post. Read and snuggle... wow. :) :)