Parenting Contents Archive

The "sex talk" for a lesbian teen...

So I am fairly confident I could have given a great CIS HET sex talk to my daughter if she was actually HET, but she is a Lesbian. What sorts of things should I include in that chat? Are there lesbian-specific advice/warnings I should be sharing...?

Help me with an argument with my MIL

Ok so we are planning on trying for kid #3 soon. "Somehow" my MIL found out (8 year old told her). She is excited to have another grand baby. I brought up if she would like to throw a babyshower when the time came. Since our other kids are teen/tween age we are basically starting over and could use the help. MIL said that since it is #3 we weren't able to have a shower. She and I have been debating it for a bit and agreed other mom options were needed. So let's hear them!!

Safest baby sunscreen

We live in a sunny state that’s starting to get too warm for jackets, pants, and socks to keep skin covered. I’ve heard choosing broad spectrum mineral based sunscreen is best since it isn’t absorbed, but what brand(s) is/are truly safest? Especially since my baby likes to chew on his hands/ arms where sunscreen will be applied which has me worried about potential chemicals being ingested. Any guidance is appreciated.

7 year old boy

My 7 year old son plays way to rough, to the point of being a bully. Today he was playing soccer at school and to make sure he got the ball back he punched a kid in the stomach and pushed another one. I don’t know how to combat this. We have talked lots and lots of times about playing gentle and it’s ok to be competitive but it’s NOT okay to hit. He says he understands and then it happens again. He is always wanting to be first as well. When he’s at the bus stop he will push his way past his friends to try to get on the bus first. Any suggestions on what I should do, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

Rant: people who pity me for having a boy: “it’ll be awful when he’s a teen”.

I’m sorry have you met teenage girls?! In any case, this is such a shitty thing to do, to proclaim that your child’s sex is superior to a friend’s. I get it aaalll the time from friends with baby girls or whom are pregnant with girls. For info my baby is literally 14 months old. Totally innocent. And i’m still such a new mother. “Oh but you’ll have to have the porn conversation one day/ oh but what if you raise a toxic male/ oh he’ll be eating worms and bringing mud into the house soon/ oh I’m so glad I won’t have to spend my Saturdays at soccer practice/ oh I’m so glad I won’t have a boisterous toddler/ oh his voice will break one day and he won’t feel like your baby anymore.” Jesus H Christ. I had him last year! Let me keep up! I wouldn’t DREAM of saying anything like this. No doubt other parents have experienced this too (for girls or boys) and if it’s happened to you too, I’m sorry for you also.

Reasonable expectations for a 14 year old over summer vacation

What are reasonable expectations for a 14 year old activity wise? If left to her own devices she would just stay in her room on her phone sleeping in until 2pm every day. She gets excited about certain things, but when she realizes that they will take some actual effort she nopes out. For example, a recreational swim team or the teen volunteer program at the local library. I don't want to force her to do stuff but I'm afraid that if I don't make her do something she will just spend the summer in her room...

Anyone else tired of being criticized for holding your baby?

My baby is now 11 weeks old. I’ve been barked at since 4-5 weeks from my husband and family about how I’m holding the baby too much, I’m going to spoil the baby, he’ll never learn to sleep if you hold him all the time, etc, blah, blah, blah. I don’t know if you can spoil a baby by holding them a lot and personally I don’t really care at this moment. I’m the one who stuck hundreds of needles in her belly/bottom doing IVF to get this baby and I’m the one up at night taking care of this baby and I’m the one pumping multiple times a day to feed this baby and save money so people can suck it. I don’t plan to hold my baby until he’s 18 years old I just want to enjoy the newborn/baby stage before he gets too big. MAYBE they are right maybe I will regret it and he won’t sleep alone… but let me hold MY baby in peace and reap the consequences later. Thank you for listening to my rant 🙃

Which music instrument for a 4yo to awaken its curiosity for music?

Hey, i am currently thinking about buying my kid a music instrument, but i don't know if it may be to early. Does not have to be that fancy. What would you suggest? Maybe even have some experience what your own kid liked?

3.5 yr old struggling hard with not being the only child

Just had my son on April 6th. Our 3.5 year old daughter is struggling hard. Screaming tantrums about everything, being beyond difficult, regressing, etc. We are making sure to spend at least 1 or 2 hr one on one with her every day, reminding her that she's still our baby and the most important girl to us, taking her to do fun things (ice cream yesterday, fishing with daddy today), etc. Any tips on how to make this transition easier for us all? I don't want to keep fighting with her and locking myself in the bathroom afterwards so I can sob

How to keep your cool when kids won’t accept that you don’t want to play their pretend game?

I’ve spent the past three days telling my 4yo, in five thousand different ways, that I have no desire to sit in the dining room chair that he has dragged into the living room. The chairs are now a “truck” that has become a permanent fire hazard, minefield, toe stubbing obstacle course in the living room. I would like to sit on my comfortable couch. Maybe the couch could be the back seat, but no I must sit in the front and drive. Except the second I sit he will run off to do something else, leaving me just a weirdo, sitting in their dining room chair in the living room for no reason. I’m like five minutes from screaming that his game is fucking stupid and I. Do. Not. Want. To. Play. Obviously I would never actually say that to a 4yo, but damn I am *boiling* and running out of things to say.

My child has HFM disease. Should I cancel birthday party?

So my child has or had HFM disease. They still present with sores that look more like scabs now but they have no fever. When I was getting them checked by the doctor, the doctor said we can still go through with the party this Saturday. But since they still have scabs is it still contagious? Would you cancel your child’s birthday party?

Filed for child support, feeling icky

I filed for child support today and it doesn't feel good, I fought myself on it for weeks. But I think it's for the best. He'll either contribute a fair amount (he contributes nothing else - sees our daughter less than an hour out of en entire week and has a hateful attitude the entire time) or maybe he'll decide to sign his rights away. I have no clue how long it will take for the ball to get rolling, but I guess I'm glad I started the process.

Delay getting 6 month vaccines

My son's pediatricians office called to inform us that they are experiencing a shortage of vaccines and need to defer his 6 month shots. They claim it's "no big deal" to delay this. Looking for any evidence suggesting this is safe and/or okay. Thanks so much in advance.

What do you truly enjoy with young children?

I've been caught up in the feeling of parenting being a grind, and I'm trying to focus more on the joyful moments. What sorts of activities or interactions do you *genuinely* enjoy with your young kids (like age 2-7)? What are those times when you think, 'This is actually fun'?

How do I get better at being in my relationship?

Hey BroMos It feels like every year I have a revelation like this that I haven't prioritized my relationship and that it's affecting my partner. I am a mom to a 4 year old and 6 month old twins, and I'm a full time student. I have a problem with throwing myself so wholey into parenting and school and maintaining our home that I'm consistently neglecting the relationship with my incredible partner. Have any of you found some sort of balance? Like a certain number of date nights each month? Something you do that reminds you that you have a partner who needs some attention? Right now we have a little ritual each night where we say something we appreciate that the other did that day so that we always feel appreciated, but I just get so stuck in my head during the day that I lose myself and by extension any connecting with him. I guess I'm just looking to see if anyone else had gone through this and what you did to help? Thank you to anyone who replies