My daughter is better than your daughter

A friend of mine recently informed me that her daughter can say 60 words. Not only that, but her 16-month-old daughter is wearing size 3T. Clearly, this little girl is on her way to complete world domination.

Upon hearing this news, I had no choice but to take my Mother of the Year statuette out of my purse and fork it over while placing a tiara on my friend’s head.

OK, that’s a lie. My reaction was more like this, “Oh, wow. That’s great. My daughter can say dog. Well, we think it’s dog. She says it for everything.” Deep inside, I have no doubt that my daughter is a raving genius just biding her time to talk because she has a wry sense of humor. So I could have lived without the pitying stare from this friend, who reassured me that babies all develop at different speeds and “she is probably just shy.”

Now I’m sure I was just as annoying and obsessed with growth charts and milestones when I was a first-time mom, but I really wish someone would have poked me in the eye and told me to shut my mouth. The truth is nobody cares that your infant child is in the 95th percentile and is reading Shakespeare before her afternoon nap.

I’m also sure my friend didn’t mean anything by her comments, but was just swept up in the glory and pride of motherhood. So, I’m happy for her and her 60 words. And I’m also just fine having an entire conversation with my average-sized daughter who only responds with the word “dog.”

How do you handle parents who want to compare milestones or brag about their children’s achievements? Do you compete back or let it go?

Erin Stewart is a regular blogger for Deseret News. From stretch marks to the latest news for moms, Stewart discusses it all while her 4-year-old daughter crams Mr. Potato Head pieces in her little sister’s nose.