Parenting Contents Archive

Should I say "half-sister?"

My daughter and my son have different mothers. This is not an issue for me, my wife, or my son. But for some reason, his mother always refers to his sister as his 'half-sister.' Sure, biologically. But there's no reason to refer to her this way unless I need to specify for a reason. I never use the 'half' referring to them in general. It feels like I'm making their relationship lesser if I do. I'm not wrong!

having a disagreement over sleeping arrangements

OK so my son is now 6 months, he still breadtfeeds a couple of times a night but sleeps fantastic in between. Our room is in the loft and baby is a side cot next to me, his nursey is downstairs. My partner wants him to now move to his own room but I'm not ready, emotionally I'm not but also practical. I'm back working as a nurse and I get so tierd, the thought of having to get out of bed go down stairs to feed and settle then back up sounds awful. But also I really still enjoy having him near me and I get a good sleep. We don't agree on this at all and I feel it will cause some tension. Any suggestions or has anyone been through this?

Lame issue. The person making my drink popped all the boba.

I feel kind of like a b**** complaining about this but it's really annoying. I went to Wawa to order a frozen drink with boba. When I picked it up I noticed that there wasn't any in there. I asked where they were. She told me they were in there and that they were just blended in. I was really confused as I ordered frozen during this before with boba and they typically are at the bottom. When I asked she said the directions told her to blend them. She put a few on top and told me next time to make sure I tell them my special directions. I feel like blending the boba kind of deceits the purpose of them.

This is probably a dumb question, but how do I go about establishing custody for my child in the event that I die?

I’m a solo mom to a 3YO boy (never met his dad) and I just want to make sure that my son goes to my sister if anything ever happened to me. I’m worried that the state would try to track down his bio dad. Honestly I’m very uneducated on this topic, but I would like to invest in a will/custody plan if possible.

Surely it’s just not fair??

(A funny vent) It’s not fair that we get our periods so soon after giving birth. Why can’t the men take over for like a year or so?? I got my first period 8 weeks postpartum. I am now 6.5 months postpartum and it’s still not any easier! In fact, it seems even more difficult haha! The extreme exhaustion with the bleeding and cramps? And again I ask, why can’t the men take this burden for a while?? And before anyone says breastfeeding stops your period, this did not ring true for me, RIP (I have to add though, my husband is absolutely amazing, especially when the evil red dot appears!!)

Evidence for or against limiting dairy

Child of the 90s here and I am very hesitant to have my twins start on drinking cows milk. I have preconceived prejudices about hormones and additives in milk that freak me out! Our pediatrician was very non committal about switching them to milk (he even said just give water and make sure they get a healthy, balanced diet) but my partner loves it and wants to share it with the girls. I'd prefer non dairy subs and dairy as an occasional thing but I can't find some real hard evidence either for or against dairy that I trust. Thanks!

What are some common customs in your culture in regards to children?

In my culture we put this type of eyeliner on babies to ward off evil and make their eyes look pretty. Co sleeping is very common and most children don’t get their own rooms until they’re older. Living in a multi generational household is normal and everyone has a part in raising a child including aunts and grandparents. Seven days after a baby is born we shave their head and throw a massive party.

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Just cried hysterically thinking about going back to work next week.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m ready to start making money again, but I’m not ready to leave my baby to go back to work. I’m 4.5 months postpartum, have been out of work since January 1st, & I know I’m lucky to be living in New Jersey where we have 12 weeks paid maternity (how pathetic that’s it though) and my jobs protected, but damn the United States is so shitty to women. Any encouraging words please send them my way. I’m extremely anxious and heart broken. I don’t know how women do it in states that don’t have the benefits that I have here. I just want to hug you guys.

Logistics with 3 kids

I have never wanted more than 2 kids, but here I am with a 4 year old and a 1 year old and major baby fever. One thing that has turned me off of the idea of more than 2 kids in the past is logistics. For those with 3 or more kids…is it really difficult to find a babysitter? And what about traveling? And coordinating kids activities/sports once they are older and involved in organized activities? Both my husband and I work full time and will continue to work full time even if we do add a third.

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My niece is terrified of men except for her dad. Any explanation behind this?

Heyy! So my niece is 10 months old and ever since she became aware of her surroundings from when she was 3-4 months, she has been terrified of men. She’s scared of my brothers, all of her uncles, my boyfriend, basically any male. Apparently this is common and not so unusual. Is there a particular explanation for why this seems to be a thing? I’m just curious Thanks 💖

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Starting a Masters Degree with a daddy's girl - what do you do?

My 1.5 year old daughter is extremely clingy to me (her father). She will cry if Ileave her with her mom. She's very attached to me. I'm starting my masters degree. I have a 9-5. And own a company. What have you done to study and get the information into your brain for a degree while you're a parent? Bonus if you also have a job? Bonus bonus if you also have a business?

How do people “play” with newborns?

FTM to a four-week old. He’s been pretty difficult in the past week. If he’s not eating, he’s pooping/farting/peeing. If not those, he’s crying. He seriously had no chill these days. So, I feel like we’ve become stuck with this routine of feed/change/try to get to sleep as soon as possible. Otherwise, he can fuss and cry for hours. Obviously this doesn’t leave much room for activity time. We try to do tummy time everyday, even abbreviated versions with the baby draped over our shoulders. It’s a bit of a hit or miss, with him sometimes too sleepy or upset to do anything. We also try to play him some songs, narrate our day, and show him some black and white images, but he doesn’t seem all that interested or focused. It all feels like we’re falling short in some ways when it comes to stimulating and engaging with the baby. Anyone have any tips for playing with a fussy/difficult baby? Or is this all pretty normal at this age?