Parenting Contents Archive

I think my daughter hates me.

My daughter (7) is mean to me. She’ll tell me she wishes I was prettier like other moms. And she wishes I had long nails and long eyelashes. She’s even told me she doesn’t want me to be fat anymore. My SIL is very girly. Eyelashes, makeup, heels, nails, the whole 9. She’s told me she wishes that was her mom. What do I do about this? Im not a girly girl and I don’t do the whole makeup and nails thing. I’m like 20lbs overweight, so not fat, I guess she just wants me to be skinny? If she stays the night somewhere, she treats me like absolute shit when she gets home. Won’t talk to me. Only wants her dad. Ignores me. My heart is breaking. She’s my only daughter and she hates my guts and I don’t even know what I did besides not being girly. Advice please!

Appropriate age to leave kids home alone

Looking for a general discussion. For many of us in our 30s and 40s, our parents left us home quite often starting at a fairly young age - I’m guessing many would say age 6 to 10 for the first time. These days, it’s much more taboo regardless of the fact that there’s way more technology! There’s ring doorbells and security cameras, in home ‘nanny’ cams like Arlo and you can even call into your Alexa and google home from your phone and have your kids call you from them. Some states have clearly states laws on what age is appropriate and some have no laws at all - just at the parents discretion and not to the point of neglect (OBVIOUSLY!) What age have you left your kids at home alone for the first time and for how long? What type of monitoring systems do you have in place (security/nanny/phone)? And are you urban or rural?

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COVID vaccine for kids under 5 could be available as soon as June 21

How do I (f25) coparent?

My daughters father (26m) and I have always had a rocky relationship for starters. He’s always had an issue communicating (so have I but I’ve recently started getting much better) and recently said he’s had issues trusting me with our daughter. She’s absolutely wonderful, she’s very happy and smart so her health and well being isn’t an issue. His family does help me take care of her (like a lot) since I work so much to make ends meet. I asked him for examples on why he can’t trust me and he said he just couldn’t and it almost turned into a fight. I’ve asked him to please just talk about whatever issues he has with me but he won’t. I can’t imagine another 18 years of this. What can I do to make it better and parent our daughter with as much grace as possible?

My toddler refuses to go to bed and i am out of ideas

My toddler (4) is really good all day and then bedtime comes and it’s a giant production. We do her whole routine that we have always done but now at the end of it, she just refuses to get into bed. She starts with ‘no’ and then starts yelling, throwing and hitting. This has been going on for two weeks. I have tried a nightlight, staying and coming back every 5-10-15 minutes, just leaving, reading another book, staying in her room, getting her out and redoing the routine… I just dont know anymore. At this point it takes another two hours to her to sleep so it’s 9pm and i get half an hour of me-time before i have to go to sleep myself so i dont go sleepdeprived to work. Nothing has changed otherwise. School is the same, routine is the same. Any ideas are welcome i am going bananas.

Need crib to bed transitioning advice!

Hi! We will be moving to a new house in a week and decided to get a Montessori bed instead of rebuilding our crib again for our 19m old. I also need to stop breastfeeding for good and that means no bed time bf. She is sleep trained but sometimes for naps and bed time she does fight it a bit and cries for like less than a minute but I’m not sure what she’ll do if she does that with a bed she can get out of. Her room will definitely be very safe and I’m also not sure if she’ll be able to open her door yet. If anyone has ANY tips even not under the same circumstances they would be much appreciated as I am a bit nervous about this!

Stupid Question - Tooth Fairy

My kiddo lost her first tooth. We have it in a spot. She drew a picture. What is the going rate for a tooth these days? It's been over 30 (35???) years since the tooth fairy visited me. I was thinking a $1. Only problem is it will be change because the tooth fairy and her husband only have $20 in thier wallets. 😂 We are doing the tooth fairy. I know that not everyone is into that any more. But I want to hold onto some magic since the world is shit anyway.

Already missing my child(current toddler) when grown up

My spouse in bed yesterday said, ‘it’s sad that our little one (almost 3yr old) will one day grow up and go on his way and won’t wanna hang out with us.’ Could not agree more 😭. Obviously don’t want to kangeroo him and do want him to have his own independent healthy life. We are trying really hard to be good parents (gentle parenting) so he won’t hate us and will not interfere with his life once grow up so he doesn’t mind us living in the same city/state/ country. Both myself and spouse are from outside US, so fearful our son would wanna move to somewhere we can’t follow… like we did. 🥺 All my fears are my own doing, for sure. Please don’t be like me, my son.

He threatened to hurt me.

I've been with this verbally abusive man for so long. Im a stahm financially dependent on him. I have absolutely nothing. When he gets aggressive I back down and try not to have it escalate but, I am human. He was screaming at me that he was hungry even though I gave him so many options that I could make for him. He kept calling me a cunt. I snapped and told him to grow up. That he can make his own food every now and then. No joke, he refuses to eat unless someone makes him food. When I stood up for myself he told me I need to walk away before he seriously hurts me and put me through a wall. 10 minutes later he said " you know I didn't mean that I would never." Coming from the same man who SA me and verbally/ emotionally abused me for 6 years. I am absolutely terrified of him. I hate my life so much.

Weird guilty pleasures

I’m not sure why I feel the need to share this, but it seems weirder keeping it a secret. There are a lot of weird things I do since having the little one that my husband looks at me all sideways for. BUT I LOVE IT. The list includes: - leaving spit up on my shirt or hair all day because it reminds me of her - wiping the boogers I dig from her tiny nostril on my pants - smelling her tiny armpits on the changing table - giving her little toothless mouth a smooch Any weird ones you do? 😂

i took my 4 year old to the dentist today

I was horrible...it's been hours and i still feel bad for having to hold her down while they semi cleaned her teeth....like screaming pulling on my shirt to get back up to me she has alittle running nose from allergies so that was running down her throat making her cough...i was alittle shocked when they looked at me and expected or assumed i was ready to hold her down...i thought she was going to hate me afterward....i was about to tell the dentist that's enough but know it needed to be done....isn't there a better way of doing this? Maybe i am crazy but i am afraid she is going to not trust me as much after something like this

would you spend 10k to end an apartment lease in order to get a yard for the kids?

3 kids under 4. Lease isnt up until 10 months. Will cost 4x our rent to end it early which comes to about 10k. Will cost around 15-20k for moving expenses. Just want to rent a townhome with a yard. What would you do? Signed, A stay at home mom who is going insane

I have no clue what to do. My 7YO was sexually assaulted at his summer daycare.

Just got off the phone with his mother about what occurred. He just started summer daycare, and he’s been there the past two summers without any incidents. Staff said that another child in his class was touching him in the privates and kissing him on the face. We have talked to my son before about his body and no one should be touching him in that area unless his parents are present and he is comfortable. I’ve taken him to all his well-child appointments and when it comes to checking the genitals, he’s always very uncomfortable and tries to run away from the pediatrician. Therefore, I do not think he was willingly allowing this to happen. The staff said they are not able to separate the children (small facility and classes are divided by grades). I am infuriated and have no clue on what to do about this. Any idea on how to approach this situation?

Interventions that seek to evoke empathy in teachers can sideline biases and narrow the racial gap in suspensions of middle school students, suggests new UC Berkeley research. @YazPsychNews @GreaterGoodSC @UCBerkeley https://t.co/FsrrbcK5df