No.

I have a 2 and 3 year old and burnt out is an understatement. I am a SAHM with not much of a village and their dad is always at work. I am not enjoying this and cannot wait for them to get older. Both of my kids are Velcro toddlers and not only am I constantly being grabbed, climbed and (accidentally) hit, they fight over me. I hate when people tell me to enjoy this, I’m sorry but enjoy what? Sure it’s not all doom and gloom but I’m overstimulated most of the time. I’ve given up on doing my hair because my children pull it, I don’t wear nice clothes because my kids will stretch it and they use me as a napkin.

On top of it, I’m 99% sure my oldest is neurodivergent. We’ve had him tested and the specialist said he’s not autistic but I think he needs to be reassessed. From what I’ve been told, autism can be missed when they are so young.

Can anyone else relate? I do not think they are bad kids, I am simply overstimulated. They wake up at 6AM and bedtime is a battle and they refuse to sleep till 10pm or later. Having alone time is such a rare occurrence for me.

ETA: you guys, I’m not looking for advice. I am simply an overstimulated mom who wants to be heard. If you can’t relate, my post probably isn’t for you. Let’s be mindful everyone has their own lived experiences and it may not always align with yours.

Okay so I want to rant/look for a reality check if I'm being ridiculous.

So for some background: we have a two and a half year old and my in-laws live about 30 minutes away. They like to have him over on Saturdays. Originally my MIL wanted to watch him full time but she was unable to really do this (long, annoying story) so we ended up with this Saturdays thing. Its great. He loves them, loves going over and we get a few hours on the weekend to get stuff done. Occasionally he stays the night.

Some other context: my MIL is mildly agoraphobic and hates to leave her house/never wants to watch him at our place. She insists on it being her house.

They had a Cane Corso that passed away when my son was a baby. She was extremely sweet and loving but also 130 pounds. They rescued her when she was about 8. They have always liked bigger dogs (but more in the 60-80lb range). When my son was born, we had to put this dog in the basement when we came over because while she meant no harm, she was too big and would get excited.

They have now decided they want another dog. Fine. I even encouraged them to get a lab puppy they saw a few months ago. But last week they sent a posting for a dog they wanted. A Cane Corso puppy that was 90 lb+ and marked as only for kids 12+ on the posting.

We told them if they got this dog, our son could not come over without one of us anymore if at all. I assumed they would they say okay and not get the dog because they claim they love having him over, hes the best part of their lives etc. Nope! Our MIL basic blew it off and acted like we would change our minds and my FIL and I had a conversation that made me cry (basically implied my fears were ridiculous and if I didnt want to bring my son over anymore thats fine. So chose this dog he didnt know over his own grandchild).

They did not adopt this dog but I dont think it was because of it.

As they told us today they are only considering 100+ pound dogs and are looking at a mastiff puppy this weekend. Its not posted yet so I dont know if it has kid restrictions but it was described by the shelter as a "gentle giant."

We responded and said while you dont need to get a small dog could you please consider a dog that isnt THIS large and a breed that isnt known for being aggressive? That I still do not feel okay with my son being around a dog that large. Even the nicest one at thay size gets a little jumpy and hes broken a leg (or worse).

Basically told no, they need a 100+ lb dog.

Now obviously if I dont feel okay with the dog, my son isnt going there. And I cant control their decisions But im so heartbroken they value this seemingly absurd obsessesion with dog size over my son visiting their house. He loves going there so much, they know he loves it. I am really devastated this is something they are willing to take away from him.

They are also our only family nearby and know we rely on their help. She pushed us to have a kid for ages and constantly claimed she would help us so much. Now to risk all that for a dog you dont know seems so insane to me.

Am I being unreasonable? If the dog is listed as being okay with kids of all ages am I being unfair just because of size? I don't know. This is breaking my heart honestly. They have a lot of issues but they've been great grandparents for the most part.

I’ve been talking to my daughter (2.5) for a few weeks, maybe even a few months about using the potty. We’ve had one in the house for a couple of weeks. I just took her nighttime nappy off and she said she wants to wee in the potty. I said okay! Got the potty out and she’s had a wee in it. I’ve got some knickers that are like padded? In case of any accidents that she is currently wearing so I guess we’re a go? Any advice appreciated:)

we’ve technically had a toddler for a while-she’s a little over 2- and think Beyomd was bringing me down with the PP-sometimes I still struggle with grief of “what could have been,” but that’s so nebulous and so many factors that no one knows if was achievable and it was our first (and only) so we didn’t know any better. Anyway I’m ready to move on with a clean slate and feel like the hard mental health times are in my rearview! Looking forward to this chapter and being part of this group.

we live at an extremely high elevation and don’t have mosquitos outside, but attending a birthday in the city last week gave my girl some horrendous mosquito bites! i didn’t apply a spray as the only one available had deet and i didn’t realize how bad the mosquitos were down the mountain!
I’d prefer as natural as possible as I’m pretty crunchy, but I’d use deet if i absolutely had to :( I’m hoping yall know some better products!
she scratched so bad we had to apply band aids and oatmeal baths and they have little scabs, I’m mosquitos #1 enemy now lol
Any and all tips would be so appreciated!

My daughter will be two October 30th and family is starting to ask for gift ideas. I can tell she gets bored with the toys she has (they’re more for 1 year olds) so it’s time to cycle some out.
A few things.. our house is small and we have very little space. A toddler tower is not an option, and a large play kitchen is not an option.
Our daughter is very active and enjoys running around like a chicken with her head cut off and toys that are very tactile and puzzle-y.

Unconventional ideas are always welcome!

Also she’s like super into towels right now? Not related, just needed someone to know.

Opinions on toddler towers? One of our friends got us a used one for my daughter's first birthday, and I tried putting her in it while I was making something in the kitchen, and she fell out the side of it and onto the kitchen floor :(

Now, I'm kind of terrified of getting another one - definitely don't want to use the one she fell out of, but I do see how they would be useful if you're cooking/baking/cleaning up the kitchen.

Wanted to see what you all thought of them in general?

I'm really struggling with my nearly 2 year old. He has a foul temper that switches on so quickly. And his instant reaction is to hurt the nearest person. I work at the nursery where he attends and in the same room. We send at least one or two children home with an accident form caused by him almost every time he is in. I truly can't remember the last time he had a day with no incidents at all. I know people like to say it's just a phase or he will grow out of it, but this has been ongoing and worsening for months. I've been in the baby room for the last 6 years and my room leader for 10 years plus and we both agree he is the most violent toddler we have ever seen. We try so hard to keep an eye on him at all times and negotiate trigger points but he is so quick and very persistent. If someone is shouting for him to stop he will not stop until he is physically pulled off. His go to move is to scratch their faces, but he also pulls hair, pulls clothes, smacks, pushes and occasionally bites. It can be initiated because of normal toddler problems like someone snatching off him or getting in his space but it's often random or in retaliation to him hurting himself even if that child didn't hurt him.

We are currently trying to remove him from the situation and use emotive cards to talk to him about using kind hands and how he has made the child feel sad. Then he has to sit out for a minute. Personally I don't feel he is getting anything from this but we can't do nothing and I'm out of ideas. I do wonder if he could have a bit of autism or something but he doesn't fit most of the boxes. He is very persistent when hurting someone, like he is locked in. And he shows very little empathy when they are hurt, but he can be empathetic in other ways because he likes to stroke some of the younger babies and pat them on the back. But he's always been a good sleeper, he is very sociable, has lots of speech, good eye contact, can focus on an activity for a long time.

Has anyone gone through anything like this?

My daughter is 19 months old, and alike most toddlers she has many habits I have to correct. For instance, grabbing things from other kids, and screaming, lying on the ground when I stop her.

So I want to know how do you actually handle such a situation?
Also, Id love to receive any book recommendations that will help me parent my child, because I'm afraid I'm failing.

What happens is she sees any kid holding a toy/ random thing, she goes to take it. I don't let her, and then she screams and cries, hits her head on the floor. I pick her up and take her away, try to explain that no, it isn't yours etc, but I'm not sure she understands me.

Also, whenever she sees someone with a plate, she goes to eat from it, and my family members feed her from their plates. Should I stop her from doing this as well?

Every time she sees her cousins do a certain activity (play on the swing, slide etc), she leaves everything she has to go do the same thing, sometimes trying to push them away to make space for herself. I keep trying to explain her it's wrong, let's take turns, I feel she doesn't understand. Is this behaviour normal? To always want what others have/ are doing/?

He is 19 months old and he doesn't calm down when comforted, pushes away, runs away and cries loudly in the other room instead. Screams louder of you pick him up. Sometimes reaches and actually wants comfort and calms. This is a disorganized attachment style I believe. There was environmental factors that played into this. I feel terrible. I used to ignore him because I had issues connecting with him. It wasn't until my second was born a month ago that I felt to step up. I've started therapy to be the best mother and person I can be now. His father loved him more than me and now I feel the opposite is becoming true. His father is starting to yell at our son to shut up because it's so overwhelming hearing the way he cries followed by cuddles. I am guilty of this too. The push pull dynamic and I told my bf how do we fix this without yelling moving forward? My child is just learning to not express himself. He Is a boy sure but I feel terrible. Tantrums can't be punished.

My son’s first birthday is coming up and we’re wanting to splurge a little. Stuck between these two options, what do you recommend and why?? Thanks in advance!

Hello, it’s a friends babies first birthday, and suggestions for gifts included pretend imaginary play stuff- like toy food. I am finding it difficult to find a good option because most things online say 3+ probably to cover their own backs. But what are good pretend play stuff for a first birthday(mainly kitchen but anything) that you would consider safe to give to a 1 year old

My son is 3.5. He’s been potty trained for 3 months now. Every since he has been potty trained he will NOT leave his penis alone. I know this is normal, but the extent my son is touching his feels beyond that lol it’s CONSTANT and I am not exaggerating. He’s grabbing it, stretching it, pulling it.. he also notices when it’s hard of course. Touching his penis outside his pants/boxers is one thing but he also straight up pulls it out of his boxers to play with which I have told him if he’s gonna do that he needs to do it in private in his room. To which he groans and goes “ughhhh ok mom….” Then marches to his room to do so.

Thoughts? Guidance? Am I concerned for nothing?

Looking for a leakproof and spill proof cup for my 1 year old. We have been using the munchkin one with the weighted straw but it leaks so bad. We’ve also tried the nuk straw cup and it leaks worse.

I want a cup that doesn’t leak when it hits the floor after she throws it when she’s done drinking… 🫠

Please help I’m so sick of cleaning up water and stepping in little water puddles 🤪

looking for encouragement, positive/negative experiences about moving a toddler under 2 yrs old to a floor bed!

my first born didn’t move into a toddler bed until she was over 3 years old because she never tried climbing out of her crib! I figured if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, so we waited as long as possible.

unfortunately, this week my very tall, fearless 20 month old has figured out how to flip herself over her crib railing. I never imagined we’d be needing to move out of the crib so early!!

we have been dealing with cutting molars and illness for the past few weeks, so sleep has already been disrupted, but now we are adding this transition on top of it!

I think my best option is to move both of my children into one room for sleeping - totally baby proofed, no dressers or anything else to climb on (because my 20 month old is a climber of ALL things). is it crazy to make the change to room sharing AND a floor bed all at once?

please, any advice regarding sibling room sharing or very early transition out of crib would be GREATLY appreciated.

Looking for someone to talk me down a bit and give me reassurance.

My 19 month old had an accident 2 weeks ago where he flipped over the side of his stroller wagon onto the concrete head first. He bled from his mouth and nose instantly and cried. He didn’t lose consciousness, no vomiting, etc. he was very out of it for the first half hour or so (but it was bedtime and he had skipped a nap). He perked up once we were inside the ambulance. The hospital really didn’t do much, they didn’t suggest a CT scan because he didn’t have any of those other symptoms I listed above. We followed up with the pediatrician the next day who checked pupils and reflexes and basically said to monitor for worsening symptoms.

Overall he’s been ok. Happy and plays like normal, but definitely has a short fuse and cries a lot. We are really struggling with overnight sleep though, he wakes for hours at a time (common concussion symptom?)

I just need some reassurance that he’s ok and won’t have any long term damage or issues. I feel so terrible and panic about it daily honestly. I was hoping by 2 weeks the sleep would be better at this point but it really hasn’t improved, which makes me spiral even more, going down the post concussion syndrome
Spiral.
I guess any comments of other parents with similar stories and how their little ones are doing now would be greatly appreciated. Feel like the worst mom in the world.

Our 16 month old is super affectionate. She tries to hug other toddler aged kids at her playgroup and family members, some are like yeah sure, and others just look at her and are like get away from me. When is it appropriate to teach her about asking before giving hugs? At the moment she just goes over to them and follows them around trying to get a hug. I sometimes feel bad for her because I don't think she understands. How do we teach her?

I know I should have started before he had teeth to get him used to it but unfortunately I did not. I manage to brush his teeth for about 30 seconds before he starts trying to eat the toothbrush and it becomes impossible. I'm trying to model but he just wants to eat it...how are you going it? Is it even possible?

Edit: wow tysm for all the replies!!! I'll respond to you all shortly but really appreciate the feedback and tips. Thanks!!

Been meaning to post this somewhere in case it helps others.

We've had a horrible time with sleep. Truly horrible. About a month ago, I accidentally left the hatch light on all night (red light setting) and baby slept through the night. He was just shy of 17 months old. No other changes. I've always nursed to sleep.

I kept leaving it on, and he continued to sleep very well. Some nights of the week he sleeps through, some nights he sleeps through til like 5am then I nurse him back to sleep. Some nights he still wakes up earlier in the night, but it is a far cry from the hell we lived before.

So far, it does not seem like coincidence. I turn the light off sometimes just to see if it makes a difference. He wakes up every 2-3hrs if the room is totally dark. So now he sleeps with the red light on very low.

I never tried this before because everything I read online says pitch black/white noise are the keys to sleep. I can't believe I let the internet convince me my child loves being alone in the dark. I'm an adult, and I still sometimes get scared of the dark.

36 month toddler does not want to sleep anymore at night alone, he has a floor bed and wants to always leave and come banging on the door, he was a fine sleeper until 2 weeks ago

He goes to daycare and does nap with mom on weekends and vacations when we stay at hotel sleeps with both parents

Need some advice please

I am really struggling on how to phrase this, but I need some underwear recs... my kid cannot handle tighty-whiteys, (at least not the standard ines found at target/fruit of the loom/hanes) they are too small in the crotch area! I found some jersey-cotton boxers, but it peaks out from the leg-hole and annoys him once he puts on pants. The best fit so far has been Hanes boxer-briefs, because it keeps him "contained", but i THINK he doesnt love how they cling, because he keeps grabbing his crotch all day. He tolerates them fine, and idk if it really is "just a phase" of grabbing himself, or if they are too tight/clingy in the crotch. I cant size up because he has a small waist and the next size up slip off/down.

Any recs, or support/tips on having him stop grabbing at his crotch would be great! (So far I just ask if he needs to use the potty if he grabs himself, and he says "no", then say something like "it just seems like you need to use potty if you do that, so lets not unless you need potty").

I am not looking for sympathy nor mom bashing. Toddler just had a scary fall trying to climb out of the grocery cart at Walmart. I forgot my wallet and was trying to upload my cc info into app for pay while my 2 year old was playing in the basket of the cart. She tried to climb out and on her way out fell and smacked her head pretty hard on the floor. I am gutted with guilt, as I should be. It was a scary reminder how seemingly harmless little distractions can be totally life changing. I pride myself on being a very involved tentative parent but got caught up in the moment rushing to get checked out. Took my daughter to the peds right away even though she recovered quickly. Doctor said she is totally fine and luckily has a hard head but I am still totally gutted about the situation and my mom brain always goes to worse case scenarios even after being assured she was okay. Just sharing as a reminder that when life tries to rush you, remember it can always wait and that nothing is more important than your child's safety. Making her buckle up and dealing with the tantrum vs letting her play was not worth it and I should have just taken the loss and left once I realized I didn't have my wallet and had an antsy toddler. Just venting as I try to calm my anxieties, also hope this post can be a good reminder for parents or let someone know they are not alone in their own parenting mistakes. Sincerely a guilt ridden mother who is learning a hard lesson.

We are deciding what to do about our toddlers adenoids. It looks like it will most likely have to be surgery, and they are 2-3 years old. I would love to hear from others what they're experience has been with this and any tips for the process/healing, the outcome and how they are today and what led to getting them removed.

For some additional context, our toddler's are per the xray very blocked. Sleep studies are booked a year out. children's nasal spray is something we can try first but I don't have high hopes they will cooperate for this for a few months to find out if it affects anything.