Parenting Contents Archive

So annoyed with the in-laws

So, we are 6 weeks PP, we had a rough start with a week long NICU stay due to respiratory problems. We were supposed to split up the holidays, thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with my husbands family. When thanksgiving came around we ended up not going because my niece was sick (tested negative for covid, strep, and flu but had a fever). My family was very understanding. My mom even voluntarily quarantined herself before seeing the baby again. Everybody understood I don’t want a sick baby. But now it’s Christmas and it turns up that someone from my husbands family just tested positive for flu-b. Now the in-laws are giving me grief for backing out of Christmas dinner with the sick person in attendance. Even my husband is looking at me like I’m crazy for backing out?? Am I crazy? My MIL keeps talking to my husband about how she NEEDS to see the baby and insinuating that I’m being overprotective. I am so annoyed. I feel like there’s a double standard.

I am not OK.

But I will be. Thank you for reading.

I have a really stupid question for the older moms.

I’ve got an 18 month old and 4 year old, so when they’re awake, of course, I’m with them- planning activities, playing, watching tv, meals, bedtime routines, baths, you know. My dumb question: At what age does that begin to transition into me not entertaining them the whole day and instead just co-existing with them in the house? Does that question make sense? I’m sure the age varies somewhat depending on the kid but I’ve never really been around other kids so I don’t know if it’s like, soon for my 4 year old or years off. I ask because I daydream for the stage of parenting where I get up, can start cleaning the house or lounging on the couch or whatever, and know the kids will be entertaining themselves while I do it.

What's the deal with hating on parents with multiple kids?

Has anyone else encountered the general disdain from random strangers over having more than 2 or 3 kids? We adopted a sibling group of 8. We look very similar to them and people assume we are their biological parents. Which isn't here nor there to us, we obviously love them as our own. But strangers at the grocery store or where every will comment things like "you should have stopped at the second kid", "you have too many kids", "wow what a lot of work that must be!". I'd get it if the kids looked like they weren't being cared for properly or had insane behavior. But they are all well adjusted, clean and healthy looking, normal kids. I don't care about what they say. I'm just trying trying understand it so I can properly explain that mindset to my children bc the older ones are started to ask why some strangers get mad about them.

How to talk to MIL about scaling down Christmas presents?

Every year my mother in law goes bananas with stacks and stacks of gifts for my three kids and while I am thankful to have family that care so much and put so much energy into my children, the kids end up getting overwhelmed and our house ends up crowded with large toys, electronics etc. This also makes me feel like the presents I buy sort of pale in comparison and since we do our gift exchange with her on Christmas Eve, it seems like by Christmas morning they are burnt out on opening gifts which is a bit of a let down. I tested the waters in discussing this with her a couple of weeks ago and I guess she got offended because she immediately called my SO (her son) to vent. I know it's too late this year, but I need some tips on how to respectfully request that she scale down a bit without upsetting her or making her feel like I am taking something away from her.

Anyone else’s husband always choose some unimportant task that has to be done RIGHT NOW before you leave on a trip?

So you’re stuck getting literally everything ready and strapping in the kids? I’m sick of it. I could get the kids out of the house faster if he wasn’t here, honestly.

Part of the reason for the high rates of math anxiety is that math in the United States is viewed largely as a talent that one is either born with or not. @EdSurge @susanna_brock https://t.co/GuO8VHVDtW

#Stress & uncertainty are part of life & why we must help kids learn healthy ways to self-regulate. Offer stress-reducing strategies-which resonates with child? Practice til becomes a habit. It's 1 more way to raise #Thrivers. #parenting. Try Elevator Breathing: https://t.co/FCSAYqktvT

Just pulled a huge hunk of play dough out of my 10 month old's mouth. Please talk me down!

I am freaking out. My 3 year old has been playing with his play dough and I guess I just got careless about making sure it was all getting picked up. I just left the family room for a minute and came back in to find my 10 month old gagging and coughing. I opened his mouth and pulled out a huge hunk of play dough that would certainly have blocked his entire airway if that had gone wrong. When it started to sink in what almost just happened, I had a panic attack. Good lord I am freaking out. What if I had been out of the room for 30 more seconds? What if it had slipped down his throat or if his swallow reflex made him accidentally swallow it? I can't get the images out of my head of how drastically tragic this day could have just turned. I feel like shit. I feel so guilty. My one job is to keep my children safe and I almost just failed at that. I keep kissing him and smelling him. Please talk me down off this ledge!

Every time my husband has time off work I feel like I want to divorce him!

Really he has been off work all week I have still done most childcare and housework. One morning my older child told the younger to wake her instead of me so I got a sleep in ( never normaly happens) so I got up about 9 the girls had been up hours he hadn’t given them breakfast or got the younger one a drink. He put one of his tops in the washing as he spilt something on it but nothing else! It has felt the same as he is working. I have had zero time off. He just complained the living room is a mess even though I tidied it yesterday he just said dosnt look like it Now he is out in the office doing I don’t know what. I’m just fed up

Sister invited her family over for Christmas.

Maybe I’m being a bit dramatic but I’m so upset. I’ve had everything planned for weeks. It was supposed to be just the 4 of us. We were gonna build gingerbread houses (I only bought 4) bake Christmas cookies, play board games and stay up till midnight so the kids can open presents. Now I have to spend the day making a huge dinner and dealing with my annoying ass brother in law. Last time he was here he brought his fucking gun and stored it in my kids closet. They live out of state so you would think they would let me know ahead of time. Nope. Told me the day before. Oh and my kid is sick. I told her this, she does not care you guys. What the fuck. I was so excited to spend Christmas alone instead of going to my in laws. Now I’d rather go hide out at their house.

Happy Holidays! Deep breaths and maybe you can giggle too! Did you know that 7 min (frankly less for me) of belly breathing is VERY calming. Teach your children as well as using this yourself. https://t.co/BwGUgCx0eY

Soo, supposedly daycares in texas aren't fully vaccinated

I'm shocked...like why would I leave my kid with you...idk what im gonna do.

Potty training

How do I potty train? Where do I start? First child and I am genuinely confused on how to start potty training him. Help please!

Help! Baby is signing "All done" all the time!

This is 50% hilarious and 50% confusing. We tried teaching our baby to sign, as we hoped it would improve some communication hiccups. We especially never understood when she was done eating, so it was the first sign we introduced. To this day (she's 15 months) she's only doing the sign for "All done"... ...but she's doing it all the time! We're playing and she signs "All done". We're taking a walk and she signs "All done". We're reading a book and she signs "All done". We've only ever signed it in the context of food. We've tried two ideas for what it could mean: * She's all done with this activity (apparently not, sometimes she's sad if we stop tickling/playing/whatever) * She wants food (apparently not, sometimes she signs it right after playing after her dinner and she apparently doesn't want more) What could she mean? :D Help a tired parent out!