Parenting Contents Archive

In what situations should you give up custody of your child?

Pretty much as the title states. I have no doubts that I made the correct choice for my son. I have PTSD, severe bipolar disorder with episodes of psychosis, am an IV meth addict, and have not been employed for 7 years. I am not fit to be a parent, but everyone seems to think that I'm making the wrong choice by letting my mom raise him. I'm unsure if they're underestimating the seriousness of my mental health issues or if raising kids in troubled households is so common around here that they genuinely believe its okay. So question is, under what circumstances do you believe the child is better off with someone else than the mother?

Does anyone else dislike planning their kid's birthday party?

If you love planning parties, run along. This isn't for you. This is for the ladies who feel exhausted just thinking about planning and executing their kiddos birthday party. Anyone? Just me? The planning. The preparations. Entertaining people while handling your kids. Bonus points for guests who RSVP and don't show up or are super late. Extra bonus points when you do cake and gifts without them and they get upset (as if your kid doesn't have a nap schedule to keep)... Then the cleanup...

Baby kisses

Chafing products?

Hi mamas! We live in the desert & its warming up! My kiddo is wearing shorts and their legs are chunky and chafing lol I work at a drug store so i'm hoping y'all have some product recommendations? TIA 😊

Does a baby actually have to be burped?

My LO is 4 months old and she’s really hard to burp. Whenever I don’t burp her she seems to be totally fine. She’s a very happy baby that only cries when hungry. Is it really necessary to burp her? Are there any benefits to it?

When you have food poisoning but still have to cook. I did it!

Im a single mom of three 5 years old and under, I woke up with a fever, chills, indigestion, vomiting and diarrhea. I feel like hell, today is the first day with my kids that I have felt so sick I could hardly get anything done. Still managed to get everyone dressed, go shopping, and play with my kiddos. I can't even keep water down and I'm so exhausted I didn't think I'd manage to cook anything elaborate. I made scrambled eggs, sausage, honey toast and berries and my kids devoured it. Feeling pretty proud of myself right now!

Sam’s Club/Costco diapers?

Are they just as good as the name brands?

Stroller stolen

My husband and I are so pissed, we’d had our stroller frame and diaper bag in the car overnight and someone stole them 😪 When we opened our front door this morning we saw the trunk of our car was open (clearly unusual) so we immediately checked and the stroller frame was missing from the trunk and the diaper bag missing from the backseat. Whatever butthole rifled through my car got pretty much nothing else (a lousy iPhone usb charging cable? Way to go). I’m so mad that we now have to plunk down $XXX.XX just to be able to take our baby out 😭 Anyway we’re both sad and mad.

I own the space between my ears. I can choose the perspective I want to bring to things.

And today I’m choosing to stop letting my horrifically over-reactive and judgmental husband make me miserable. If I’m not in a space to leave, I need to be in a space to choose to be happy, and that means accepting that he is who he is. He isn’t changing. His miserable attitude is a reflection on who he is, not me. I like me. I think I’m a pretty good mother and person. Nothing I do - no matter now “annoying” justifies his tantrums. It’s going to take a lot of self control to not get triggered by his behavior. But I can’t anymore. There’s a lot in my life to be happy about - despite the horrific ride I’ve been on for three years - and I choose to be joyful about what I can and not be dragged down by my husband - who has become easily the biggest source of negativity in my entire life.

Pools for the summer

So we keep buying these kiddie pools that you can’t actually swim in and have to dump and refill every week to stay clean, but I’m curious if I should just buy an above ground pool that way you can actually swim in it and with proper maintenance not have to dump and refill every week. Is it worth it making the switch or should we just stick to the kiddie pool?

Hospital let’s baby sleep in Mamaroo..?

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask. I’m confused because my baby was in NICU a few days and when they took him to do some tests the nurse said they let the babies sleep in a mamaroo while they wait for their turn. I thought swings were off limits for babies to sleep in because it’s not safe? Just surprised a hospital would be doing it. Or are some swings okay to let baby sleep in? Sorry if this is a dumb question

Does anyone else not have a TV?

I feel that every house has a TV and yet I would rather have my kids do other things than sit in front of a TV all day. Don't get me wrong, my husband and I have a TV in our office and a projector that we can bring out to watch things as a family. Am I the only one? ***EDIT: Some of you assume I have an issue with people having tvs, and that's not what I'm trying to convey. I'm simply asking if I'm alone in not having a tv that my kids can easily access.***

when can babies go swimming?

literally the title, like chlorine or salt. my baby is 3 months and will be 4 months next month when swimming time comes

Advice: Daughter visiting a house with a pool

I live in the UK and pools are rare. I'm looking for some advice from people who perhaps are a bit more familiar with home pool safety. ​ My daughter (2y) and her nanny (childminder) go on regular play dates with another child and their nanny. The other house has a pool. It is now getting warmer and the kids will be playing outdoors more in the garden, I also think they are planning to do a pool day in the summer. ​ What do I need to ask / get my nanny to ask to ensure it's a safe environment for kiddo to be going into? For instance I wondered if I should check if there be a fence? How many people need to watch the kids? My parents have a water feature and in the summer we have to shadow my daughter 100% of the time at their house because she is obsessed with it, however I imagine owning a pool is a bit different.

When did you put your child in swimming classes?

We do not have a pool if it matters. But my girl is 1 years old now and I am contemplating on putting her in group lessons or wait until she’s 2?