Parenting Contents Archive

As if I didn’t feel bad enough, now I’m being shamed by my own father.

Please explain how swim diapers actually prevent poop contamination in the pool

Okay, maybe this is silly but it's driving me crazy. I just bought some reusable swim diapers for our 9 mo old and was explaining to my husband that they don't absorb liquid, just hold in poop so that poop doesn't contaminate the pool. Then he asked, "but if there's poop in the diaper in the pool, isn't that contaminating the pool just the same as if the poop was free floating in there? It's still in contact with the water." And I realized he was right. So, is there something we're missing here? Do swim diapers actually prevent poop contamination (if so, how?) or just make us feel like they do because we don't see the poop? I know some pools require kids in diapers to only use the kiddie pool but now I'm a little squicked out to go in any pool that a baby had been in, knowing it could be contaminated by poo hiding in a diaper. (I know chlorine is powerful stuff but still...)

SGA baby and feeling so much guilt

My beautiful boy was born full term but under 6 pounds making him in the 8th percentile of weight. After a very long and traumatic labor ending in a c section I feel tremendous guilt about him being small and anxious about any long term effects of his heart rate dipping low several times. To add to the guilt I gained about 45 pounds so I assumed some of the weight was him. I am really working on being present with him and not comparing but I see all these 9 pound babies being born and all my family and friends comment on how small he is. Has anyone else given birth to an SGA baby and had them catch up on weight?

Should a boy wipe after he pees?

Okay this probably is a weird question, but I’m a single mom and I have no idea. I just read a comment on another subreddit that if your son is uncircumcised he needs to wipe after he pees.. my son is 19 months and wanting to potty train so should I be getting him to wipe? I always thought boys don’t wipe after they pee? Again.. no penis here so I have no idea what’s the norm 😂 I also never thought I’d have to ask a bunch of strangers about penis stuff but here we are.. help me understand please😭

Does anyone else…

Use their child as a stand-in for a magic 8-ball? Hey son, do I want mushrooms on my pizza or pepperoni? Hey son, should I read a book or crochet? Hey son, do you think it will rain today?

Research has shown that shy learners are actually the most flexible and they can be the most creative problem solvers. @jryoung @EdSurge https://t.co/EBmVrnnnqR

Good balance and coordination is key to so many things as little bodies develop! Here are 14 great ways to help your toddler with balance and coordination: https://t.co/fKD1Zmhm20 https://t.co/Nwx8NfmTOk

We have a delicious treat for you to make with the kids thanks to @RachelBustin - let's learn how to make these yummy kids summer fruit snacks. #31daysofactivities https://t.co/vaiCJWgaUv

My tween's life is filled to overwhelm with the demands of school, athletics, and his blooming social life. One day I decided to give him what I needed when I was his age, a time-out in nature. @AngelaRWrites #health #nature #parenting https://t.co/YfivxMKMHd

What’s the magic word? What do you say? Close your mouth! Do you ever feel like a parrot in your attempts to get your kids to use their manners? 5 Steps to Better Manners: https://t.co/YEURb13rU5

Healthcare in this country is a joke

I’m sick with a nasty sinus infection so I go through my health insurance for a telehealth visit. I pay the $30 copay for the doctor to prescribe me a medication. Awesome! Didn’t have to leave the house with the kids to see the doc. Pharmacy calls - my insurance won’t cover it because they need a prior authorization (aka the doctor needs to tell them why I need this medication). Yes, the doctor I paid my insurance $30 to see that is employed by them. The doctor who went through a decade of schooling to know what medications to prescribe. This prior authorization will take days. I am sick TODAY. I’m fucking fuming. I pay over $500 in premiums for my family to have health insurance every month to a billion dollar corporation that won’t even cover a $100 prescription! MEDICARE FOR ALL! This country doesn’t give a flying fuck about the welfare of their citizens. They care about money, honey. Luckily I can pay out of pocket, but why the fuck should I? It’s 100% bullshit.

“Make textbooks better,” an imperative in Learning for Justice’s Teaching Hard History: American Slavery—a study that examined how American slavery is taught in U.S. schools & what needs to change for it to be accurately taught. @DrBenz3 @learnforjustice https://t.co/z7HtSUMSVR

Nap-time Lengths

Anyone else have kids that continued to nap pretty well past 2 years old? My son is 22 months old and has continued to nap between 2-3 hours daily, and is sleeping from roughly 8pm-6:30-7am. I feel like I only hear parents saying that their kids drastically decreased nap times or dropped them completely by this age, but my son is still going strong. I’m not bragging, by the way - I know it’ll stop at some point and I’m dreading it 😂

💻It is never to early to think about your child's safety online. Here are some important considerations for #parents of young children👇 📌For more advice visit the Webwise Parents Hub: https://t.co/HrFv0MJlP2 #OnlineSafety https://t.co/RoyxSnGqAR

Is it ok to hold my preschooler back one more year?

I’m not sure if I am doing the right thing. My daughter is ready for kindergarten academically speaking but she was also just diagnosed with selective mutism. She speaks wonderfully at home and has a large vocabulary but won’t speak a word in school. I thought I would hold her back another year hoping she will be able to talk by then. Are there any downsides to holding her back?