Having a young toddler is, in many ways, easier than having a newborn. I keep having certain moments that make me think, “wow, this used to be so difficult!” These are things that, on some level, are more exciting than the usual baby milestones. Here’s a few of the things I’d rather celebrate than rolling over or acquiring the pincer grip:
1. Stops Spitting Up
“Will there ever be a day again when I don’t smell like stale milk?” “Why didn’t I just register for 100 burp cloths so that I wouldn’t have to run laundry every day?” These thoughts consumed me for the first six months or so of my daughter’s life. That moment you realize you walked down the stairs without her hurling on her cutest outfit? Priceless.
2. Likes Car Rides
Without fail, my baby would scream at every. single. red. light. I knew it was bad for my mental health to stay cooped up inside; but was going out worth all the crying? Then one day, on the way to a playdate, I realized that she wasn’t crying. She was actually cooing to herself from the backseat. Finally! A fun travel companion.
3. Enjoys Shopping
So now baby likes riding in the car, but what about hanging out in a shopping cart while you diligently compare sale prices? I knew I had a narrow window of time for shopping before my daughter would cause a scene in the store. But gradually, I noticed that she was enjoying these excursions. On one particularly cold day, she seemed ecstatic to pick out new pajamas! That’s when I knew that we could share in the love of consumerism.
4. Not Afraid of the Vacuum
It’s so hard to find the time to clean when you have a little one. I do most of my tidying up after my kid goes to bed. But, I just can’t risk waking a sleeping baby with the vacuum. And like most pets – babies are usually fearful of loud vacuums. I would wait to clean floors until I had someone else home to distract her. But out of necessity, one day I went ahead and started vacuuming with her still in the room. Her fear had turned to curiosity, so I let her touch the machine, and explained that it couldn’t hurt her. She even started to pretend-vacuum with it!
5. Can Chill at Restaurants
My husband and I absolutely loved going out to eat — before becoming parents. The first few months I couldn’t handle baby crying in her carseat at restaurants. Once she started sitting with us in a high chair, she insisted on throwing anything she could get her hands on. Meals out became infinitely more enjoyable once she was eating finger foods! She much prefers eating what we’re eating, and that makes everyone happy.
No doubt we could make a list of less-desirable milestones, such as: tries to escape changing table, or, discovered dishwasher! But it’s nice to focus on the things that get easier with age {excluding regressions}.
What would be on your list of “alternative milestones”?
