If he could, he would

If you find yourself thinking “My child is [x] years old, he should be able to do that by now,” remember that your child may not have developed the appropriate skills just yet. It’s important to stay realistic about what your child can and cannot do. Keep in mind the idea, “If he could, hewould.” That is — if your child were capable, he would certainly like to accomplish every goal on his list. However, many of the skills your child needs to accomplish various tasks are developmental and may not be in his repertoire just yet. And that’s okay! It’s important to recognize where your child is developmentally, and seek out appropriate resources to help him succeed at his own unique age and stage.

* Originally published February 22, 2015