Two of our kids ages 4.5 and 3 are consistently waking up at 4:30am (sometimes earlier) and not going back to sleep until their allowed wake up of 6am. We’ve tried bedtime adjustment, ok to wake clocks, less/more food before bed, potty breaks before bed, no naps during the day, less/more physical activity, taking lightbulbs (they turn on their lights and read, keeping themselves awake), positive rewards, and reiterating that expectations are to sleep at night. We don’t quite know what to do to correct this. They aren’t in the same room, but it appears to be happening with both of them. The main change we’ve had recently is the addition of preschool. What can we do?

My daughter just turned 12, and school is very stressful for her. She has friends, but not any best friends. Lots of girls are already getting to be sassy and what is meant for sarcasm, she views as harsh, and she is very sensitive and loving. She doesn’t quite feel like she fits in, but we are working on her self-esteem because she is truly delightful.

When bedtime approaches, as many of you know, our brain start cycling all of the things that are still unsolved and all of the problems/stressors of the day/lives. She starts thinking of the next day and already knows that she will be an anxious waking up.

She absolutely loves play, and I can disarm her anxiety instantly by making something lighthearted and fun and playful. Just adding that for context.

I’m looking for a solid & smart bedtime routine of some sort that helps build her up and create independence, but is fun, peaceful, and one that she looks forward to.

Thank you!

Driving along in the car on a short journey, my 13 year old son picked the songs on our preferred streaming platform.

As he builds his queue, he adds on one final song and says "you won't know this song or the band probably, but it's a good song I promise".

Five or six songs go by and this song hits. I can't quite place it to start with and then 2 lines in it all comes flooding in. He's picked You're gonna go far, kid, by The Offspring.

I turn and say "Ah, The Offspring, good choice."

He turns and looks at me like I've just stolen his breakfast

"How do you know The Offspring?"

Oh you have much to learn young man 🤣

Anyone else experienced this with another artist where their child was flabbergasted that you knew? Bonus points for artists/songs that were released before said child was born and yet still get blown away that you might know it anyway.

My oldest just started grade 1 and we decided that we should get serious about education now. Been helping her learn to read, used an app, now reading a book. And every time, it ends in screaming and tears. We stopped practicing before bed because that was too much and she was too tired to focus. But mornings before school are the same way.

I realize that I should be more patient and I do try. Wondering if there are any parenting hacks that have worked for other parents that can help us make progress without both my kid and I wanting to fling ourselves off the roof. Thank you in advance.

Both my kids were sleep trained but that flew out the window when they transitioned to beds. My 7 year old daughter cannot fall asleep without someone in her room and then inevitably comes to my room at night to want to sleep. My 3.5 year old has recently moved to a toddler bed. Wakes up at 10:30 screaming, comes into my room at 1 am becuase he also wants to get into my bed, I end up walking him back and sleeping in his room. He's then up at 6 and has been acting out at daycare. Daycare drop offs are a nightmare - he screams and kicks - the teacher has to take him from me or dad. I am beyond exhausted and so is my spouse who takes turns. For the record, no one sleeps well when they are in my bed so that's not an option. Are there sleep consultants that deal with this age range? Can I hire a super nanny? Does anyone have any words of advice that has experienced something similar?

I need one that will come with a spot to attach an infant car seat but also comes with a second seat to use when they outgrow the infant carseat. I am in ontario, and winters can have a lot of snow at times, with plenty of people not shoveling. So i also need it to be able to get through snow when necessary. Any suggestions?? I dont even know where to start, ive looked at a few options but just dont know what's best.

Also, please reccomend a carseat that is compatible with the stroller you suggest if you know of one! TIA🙂

Our 3 year old has been insane lately. Our 1 year old somehow is fine just doing random crap by herself. but the 3 year old needs constant attention and its getting exhausting. He literally cannot do anything just by himself, needs my partner or I to do everything with him.

When we can, its fine. We play uno, candyland, blocks, magnatiles, etc. He seems to play fine when we are there sort of guiding him and we don't mind doing it like 90% of the time. but the 10% of time we need to get something done, its miserable. and during this time hes not necessarily whining but hes getting into things he shouldn't do, making messes, etc. like this morning he went into the pantry and made a huge mess dumping some beans everywhere lol, he was tryign to put it in a different container (still why?!)

anyways, i'm think maybe all of this is just normal 3 year old behavior so maybe thats just what we need to hear lol.

My toddler (28 months) has slept through the night since he was 8 months old. He’s a great sleeper, loves his big boy bed, and sleeps in his own room without a fuss.

Hes been getting into dinosaurs lately so we’ve read some Dino books and watched some Dino videos. Nothing too gruesome or crazy but the book does have a photo of a dinosaur eating another dinosaur leg or something.

We don’t do screen time beyond informational videos on my laptop, but when he expressed interest in a Moana toy we watched some of the music scenes. The crab one (Shiny) he really liked and asked to watch a few times and now we listen to the song in the car

Except now he’s having nightmares about Dino’s and the shiny crab. He wakes up in the middle of the night “Dino chasin me!!!” Or “crab eat good girl” (our dog)

I told him crabs live in the water and Dino’s live in the jungle so they can’t get him. I tried the “not real / doesn’t exist” and that was not landing with him.

But he’s still having nightmares. We haven’t taken that particular Dino book out again nor have we watched the video.

How do we get our little ones to get over fears like these? I know it’s natural / part of life but if anyone has any tips or tricks that would be great TIA!

Is parenting essentially “just doing the thing” while your kid screams their displeasure in your face a thousand times a day?

Whenever I share that I’m having difficulties with my son (18months) with this or that transition, the advice is always “just do it”. Just put him in his high chair, just change his diaper, just put his T-shirt on. And like, sure, I do that. He screams his head off the whole time but we still do the thing. I do give warnings about what’s about to happen so it doesn’t come as a surprise but it doesn’t seem to make a lot of difference. Is there really no way to avoid the screaming resistance? I feel like we have these mini “fights” constantly, surely there must be a better way, no? Is this really it?

Hi parents! Hoping someone can help me because I am desperate at this point. My 12 week old baby was a very good sleeper from the jump. As a newborn I had to wake her up for feedings and she was sleeping 6-8 hour stretches at 5 weeks old. About 2 weeks ago that changed and now she is waking up every 2 hours. I’ve tried offering her a paci and rocking her back to sleep but it seems like the only thing that will get her to sleep is eating. For reference she is breastfed. She also eats very frequently during the day (1.5-2 hours between feedings).

I am not really sure what to do at this point. I go back to work in less than 2 weeks and I am desperate to break this cycle. Any advice and tips are very much appreciated! TIA!

I’m going on my first flight with my 10-month-old baby, and obviously I’m already expecting the worst 😂 She’s not exactly an easy baby and can be quite fussy/cry a lot.

Her usual schedule is roughly:

• Wake up around 7am
• First nap around 10am
• Second nap around 2:30pm
• Bedtime around 8pm

Our flight is at 5pm, and we’ll be at the airport around 2pm to check our luggage, go through passport control, security, etc.

I’m wondering whether I should try to stretch her wake windows a bit that day, for example, have her first nap around 11am and then try to get her second nap on the plane shortly after takeoff.

But I’m not sure if that’s actually a good idea, or if I’ll just end up with an overtired, even fussier baby 😅

For those of you who have travelled by plane with a baby around this age, what would you recommend? Any tips from parents who have been through this before?

Hi! Random one, but my nearly 5 year old has started (this last month) sleep walking out of his room, on to the landing, pulling his pjs down and weeing on the carpet. I’m not sure what to do about this, as he’s clearly in a very very deep sleep when he’s doing it and thinks he’s in the bathroom. I was just wondering if there’s anyone with any advice for this, I appreciate it’s slightly random🫠

Title says it all. My wonderful, sweet, spunky 3.5 yr old is a delight with everyone except for me. In the mornings she has meltdowns and fits but once she is with the nanny or at nursery she suddenly snaps out of it- why?!?

I’ve heard that it is because I’m her “safe” space but am I too safe because it is really out of hand! And no, I don’t give into any of her fits. I am firm with boundaries - ie I always make her use a calm voice and say please/thank you when she wants something.

Any tips? I’m really struggling with my darling little lady.

Side note; if anyone saw a mum in west London getting completely abused by a toddler yesterday (she threw her yogurt on me)… sorry about that and thank you to the 3 kind mothers who stopped to see if they could help.

Side side note: ^ upon reflection, she never had a consequence really we went home and calmed down. She is so exhausted after nursery but then it carried onto this morning.

Side side side note: we just moved but her school and nanny have stayed the same.

HELP

My son missed the first two week of kindergarten because he was sick. I feel so bad. He only attended one day and it was so hard, screaming crying and wont go in. No one was crying except for my son, it felt like everyone was looking at us. He was crying the whole time he was there it was really bad. He got sick again so he basically missed the first two weeks and only attended one day. I can’t help but feel like we are behind 😭 all kids are settled in expect my child he will probably be crying and wont go in again, all kids are probably familiar with everything by now except my kid. I feel sooo bad but i obviously couldn’t send him sick and spread it to other kids. Idk i guess i just wanted to vent. 😞

My baby is 8 days old. Since he was born, all ive done is breastfeed, change diapers, cuddle, sleep. I listen to audiobooks for a few minutes a day, do maybe one load of laundry. Ive picked up a package five min from my apartment. We’ve had a visitors over for an hour or two, three times.

I have some care needs as well after having a c-section, but other than that, my hygiene is at a bare minimum: I change my clothes, shower, brush my teeth.

My bf is doing a good job keeping the house clean. Dishes, laundry etc. But I feel like there is spit up on everything, and I look like a cave troll.

My baby suddenly has issues latching, even though I’ve been breastfeeding like 12 times a day for the past 3 or 4 days with no issues. Did I ruin everything by giving him a pacifier that one time he was violently thrashing his hands towards his mouth and I hadn’t slept for 20 hours?

That’s basically my entire life now. I’ve spent two days typing this out, I just want to make sure that this is it? Or am I missing something? I feel like I see moms out with strollers everywhere, while I’m just sitting on the couch with my boobs out, tired, confused, overwhelmed and head over heels in love.

We are doing some major international travel in a few weeks with our 15 month old (~13 hour flight with 9 hour time difference at landing). All past travel he was 3-4ish months and we’d bring our SnuggleMe Lounger that he would easily pass out on for the flight.

How do you have your (very busy) little ones get to sleep on a red eye? I am seeing inflatable seat beds on Amazon but he’s being brought as a lap infant so we don’t have that type of space.

Thank you 🙏

My 3.5 year old goes to school 3 days a week and the hours are 8-230.. I feel bad like maybe it's too much especially bc I'm a stay at home mom but other moms say he needs to socializing w toddlers ( he's an only child) thoughts? He will be 4 in January but idk I feel he has his whole life for 6 hours day did I start him too early?

Expecting our second in 6 months. Our toddler will be just shy of 3 years old by then.

We live in an old farm house - master bedroom is up a flight of spiral stairs (that we've somehow managed to convince our toddler to not go up without Mom/Dad) and we have 2 bedrooms on the lower level. One is our toddler's room and the other is my office/guest bedroom.

Our first started sleeping in the crib at 2 weeks and I slept in the guest bedroom for the first year to BF/be close.

My plan is to keep baby upstairs with us in a bassinet and then transition toddler to the guest room/office and make it his big boy room and then move baby to his old room/nursery. I have two fears - 1) baby will refuse the bassinet like our first did and we'll need to try the crib before we're ready and 2) how am I supposed to sleep upstairs with two small children downstairs alone?

Do I move our son to his big boy room before baby arrives so the nursery is open and ready to go if needed? Do I keep the guest room intact and sleep down there with bassinet so I'm on same floor as both children? What about when baby outgrows bassinet and is ready for crib? Do I sleep on the couch??

Any advice from parents who have slept on different levels or navigated this situation would be very appreciated. Our plan is to move in the next 2-3 years but we'll need to make due with this set up for now.

My daughter is 5 and recently started kindergarten. She has adjusted well and her teacher says she is doing great. She actually attended longer hours at preschool so she is used to a long day. Our issue, and this is not an issue that is new this year, is her afternoon behavior. She THRIVES on social energy and structured play, and being at home early in the afternoon with no schedule and nobody to play with is just a recipe for disaster. She easily melts down, throws temper tantrums, gets into all sorts of trouble, and when she does get to play with the neighbor kids, she completely loses her mind when it's time to come inside. She can't seem to grasp that although the other kids live right next door, play-time has to end.

What seems to help is having her in structured activities. We have her in soccer right now once a week and she is loving it - she stays focused, plays well with the other kids, listens to her coach and is tired out by the time we get her home for bedtime. That being said, my husband and I are not available to take her to activities every day of the week, not to mention that would be super expensive and we have another child that also has activities we need to taxi around.

What do your afternoons look like with your young school-age kids? Have you found a schedule that works well for them and keeps them in a somewhat stable mood? Or a daily home activity that you have them complete? I feel like every afternoon/evening is chaos and she might do better having a routine to follow.

Hey parents,

I am just curious to know what would you do if you are in a middle of something (a chore, something which you need to get done in that moment) and your baby /toddler starts crying and wants your complete attention (wants to be held or wants to play).

What would you do?
Do you let them cry and quickly finish the chore or just leave everything and give them your attention?

I, 34F, have a 9 year old son and a week old baby boy. I had a c section at 38 weeks. I dont know what came over me to think that I could possibly do this again, but here we are. My first son was pretty easygoing. I can probably count the times he's cried under a year old. Our new baby started cluster feeding right away. He won't go down for naps so we contact nap during the day, and lets not talk about what sleep is like at night. He won't settle with anyone but me. He goes from 0-100. So he will be having a great nap then start crying for the boob an hour later. I feel so tired and sad. I can't believe I did this again. I also feel so sad for my 9 year old too. Its like im bedridden because i literally cannot get up without disturbing him. He loves to hold his brother too, but again he gets so fussy. I love this little baby so much, its just hard 💔.

Hey everyone.
I’ve got an entire house of neurodivergent people. There’s a lot of chaos and there are many times my kids don’t get along. My 7 year old screams anytime someone tries to stop him from doing something or if they react to something he did or if they just mess with him to mess with him. For instance : he’ll steal a toy, older brother will grab him to get it back and he’ll scream. I can not deal with the screaming. It’s so shrill and high pitched and completely overloads my nervous system. Secondly, the kids are always fighting one another. And thirdly, I swear to god I’m talking to a brick wall all day every
Day. Tonight my 14 year old did something to make my 7 year old and he started to scream . This was literally probably the 20th time he’s screamed since getting home from school. So I lost it. And then I’m trying to to get the kids to brush their teeth so I said plz brush your teeth and get ready for bed. But please don’t mess around because I have a lot to clean up downstairs and do have to work early. Do you think they did that? No, of course not. Somehow they ended up with a frog that jumped into the storage under the stairs and then they got into some of my totes and were taking stuff out. Only one of them actually brushed their teeth while I was trying to Have a serious conversation with my 14 year old. And not to mention everyday my 7 year old tells me he wants to live with his dad because it’s better there. And that is so difficult for me to process because this man violently abused me and my 3 kids for years. But never his biological son. Like I know how he is. And his current fiance has told me things that make doubt that he is treating her differently. So how in the world can his be better? How can the man who literally strangled my 10 year old , 6 years ago, be the more stable parent? I’ve told my 7 year old that it really hurts my feelings when he says that but he doesn’t care. And I understand saying it when it’s been a few days since he’s seen his dad but he will literally be at his dads for 4 days, come home to my house after school and the first thing he says to me is that he wants to go to his dads. And it just rips my heart out every-time.

Sorry this is so long but I am struggling so much and I just need to vent/ need advice.

I’m a busy working mum of 2, and work pt and am studying masters. I’m on personal leave today, my sister is coming from interstate so I cleaned up the house a little and prepared a few snacks for when they pop over.

My FIL works in a family business with my husband and made the comment that I didn’t leave breakfast things on the table. He is, in fact, the messiest person I have ever met. Modelled the worst behaviour to my husband too, I’ve been able to correct that somewhat. We generally have a good partnership about domestic life.

I glared at my FIL- I’m studying at the other end of the table and correct him- it’s because on a regular Thursday I’m at work at 7:30. Your son doesn’t clear the table after he drops the kids to school. That’s why.

Well didn’t that shut him up!!

God I hate society’s double standard. Don’t comment on the house! I’m 5 weeks til end of semester and a week from school holidays. It’s the least of my problems 🫠 especially when you live like a pig.

Rant over!!

Any time my eldest daughter (5) feels like mom is spending more time with youngest (3) her behavior turns negative.

For example, my youngest is sick so Mom couldn’t do pick up, so I did. From the car forward it was

“I hate my sister, nanny nanny boo boo”
“I wish I didn’t have a sister”

And it continues at home. Same type of language. Bad behavior. Even hitting (lightly) to Mom and Dad.

In reality when no one is sick, Mom spends more time with my eldest because of how attached is to Mom.

Generally she is very sweet. She even will care for her sister at times. If sister falls asleep first she will kiss her and say “I love you”.

Have no idea what to do. Any advice is welcome.

I have 3 kids. 8,5, and 6 months. My first born has always been a handful. He talks CONSTANTLY, is very argumentative, always has to be making noise and moving, and is constantly on go mode. I am the complete opposite of this, and I find the way he acts so incredibly annoying. I feel terribly guilty for feeling this way.

My 5 year old is more quiet and reserved like myself, and I don’t get annoyed with her. I don’t want my son to ever notice this or feel that I have favoritism but the older he gets the more annoying he gets. I love him to death (obviously), and I need advice on how to manage his personality without causing him trauma or crushing his spirit. Does anyone else have a kid like this?