When my son was ten months’ old, I took him to his medical review. ‘You need to do standing exercises with him,’ said the health visitor, pulling him up off the playmat. ‘His gross motor skills are below average,’ she continued. While other babies his age were already careering around on two feet, my son had just started crawling. He’s a child who learns by watching, and likes to be well prepared before attempting something new. Was I really going to interfere with his newfound delight exploring the world on all-fours so he could progress to his next milestone faster? Would you force the petals of a flower open, or let it bloom in its own time? I was confident he’d walk when he was ready. And I wanted him to trust in his own rhythm. Something it had taken me half a lifetime to learn.
I first began feeling out of sync in my late teens. Among friends,
