My baby is a genius, I am not.

Get ready for lots of bragging.


I have been bragging that my third and youngest, J, started walking at 9 months old. When I say walk, I mean taking as many as 15 steps independently before falling, getting up and continuing. The month before this he would take a 2-3 steps then laugh excitedly while waving his arms until he fell down. He is very proud of himself.

Today, I called to schedule his 9 month check-up. I apologized to the receptionist for scheduling it so late at 10 months old.  It was at this moment I learned the depths of my idiocy. She politely informed me that he was 9 months old and would not turn 10 months until the 29^th of this month. Like any good mother, that tracks their child’s progress, I argued with her. Somewhere in the middle of her rebuttal, I did a quick finger check counting backwards from his upcoming birthday.   I was briefly mortified. I did not know the age of my own child.

In my paltry defense, all of the other birthdays in my family happen very early in the month.  I was born on the 2^nd, so was my husband, my oldest on 6^th, so on and so forth. I am not used to dealing with the outlier that a birthday on the 29^th presents. It jangled my delicately balanced brain.

After scolding myself, I sat down to figure out when I got off track. Then I realized what my error meant. My darling has been walking since he was 8 months old! He has been making 2-3 steps at a time since he was 7 months old… My boy is a genius of acrobatic proportions!

Honestly, if had not seen it with my own eyes I would perhaps doubt the timeline I just presented. J was always physically advanced; he raised his head, rolled over, and sat up very early. He has been trying to walk before he could crawl, which he accomplished at six months. He would stand up, and try to lift a leg, but fall over. The day he managed to take two successive steps, he giggled so excitedly he fell into a seated position.

These are the simple STEPS I followed for J and my other children:

·         Safety – Safety is the first concern. We make sure J’s play area is free from sharp edges, things he can pull down on himself, or things that he could choke on. Play pans are great for this.

·         Tummy – playtime is belly time with small hand toys. This begins the early work of coordination as they reach, scoot, and wiggle themselves towards their toys.

·         Encourage – In our home, walking efforts are meant with smiles and quiet giggles from the audience. J now seems to think walking is a fun game that makes him laugh even when there are no witnesses.

·         Practice – J has a team of six people to help him. Everyone from the oldest to my 2 year daughter, H, holds his hands as he practices stepping.

·         Soft – I let J practice on a large rug that was for his use exclusively. A rug’s surface has enough friction to practice moving. The plush material softens falls, allowing J to remain confident and unafraid of falling at the beginning. 

There is a wide range of what is considered normal. I have witnessed firsthand how differently children develop. Before a year, my daughter had a strong vocabulary, whereas my oldest son excelled in empathy. We don’t choose their development patterns.  Sometimes all we can do is watch, wait, and then brag when a milestone is reached.  

You Can Do It!

RULE # 1: You Can Do It!

The first instruction in guided home management is that you can do this.
You are not missing a gene that the Martha Stewart's and June Cleavers of the world possess.
Rule # 1 is critical because people rarely do anything they don't believe they can.
If you don't believe you can become a president, mayor, cheerleader, or homemaker, etc., you won't try.
Oh, you might try just enough to satisfy your doubt, but you won't give the determined effort that all successful people put forth.

Let me illustrate the point.

As a sophomore in high school, I tried out for cheerleading. Why? It seemed cool, and I had several friends that were cheerleaders. In one of the trial classes, the head cheerleader illustrated the move and then told the group of us hopeful novices to do a backbend. The entire group of 20 or so girls did a backbend and held it for the demanded time.

I then moved to Florida and tried out for cheerleading again in my junior year.
At tryouts, the head cheerleader asked the group of about 25 girls to do various moves. Then, she asked who could do a backbend. Most of the girls failed and sat woefully on the floor, as about 5 girls and I executed the backbend.

Why did so many fail in the second group?

Simply because they didn't know they could do it. They saw it as a natural talent, like being double jointed. The first group assumed bending yourself backwards to form a  rainbow was something everyone could perform, so they did.
The first group also had the advantage of a guide. They saw someone perform the impressive acrobatic feat, and followed.

Unfortunately, many homemakers believe that keeping a well decorated, organized, and clean home requires the skills equivalent to those of a double jointed gymnast.

Successful home management is like the backbend. You don't have to be double jointed; you just have to believe you can do it, and follow a good guide.

Consider this blog, the guided homemaker, your guide to performing the home management backbend.

Introduction

Welcome to The Guided Homemaker!

The purpose of this blog is to share keys to successful home management.  I share what I have learned along the way about creating a happy, well managed home. I also document my progress and mishaps in becoming an excellent homemaker.  The goal is to help someone along the way as I practice instructions in home management.

My name is Zoya. I am many things including a wife and mother of 5. I always knew I wanted a big family, and I have been blessed with just that.
 I got married at the starry eyed age of 22, and have been figuring out the ropes to taking care of a family ever since. My husband and I have 5 children between us. In a home with two teenagers (my instant family), a 4 year old boy, 2 year old girl, and a 9 month old baby boy, life is never boring.

This blog will cover home related topics such as marriage, organization, recipes, and shortcuts wherever they can be found.

Stay tuned as I share and document my progress in becoming an excellent homemaker.