Parenting Contents Archive

Husband has the appetite of a picky toddler

My husband is 31 years old and eats like a picky toddler. His favorite foods consist of fries, hot dogs, Mac and cheese (but ONLY the shapes kind) and hamburgers with ketchup only. Every time we go out to dinner he only wants a hamburger with ketchup and fries. Sometimes I want a Mexican restaurant for Pete’s sake. I’ve given up cooking dinner for him because I am SO SICK of hamburgers and air frying French fries. I literally don’t think I can eat another hamburger for as long as I live. I started making actual dinners for me and my daughters and he’s had to fend for himself with his Mac and cheese lately. We got subway for lunch yesterday and he got turkey and bread. That’s it. No sauces, cheese or veggies. L o l. Anyway. Rant over

Baby logic

Tips for burping newborn

Hi all, Any helpful videos or advise to burp a newborn after breastfeeding? The most comfortable I have felt is sitting her up and leaning her slightly forward and begin patting. However I hardly hear a burp. She seems very gassy at times as she shows signs of discomfort and brings her legs up. She has also been spewing up a small amount of breast milk every now and then and is hiccuping after feeds. It is probably normal, but being a new dad, every noise and action has me on edge!! LO is 5 days old and has no issues pooping.

I snap/yell at my kids when I’m frustrated and I don’t know how to stop. Help!

I feel like the worst parent ever because my social feeds (including Reddit) are all gentle parenting. I try SO HARD. But when I get frustrated/at the end of my rope, I yell / snap. I sometimes get so angry I want to hit my kids (but do not). I always apologize, cuddle, say it was wrong and explain my feelings. There’s always repair. But I can’t stop! I don’t know how to create more capacity for “shit”. I feel like it takes quite a bit for me to start yelling, it’s not an everyday thing. Two questions 1) how do you find endless empathy / endless patience??! 2) am I the only one? It feels like it! My kids are 2.5/4.5/6

When Your Kids Are a Little Too Polite lol (I thought this was too cute)

So my daughter (f14) texted me from class. They are learning about something in ELA and they were taking notes. They had to write what "lady of the night" and "a house of Ill repute" actually mean. Her teacher wanted them to use " h.." and " wh...house" but she didn't want to use those words in her notes so she asked me for alternatives. I told her she could use prosti.... and broth... Lol she was ok with that. What a sweetheart. It made me giggle. Figured I'd share

I got sewn up crooked

I've been embarrassed to talk about this until now but when I went in to have my now 2 month old the OB asked "who did your last c-section?" With almost a puzzled look on his face and I told him my old OBs name (we only switched because he switched hospitals) and he tells me my midline in like 4 inches off... he said he was going to do his best to straighten it out for me but he didn't want to stretch it too much. Even now as I'm recovering you can still see that lime that pops up when you're pregnant and now that it's going down it looks more like 2 inches off and I just can't get over it. I know it's cosmetic but omg

How to get dirty kids across the house to the bath??

Like if my kids are head to toe dirt and mud from playing outside how do I get them to the bath without getting the whole house dirty? We have to walk through our sunroom, playroom, kitchen, dining room and living room before we get to the bathroom. I’d hose them off in the yard, but they would scream bloody murder if I tried that, and they’d just be all wet walking through the house instead of dirty, plus most times it’s just a bit too chilly. I want to be able to be chill about them getting dirty, but knowing that every room in my house is going to see that dirt makes me twitchy when they’re playing in the mud. Any genius ideas out there?

Dropped phone on head

I feel HORRIBLE. My baby was laying on a pillow right on side of me and my iPhone was at the top of the pillow and I moved and the phone slid down and knocked her on her head. She cried soooo hard I mean I’ve never heard her cry like that. She eventually calmed down and seemed to be acting normal but was fussy but she was fussy before because she’s tired. I feel horrible. Should I be worried ? I’ve never felt so bad in my life :( She is 3 months old.

8 month old only sleeps for Dad, and it sucks so much.

For the last week, any time I try to put down our 8 month old (nap or nighttime) he immediately wakes up like I set him in a bear trap. Screaming, crawling, standing up. I’ve tried 5 minute increments of CIO where I go into his room without picking him up, soothing words and pats, and leaving to no avail. I’ve tried nursing him back to sleep, but as soon as he touches the crib he’s pissed. I’m smaller than my husband and I just don’t think he feels as secure or comfy in my arms, which is sad. My husband works from home, but obviously isn’t always available to assist. I just spent 90 minutes trying to settle an over-tired grumpasaurus, and my husband had a break between meetings and got him to sleep in 5 minutes. If anyone needs me I’ll just be crying in the kitchen.

Mom skincare

I’m a first time mom to a wonderful baby, but I’m really bad at juggling everything, and taking care of myself has come dead last. I feel like I’m at the point where I feel like a mess all the time. My face is dry and puffy feeling all the time and my eyes have enormous bags. Time and money are tight, but what are people’s suggestions for quick and easy skincare so I can start feeling like I’m doing something for myself and regain a little self confidence?

I’m homeless and want to seek help but I’m afraid that cps will get involved.

I currently live in upstate New York and I’m sleeping in my car in a friend’s driveway . My son(1) is staying inside with his father and his girlfriend and is well cared for/has his basic needs met. This isn’t their house either. The person we are staying with kicked me out and even before then there is no room for me. I want to try and get assistance through the county but the person we are staying with is on food stamps and not only do we not want to mess up their assistance bc they have kids but we are also afraid that cps might step in if I were to apply. If anyone who is familiar with the process in New York id love to know my options. Right now the only thing I can think of doing is just staying in my situation until I can get my own place.

How can I best ensure my stepson feels loved and secure after his baby sister arrives?

We have 50/50 custody, one full week with us, one full week with his mom and his stepdad. He is an only child and he has great relationships with all four of us. His sister (my first biological child) is due in 3 months, almost exactly one month before his 13th birthday. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

General advice on what to do at labor

I have my induction scheduled for later this week (at 40w). Looking for some general advice on dos, donts and labor experience from parents here. What helped prep you the most? What you wish you had done differently? Any useful links?

Maternity photos

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant with my first. At the beginning I was looking at photographers to take maternity photos since I know you need to book far in advance sometimes. I kept putting it off as I felt like everyone's work I looked at looked kind of corny, cheesy or just not what I'm envisioning. I found one who fit my aesthetic, however, I would be spending around $2.5k. So my question is are getting professional maternity photos worth it? Or are they like your senior photos in high school that you never look at again? Anyone here who didn't get them and regret not getting them done?

Baby is sleeping all day???

So I got a 5 month old who is my second. Last night he slept like normal but this morning he was super pissed at the world and just a grump. We dropped off his older brother at school then around 8 am he fell asleep in the carseat. He woke 15 minutes after and was just a mess until 9:30 where I nursed him to sleep. Now all day I’ve been laying with him nursing and he’s still asleep at 1:30 pm. He doesn’t have a fever and he is teething, but my first never slept this much in a day before. Has anyone had this happen to them and their little one?