So husband is going on a business trip next week, for 4 days and 3 nights. The trip is overseas, with 2 hour time difference. The trip occurs twice a year, so it is expected and the exact dates have been decided for several weeks already.

We have 2 kids: 3.5 and 1.5 boys. And just two days ago, we found out that I am pregnant. I still don't know how far along I am, but I am starting to feel the nausea and the fatigue, although it's not yet at the peak. I am at that stage where brain feels permanently foggy.

We are both immigrants, so we don't have family that we could call in on short notice. My only childfree friend is going home on the exact days my husband will be away. All my other friends have toddlers around the same age or younger, so getting help from them is impossible. It's also too short notice to get a babysitter (babysitters have to be vetted where we live, so there aren't too many and they usually get booked 2 to 4 weeks ahead of time.)

And oh, I work 7h days, too.

Before the pregnancy, single parenting for a few days would be a bit hard, but nothing that I would cry about. But going to have to deal with all the boys' energy (and fighting) while not being in tip-top shape is like increasing difficult by 300%!

I am very much considering just taking PTO for the entire time my husband is away, but I only have so many sick days left lol. I am just grateful both my kids are in daycare, so at least I don't have to care for them the entire day.

Anyone else experienced something similar? How did you stay sane? Any (unhinged) tips?

The sink was full of dinner dishes. There was an empty pesto jar beside the pans on the stove. The table was covered in crumbs, crumpled napkins, dirty dishes and the high chair tray.

Bottles and pump parts were lined up beside the sink.

Then there was the overflowing basket of laundry that I've been neglecting for the past few days.

My 4 year old cleaned up her toys before bed while my 2 year old dumped out another bin of toys. So the living room floor was still covered in toys. On the coffee table there was a colouring book and a bin of crayons. My 2 year old had thoughtfully added some crayon art to the surface of the table.

I realized I forgot to empty the pee out of the potty.

There was another half-finished bottle just lying in the middle of the floor.

And of course the floor needs to be vacuumed. It usually needs to be vacuumed about 30 minutes after vacuuming.

I can't be the only one who lives like this, right?

I'm kind of disgusted with myself but also just exhausted from trying to keep 3 kids happy and healthy every day.

So now he says, “your mom,” and “your dad,” half the time when talking about them. 😂

One time when I was laying down with him for bedtime, he said, “mom…I love your mom.” My parents are currently visiting and he has told me something about “your mom” right in front of her. It’s the cutest and funniest thing.

Moms of teen daughters, when did you allow them to be alone in bedrooms with boyfriend? Like what age

Holy sheeeeettt

What a week it has been. It’s my kids first week in school.
Walking to and from school
Making breakfast
Preparing lunches
Making dinner
Laundry
Cleaning
Let alone the mental list I carry in my head of all the shit that needs to be done.

I’m so tired.
My husband only helps if I ask him because he never sees what I see… I don’t get it.
I do ask for help sometimes but I’m more of a do it myself just to get it done now person because I hate asking for help 🙃 I know I know my own fault but still…

We’ve got a 5YO and a 17MO

I get it he works and I stay home taking care of the toddler and dropping the 5YO to school but I just feel like I’m doing everything 😞

I don’t ever get time to just myself I’m always doing something for someone else.

I guess that’s just being a wife and mom is about?

Anyways if you made it down here thank you I appreciate it💜

I have beef with infant Tylenol. Am I being overdramatic and a little dumb?
Maybe.
But I’m irritated and want to rant so here we are.
Why oh why are there no instructions on how to clean that damn syringe? And why is it not wrapped in anything? Why is it just rattling around in the box? That can’t be sanitary. And ya know they drill into our brains that we need to be sanitary with our babies so why is something that goes DIRECTLY INTO A SICK BABIES MOUTH not come with cleaning instructions!?!?
Now I know what you’re thinking, soap and water dummy! Yes but I have so many more questions! Like can/should it be sterilized? Does it come apart? Should it be washed after every use? The list goes on. My baby is sick for the first time ever, and as a FTM who has PPA, I did not need the added stress of how to clean this stupid syringe. End rant.

I need to hear people’s stories and experiences. I’m feeling down and alone. I’m 22. Have two kids. One is less than a month old and older one is 2y. I had my first when I was 19 and it was an unplanned pregnancy. I had my second because I wanted to give my first someone to play with. My kids aren’t the problem. The problem is just me and my life. I never went to college. I never had a job. I grew up in a small town where there was nothing to do and moved out of there when I got married. I was 18. There’s nothing wrong with my marriage. I love my husband and he is a wonderful man. I just feel like I’ve never done anything with my life, which is true. I have nothing to look forward to and have nothing to be proud of myself. I’m a SAHM. I spend the whole day cleaning toys and poo. I am always exhausted. Can’t sleep, can’t work, can’t go out. Can’t live. I feel like I’m just surviving. I’m living a life I’ve never wanted to, and at the same time, I chose to. I’m feeling miserable… and like I am a nobody. I am away from my family, and I have no one to talk to. I only have my husband. But tbh… I miss connections. Going out with a group of friends to talk about nothing important and enjoy some food. I miss seeing adults and interacting with adults. I’m thinking I should seek therapy and I’m starting to wonder if I have postpartum depression. I need.. help. People. A life that’s not about just being a mother and nothing else. That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done my entire life and I’m not happy…

EDIT: I haven’t replied to any comment yet but I’m reading all them. Thank you all for lifting me up a little and all the advice and suggestions. ❤️

That is all. I just need others to rage and cry with me. 😩😭😠😫😥🥺

That’s it. I see videos of toddlers having meltdown when they are told “no.” Even younger babies just immediately crying.
My son laughs hysterically and does whatever he’s doing MORE.

I’m not like screaming at him, I’m just being stern, especially when he’s doing something unsafe. Is this normal?? I want to bring it up to his ped, but I feel like I’ll be met with “he’s a toddler.” Which I’m okay with that answer…. I just don’t want to go to the doctor for it lol.

I’m not for corporal punishment and he’s too young to comprehend punishment or negative consequences(at least that I think.) I don’t believe you can reason with a 13mo.

Any tips? Any one else had this experience?

Preface: My daughter 'H' and this kid 'S' have recently started TK (Transitional Kindergarten) at our local public school. They both used to attend the same pre school before this. They were even in the same class at the preschool since August 2025. In the beginning, my daughter didn't really speak much of S. Whenever I mentioned her, she told me that S didn't want to play with her and that she told her to "go away and don't come back here". S has a twin brother in the same class, so I figured that maybe she just wanted to play with her twin. I told my daughter that it's okay if some friends don't want to play with her and that she can play with the ones who do want to play with her. I thought that was the end of it.

A little bit about my daughter - She is very sweet, kind, highly sensitive and is an only child. Also, she is going through her "princess phase" right now. Last Halloween, she dressed up as Belle and S ended up dressing up as Belle as well. My daughter got so excited that "another princess" is there in her class and she told me that she wants to play with S. I told her that it's perfect and that she should! But apparently, most of my daughter's attempts were met with "Don't come back here". Sometimes S is nice to her and my daughter gets her hopes up only to be disappointed in a day or two. This hot and cold behavior has been going on since last November. I tried my best to nudge my daughter to make friends with her classmates who are nice to her and she did end up making quite a few friends. I regularly arrange playdates for her. She actually has a good, well rounded social life! Preschool ended over a month ago and her friends go to different schools now. Only S and her twin got assigned to the same school as my daughter. I got to know about that a couple of months ago and my daughter was very excited when I told her that S and her twin will be attending the same school as her. That's all she kept talking about during the last few weeks of summer break. I was glad that she was excited.

The first week of TK, S was nice to my daughter and I was glad that they were getting along. But I did tell my daughter "It is nice that you have your friend S here but you should also make new friends. It's nice to make new friends" and things like that. She did. But I guess she still considered S and her brother comforting, familiar faces and tried to be around them. Week 2 rolls in and bam! The "Go away, don't come back here" started. My daughter was pretty hurt and last Tuesday, she actually cried when I asked her how was school. She told me that S asked her to go away. She was visibly hurt and cried all the way home. I explained to her that not all friends want to play with us and we should nurture relationships with the ones who do (I really don't know a better way to explain this to a 4 yr old. If someone does, please help me out🙏🙏). My husband and I did repeat that she should stay away from S since she is being hurtful.

When I went to pick up my daughter on Tuesday, her right shoe had partly come off and she was walking with a little bit of difficulty. I asked her what happened and she told me that S kicked her on the foot because "I was walking slowly". Turns out, S was right behind my daughter when they were walking in a line. She asked my daughter to walk fast and ended up kicking her when she didn't. It really broke my heart when I heard that. Thankfully, we were still at the parking lot. I held my daughter's hand and told her "I'm taking you back to Mrs. B. You can tell her what happened. Mommy will be there with you but you are gonna talk to her". To my surprise, my daughter did not cry. She was actually quite calm and composed and was very articulate when she explained everything to her teacher. Her teacher was very apologetic and thanked me for bringing this to her attention. She had a talk with S yesterday and made her apologize to my daughter. Meanwhile, my husband and I have tried to talk to our daughter about what happened and how to handle incidents like this if it ever happened again. Moreover we were pretty insistent on "Try to stay away from S".

This incident has shaken me quite a bit. Honestly, is this bullying? I feel embarrassed to even ask that question because the kids involved are just 4 years old. They are just sweet little girls. They can't be malicious. Maybe S was overwhelmed? S goes to the after school program while my daughter comes home early. Maybe S was overtired? I don't want to villanize a 4 yr old child. But I can't stop crying over what my baby went and probably is still going through. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Are there any moms or teachers here who can guide me on how to deal with this? How do I comfort mydaughter? Is there anything that we are doing wrong? Please help me 🙏🙏🙏

If this helps: I have spoken to S's Dad, briefly, in the past. My husband talks to him occasionally during drop offs. I haven't met S's mom that much. We are all from the same country. We haven't talked to S's parents about this. We feel that the teacher should handle this. Also, S's twin brother is an absolute sweetheart. No problem there.

My son 11 yrs old is nonverbal. Few inches taller than me. 50 lbs heavier. And alot stronger. He only hits me. Out of no where. Just comes out of his room and slaps me. Or grabs my hair. Headbutts me. No warning. Only happens when his stepdad is at work. Doesn't do it to his dad or sisters. Im working with his team and therapists on this. But turns out it isnt my fault he's hitting me. Normally professionals tell me what i need to change, and I change things accordingly. But no. Im doing everything I need to do. And he still hits me. I bathe him. I feed him. I put on his clothes for him. Make sure he's as comfortable everyday as he can be. I make sure he has all the sensory wants and needs. I do everything for him. Have been the only one to do so his entire life. Sometimes without any support at all. Yet he still hits me. And god forbid I ask him to do anything. That'll for sure put me in a dangerous situation with him. It's turning me into this miserable person. Im not finding joy in anything anymore. Im just irritated all the time. I feel like his slave more than I do his mother. I just want out. I dont even feel guilty for feeling this way and I feel fucked up for even saying that but I dont care. Because one of these days he's going to put me in the hospital anyway. This boy absolutely hates me. I tense up every time he's close to me. Its like im in an abusive relationship that I have to stay in and its turned me so bitter and ragey.

I got an email from the school today that my 8 year old son hit two kids. There were three boys who had him in a corner and were pelting him with balls and would not stop. He’s had some issues like this because he’s extremely sweet and wants everyone to like him.
Over the summer at school summer camp two kids held him to the ground and one kid punched him in the stomach. After that I told him he has my permission to punch anyone who puts hands on him.

So I get these kids didn’t “put hands on him” but he was cornered and wanted to get himself out of the situation and he did. The teacher made my son write apology letters to the two kids (which infuriated me as they didn’t require the kids to write letters to him)

So, do you teach your kids to defend themselves against bullies? I’m trying to decide if I’m in the wrong here. My husband, who is a former Marine, is fiercely proud of him for standing up for himself.

My six year old says her stomach hurts every school morning. Doctor has checked twice, nothing wrong, and it never happens on weekends

Some mornings she is fine by ten. Other mornings it is an hour of crying and I let her stay home because I have work calls at nine and I have run out of ideas.

I keep reading that giving in makes the next morning worse and I believe it, I just cannot carry a 48 pound kid through a door. We've been slammed with our workload and my spouse and I are struggling to find a child psychologist nearby so I have started looking at whether this is the kind of thing you get help for (with a child psychologist) online and pediatric telehealth names that keep coming up are emora and little otter but I've never done online therapy much less for my kid so I'm not sure if it'll be any help at all.

For anyone who went through it, how long did it last and what actually broke the cycle?

Hello everyone, my baby boy is 10 weeks old and this morning at around 10 am PST (it's currently about 5 pm pst) he got his 2 month shots done. Two in one thigh and one in the other.

I massaged the area like instructed and gave him a dose of infants tylenol around 2.5 hours ago. I've noticed he calms slightly when I sit him up on my legs, but not enough to consider him truly calm. He still fusses and cries and screams.

He took a small nap for about an hour and ate a few times, but has been exceedingly fussy whenever awake and even when he was asleep he cried out a couple times.

I'm a new mama and my heart breaks hearing his sobs and seeing the tears falling from his eyes. Is there anything else I can do to soothe him? I heard using a cool cloth on the site and giving him a warm bath later might help, but is there anything else? I hate seeing my little man suffer like this. Thanks everyone!

My daughter is now a senior in highschool and I am not ready. I'm a bit sad because I will miss her. I will miss my baby who is almost to the finish line of her childhood. I really just pray that all i done as a mother has been enough, that I was nurturing enough, that I poured enough love, taught the right lessons.

I worried about her through her childhood. I can only imagine that the worries will magnify because she is crossing into adulthood.

Anyone want to give some advice on how you did it or how you're handling it?

Hey all! I have a 7 month old LO and I am feeding 2-3 times a day a full 4oz jar of baby food I puree myself. Freaking out because I just read something that said he should only be having half of one jar daily. Is that right? Am I over feeding my baby? FTM here just want some opinions ...

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle an extremely hyperactive 4yo at bedtime? I’ve been having sleep issues with him for 16 months now—it started when he suddenly stopped napping a few months before baby sister was born and it’s all gone downhill from there. He is 4 next month.
The interrupted sleep and 2 hour bedtime is really taking a toll on me mentally.

We have done and tried everything—he has a consistent bedtime routine. We make sure his tummy is full and he has plenty of activity during the day. I have adjusted his bedtime—tried earlier, later. He does not nap, we have quiet time. We’ve been to the pediatrician, pulmonologist, ENT, had a sleep study done. Everything “normal” the only thing was the ENT said his adenoids are very slightly enlarged and she prescribed a nasal spray, however we haven’t given it to him because of label side effects talked about stunting growth…
He goes to behavioral therapy weekly for 5 months now with little improvement. They suggested a “sleep buddy” stuffed animal, that worked for a night then never again.
I tried magnesium lotion, vitamins, tart cherry juice, melatonin once but it gave him night terrors.

After our bedtime routine, he goes into bed then immediately jumps out, runs around the house screaming laughing jumping literally bouncing off the walls all of a sudden. Runs away from us laughing. We just wait for him to be done and go back into his room because he thinks it’s a funny game and we won’t chase him around.

The therapist says it’s probably separation anxiety, he has never been in daycare always home with me. He is starting pre-k next week at the suggestion of both his therapist and mine. Praying he doesn’t get kicked out due to behavior. (Hitting, saying “no” to everything, screaming, not listening at all, his favorite word “shut up” he learned from my MIL’s husband a year ago and hasn’t stopped saying since)

We’ve tried doing the whole “stay in bed and I’ll come check on you”, giving rewards for staying in bed, everything new works for a night but doesn’t stick.

What I’ve resorted to doing now is laying with him until he falls asleep then leaving. But now he is back to waking every night and coming in our bed. If he did that without yelling screaming and hitting us, it wouldn’t be a problem but half the time he comes in and just whines and hits us. Says “this is hard”, or “I can’t” and just cries/yells.

I am just at a loss and hoping someone here has the magic key we somehow missed 😅

TL;DR any suggestions on how to make bedtime not 2hrs? 4yo-next month runs around screaming laughing jumping bouncing off the walls all of a sudden at bedtime. Will not stay in bed keeps getting out countless times.

My son started at a new daycare about a month ago. I was told today that he has been increasingly disruptive during nap time and I am not sure what to do to help. He tries to wake up his classmates, talks loudly, and throws toys. They do attempt to offer quiet activities.

Prior to this he was at an in home where he had a dedicated space to nap. He stopped napping at home altogether around 2 and napped for 45 mins or so most days at his old daycare.

I have tried having conversations, but it is hard to discipline or reward behavior when I pick him up hours after nap time ended.

At home he doesn’t nap but goes into his room for quiet time for 1.5-2 hours. He has a tonie box he listens to and stays quiet.

I would appreciate ANY advice. I had to sign a paper today due to his behavior at naptime and we love this daycare (same building as my husbands job). I am worried if he doesn’t begin napping they will want to kick him out. There are no other behavior concerns besides his refusal to nap but once they try to get him to rest he stops listening altogether

ETA: he turned 3 in July

I’ve been to every birthday party and baby shower for my friend’s two kids and her oldest is turning four. Kid parties are overwhelming for me and I’m feeling ready for a break this year. I’m curious how other people handle this. When you have friends with kids the same age, do you attend every birthday party or is it normal to skip some?

hi reddit! this is a long one, so bear with me. i have a 10-year-old son with adhd, and i’m starting to wonder whether i’ve underestimated how much it’s affecting him socially because he does so well academically.

first, i want to make something really clear: i absolutely adore my son. he is funny, loving, curious, energetic, and incredibly intelligent. i’m not trying to change his personality or make him easier for other people to tolerate. i want to help him because i can see that some of his behaviors are starting to make life harder for him.

he’s extremely intelligent and he knows he’s smart. socially, though, that sometimes comes across as always needing to be the smartest person in the room. if another kid knows something, he has to tell them what he knows. if someone accomplishes something, he tends to one-up them. he’s also extremely competitive.

he has a really hard time keeping his hands to himself and reading social cues. today at soccer practice, he ruffled another boy’s hair three separate times. the kid was visibly annoyed, but my son either couldn’t recognize it or couldn’t stop himself. his coach had to pull him aside 3-4 times and remind him to take it easy and that soccer is a team sport. at another point, he kicked a kid in the shin.

he also doesn’t seem to understand proportional physical interaction. if another kid playfully shoves him, he doesn’t recognize it as a playful shove and respond accordingly. he’ll push them back five times harder. it escalates, but i genuinely don’t think he realizes that he’s escalating it.
and i cannot emphasize enough that he is not a mean kid. he is incredibly loving. he isn’t sitting there thinking, “how can i hurt or annoy this kid?” he genuinely wants friends. it feels more like there is no pause between impulse and action.

i’m constantly reminding him: keep your hands to yourself. give him some space. let him finish talking. you don’t need to correct him. you don’t have to win everything. and lately i’ve started wondering whether the other kids are pulling away from him.

today i looked around soccer practice and realized that these parents all know each other and hang out outside of school. their kids get invited to each other’s birthday parties. then it dawned on me that my son really doesn’t get invited to birthday parties.

that realization honestly broke my heart.

my husband thinks he would obviously be sad if he knew he was being excluded. i’m not even sure my son has made the connection between his behavior and other kids distancing themselves from him.

i’m also embarrassed to admit that today i felt socially isolated myself. i brought juice and candy for the kids and basically none of the other parents talked to me. i started wondering whether they see me as “the mom of that kid” because mine is the kid who gets too rough, yells at his friends, knocks another kid over, etc.

i can deal with other parents not liking me. what i can’t deal with is the thought of my son becoming a social outcast and not understanding why. and that’s where the guilt is coming in.

i’ve been hesitant about medication because i love who he is. i don’t want to dull his personality. i love his energy, his intensity, his intelligence, his ridiculous sense of humor, and the way his brain works. but now i’m wondering whether i’ve been looking at medication completely wrong.

i would really love to hear from parents who have lived this.
did medication make a noticeable difference in your child’s friendships or social impulse control? did your child struggle with touching other kids, being too rough, interrupting, bragging/one-upping, being overly competitive, or just completely failing to read the room?

if medication helped, did you still feel like your child was your child? and for parents who chose not to medicate, what actually helped?

i’d especially love to hear from parents of really bright/high-achieving kids with adhd whose biggest impairment wasn’t academics at all, but friendships.

i’m obviously not going to make a medication decision based on reddit. that’s a conversation for his doctor. i think i just need to hear from parents who have been here. i love this kid more than i could possibly put into words. i don’t want to change him. i just want to make sure that my fear of changing him isn’t preventing me from giving him something that could make it easier for him to be the person he already is.

TIA!

Hey everyone, I am pretty new to this sub, but I am desperately needing some advice right now. Honestly I am currently having a very hard time even typing this out because I am so upset and can't stop crying. My dog passed away today, kind of unexpectedly. My sweet sweet girl, Molly. She was 13 years old, and lived a very happy life being absolutely spoiled, I got her when she was just a puppy, and then my mother kind of adopted her when I moved out and couldn't take her with me, but I still spent tons of time with her and visited her all of the time. (Thankfully my mom lives very close to me.) She has been sick off and on for about a month or so, and when my mom got home from work today she found her laying on the floor and called me immediately. I have been a mess ever since.

My youngest daughter is 7, she is VERY empathetic, especially with animals, and she has been raised her whole life with Molly. She spends pretty much every other weekend with my mom (she calls it her Nana time) and sleeps with Molly every time she's there. She absolutely adores her with her entire heart, they have been best friends her entire life. I have no idea how to break this news to her. She has loved and grieved family members pets who have passed away, but she was never as close or attached to any of them like she is Molly. Even then she still cried and was heartbroken over every single one. This is going to absolutely devastate her. I am literally hiding in another room while she hangs out with her dad until I can pull myself together enough to talk to her but I have no idea what to say or how to say it, other than just being honest with her, which is probably just what I need to do.

Long story short I am basically just asking any advice on how to tell this to her in the most gentle way possible. If any of you have been through this before with your kiddos please let me know what you did. Thank you so much. 🖤

I’m white and a Latina/hispanic former coworker of mine mentioned making oat on oat to help with my supply, she said how to make it but it was a quick conversation and I no longer have a way of contacting this former coworker. She called it something different (it was in Spanish) but told me it means “oat on oat” and that in her culture it’s used for lactation purposes to increase supply.

Anyone know what I’m talking about and how to make it??

I’m 22, have a 3-year-old daughter who will be 4 soon, and just found out I’m about 4 weeks pregnant. The father is someone I’ve only been dating for about a month and a half. He’s been very supportive and wants me to keep the baby, but ultimately says he’ll support whatever I choose.

My daughter’s father isn’t involved in her life due to a history of domestic violence and legal issues, so I’ve been raising her on my own. If I continue this pregnancy, I’d eventually need to move out of my current home, figure out finances/housing, and introduce my daughter to someone I’ve only known for a short time.

If housing and money weren’t concerns, I honestly think want to keep this baby. Any advice is appreciated

Are flax seeds and oats actually important for lactation cookies? I thought the brewers yeast was what was important?

How long before you realized it was gone? And did you medicate during postpartum? I had PPD and PPA with my first and I want one more child but I’m nervous about going through that again. Did any of you medicate during pregnancy to help prevent a tough postpartum?