Not Walking At One Year Old

As a little boy, my mother told me I had difficulties walking. Naturally, an infant should try crawling first before taking a step by step approach to walk. But in my own case, I had to be carried from.one place to another. According to her, it was a litmus test because she had to trust that my lines were strong enough to carry my whole body. 

It wasn't like I was affected by polio disease which was affecting many children those days. Some children lost the use of their legs, hands or other vital organs. 

Mine wasn't out of sheer laziness. I would rather dieting affect me a lot. Food and supplement helps a growing child build strong lines for various physical activities. Some of these foods, if not properly given to a child in the right proportion could affect a child's growth. That's what we seldomly refer to as malnutrition. She said I did not accept all kinds of food. 

Breastfeeding

The breast milk from a mother is one of the strongest meals that could help a child grow and become strong. The component of the breast milk according to medical experts is rich in various vitamins that would keep the child from diseases. 

To some extent, it builds the child's immunity to fight against external attack. The haemoglobin component of the blood is also built through breastfeeding. 

In my own case, my mother said I almost sucked her dry because  breast milk was my only comforter. 

I thought that's good enough. 

Tea Without Milk

Any other kind of milk aside from breast milk gave me a running stomach. My mum was devastated by my childhood attitude of food selection. Later in life, she got to know that this was how I was built or wired. 

She said I could drink the popular Lipton tea without sugar or milk. Aside from breast milk, that's the next meal that kept me quiet during my infancy. All the concentrated food packs for babies were not in my list of food. 

In one of her trial, she bought one brand of baby feed called *Cerelac* and prepared it for me as a child, I ended up throwing up and feeling sickly. 

I guess I am a special breed. 

Walking After Two Years

It took two whole year's yo begin to walk as a child, by then, mother was already pregnant with my younger brother. 

Culturally, it is believed that until a woman gets pregnant, her current child still act childish. Of course, you should expect that. A mother keeps her child irrespective of the challenges she faces bringing such a child up. 

Here, when a child has problem walking, the parent would buy a walking toy as a therapy to strengthen the bones. That was what was done in my case. 

My wellbeing is a concern to both father and mother. When it was time to talk, it wasn't much of a problem but the walking was an issue that bothered them. 

This wooden bike helped me a lot. The quest to run around gave my legs the strength that it needed to walk. And I walked. The rest is a story today. 

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Same Problem For Many Children

The prevalence of diseases around the world today have made many parents give up in the struggle to make their children victorious against one challenge of life or the other. 

There is the place of diet in the wellbeing of a child and there is the place of physical exercise or therapy in helping a child overcome some health challenges. Until a.parent comes to discover these therapies, they may ignorantly send the child to deformity. 

Individual Differences

Everyone has a trait that makes him distinct from the other. Hence, when considering or comparing one man to the other, we should always weigh what they are like, the way they reason, the way they are wired, their social status, their family background and so on. 

One child can not be like the other. Just like me, I had issues walking while I was one year old, some other children could even have a more excruciating experience. While some others could walk perfectly when they turned one year old. 

My POV

Never write off a child, no matter the condition they find themselves in. You can play a really helping hand and mind to the challenges a child is going through. And to every challenge, there is a solution. See the solution and not the challenge.

First published Here

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