Normal?

Normal? What is normal? Why is it such a loaded word? "you're results are normal", " the test was normal", "everything was normal", "they are reading, writing, speaking, hearing, comprehending at a normal level"!

Websters Dictionary defines normal as:
adjective

1.conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.

 

Well the word normal brought me to tears today... 

  

Today while playing with friends a very sweet 3 year old said to to me "why doesn't Hadley talk like a NORMAL kid"! Insert crushing blow! I explained that she does talk like normal kid but she was younger and just didn't talk as well as her. Now I know this little girl didn't mean anything by it and is simply at the age of curiosity. This did not stop me from feeling absolutely sick to my stomach the rest of the day! I actually had to go to my car to call G and have a good cry. 

 

Those who know us know about Hadley's struggle with her speech. While we have had her evaluated TWICE by 2 different speech pathologists and they have both said there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with her, today's question from a 3 year old has me totally freaked out! Hadley has hundreds upon hundreds of words, she can count to 10, and say her ABC's (fairly clearly), but she defiantly doesn't speak in sentences. She says mostly one/two word phrases. The speech pathologist we met with in July says she is a little behind in the 3/4 word phrases, but she did not think see needed any therapy sessions and said quite simply "she was out smarting us and she was a bit Lazy in her speech"! She has found ways to get what she wants from us and others without having to speak in full sentences. 

So why the tears??? 

Every parent wants their kids to "fit in" to have lots of friends, to do well in school, etc... 

So today when this happened my first thought was bullying!!! No she wasn't being bullied and she has quite a few years before she is in school and I have complete faith that she will be caught up by then, but still the thought of her being seen "different" or "not normal" by other kids absolutely crushed me.  She is such a sweet , loving, social little girl! She has tons of friends and gets along with everyone! I just love her so much and her Dad and I want nothing but the best for her. I immediately started questioning everything I do as a parent! Do I not work with her enough? Is there something that I am doing or NOT doing that could cause her distress in the future? I know I am way over thinking this, but I honestly have never felt so lost as I did in that moment. 

I am only writing this so in a couple of years I will look back at this a laugh about how silly I was to over think this, as I know she will be a thriving kindergartner. :) 

Playing in Mommy's make up

Melt my heart