As the title states, newborn was doing really well sleeping in his bassinet at night (with occasional awakenings) up until he hit 5-6 weeks old. For the past 2 days he has been waking up every 30-45 mins at night wanting to be held and only wants to contact nap. The longest stretch I’ve gotten from him was 1 hour and that’s after using all the tricks to transfer him from my arms to his bassinet. Is this our new normal or is this a “leap” or a “growth spurt”? Is it still too early to sleep train him?

I’m lucky my daughter 19m goes to bed and stays asleep until the morning. But despite this, even though I have the option to go to bed at 10pm, I am up watching TV or doomscrolling til 2am then am WHACKED the next day.

I am a recently single mum, and I’m trying to get by. I prioritise cleaning the house so when she goes down I do a reset, dishwasher, maybe some laundry etc. And I’m usually free by 9-10pm.

I want to just be able to go to bed at 10 but then it feels like I have no time to myself.

Me as a parent considers organization a very important skill. This is my son's teacher's email to me after his terrible organization in the start of the 8th grade year, which is teacher's have complained about for many previous years too. "I wanted to reach out to share an ongoing concern regarding (Son's)'s organization. He is a very bright student, and I want to help him develop the organizational skills he needs to be successful and work independently. However, he continues to struggle with keeping his notebook organized, to the point that papers often spill out and become difficult to manage. I have worked with him on several occasions to model and review a system for organizing his materials, and a classmate has also helped him. Although he has received this support, maintaining the system continues to be a challenge. He has agreed to participate in the lunch bunch to practice organizational and other school success skills, which I think is a positive step. As he prepares for high school, I want to help him build these habits now so that he can manage his materials and responsibilities with greater independence. I wanted to make you aware of the situation and see whether you might be able to reinforce these skills at home as well. Periodically checking that his notebook is organized and that papers are in the appropriate sections may help him develop a more consistent routine. I appreciate your partnership in helping him strengthen this skill. He has so much academic potential, and I want to make sure that disorganization does not become an unnecessary obstacle to his success." My son thinks it is not important because it should only be measured by actual output like grades and comprehension, and organization is the way of achieving that but not necessarily something that needs to be done if everything else is fine. If it starts to affects him later, he says he will fix it then. His grades are good so far. He does not want to organize his binders despite all papers being shoved in there and crumpled and a complete mess but still able to be found most to all of the time.

I don’t even know if I’m looking for advice or just need to vent, but I’ve been feeling really sad lately.
My son is 9 months old, and I feel like he prefers my husband and my mom over me, even though I’m his primary caregiver. I’m the one taking care of him most of the day, waking up with him at night, feeding him, comforting him, playing with him, and giving him so much love.
But whenever my husband or my mom walks into the room, he gets SO excited. And when they leave, he screams bloody murder. With me? Nothing. He couldn’t care less if I walk into or leave the room.
Last week, I was gone for about three hours while my husband watched him. When I came back, I was so excited to see him, but he didn’t even seem happy I was home. He didn’t even want to come to me. I ended up crying because it hurt so much.
What makes this even harder is that I waited so long to become a mom. I went through three miscarriages before finally having my rainbow baby. I dreamed about having him, holding him, and experiencing that special mother-son bond for so long.
Everyone always says little boys are so attached to their moms, that they’re “mama’s boys,” but I feel like that’s not the case with my son at all.
When it’s just the two of us, he’s perfectly fine. We play, laugh, cuddle, and have a good time. But the second my husband or my mom is around, it’s like I don’t even exist anymore.
I know he’s just a baby. I know he doesn’t understand any of this, and I feel guilty for even being upset about something he obviously isn’t doing intentionally. But I can’t help feeling rejected sometimes.
I give him every ounce of love and energy I have, and sometimes I just wish he would get excited to see me the way he does with everyone else. I wish he would reach for me or cry because he wants me for once.
Has anyone else experienced this with their baby? Did it eventually change? I’m feeling so down 😞

My in laws have 4 grandchildren all aged within 5 years of each other.

My husband and I noticed a little lopsided attention and support here and there. We chalked it up to our kids being the younger two and perhaps the grandparents not jiving as much with their ages. I really love my in laws, they’re great people so we assumed as they got older it would get better but it really hasn’t.

We’ve tried to let things slide off our backs or just let it go for the sake of the family dynamic. But recently a situation arose where it became abundantly clear that they show favor to one side. And one thing in particular makes me heartbroken as a mom because it has the potential to really upset my kids. I finally hit my limit and met with my in laws to address it. I brought forth examples and concerns - and to my surprise they agreed with me? I thought we were really getting somewhere and perhaps things would change. But then at the end of the discussion they essentially said nothing will change because they simply can’t say no to their adult child.

In essence, we’re expected to just deal with this because we’re the more reasonable ones? And they’re willing to do something that will cause hurt to their grandchild because their adult child doesn’t like the word no. I’m just beside myself. I’m hurt and confused. I lost a ton of respect for them and I am struggling to be around them. It’s one thing to do it unaware, but it’s a whole other ball game when you are fully aware of your actions.

I’m in a tough position because I don’t want to victimize myself in this, it’s my kids who are getting the shit end of the stick. I know I can’t protect them from everything, but your own grandparents? It’s just so upsetting. I don’t want to take away the relationship with their grandparents but I’m struggling to rationalize how to be around them without just being an utterly bitter human. Has anyone experienced this? Have you ever been the child in this experience? What do you do?

My son is having a 5th birthday party on December 5th and I am struggling on when to send invites due to the holiday season. Was thinking about sending this week but need some feedback! Thank you!

These boomer grandparents. With my in-laws they are going overboard with gifts. To me it feels VERY much to be a game of one-upping me. I get a few toy trains at a garage sale-- they get a new set (batteries not included 🙃). I get a second-hand transformer guy-- they get two new ones. I get an articulating action figure as a reward for finishing a hard year of school-- they've bought him a new one... every... week... since. No joke. Even two of the exact same for god knows what reason.

Now my child has literally said he wants to go to their house bc he will get something new.

I've tried to have a llittle family meeting while everyone is in the same room. I've tried the rule that toys have to stay at their house and NO that didn't work. I tried being gentle: "thank you for your generosity with gifts for the kids blah blah blah but please limit it". I've tried to let the husband deal with it. I've tried to drop hints that we don't have room for more toys, that we are really happy and obsessed with one toy right now so *hint hint* don't buy anymore. What gives?

How do you actually set a boundary? They are SO awkward. If I try to sit them down and talk, one will avoid eye contact and tune me out, the other will stare at me with doe eyes like I'm hurting her. I think I'm at the point of needing to be the bad guy, of blowing up over it.

I’m about to leave for a work trip for a week. My LO has been sick for the last few days, and has been extra clingy, and it’s giving me huge feelings about leaving her.

While I’m away, she’ll be home with my partner, have some care from her nanny, and some from my mom, who is flying in from out of town for the occasion. These are all known people; they’ll keep her to her routine.

I realized I could actually come home in the middle of the week for one night, and can’t get the possibility out of my head. No one is asking me to do this, and it’s expensive! But I‘m feeling overwhelming guilt about being away when I don’t “have to be.” I’m also feeling a lot of guilt (or is it shame?) for wanting to leave a work trip and spend an absurd amount of money because I’ll miss my toddler too much.

This can‘t possibly be as huge of a deal as I’ve made it in my mind, right!?? Can someone help put this dilemma in perspective? (Or just tell me what you’d do?)

some context: I only work 3 days per week, so I’m home with my daughter a majority of the time.

Title says it all. I feel like my 11 year old smothers me and I try really hard to frame it as one day he won’t do this and I’ll miss it but I’m starting to get worn out by his shenanigans. For example on the weekends I don’t get out of bed until 8am, I’m awake but reading or doing my sudoku or talking to my husband and every day he comes in at least 4-5 times starting at around 6 am wanting to jump in a bed. Cuddling would be fine but he starts moving and talking loudly, even when I point out his dad is asleep.
Throughout the day he comes and finds me to tell me about whatever he is doing but if I’m talking to anyone else he steamrolls right over them/me.
Weekdays when we get home we both have an hour of screens to decompress from the day but he comes and talks about whatever is happening in his game forcing me to pause mine because he wants full eye contact while he rambles.
Every night before bed he hangs on to me talking about let’s just talk 5 more minutes, and by this point I’m TIRED and worn out I just want to go lay down and hear my own thoughts.

I feel like we spend a good amount of quality time with him so I don’t feel like he should be this up my butt. I sit with him every night before bed and we chat for about 15 minutes. Both dad and I play with him for at least 30 minutes each day(more like an hour). One Friday he and I bake and craft and watch a movie and the next he’ll go to pokemon trade night with dad. We all eat dinner together and chat every single night. But he still wants more and more I feel like his jar is just perpetually empty.

Heyo experienced parents. What do you do to ensure toddler is warm when moving in and out of the car seat without putting them in bulky jackets? We live in Manitoba and it can get down to -30 here. I know jackets aren’t supposed to be worn in the car seat, so how do you keep them toasty?

My baby ( 5 months 9 days old to be precise) simply refuses to sleep when we’re out, no matter how sleepy or tired she is. She won’t nap in the stroller (which she currently hates sitting in, especially now that she’s in her rolling-and-trying-to-sit-up phase), and we don’t have a car seat yet, so car naps aren’t an option either.

I feel like I have a little FOMO baby who doesn’t want to miss out on anything happening around her! 😂 But I’m wondering — is this a common phase at this age, or do some babies genuinely struggle to nap outside the comfort of their home?

I see babies who can feed and sleep just about anywhere, and I can’t help but wonder how their moms do it! 🙈 Is it too much to ask for a baby who can nap on the go?

If you’ve been through this, please share your tips and tricks. How do you manage outings, naps, and feeding when your baby refuses to settle outside? Did your little one eventually grow out of this phase? Additionally, my baby simply doesn't sleep on her own , atm its either sleep to feed or rocking/ swaying or walking taking her in the arms in the cradle position ( which she simply hates now) .

Would love to hear your experiences! Thanks in advance.

So I've heard a lot of good things about that show, my son's been sick for a short while and we're doing inhalations. We allow screen time during those so that he stays still.

I've heard a lot of good things about Mrs Rachel and how slow paced and calm the show is, we're also not English speakers so I thought it'd be good for him.

Thing is, we watched it on Netflix, and I went to prep a meal. Apparently on Netflix it's a rapid fire stream of random and unrelated episodes incoherently strung together, at a much higher pace of editing than that of the YouTube show. I genuinely feel I might as well have played them cocomelon.

I Heard the show is much calmer on YouTube, is there any point watching it from there instead? Or is the show not nearly as calm and unstimulating as advertised?

My 17 year old officially got her learners permit after graduating segment 1 of her driver's training course. I took her out driving for the first time this morning, once she started getting used to my car, she did ok and I managed to stay calm in spite of the internal panic attack I was having (Only tried to grab the steering wheel 3 times and it was a 38 minute trip 😅). That said, I am mentally and emotionally exhausted from the whole thing, completely wiped of all energy. How are you guys coping with the anxiety?

She needs a total of 50 hours of driving and my goal is to try and take her out for at least 30 minutes a day but this feeling is rough 🫠

I have been researching wagons well over a month and I must make a decision today!

Most important:
-easy to maneuver and actually good on grassy, hilly areas (so easy to pull as well), and places like pumpkin patches
-I am tiny so should be able to fold easily and lift into my car
-prefer no more than 2 seater but if the 5 year old wants to jump in he can (other child is 1 so primarily it’s for that one)
-I don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, prefer under $300

Absolutely do not need:
-4 seater
-every accessory under the sun
-$700 stroller wagon
-high walls

Right now I’m looking at a jeep one, baby trend quest, radio flyer Voya, Evenflo pivot xplore

Thank you!!

My daughter has just turned 4 and since she has been able to articulate her needs our interactions have always gone something along the lines of:

Her: I want [something].

Us: How do you ask nicely for [something]?

Her: Please can I have [something]?

For some reason it's ramped right up in the last couple of weeks when I would expect it to be reducing. When do they just start going straight to asking nicely? It literally cuts the time in half and she receives what she wants sooner. We always make sure we model asking nicely for things in front of her too. Do I need to switch things up a bit? Do I start ignoring all together until she just asks nicely? It's not the biggest deal but depending on everyone's mood it can get quite boring 🫠

My partner and I moved to my hometown in Canada to take care of my father (he was ill, now passed away) and to have kids. We currently have an 8 month old and are planning on having another. 3 members of close family are within a 10 minute drive and have been so helpful with last minute babysitting, bringing food, and cleaning. Daycare is also WAY cheaper in Canada.

However…my partner hates it here 😅 It’s very cold, career opportunities are limited and he misses being in the US. Our plan is to move to San Francisco when the kids are out of daycare, say 5 years+. While he grew up there and has tons of friends in the area, his family/parents are not in the country very often and not as helpful as mine are.

My question to parents of older kids: how much do you need family help? Is it as essential as the early years, or can you get by without it?

Hi,

I'm seeing a drastic shift in social connections my child has made in this age range compared to when she was 5. Suddenly, any time I take her to a kids play space or park, a new girl approaches to ask to play, and they play nicely for the whole time there.. She's now 8, and both boys and girls approach her to play.

I was wondering if this is the typical age (6-8) where kids approach other kids? This is my only child so I'm quite amazed at these little girls approaching each other to play, and don't want to go home.

Hello fellow parents,

I’m in need of some advice for how to handle bedtime demands that end in screaming tantrums for my four year old daughter.

Since 2.5 years old we’ve really struggled with her sleep. Lots of screaming/crying at night and we’re at the point now where we have to stay in her room until she falls asleep and then she will always wake up sometime in the night and we let her come in our bed. Had to do this to survive 😅

Her new thing at the moment is to keep demanding things at bedtime, mainly more water and to be tucked in. This last week it’s really escalated. I try to tell her ‘this is your last drink’ or ‘this is your last tuck in so don’t get up’ etc. but she will scream and cry for what feels like forever if I don’t fulfill her request. I figure she is trying to get control? But it’s so hard to stay calm when your child is just yelling and screaming in your face for you to get her water that in literally 30cm away. Honestly my neighbours just think we’re torturing her. She just does not stop.

I know the usual advice would be ‘just stick with what you’ve said and don’t give in’ however she will scream for 30+ minutes and by then I am destroyed. 😢 would appreciate any advice or tips.

Thank you!!

I have a 5 year old boy. He has been more attached to me since around the time he was 1.5 years old. My wife isn't very touchy or expressive with her emotions, but she loves my son a lot. In fact, she likes to show her love (even to me) by irritating him, teasing him etc. I'm the opposite. I like to hug, give him kisses etc. As he grew up, he turned out to be a little expressive as well. He'd randomly hug his friends etc.

The issue now is, he gets irritated and angry at his mom now. And I tell him she is just having fun with him. But he ends up saying "I don't love you mom" and then comes and hugs me. It breaks my heart to see this, and for some reason, it ends up as my wife being angry at me. It has happened a number of times now and I'm wondering how do I fix it.

On a side note, I saw my father in law being the same with him, and I realized that that's probably the way my wife grew up and picked up the habit from him. Any advises for a happy family life guys?

Edit:

You guys are so awesome 😅 great advises guys. Thanks a ton.

Have to talk to her about this. I'm not very good at confronting, but I feel like I have to. :)

I'd like to add, my wife basically does everything for him. Like his food, school work and stuff. So it's not like she's not caring for him or anything. It's just this one thing, but yes, I need to talk about it to her 😇

My LO is 14 months old and I’m feeling extremely overstimulated by motherhood. I lose my temper almost every day, and I feel like I really need a break and some time to be myself again.

The problem is that daycare would cost exactly half of my salary, so I’m wondering whether going back to work would actually be worth it financially and emotionally.

I’m also worried about sleep deprivation. My son sleeps terribly, still wakes up several times a night, and sometimes stays awake for hours in the middle of the night. I’m scared I won’t be able to function at a new job while being so exhausted. I would also have to start a completely new job, as I no longer have my previous one.

For those of you who went back to work while your child was still very young, did you feel better mentally, even though a large part of your salary went towards childcare? Did having a job and some time away from your child make motherhood more manageable, or did the exhaustion of working on top of everything make things harder?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from those whose children were also poor sleepers.

kiddo turns 4 next week. At preschool she has been making “maps” to runaway with a friend in the middle of the night and go to the ocean to find a treasure. But its a secret when. We talked about secrets and surprises. Now Elsa is the only grown up allowed. Other kid is Elsa obsessed so the story checks out. We have never watched Frozen so this is definitely a preschool/playground thing. My question is: is this normal? I am both amused and find it scary (turned on the front door alarm overnight). I mean she is watched all the time. We know the other kid and her parents. Super nice. We love the school. But really.. isnt 4 a bit too early to plot running away? It’s so elaborate too with maps. Do we need to investigate further?

ETA: you guys are awesome and definitely relieved this paranoid mama and gave me lots of ideas to lean into this fun. I also probably need to watch Elsa 😅

Recently I played a game of hangman with my 7 year old and it got me thinking, is this actually harmful? Or am I overthinking it. I remember enjoying it quite a lot as a kid but it’s a little morbid now I’m thinking about it 😅

on the other hand, kids of yesteryear used to listen to/ read much more gruesome stories (fairy tales are a good example but even more recent books like Charlie and the Chocolate factory are quite gruesome when you really think about it).

I’m leaning towards thinking that a kid that’s 7 years old can understand the difference between a game and real life (and my 7 year old does) so maybe it’s only a problem if we make it a problem? It’s not like it’s overly realistic, being a stick figure. this year, we’ve been working a lot on writing skills including spelling so it also seems like a fun way to practice this.

I have seen the alternatives, such as a snowman but I think that makes it almost seem like a reward to get a bunch of letters wrong. The threat is kind of part of it, and part of the fun. The “oh no!” He’s only got an arm and leg to go before he dies! The ones where you erase things seem good as well but would be a little annoying using paper, especially if you had a pen/ didn’t have an eraser, but better when using a white board.

Open to hearing any other alternatives to how you play hangman, but also a whether or not you reckon it’s harmless.

Thanks in advance! 😄

Has anyone done the Switch Witch for Halloween? If so, what was your experience? Anyone wish they didn’t do it or are so glad they did? We don’t prohibit sugar with our toddler but she’s never had candy and I’m not sure I want to start just yet.

Okay let me start by saying that those of you who have low sleep needs kids, don’t hate me and maybe scroll past lol. My 13 month old sleeps what feels like more than normal to me but he’s my first so idk what “normal” is. He goes down around 7-7:30 most nights and sleeps 12-13 hours. He wakes up between 7-7:30am and often we wake him up at 7:30. He is still very much on 2 naps. He struggles to make it to 10am for his first nap most mornings and sleeps 1.5-2 hours. He then sleeps 1-1.25 hours for his second nap around 2:30-3:30ish. So we’re talking around 15 hours of sleep per day.

Now, I am in ZERO way complaining about this, I am extremely grateful lol. My child (although I love him dearly with my whole heart and soul) is miserable to be around most of the time. He is one of the whiniest/fussiest babies you would ever meet so his sleep is one of the only things we’ve got going for us.

He does act/seem tired a lot of the time leading up to his naps/bedtime. I’m talking like the entire hour before. I had brought it up with the ped at his 12 month appt but she didn’t seem concerned. I guess I just see most babies drop a nap around this time and have less night sleep and I don’t see him dropping any naps anytime soon.

I guess I’m just looking to see if anyone else had a similar experience with their kid, I’m just starting to wonder if the high sleep and tiredness correlates with his fussiness and meltdowns.

When do they start thinking parents are protective and their advice is for their own good , Till what age teen girls think parents are restrictive and annoying