"Grass doesn't grow faster if you pull on it
Let me start with a less glorious example of my own career as a father: We were on holiday and I thought, now I have to teach my child how to do a Köpper from the edge of the pool. My plan ended in a huge argument and a terribly bad mood.
The child had no ambition or need to learn a Köpper now - only I thought that now was the time. Fortunately, I then realised that there was no point. And: a few weeks later, the child was doing the most beautiful clappers. Not because I wanted to, but because the time was ripe and the need was there to be able to do it.
So, keep reminding yourself that most of a child's development happens more or less by itself. Earlier for one child, later for another. To come back to the grass: It's not as if grass grows all by itself. It needs water, light and nutrients. And that's also what we need to offer children: An environment in which they can develop and grow healthily. However, if we try to speed things up excessively, it usually ends in frustration on both sides and doesn't speed anything up.
Last but not least: If you have the feeling that your child is very far behind in one area or you are so very unhappy or unsure about something, then it is of course our job as paediatricians to advise you and see whether therapeutic help, such as speech or occupational therapy, is necessary. However, this is actually far less often the case than is generally thought.
Further interesting tips
U3 provision
A topic for new parents or people who are about to become parents: the U3 check-up. This is usually the first check-up that takes place at the paediatrician's practice. The U1 is actually always carried out in the hospital or maternity centre, and the U2 usually takes place there too.
Paediatric myths
Have you ever heard these phrases or said them yourself? "The child has such yellow snot, it's probably something bacterial!" "The urine smells so bad, it's probably a urinary tract infection!" "The child is coughing so badly, it must be pneumonia!" You hear all these sentences over and over again and they are all, you guessed it, rubbish.
Conjunctivitis
During the cold season, children often present to the practice with oily and reddened eyes. Conjunctivitis - the clinical picture is still often made more dramatic than it actually is.