Parenting Contents Archive

I lost my son a couple of months ago

He was my entire world, after his mom left us I felt so alone and he was the only reason I didn't just end it all, finding out he had cancer felt like someone ripped out my heart, blended it up and stomped on it, he would've been 13 this year if he was still here, today I finally opened the door to his room, it smelled like him, I haven't cried since I was a kid but when that smell hit me I couldn't fight it, I was going through his stuff and I found a fathers day card that he forgot to give me and I broke down again trying to read it, "daddy I don't want to go to the hospital anymore. I don't like seeing you sad all of the time. I don't even feel sick" he drew us holding hands with hearts everywhere and "Myles + Daddy", god I miss this kid so much, I don't want to clean out that room anymore, I just want my son back

The trending TikTok term "almond mom" is rooted in diet culture, and it's harmful. https://t.co/vxEnaHssUz

Do you really have a baby if you don't say "big yawn" every time they yawn?

"Big stretch" also.

Do y’all just let you LO sleep in whatever position they choose?

Instruments for kids

Our almost 8 year old loves music. He takes piano lessons, and we never have to ask him to practice, he runs to the piano to play whenever he can. He adores his teacher, and especially likes the fact that the teacher lets him play electric guitar at the end of class for a few minutes. We were considering getting him a guitar for Christmas (along with lessons with his current teacher). He has his heart set on an electric guitar, but I know they are awfully heavy and harder on the fingers than an acoustic. Acoustics come in smaller sizes for smaller hands too. Has anyone started electric guitar with a kid this age, or are we setting him up for frustration and would be better going acoustic?

Confronting son over cocaine use

Hopefully this is ok to post? Just discovered, through finding a bag in his drawer AND his friend revealing he was worried about his coke use, that my son (24) is taking increasing amounts of cocaine. He doesn’t earn much, lives back at home after he couldn’t afford to live with friends, but is asking to borrow money increasingly. He’s intelligent (degree) but bored and mixing with mates who have no aspirations. Weekends are him coming home at 6am and sleeping until the evening. Question is: how do I confront him? Clearly he will deny it. Do I offer to go through his finances with him to reveal he’s spending beyond his reach on drugs? Do I point out his hangover is cleary not just alcohol? Thank you

Do you know about the importance of visual tracking? When it comes to physical literacy, if your child can follow a moving object, it's easier to catch it (or do many other things) with ease. Here are some fun games you can do to help develop the skill: https://t.co/jpDOSUFs0O https://t.co/VqrdBeYYz7

Do you pay your parents (child’s grandparents) for regular childcare? If so, how much?

My mom watches my daughter (15 months) about 12 hours per week. I have been giving her $8/hour, but feeling kinda guilty it’s not enough. She says it’s great for her for a little extra $ and she says she likes that it helps us too being cheaper than daycare. Just curious what everyone else does. BTW If it’s a random date night or Dr appt I have or something, I don’t pay her, she just wants extra grandma time :) but I feel the weekday stuff should be paid because it’s a job!

First birthday party

We decided we're not having a first birthday party for our son. We're going to have a fun packed weekend for the three of us, and then spend time with each set of grandparents sometime around his birthday. I'm tired of people telling me we NEED to have a big party for him. That it's important for him to have a party. He's one. I think he'll be okay without one. Nothing against people who have big parties at all! I'm just not in the mindset to plan and host a party right now.

How much baby food?

Maybe this is a stupid question, but I truly don't know and I forgot to ask the ped at my girl's six month appointment earlier this week. The handout we were given said to do solids twice a day but it didn't say how much. We've been doing half a jar at a time but the nutrition label says 1 jar is a serving. So... should we be doing 1 serving per feeding or 1 serving per day?

How many naps does your 6mo take? Is your baby sleeping through the night?

Just curious if your little one is taking 2 or 3 naps? How long are the naps? Are they sleeping through the night? My little one doesn’t have a set schedule- some days she naps 2x some days 3x. The naps vary from 40m-2hrs. 2hrs = if held. She’s a light sleeper. We start bed around 8p, she does 2-3 dream feeds and wakes up at 8-9a. Thanks

6months pregnant with #3 and birth fear is hitting me hard

I didn't have bad births with my first two. They were 'good.' But I mean obviously they were fucking intense and brutally painful and exhausting and overwhelming. And I've gotten to the point now that I'm like...fuck. Actually feeling fear and dread of going through it again. I've watched all these birth videos of silent women in pools with tea lights and I just...can't relate. Mine have been more like throwing up and clawing my own face and screaming in pain for hours. It's also complicated by the fact I will probably be alone in labor because dad is not involved and I don't have anyone close that can come. Idk guys. I need to change my mindset. I'm just stressing.

"Instead of circumventing the process in ways that devalue the artistry of our profession, we can support systems and structures that cultivate it." @mrwinniespeaks @EdSurge https://t.co/hsidGrTd7L

Diaper advice for my baby's incredibly prolific blowouts

My baby has a blowout probably 4 out of every 5 times she poops. I'm a first time mom so I figured this might be normal -- until she went to daycare and all the teachers commented on it. One referred to her as the blowout queen. We all know that nobody nicknamed blowout queen can ever be president, so please help: are there particular diaper brands you've tried that have solved the blowout problem? I know every baby is different, but I'm hoping for a miracle. She usually wears Pampers and I've tried Huggies (they were worse). Thank you in advance!

Relaxin levels postpartum

Do relaxin levels remain high in postpartum women who are breastfeeding? I have heard this mentioned by several physical therapists and have seen it online, but I’m wondering if there are actual sources. I can only find papers with animals.