OVERCAST WEEKEND IN HOUSTON

Last weekend, Phoenix and I had some quality time while Troy was out of town. We did a lot of visiting friends/family. We also stopped at various parks around the city in between plans. At one park we stopped at I met a guy whose name I can’t remember. He was a psychiatrist and did many years of therapy work. He was pushing his daughter Ana on the swing next to us. Ana was a little older than Phoenix, maybe two years old.

I love the social respect between stranger parents. Its so easy to chat with someone solely because of parenthood. We had a conversation about what it’s like to be a first time parent. He was much older than me but those are my favorite conversations. In the past few years, I’ve realized that I have so much to learn from strangers, co-workers and people who don’t know a lot about me. I enjoy discussions with people who are older because theres always something valuable to learn from them. Being strangers can make a conversation so organic. No preconceived notions or need to compete or impress.

I picked his brain about child development questions (free baby diagnostic LOL). I also asked him about his thoughts on the current mental health wave and we briefly discussed the CBD craze. We talked about all things mental health for about 45 minutes as we pushed our kids. I appreciated him being a father at the park with his daughter. He really was enjoying her and enjoying her interaction with Phoenix.

Once it started to get cold we said goodbye and left. I took a few things away from this conversation that ALL mothers should hear. He said that 80 percent of the information we google about our babies is inaccurate ; that all babies grow and do things at their own rate. He informed me that none of the external factors are considered on these websites with baby milestones. He also told me to never diagnose my child from internet information and that my instinct is the safest advice. I know this sounds so simple - like something I should already know. But, it feels so good to hear the confirmation from a professional.

Phoenix is starting to love the park. I tried to take him when he was 12 months or so, but he wasn’t interested. Im going to make it a point to take him to the most beautiful parks I can find. The swing is his favorite thing, he can swing for hours. If you want a therapeutic hang out for you and baby - I suggest the park.

These shots were taken at ‘The Menil Collection’ 2/2/19 by Houston based Photographer Delicia Walker.

To see more of her work visit her website : www.deliciaphotography.com

IG : @delicia.e.photos