Never let fear hold you back
Being a mom means always worrying about your kids. You want your children to be safe, healthy and happy.
So what happens when you notice something isn’t quite right? What happens when someone else notices? The fear can be paralyzing.
“Her teachers had approached Kevin and myself and just shared a couple concerns that they had been seeing at school, and wondering if we had seen similar things at home,” Monica says of her 3-year-old daughter Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was exhibiting signs of gross motor skill developmental delays – stumbling and tripping, experiencing poor coordination, difficulty speaking and running with a rough gait.
Monica didn’t know what the signs meant or what the future would hold for Elizabeth, but as a mother, it’s important for her to never let fear stop her. She wants to make sure she does everything she can to set her kids up for success in life.
“Sometimes you have to face your own discomforts with what it might mean but go ahead and do the best thing that you can do for your kiddo,” explained Monica.
Monica says she’s thankful United Way supported agency Cornerstone Center for Early Learning was proactive about assessing Elizabeth’s developmental milestones.
“They care so much about your kids that they are looking out for these things,” says Monica. “They have gone above and beyond in training their staff members and their teachers to know what to look for and to know how to have conversations with parents so that it doesn't make it sound scary in any way.”
Cornerstone provided on-site therapy to help bring Elizabeth up to speed, which helped Monica and her husband manage their duties as parents and full-time working professionals. Monica says it can be difficult for working parents to keep the guilt away – you can miss so much when your child has to be in full-time daycare, but having people that genuinely care so much has been an enormous help for their family.
These days, Elizabeth loves everything “Frozen”-related and conquering the playground.
“She is very headstrong. She is very independent,” Monica says of Elizabeth. “She does not see anything as an insurmountable challenge.”
About Cornerstone Center for Early Learning
Cornerstone Center for Early Learning’s mission is to provide quality and comprehensive childcare and preschool education for St. Louis-area families of all economic backgrounds. The program enables parents and guardians to remain in the workforce by providing affordable childcare.