Bragging Rights

Okay, most moms I personally know with toddlers right now are hating me, but I do have bragging rights, especially since they think that their children should do everything before Owen does (because he has Down Syndrome, right?). They are stunned, stunned!, when I tell them that he is 22 months old and almost potty-trained. One of my friends, who likes to think that her child is exceptionally bright in every way, was almost offended when I told her, as if my child should never be ahead of her child (and he's six months older than my son!).

But, since my job as a parent is to educate people, they should be aware that Down Syndrome children can be just as bright as the next child. Maybe they are in a body that doesn't work as well as a typical child, and maybe my son does have to wear glasses because he has poor vision, but it doesn't mean that he isn't just as bright as the next kid. There are things that he is doing that amaze me every day. Okay, sometimes I'm just like other people and I don't expect that my son is going to do something when he is supposed to, so maybe I jump the gun a little bit and try things earlier. But it happened to work with the potty, and maybe my son can't quite walk yet, but he sure knows how to give me the potty sign (yes, he also knows 25 words in sign language) and he holds it until he is sitting on the toilet. I just have to laugh when people get a little upset with me because Owen is doing better than their son...although I better stop, because one day he might not have any friends if I keep pissing their moms off.