Our Gemara on Amud Aleph wonders why, according to the House of Shammai that even a young child who can ride on his father’s shoulders is obligated in the Mitzvah of Aliyah L'Regel, why didn’t Chana and the young Shmuel travel up to Yerushalayim for the festival when Shmuel was physically capable of doing so? The Gemara answers that “Channa saw in Shmuel a delicate nature and the need for extra pampering. She was concerned about Shmuel  lest he experience weakness from the journey. Since she was unable to bring him, she herself did not come.”

Indeed, Chana took great care of Shmuel. Even once he joined Eli the high priest and apprenticed there. The verse (Shmuel I:2:19) tells us his mother would bring him a cloak every year when she came up for the festivals.

It’s important to reflect upon this for a moment. We are talking about the Child who is going to grow up and become one of the greatest prophets, a leader who kowtowed to nobody. He gave  fearless rebuke to Jewish kings and was a warrior, fighting tyrannical enemies of Israel. This same child was identified by his mother as being extra delicate. What a lesson to us as parents! We must respect a young child's developmental needs, that this is not an indulgence but a proper part of parenting. When we take care of children in the ways that they need nurture, even if they need extra care, it is no predictor of future weakness. To the contrary, we see a great leader who arose from an extra delicate disposition as a young child.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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