Parenting Contents Archive

The Damn Mental Load

My husband is actually a great contributor. He cleans, cooks a couple nights a week, plays with our daughter. But why is EVERYTHING we have to remember on me. Our toddler has asthma. He picks up the inhaler from CVS, I ask him to give her her dose when he’s up with her in the morning. Two days later I’m wondering why her cough is worse since she’s getting two doses a day and he goes ‘oh. I was supposed to do that? You didn’t remind me!’ You are allegedly an adult. Why do I need to remind you to do a simple task to keep our kid healthy? It’s always the same story.I schedule doctors appointments, make the grocery list, keep track of when we need diapers, read the books on potty training, while he just bumps along. And even though I make 40% more, I’m still always the one taking her to appointments because my job is remote and flexible. It looks like we do the same amount on the outside, chore-wise. But the mental load means my plate is never empty and I’m so goddamn tired of it.

Toddler for sale

Great deal, only 3 years old. Features include: -deciding he does not want the snack he just asked for 2 minutes ago -partying during nap time but falling asleep at 5 p.m. only to be up until midnight -needing one specific toy that has been lost for 6 months or else he will die (he is certain of this) -using any and all available furniture as a jungle gym and then inevitably injuring himself despite multiple warnings -talking 100% of the time -knocking over the pile of clean laundry immediately after you finished folding it -smacking you for literally no reason other than he just feels like it -claims he does not have to pee, only to need to use the bathroom urgently as soon as we are 10 minutes away from the house

Kid in a fridge

So my sister and her kids came over and my wife and I recently had a baby. My sisters kids apparently picked up the baby from her crib and put her in the fridge. I caught them before shutting the door, but does anyone know what would happen if they had shut the door?

I feel like I am raising my children radically different from the way I was raised

...and I feel like there are so many unknowns. It feels like one giant experiment. Kids grow so quickly and I'm trying to be ready for the next curveball, and having no point of reference kind of gives me the feeling that I'm scrambling. I understand that I will make mistakes, but I feel like I have to try sooooo hard to avoid making *everything* a mistake. Like I feel I'm just getting into the groove of toddler parenting - - I feel confident and ready for a tantrum - - but my oldest is almost in school so I'm getting into that "middle ages" category. I try to look into her future and it's just blank. But even with all my confidence in toddler parenting, who knows if I've accidentally tried methods that I'm going to regret? Like if something that worked in the short term caused some sort of long-term complex? I guess all parents probably feel like they are floundering in one way or another. Anyone else feel like this?

Is a Disney World Trip worth it?

Hi guys! I’ve been planning a family vacation to Disney since 2018. We were supposed to go in May of 2020, but was cancelled. Now I’ve just given birth to our 4th and I’m wondering if it’s even worth the price. I used to be so excited about going, but now I’m just thinking about how we could go on 3 vacations for the same price.

Why can’t they just fucking listen?

We went to the store it started out fine. Walking around having a good time. Then bam! My cute little tot becomes a fucking demon. Screaming and yelling throwing my phone. This is every single time we go out too. Like I hate rewarding bad behavior but for the sake of the other people I always give in and let her walk with me or whatever she is crying about. Like I don’t want to have a bad kid but damn man I just can’t catch a break. She was screaming in Walmart and some guy said “Jesus fucking Christ…” like bro I know but I need to fucking get groceries. If I could leave her in the car without getting into trouble I would! And that makes me feel like shit saying it. I love my little nugget I just wish she wouldn’t be a fucking menace to society all the time. It’s embarrassing and makes me want to cry.

Are men's eyesight different to ours??

I love my husband, he is one of my favourite people. Yet when he starts a sentence: "Have you seen?" "I can't find..." "Do you know where.." I swear on everything that is holy if it does not jump out and land on him like a facehugger from alien he can't find it. My son is the same way. How. How did they become the more 'superior' sex. I swear if they weren't so keen on playing with them they'd never find their own genitals without help.

Helping husband accept the fact that our oldest probably won't go to college

I have posted about my 15 year old is the past. He is turning 16 in August and will be entering 11th grade in September. He hates school, struggles with depression and anxiety, and it is looking like college won't be in his immediate future. He is considering community college but we who knows if he will follow through. My husband comes from a hard working immigrant family. His family came to America when he was 2 and preached the importance of education. My husband and his siblings have all been very successful and my husband is struggling with the fact that our oldest may not go to college. How can I help him see that college isn't the only route to success?

Why is it so hard to make Mom friends?

I just want a friend! One friend who can join me at the park, have a glass of wine with and share funny stories. Why is adult friendship so hard? Lol We’ve met new people up on our tiny mountain. But making friends has never come easily to me. I feel like having an adult mom friend is really important for mental stability. I’ve been reaching out to other moms that we’ve met but it’s awkward! This entire thing gives me anxiety. Any advice from my internet friends?

Home security 😂

I wanted my baby this weekend but…

She needs time with her other grandparents(ex-IL’s), too. They live about 8 hours away and really only see her 5-6 times a year for a couple days at a time. She’s been missing them and really wants to go blueberry picking with them. So off she goes to have so much fun and I have an empty house. Today is a sad day for me and a happy one for her. Sometimes it hurts to make them happy and that’s okay.

Daughter’s Montessori not providing comfort to upset kids

My daughter’s Montessori practices cry it out- not just during nap time. My porch overlooks the playground, so I can’t help but notice how upset the children get and the teacher’s response is to step away from the kid. Honestly it took me a while to realize this because 1) I’m not intentionally spying 2) I used to be a teacher and know it’s not possible to comfort all kids all the time. But recently I’ve been noticing that the teacher’s response is to ignore the behavior: cross their arms, step away from the child and avoid eye contact. Of course the child gets more upset from this. I emailed the director but am wondering how other parents feel about this response?

Baby won’t latch

My son latched on to my breast minutes after coming into the world. He did it again for the next two feedings, but ever since hasn’t been able to. While in the hospital, the nurses tried to help us find a good position for him to latch on, but my nipples have turned flat. I have very large breasts and he gets frustrated trying to eat. To make sure he was fed, the nurses offered formula and we’ve been using that ever since. I still try to have him latch on a few times a day, but it goes no where. I pumped a few times, so my milk has come in, but I imagine it’s a low quantity (I have not pumped for every feeding). Anyone know how long before it stops producing, if I just pump 2-3 times a day? Should I stop entirely? I feel so guilty but can’t seem to make myself pump every feeding. Baby boy is healthy and happy, eats formula like a champ and is gaining weight. Excellent poops and pees. So why do I feel like stopping entirely is bad?

Husband fed up with my PPD

My husband is tired of coming home from work to an overwhelmed wife and hectic environment. I told him that would help if he took our son outside briefly when he gets home so that I can complete some chores. He said he's going to do it but he doesn't want me to be in a bad mood in the first place when he gets home. I just don't have it in me to be June cleaver. I'm in therapy but I don't feel like I'm getting better fast enough. I just feel so hopeless. Honestly I have a lot of fun with my son but the period from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. is really rough. Has anyone else experienced this?

Plain food vs. Seasoned food

Can someone please explain to me what the big fuss is over giving my baby seasoned food? I understand *introducing* the food plain, but why is it such a faux pas to feed her seasoned veggies? I want her to eat what we eat. I want her to feel like she's an equal part of our family by sharing our food. Am I wrong here? Does feeding her seasoned food really have such a detrimental effect on her sense of taste later in life?