Parenting Contents Archive

"The key is for educators to do something this summer that honors and holds the year that was and rebuilds our sense of purpose and of self so that we are ready for the school year to come." @Chalkbeat https://t.co/7g6ynoqray

Food my six month old ate accidentally today

A handful of sausage gravy that she smacked her fist into and promptly shoved in her mouth, a small bit of French fry that her brother snuck onto her tray, mustard that must’ve somehow gotten from my sandwich onto her sneaky little baby fingers and into (all over) her mouth, and I just pulled a hot Cheeto she was thoroughly enjoying from her hand after she got about five licks into it. Ah now she’s scooting towards the cat food. Good lord… get back here!!!!!

I don't trust anyone to watch my kid

Do you get anything done during contact naps? How?!

My 12 week old babe likes to nap on me in a wrap carrier. We sometimes have luck with the crib, but those naps are usually quite short. So basically, if I want my LO to get a nice long nap, I wrap her up and sit back in a rocking chair with the sound machine on. Do you folks get stuff done during contact naps? I am afraid to wake her...and honestly my back hurts so I find it easier to just hang out in the rocking chair and dink around on my phone...like right now...

Baby learned to roll back to tummy

…at 1am last night lol. Coincidentally I was awake that time and saw him do it, but then he got frustrated trying to roll back and cried so I helped him roll onto his back, where he fell asleep quickly. He ended up waking my husband and I up four more times because he kept getting stuck. Tonight we said our goodnights to him and placed him in his crib on his back. As usual he fussed for a bit but was quiet and fell asleep a little while later. About an hour later I checked in on him and found him sleeping on his stomach. His head is to the side and he seems fine but y’all my heart just about jumped out of my chest at the sight and I know people say that when a baby learns to roll over in their sleep to just leave them but I’m just anxious 😭 I guess I just wanted this off my chest, but it is fine to leave babies sleeping on their stomachs once they’ve learned to roll, right? Baby boy just turned 19 weeks and I am a FTM ready to run in at any sound he makes lol.

When to introduce drinks other than water and cow's milk?

**STATS** *17 month old daughter. Formula fed from week 2 on. Baby led Weaning started at 6 months. Transitioned off all formula and nipples at 12 months. Present day: hearty apatite, eats well and diverse. Drinks minimum of 24 oz of water per day, and exactly 12 ounces of cows milk at 6:30pm every evening.* Question: When do we introduce juices? Are they safe? We do not drink juice/soda- all we keep in our home is water, sparkling water and occasional protein shakes. Oh and caffeinated green tea. We have no interest in bringing soda or things like kool aide into our home, but want to provide baby girl with a well rounded and healthy childhood. So when to introduce sugary drinks like fruit juice etc? What brands/kinds? Current plan is to wait for her to directly ask for something other than water or milk. Thoughts?

“It’s my life and I don’t have to do that.” I need help

Our daughter is 7 and I get this response daily to eating, going for walks, anything she feels it’s suitable to say in response. Im trying to get her to have lunch and she says “you’re forcing me to eat”. Im just trying to feed her. She only wants deli-meat. Im trying to give her a lunch that is more nutritious and she says “it’s my life and you’re forcing me to eat”. Any ideas? Mods: I don’t feel this is a “my kid said this” type of post. To me that type of post would be a shocker or a reaction-grabbing type of thing. If it is, I’ll kindly move it.

Just been told I have to give up caffeine for a month.

I have a 7 week old. And a 2 year old and a 5 year old. Wish me luck!

My almost two year old stops cosleeping w/ partner tonight and I'm sad about it,

My partner and I haven't been able to share the bed properly because our two young children have always coslept with us separately in different beds which I know is a bizarre concept, one of them now sleeps on her own and the other is stopping cosleeping with my fiance tonight and I just feel weirdly sad about it. I can't wait to actually be able to sleep beside my partner again as I know our situation is a strange one but I can't help but feel guilty about changing everything for my son and I feel like we're just abandoning him to sleep on his own. We're not going to let him cry himself to sleep though like if he wakes up we'll go in and settle him but I just can't stop feeling sad about it :(

How do you do it??

How do you balance everything going on? I have 3 children, work full time with children, have a husband who needs attention, a house to clean (which my husband does help with), and try to do things I enjoy for my own sanity and self care. I’m stressed and burned out. How do you all do it?

Sometimes the right time to say something is not right now. 💛

I don’t want a fucking life lecture. I want some emotional support

Dear DH. If I text you during the day telling you about the tantrums and breakdowns our 2yo and me just both had because he’s a typical not-listening-wreaking-havoc-toddler and some days are just completely overwhelming shit shows, I don’t want a fucking reply about how “if I don’t want to be a mum I should get a job and you can stay at home with toddler” I WANT A REPLY SAYING SOMETHING LIKE “HEY MUM ITS OKAY HE’S A PSYCHO TODDLER AND YOU’RE DOING YOUR BEST WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT, DON’T STRESS I LOVE YOU YOU’RE A GOOD PARENT” The fucking end. Asshole. Stupid dumbass asshole

Infant so needy - need suggestions & calming words of sympathy.

Okay, LO is just about seven months now. We happened to get all the 6mo shots two days before two teeth popped through over night. LO is crazy needy, and I can go through all the songs and snuggles and everything through the fussies and the crying... but I think SO is struggling, and I don’t know if/when/how to help. What tricks and tips do you have (that worked for you or worked for SO) when you really just struggle to get through the rough patches of fussy, needy infant 24/7? She needs almost constant soothing, her mouth hurts and it’s a rough time, and the fussy cries are what is getting to and frustrating SO. I take LO as much as I can, and we have a babysitter for a good chunk of my work shift, but LO’s bed times seem to be the worst fussies and that’s when SO gets frustrated (alone for bedtime).

Thumb sucking

My almost two year old has been a thumb sucker since she was in the womb. We've tried talking to her about it and reminding her to take her thumb out of her mouth. We tried the mesh glove but she rips it off really easily. I've painted her nails with bitterent, but she sucks on it regardless. What else can I do?

Face mask advice needed

My 6 year old is on day 2 of summer camp and both days has been picked up without a mask. Other than complaining that the counselors aren’t enforcing masks (because that’s futile) any tips on keeping them from getting lost? He’ll wear one for hours no issue- it’s the transition periods- outside to inside, lunch, swimming where they go missing. He was remote learning for the past 18 months, so this hasn’t come up!