I got sick Thursday night and was in bed all day Friday and Saturday. I am “back on my feet” today (Sunday) but struggling to function. The thought of eating still grosses me out but I’m doing OK on liquids.

Curious how long it takes you to recover from norovirus? I’m not expecting to be running a marathon but better than this. I don’t recall past stomach bugs being more than 24 hours-ish.

Our school system says 24hrs with no vomiting or diarrhea. However, I feel like that first day without those symptoms they're just starting to drink more & introduce very bland foods, then the next day we're working on reintroducing normal foods. I want to know that they can eat normally before being back in school, so I normally lean toward 48hrs with no symptoms. What do you guys do?

We are in Texas where everyone is obsessed with guns. We don’t own one, but I’m sure there’s plenty of people nearby us that do. Do you ask parents before playdates and sleepovers if they own guns and if they are locked away? My preschoolers isn’t having unattended playdates or sleepovers yet, this is just something I am starting to think about.

I think I’ve posted about this before, but my son will be 4 next month and we are still dealing with his not eating. He will occasionally have chicken nuggets (and only specific ones), he loves his peanut butter sandwiches that I put flax seed in, yogurt pouches, and of course - junk food.

I have brought this concern up with my pediatrician who has never been concerned about his growth. He’s small, but has always been on his curve and has never looked “malnourished.” We’ve done all the bloodwork, checked for all the allergies, had him evaluated by an OT and have taken him to a feeding therapist who also, did not seem concerned.

I feel like a major failure because I don’t know how to handle or approach this. Do I just continue feeding him the chicken nuggets and sandwiches? I do serve him what I make for dinner for our family and practically 10/10 he does not eat it - the nuggets, sandwich, and yogurt get sent for school lunch.

My husband and I are completely at odds about this because he disagrees with me giving him any of the things he likes and thinks we should just starve him until he caves and eats something else. I don’t know how I feel about this.

We also have an appointment to have his tonsils and adenoids removed next month.

Any advice?

My 4 year old always wants to pretend play. I struggle with pretend play but do my best because I know play is important. When we do play she gets so mad at me because I’m playing wrong. She wants me to say the words she is thinking of and of course that doesn’t work out. It seems like it’s a loosing battle. She refuses to play with my husband and only wants me. She follows me around and wants to be on me 24/7. Sometimes I just want space and wanting space from my child makes me feel like a bad mother. I try not to show it to her and play as often as I can. Does anyone else experience this or has experienced this? I don’t want her to be so clingy but I also don’t want her to never want me.

My six year old has been lying nearly everyday about things that dont matter. Today he ran downstairs and opened my daughter’s closet and closed it. When she asked if that was him he lied. She said she didn’t care and that she was just asking him but for five hours he lied. Bringing it up unprompted to defend his lie. We explain to him trust and that lying isn’t okay often, but even then he still lies about the most random things. He even started crying and essentially throwing a tantrum because “we were making him lie”. Is it normal for children to lie for no reason? Even to this extent? We’re having this issue nearly everyday.

I’m out of town with my husband. We have a 9 month old his parents flew in to watch at our current home while we are gone. We’ve been gone just this weekend and come home tomorrow.

I love my in laws! I truly truly do. But we’ve seen on the cameras that they are doing everything different than I do. They’re feeding her so much purée and solid food.. I still give my baby predominately bottles. They’re giving her a bottle and then oatmeal with bananas and other stuff. They said she’s getting a bit of diaper rash because she’s pooping so much.

I’m feeling annoyed with them or something, but can’t figure out why? Why am I so irked by them giving her so much purée just because I don’t do that? They’re constantly feeding her. I feel like she is eating to eat because she’s a baby. The last time we watched on camera his mom was feeding her and saying “I can’t believe you’re so hungry… all the time!” Well stop feeding her constantly!!!! And they’re also giving her 8+ fl oz of water everyday and I don’t do that. She peed through her overnight diaper and completely soaked her crib the first night we were gone.

Am I being over sensitive here? Should I just be thankful they are helping us and love her I feel like a witch or like I just want control. I don’t like seeing other people do stuff with my baby that I don’t do.

Hey folks,

I need some help (and maybe perspective) please.

My partner and I are on totally different wavelengths with our kid. She is 4f, I am 42f, and husband is 41m. I have taken parenting classes and read A LOT about how to raise an emotionally stable, intelligent, confident girl/woman, and I attempt gentle parenting as much as possible/I am patient enough to handle. My partner's first line of parenting is bribes and threats. Everything is "I guess you don't want (insert treat here)" or "I will count to three and then pick you up."

I also don't want her watching more the 20 mins of TV on the evenings as I find she has a tough time going to sleep and has more tantrums. I communicate to him what I have read and what I want to try with her. He rarely listens or follows through.

He dictates what she can eat and when, and honestly, is very controlling in what we can/cannot do with or for her. Everything...when she can shower, when she goes to bed, how many books she reads, etc.

I don't like how he parents, but I try to support her as much as I can. Yesterday it came to a head and his usual mild verbal/emotional abuse towards me was in front of her. He called me some terrible names, which she then tried saying, and overall, it was terrible. I was scared and she was scared.

There is no arguing with him or trying to reason with him. He thinks he is right and I am wrong and that I am the "f***ing worst." I can't leave (on disability so I can't support her and me solo) and I need his health insurance.

How do I parent her to cancel our the negative/authoritative force he keeps throwing at her?

Ideas, suggestions even criticism is welcome.

Thank you.

What level of privacy does your child have if they have a cell phone? Ages 10-14 for reference.

Do you have an app that monitors what apps they use, websites visited, texts sent and received? Or do you simply go through their phone?

I personally believe, at the ages specified, children must have an open phone policy. I don’t think it’s wrong to check the internet history or text messages. However, I am getting a lot of mixed feedback from family and friends. Some believe I am within my rights as a parent to monitor my child and keep them safe and appropriate. Others believe it’s a lack of personal privacy and invasive. I would appreciate the feedback back of other and how you have handled this.

I'm just looking for a variety of opinions to make things easier and switch it up more often to keep my son(6) engaged, prevent him from dreading laundry as much, and lower the chances of him having a meltdown during the process.

We do laundry together and he helps me clean when we get home from school before he plays his games or watches any TV, but sometimes it's not enough motivation for him. Normally we'll switch back and forth. He does one shirt/pants than I do one and he puts them in the closet as we go.

I am 4 years post partum.

I can't seem to get my prepregnancy body back.

I feel fat I weigh 200 pounds at 6ft. Before pregnancy the most I ever weighed was 140 pounds.

My skin no longer tolerates make up.

I have to keep my hair shaved to half a cm for medical reasons, and I have developed debilitating chronic pain so severe our son asked Santa for a new mommy for Christmas. Specifically one who would be well enough to take him to the park and play activities.

Ever since I became a mom I feel so fat and ugly I have completely lost my extroverted social butterfly attributes I once had.

I have no family. I have no friends.

Now I try to leave the house as little as possible and when I do have to for my son to take him to the park or play groups or errands when I am well enough I try and dress down stick to the shadows and hide from people with big hats.

I feel so self conscious and ugly I have to talk myself up in the mirror anytime I leave the house.

Nievely I believed my husband when he said he would split everything 50\50 postpartum.

That's never how it really works if you are a woman I guess.

Well I thought I could boost my confidence with a wig. So I spent money we don't have ordering one and a stand for it off amazon.

I assumed I could just use it whenever I wanted to leave the house for errands.

But it came flat and miss shapen. The bangs stab me in the eyes and any head movement and the hair parts showing the strange black netting underneath.

I don't own a hair brush or any tools to heat style it into place anyways.

I guess it's really meant for a costume.

What a waste of time money and effort.

I hate myself so much now.

Pregnancy ruined me completely.

I was a completely different person before pregnancy.

Waist length long luscious hair. Good skin could tolerate make up. Thin. Athletic healthy with boundless energy and 0 chronic pain.

I’m so worried. I was nursing my baby after he was awake for maybe two hours. He was falling alseep (pretty much asleep but suckling) while nursing and for a brief moment his head started shaking and also his arms a little as well. It was a slow shake not so much like a spasm. It lasted for maybe three seconds and now he’s fast alseep. I’m so worried now. Please tell me if this is something I should be worried about. It has never happened before. He just turned 7 months (6 adjusted).

I sit in front of my computer every day. The keyboard never stops clacking—a sound I’ve come to resent but can’t escape. 16, sometimes 20 hours a day, I work everyday no rest day. Because bills are piling up. I’m home, yet somehow… I’m absent. In the next room, my children plays with their baby sitter. I used to be their favorite person, the one who could bring them joy just by walking in. Now, I’m just a background character in their little world. No more excited giggles when I enter. No tiny arms reaching for me. Just a quick, indifferent glance before they go back to their toys.

I only stand up when I need to pee, eat and grab some water to drink. I’ve traded bedtime stories for spreadsheets. Cuddles for conference calls. And the worst part? I’m right here—just a few feet away—but it feels like miles. My heart is broken. I'm the mother and they call me mom but I cannot feel that I'm their mother.

Today, I forced myself to step away. Just for a moment. I sat beside my child, waiting. Watching. Hoping. Nothing. No warm welcome. No squeal of delight. Just quiet acceptance of my presence, like I was some stranger who wandered in by accident. They don’t look for me anymore. I want to say something—I love you. I miss you. Mommy is working so hard for you. But the words feel empty when my actions tell a different story.

Then, my child stands up and walks away. Not to me. Not to ask for a hug. Just to her baby sitter. And I sit there, drowning in the realisation that while I’m busy building their future, I’m losing them in the present. Then, the computer dings. Another email. Another deadline. Another hour stolen. And yes, I went back to work.

I no longer don't know what to do. I can't because I am the only one working and providing for my family.

My 3 month old is showing signs of rolling. I’ve always done traditional swaddling, as they do in the hospital. Now that I need to transition, it’s become difficult. Her arms seem to wake her up in a traditional sleep sack. I’ve also tried the love to dream transitional swaddle, but she doesn’t even sleep in it with the wings on. So I’d have to transition her into it with the wings and then transition her into using it without the wings. Has anyone been in this situation? How do I best handle it? I also exclusively pump and typically have to pump while she is asleep, so it’s getting difficult when she won’t sleep more than 5-10 minutes at a time through her daytime naps while transitioning.

When I first brought my daughter home from hospital she was doing 4 hour stretches (assuming still having meds in her system from the csection) and for the first couple of weeks we were getting good stretches. Progressively her the weeks the nights have got worse. As soon as we put her down in her cot/moses basket she wakes up, we have to repeat this several times, she will either wake up as soon as we put her in or last about 5-10 mins then wake up. Same at night feeds too. I’ve ended up letting her nap on me in the day and cosleep at night. The first night cosleeping she was fine then after that she wanted to be in my arms. I’m so tired I’m falling asleep feeding her every night without fail. I have a bit feeding pillows I have around me so she doesn’t fall but it’s not exactly recommended safe sleep. She also prefers to sleep on her side too but also been told that’s not safe sleeping. I’ve tried everything, making sure she’s in a deep sleep, feet first, putting on her side first, white noise etc etc. All my friends babies are now doing good stretches and mine seems to be sleeping worse and worse and I feel like I’m the only one or doing something wrong. Any advice welcome. #10weekold #baby #babysleep #sleepdeprivation #sleeptraining #safesleeping #cosleeping #newbornsleep #reflux #sleephelp

I’m really at a loss at this point so sorry for the rambles and emotionally driven post. I’m just so tired of seeing younger babies surpass my ‘twin 2’ in every way.

She is so sweet and goofy but can’t stand, will only take steps if her hand is held, will crawl maybe 3 feet max then stop for a break, says no words but makes a few sounds, and is just so clumsy and awkward in her movements. She crawls with her hands turned in, and she’ll literally try crawling into a hard object as if she can’t see it’s there and keeps trying and getting frustrated. She points at things and says ‘eh’ all day long. Giggles like mad but doesn’t like hugs 99% of the time. Is good with fine motor but just doesn’t get a lot of gestures. She’s hopeless with solids and I’ve tried everything under the sun to get her to eat meat/anything ‘chewy’ but have no luck.

Her twin (twin 1) is so beyond her it’s almost painful to watch. I’ve tried the same techniques with both of them to help with movement and speech and I see twin 1 blossoming and wonder why twin 2 is just not getting it. We’re under a Paed who says ‘wait and see’, seeing a physio (I organised myself) and I spend most of my free time googling trying to figure out what is going on. Why she still seems like an 8-9 month old.. what can I do to help her.. I’m so lost

We have 5 daughters ages 4-12. He gets up at 5am and gets home from work around 4:30-5pm. I get up at 6:30 for work and get the kids after school, we're home by 3:45ish.

By the time dinner, homework, showers, and prep for the next day is done, we're dead tired. Kids go to bed at 8pm and we usually just head to bed too.

Most nights we say we'll watch tv in bed and hang out. We never do. Maybe once a month we watch an episode of a show and then pass out before 9pm.

It's quite literally impossible for us to get a babysitter for 5 kids. None of our family will watch all 5 kids and if we try to split them up, the kids pitch a massive fit. If we hire a babysitter then we won't have the money to do anything once we leave the house lol. We've tried. Nobody wants to babysit that many kids for less than a hundred bucks and I don't blame them, but that's just not in our budget right now.

Like seriously, where do you find time to spend with your spouse/partner? We never get a chance to talk about things, we don't get to hang out together or go to dinner alone or even have the bed to ourselves most of the time cause there's always one kid that ends up between us.

We're just so tired. So, so tired.

We try to like stay in the kitchen while the other one is cooking so we can just be together but of course the kids interrupt constantly. We sit next to each other on the couch till kids or dogs squeeze between us. God forbid we stay in the living room when the kids go to bed, they come out every 10 minutes to ask why we're not sleeping. I feel like we can't do anything by ourselves. We can't even have a conversation without kids interrupting and talking about something else. It's frustrating.

On Monday we took our child’s pacifier away for good and it’s been awful —

he has been throwing tantrums like we haven't seen before - hysteria is the best way to describe it. Screaming, shaking, clenching his fists, trying to hit, bite, and they can last for over 30 minutes. He screams for paci and is inconsolable - typically around nap and bedtime or early morning.

It's day 7 since the paci fairy came and it's only gotten worse. I'm concerned and do not know how it help.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

I love my 4 year old son. He’s the light of my life. I love being around him, caring for him, teaching him, and spending time with him. He’s insanely well behaved for his age, and a real sweetheart. I’d like to say I’m the world’s best mom but what actually happened is I won the lottery. All this to say- I HATE playing with him.

He only ever wants to play with his toy cars, Hot Wheels and all that. His version of playing cars includes racing them around (by driving them around the floor on hands and knees), crashing them into each other, and occasionally doing some sort of half pretend play by using them almost as dolls. Most of my days are filled with:

“let’s go to the big race! vroooom. no mommy you have to crawl with me you can’t stand up. crashes his car into mine BOOM you’re crashed! mommy pretend you need the doctor. no don’t say it like that, you have to say ‘ouchie ouchie i need a doctor.’ okay now let’s go to the big race again”

I would be fine with this if we had other kinds of play added to the mix, but we don’t. I try to encourage him to colour, to play with his PLENTY of other toys, to get creative, to play games with me, none of it works. If I’m lucky I’ll get about 5 minutes before he’s reaching for the nearest toy car and saying “can we go back to playing?”

I feel guilty and as if I’m the worst mom ever. I want to give him my full attention, I want to show enthusiasm and interest in what he likes, and I want to give him as much play time as I can. But the longer this goes on without any kind of variety or switch up in playtime, the longer I feel like being interrogated by the FBI would be a more pleasant pass-time. My back is in pain, my fingers hurt from being attacked by these tiny metal torture devices, and I lost track of which big race I’m supposed to be attending about 3 months ago.

I don’t want to stop him from playing cars all together, or do anything insane like get rid of them. I just need to find a way to convince him to try other things as well, for my own sanity.

If anyone has any advice they’d be willing to share before I find my way from Canada to Hot Wheels headquarters to fight someone, it would be MUCH appreciated.

My little dude has big golden retriever energy. He loves people and just wants to connect with others. We've started going a local park now he is confident walking outside and I never realised but none of the other kids seem interested in playing with other kids at the park, and parents seem actively irritated when my child tries to interact with their kid. It's genuinely breaking my heart. OH and I are both introverts but my son is the opposite and it makes me sad that no one wants to play with him. He doesn't have screen time etc and other kids do- I'm not sure if this has any impact? Like do toddlers these days just lack a desire to socialise due to this? Or is it just a toddler thing? He's so gentle and just potters over and wants to play, and then waves bye or hello to everyone and you can tell he doesn't understand why they don't wanna interact, so it's not like he is some rowdy mean kid who other parents and kids wanna stay away from.

I have a 10 yo who is very strong-willed. I work full time and don't have any family nearby. Sometimes I have to work in the evening or on the weekend (from home). I'm also dealing with health issues. Self-care is non-existent lately.

He has rules and expectations around chores and screentime, I've got them written down for him.

For chores he does pretty well, needs some reminders sometimes but he's good at doing things.

But I'd like him to help out more - the goal is 10 min a day and something bigger on the weekend. I want him to learn how to look after himself but also I need the help. But I dread the drama and increased reminders.

Screen time, he is supposed to go off his screen when I say (he gets a warning of 10 min) and then has a break.

I do make him have breaks but it's not as regular as it should be (yes I know it's backwards, he should be earning screen time, but here we are).

He is having WAY too much screen time (games usually where he's talking to his friends). I don't have the mental capacity to be setting timers and telling him to get off and the attitude is really hard without any backup (and I'm so upset by what's happening to the world I have less bandwidth in general). Being ill sometimes I can't always take us out of the house either.

I have the feeling of being completely exhausted and overwhelmed and sad yet disgusted with myself at my parenting, especially the screen stuff.

It's been a rough coupla days, grateful for any advice.

Happy Sunday

I'm not here for advice, just here to meet my fellow warriors. I know kids get sick but holy canoli this has been relentless since November. I honestly wonder if i or humans in general may benefit from hibernation, just a thought.

My 6 year old is all of a sudden ashamed of my husband, his stepdad, of being anywhere. First it was my son being embarrassed of my husband being at his soccer practice because he's bald 🥴. Now he doesn't want him going to a family birthday party, not sure why. Nothing had happened that I know of leading up to this. Just wanted to see if anyone else may have had a similar issue and how you may of evolved from it.

Before I had a child I said I wouldn’t spank her because I didn’t think kids needed to be spanked. I believed all children especially toddlers could be redirected with a gentle word and suggestion.

I grew up being spanked for everything. Voicing concerns or questioning anything was seen as disrespectful. We got slapped in the face for even looking like we may have an attitude with anything. If the dishes weren’t washed right, we’d be woken up to wash them again no matter what time it was. We did not hug or kiss and barely said I love you. (I struggle with this to this day showing affection to my partner and child who grew up the opposite way) It’s a certain balance that I am trying and failing to get I think.

My baby like all babies started off fine. At one she would listen to what you told her to do like most babies do. She’s gonna be 3 in April. And while the beginning of two had a few tantrums it’s absolutely nothing compared to the way she acts now. I mean it’s literally like I have a different child overnight. I don’t know how to correct it in a non traumatizing way for her. I’m losing my patience and i don’t want to be that angry parent I grew up with. Already we do a lot of talking. I’m told all the time for her age her level of vocabulary and memory for learning things are well above her classmates. She’s so smart. She was signing at a young age and was talking before the rest of her class. She did have a biting issue before she could talk.

I say all that to say she can DEFINITELY express herself. I know that temper tantrums are developmentally normal. But the frequency of the tantrums and severity of them are insane lately. Yes I give choices. (Would you like to wear a dress or pants? This color or this color? Do you want to walk to the car or for mommy to carry you to the car? Do you want me to peel the banana, or would you like to peel it?) but sometimes she just won’t make a choice. “No I don’t want to, I don’t like that, I need one more minute(but the end of the minute never comes) or she chooses something that’s not an option” and then ensue temper tantrum. She never used to scream like she does now it drives me insane. Blood curdling screaming at the top of her lungs(it HAS to hurt her throat), she gets so hysterical she can’t be reasoned with, hyperventilating, sweating and throwing stuff, scratching and biting when she’s in a fit of rage. She’s never been violent I don’t know what has come over her.

She has a hard time with transitions lately too. I give her warnings. “Okay a few more minutes on the slide then we are leaving to go home, okay one more minute to splash with ducky then we are all done!” It used to work like a charm but now it doesn’t. She’s aware we’re leaving or stopping something but just emotionally recently regressed about it. “No no no I won’t! Leave me alone!” insert screaming at the top of her lungs and physically fighting me When I tell yall every single activity is a battle I mean that. Shoes, socks, hair style, bath or shower, what to eat, what plate everything. Everything! No matter how small!!!

Most recently the biggest thing is her RUNNING AWAY AT FULL SPEED in PUBLIC specifically. I’m at my wits end. Today at church she ran away from me picking her up at the daycare . She was laughing and happy as can be did not care about my “hard voice” to come here. Took her to the church playground. She ran away when it was time to go I had to snatch her up before she ran out the gate into the street. Somebody left the door to the church open so once we left the gate (I had already given her the choice do you want me to carry you or pick you up to go to the car and she refused both) she broke away from my hand and ran back in. It was very crowded ran through the crowd I had to literally RUN after her pushing through this crowd it was terrifying trying not to lose sight of her. I kept calling her name and she thought it was a game laughing . Of course she was kicking and screaming and trying to bite me and I was forced to carry her that way across the parking lot to the car. It was the longest walk ever I almost dropped her several times. When she got in the car I told her not to run away from me because it’s dangerous , not safe and when I say it’s time to go she should come with me. I just don’t know what else to do

Forgot to mention: in addition to her talking well she is very aware of her emotions and what she should or shouldn’t do. She just chooses not to do it if she doesn’t feel like it. Unprovoked she will say things like “have to be careful and hold mommy’s hand because cars are dangerous!” “Mommy, I’m feeling frustrated!!!” “Mommy, I just need a hug I’m sleepy” she says all that all the time! So I can’t understand why she won’t listen to reason at other times

Does any community can exchange diapers? My newborn son is almost a month old but need size 2 or 3. He's a big boy. I have newborn and size 1. It's not going to fit him anymore.

Toddler mum in desperate help for dinner idea ,as my child is very choosy and has to take milk feed must for snooze ! So meal which doesn’t collide with milk intake afterwards .

My wife and I have been going back and forth about a family matter that has been causing a lot of conflict. I work in NYC, my work day is 12 + hrs 4 days a week with one remote day. My wife stays home with our 10 month baby and she would like more support from me. I am already taking all the night wakeups, but she is always saying it isn’t enough help, and has even told me I need to quit my job. I know taking care of an infant especially one that doesn’t take naps during the day is extremely challenging, but what am I to do I have to work to provide for our family. I’m aware that my long work days is causing a lot of conflict in our relationship, but am I wrong to think that she is being dramatic?

Hi parents, we have a child who just moved up to boosters from standard 5 points and I am truly bewildered-

How come many (most?) boosters don’t have a latch system?

I assume that these options on the market are tested and safe, but as a parent venturing into this new world, can you just ELI5? I have tried googling but think you guys may provide more accurate and relevant insights. Thank you!

I’m losing my mind because my 3m and 1m are constantly fighting over toys and jealous when the other gets attention, and if they both get attention like reading a book together they both don’t want the other one to join. I am heartbroken nothing I do helps them share or get along. There is about 5mn a day when they are cordial with each other. I’m at my wits end. I can’t stand whining and I can’t stand them pushing each other down. Maybe I messed up by not having them in daycare to learn social skills…help

So we just took our 3rd test and they’ve all been positive results. This will be our first and I don’t even know where to begin. it hasn’t really hit me yet and I over prepare all the time.

Any recommendations on books, YouTube channels, podcasts that you guys recommend? Thanks!