Perhaps one of the most amazing things about being a parent and living a family life is watching our children grow and develop and change. Sometimes these steps and changes can happen so slowly and subtly that we barely notice them and other times it can seem things are transitioning in bursts and leaps and bounds! If we get too focused on the daily grind and the tasks and duties of parenting—we can miss this amazing transformation of watching our children change…
Of course, despite all the books, tables, and charts on child development, real children don’t necessarily follow a set path or develop in an obviously linear way (just like we adults don’t necessarily live linear lives—despite what our intentions might be!) Part of the miracle of watching children grow up—physically, spiritually, and mentally—is the unique spurts and stops and starts that characterize each child’s individual path.
I’ve noticed with my children that if I stay open, I am constantly surprised by these little changes and developments. Some are dramatic—one day the little person who would only ride his bike with training wheels is seen speeding along the sidewalk on the neighbor’s two-wheeler—and some are more “sneaky”—this morning I walked into my son’s room after he’d gone to school and found his damp bath towel actually hanging on a hook (after YEARS of reminders and nagging).
Watching children morph and change and go through stages doesn’t stop when they’ve made it through those adorable and challenging younger years. While those first years can be marked with learning to walk and talk and read and catch a ball, as children age the changes might be complicated, deep, interesting and surprising. This constant changing is a fabulous reminder that we are all constantly changing and evolving and participating in this circle and cycle of life!
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