Decoded: The First Year | Episode 34 | Why Asking "Is this Normal" Wastes Time | Dr SCL

Decoded: The First Year · Mar 18, 2026 · 7m

One of the first questions parents are taught to ask is:

“Is this normal?”

And I understand why.

Normal sounds safe.

Normal sounds reassuring.

But neurologically…normal is a very blunt tool.

Because development doesn’t happen in neat categories.

It happens in patterns.

Two babies can look completely different —

and both be developing appropriately.

And two babies can look the same —

while their nervous systems are doing very different things underneath.