Parenting Contents Archive

Am I the only one who just hates the holidays now?

I'm so tired. I don't like being around anyone anymore. Christmas and Easter gives the excuse for family to buy my daughter everything under the sun, which makes more clutter, and I can't take it anymore. I've resorted to either hiding the stuff away because it's just toys my daughter won't play with and the clothes she gets end up getting lost anyway because we already have so much. And the holidays apparently mean no rules. Sorry, my daughter isnt going to get stuffed with sugar or dyes and no, she doesn't need to hug you or wear whatever you bought her right then and there to fulfill your wants. Plus, I get judged on anything and everything I say or do. I just want to take a day to relax and I just can't. I think the next couple of years we are staying home and not going out to see family for the holidays.

He found out about the Easter Bunny. Santa soon followed, now we're both crying.

Yesterday I had a migraine and was sick with a cold, and my son (8) was awake past midnight (has trouble falling asleep sometimes). Putting out the Easter things around 1 am, I missed a price tag on the Easter basket. He noticed it this morning and said he knew I was the Easter bunny. About 10 minutes later he asked if I was Santa too (single parent). I should have been prepared but I wasn't. I explained that I was but that Santa is based on a real historical person and now he was old enough that he could be a Santa too for someone else. He is heartbroken and upstairs crying that I lied to him his whole life and I'm downstairs crying because I thought I had one more Christmas of believing. All because I missed a price tag. I feel like a fail.

I’m the worst mom ever

My 20 month old and I were on a road trip and he started crying in his car seat. I tried to pull over but because traffic was so heavy, it took me 15 mins to find a safe place to pull over at. In that 15 min, he was screaming crying the whole time and by the time I got him out of the car seat, he was hyperventilating & gasping from crying so hard. I just feel so awful & like the worst mom ever for letting my baby cry like that. Do you all think I traumatized him? Edit to add- he was crying because he was overtired.

MIL ruins egg hunt

My kids have a total dairy allergy (they can't have anything that has any kind of milk product so nothing with whey, nothing with milk solids, etc). My MIL did an Easter egg hunt for them and every single egg had chocolate candy in it that my kids can't eat. My kids were the only kids hunting eggs and not a single egg had something they could eat. My two year old, she didn't really care but my 4 year old opened 10 eggs and cried because nothing was dairy free. Wtf?! They've been totally dairy free for over a YEAR, this is not new information! Empty eggs would've been better than filled eggs they can't eat!!

I’m not supposed to get angry about that

He left the oven on (curing cast iron pans) and left to grab food. (Is it not common knowledge to turn the oven off when you leave the house?) A few minutes later we get a call that the firemen are inside our house because smoke triggered all our smoke alarms. And I’m not supposed to get mad about that. Yesterday wasn’t enough of a warning when he did this (I was home), and it smoked up the whole house. F*%# every.damn.thing. (Also, happy easter if you celebrate that.)

I don’t trust anyone, let alone day, cares, or babysitters. What do you do?

So my first and only baby is six months old, me and my husband are being transferred to a more expensive state to live in, therefore, I will have to work. No more stay at home mommy for me. But I also don’t trust anyone, and have a history of family members children being abused in daycare. And also on the news, there is always stories about kids getting treated badly in daycare even by the employees let alone the other kids who bite and hit. I know that myself being a protective Mama bear, if anything ever happened to my child under someone else’s watch I would be hyper aggressive, possibly even physical at the thought of my child being harmed in someone else’s watch. Is there any way to get over this? I am also debating on homeschooling because of all of the shootings? Anybody else live in fear? I am a introvert and l don’t want to make my daughter one, buttttt, l also watch a ton of true crime about people hurting children and it enrages me. How do l get over this? Maybe therapy?

Guessing game

needing help with the i k n q & x !

She's 5. Her tantrums are bigger.

My niece (5 F) has recently been placed in my care. She hasn't been with or around me in almost 3 years but I was told about the tendency to throw a tantrum before agreeing to take care of her. I thought it was going to be alright. If she's told no, or she has to do something she doesn't want to, or she did something wrong and I pull her over to talk about it (she says it's not her and then cries and throws herself down when asked to speak the truth) I have tried breathing exercises, I have spoken calmly, I have raised my voice (this is out of character for me and it makes the situation worse anyway) once I spanked her on the bottom. None of these have worked. I have never been a fan of corporal punishment and I absolutely do not want to go down that route with her. What else can I so to help stop/minimize the tantrums she has been having? I am frustrated and exhausted. Any suggestion is welcome. Any that works will be forever appreciated.

No Easter basket

Can somebody please tell me I’m not the worlds worst mom for not buying my 4.5 month old an Easter basket? I figured he doesn’t know it’s Easter so what’s the difference, I impulse buy him tons of toys and clothes during our 3am feeds anyway. Today I wake up to pictures in my bump groups on Facebook and friends with babies the same age with these elaborate baskets of toys and books and clothes for their wee babies. Feeling major mom guilt today 🙃

What would you do?

NOT asking medical advice, just what you would do if it were your kid. Easter Sunday, can’t reach my doc, urgent care won’t see us for head injuries under 2. My 23 month old was running and smacked his face into our wood floor. He’s going to have a goose egg in the middle of his forehead, but stopped crying fairly soon and has nursed, done a puzzle, and answered questions and conversed with us and is playing happily right now. But, a tiny trickle of blood came out of one nostril right after the fall. We applied no pressure and it stopped on its own after a few seconds. Would you go to the ER if he was acting fine? Is it likely that tiny amount of blood could be a brain bleed or is it more likely it’s just from the impact? I don’t want to put him through all of that and us through the ER bill for a “he’s fine, just watch him for vomiting.”

How did your cat react when you brought your baby home?

Our cat is a very sensitive, vocal, intelligent little fella. He's like my little shadow and my partner is his favourite play friend. I was just wondering if anyone could share their experiences of going from their fur baby being the centre of their world, to having a little baby in the mix? How did your cat react?

My daughters are so sweet!

Tonight, my 2yo (Al) closed the bathroom door on my almost 5yo (Em) fingers. Lot of cries later, it seems not too bad but the pain was real and Al felt really bad. She tried to apologise (by herself!), but Em was too angry and in pain to accept them. I explained to her that her sister loved her but was not ready to pardon yet. Fast forward half an hour later, Al is in her bed, supposed to sleep and I was laying in Em's bed with her, after the evening story, just before her 3 songs (bedtime routine since 3 years, it works really well with her). We started to hear my precious 2 years old little love singing in her room, as loud as possible. Em exclamated "hoo this is my favourite song!!" So when I started to sing the special Em's song with her name in, she sang with me, but changed the lyrics for her little sister, loud enough for her to hear. They are so sweet, and loving, and supportive to each other, and compassionate, ... Tonight I'm a proud mama!!

What’s your screentime rules and stipulations for your tweens?

I’m looking for ideas and suggestions. My daughter (turns 10 next Sunday) has had pretty free rein - between school being shutdown during covid lockdowns and other extenuating factors (single parent, divorce/split household) - not all day every day but not limited enough IMO and I’m looking to see what others’ kids are allowed, and what stipulations there are around them. I do use screentime restrictions on her iPad but that’s about it. It gives her an hour per day and 3 hours per day on the weekend. Sometimes I extend it. Sometimes I feel like even that is too much. What kind of chores do your kids do? Is it linked to screentime? Allowance? Anything else? Thanks!

What would you never say to a new parent?

For example, I would never tell them “just wait for so and so (in a negative way)” because what could have been difficult for me, may not necessarily reign true to others. The unnecessary panic and anxiety just seems kind of cruel. What are yours?

Infestation help!!!

So either my darling cat, or my DH had brought fleas into our home. This isn’t the first time that it’s happened but last time I had somewhere that I could isolate with baby while we took care of the issue. How do we get rid of a flea infestation when we have a nearly 15 month old who is into everything… advice please? Cos I’m about to itch my skin off y’all I’m so allergic