A Guilt Trip is a Bad Trip...

If you are reading this blog I'm guessing you are a parent or parent to be. And if you are a parent you've probably experienced guilt. Let me first say, "I'm sorry". I wish you didn't have to know about and feel guilt. Your baby is perfect and innocent and is not the agent of your feelings. Unfortunately, this avenue that we're on right now called the internet is. The comparisons, the social media posts and the milestone lists all contribute to our insecurities about our children.

I've been a mom for almost 26 years (my oldest has a birthday in June) and I have seen how parenting has changed in a quarter century. The equipment available is all new. Cribs have changed. You can no longer use bumpers and blankets in your newborn's crib. Bottles have so many new nipples to choose from. Car seat recommendations have been modified. (My dad was shocked when my 26 year old was born that he could not sit in the front seat!) Raising a child has so many new parameters and guidelines. No wonder parenthood is for the young! They even recently changes some of the milestone guidelines, which sent therapists like myself down a rabbit hole. Its a lot and these issues can certainly cause parental guilt.

What a pediatric PT can offer you is instruction on how to help your little one achieve gross motor milestones in an appropriate timeframe. A pediatric PT can provide parents with a way to shake off some of the guilt of not knowing what to do with your baby. As I've said before, your baby did not come with an instruction manual. And parents are not automatically shown how to play with a baby. No one ever showed me how to fix my appliances when they break down. I call a professional. So why wouldn't parents get some help from a PT to ensure milestones are progressing and parents are helping to the best of their abilities. I've worked with wonderful and smart parents who work in all sorts of fields including doctors who say they never learned what I teach. Parents should not feel guilty when they don't know how to help their child rollover, sit up, crawl, or walk. You can get help any time from a PT so you can put that guilt in the garbage where it belongs.