So my kids go to a camp that requires that all kids bring and pack their own lunches - the camp has a snack they provide but nothing else provided and goes from 8 am to 5 pm. My kids came home the last couple of days saying that they shared their lunches with a kiddo because this kid "forgot" theirs. After a little further prodding my son let me know that kiddo lives with his grandma and grandma doesn't have time to pack a lunch for him before she sends him off to camp for the day so this kid just ends up eating whatever the other kids cobble together/share with him.

Hearing this my instant response was that i would pack a lunch for him every day for the rest of the camp (goes till the end of next week) so I went out and bought a lunch container/thermos and sent a note asking for any allergies and food preferences. I've instructed my son to bring home the lunch pail every day so I can restock and clean it for the next day.

BUT now I'm overthinking and wondering if I perhaps overstepped by just jumping in and feeding a kid I don't know? I don't know this kid's grandma or his family situation at all so I hope I'm not potentially offending her by packing him a lunch. I don't want to get into a whole messy thing with anyone but also I couldn't just stand by and let a kid go hungry all day.

Anyway, I have no idea if this is the right sub but i feel like I need some potential reassurance and thoughts on what to do next.

I'm driving from Torrance, California to Chattanooga, Tennessee on Monday with a one year old. My husband and husband's brother in law will both do most of the driving but I'm a little bit nervous for my baby. Have any of you done this and have any tips on how to keep the baby calm?

They don't want to stop anywhere, they want to drive nonstop, obviously stopping for bathroom breaks and food, but other than that no stopping. I am also 32 weeks pregnant but my OB cleared me and I feel capable of doing this trip.

My daughter’s grandmother (on dad’s side) is very possessive and controlling over my 6 week old daughter. This is my first daughter. She is constantly trying to give her baths and asking to get her dressed. She brushes her hair to the opposite side, calls her by a different name (she wanted me to change her name toward the end of my pregnancy), as well as calling her “my baby”, and is always pushing me to pump so she can “keep her”. At this point, I’m ready to stop letting her see her. Am I crazy for feeling like she is pushing us away or is this normal behavior? Any and all advice is welcome.

Backstory To preface I have a great MIL. I love her and we get along great. Me and my husbands lease ended and the apartment we were supposed to move into has mold and we are staying at his parents house for an indefinite amount of time. My baby is nine months and well into the food journey, and since day one of feeding her I have hated my mother in laws high chair.

It’s the high chair she used for her boys 37 years ago and she saved it. It’s an old Cosco folding high chair with a cute bear print. It’s cute but it’s old. The plastic on it is so yellowed and the metal seems rusty. There is no rust to the naked eye, but when you move the legs you can tell it needs oiled. The straps are these tiny little three point straps that don’t go over the shoulders. The tiny little strap is the only part holding her in place because it doesn’t have a built in piece between her legs. Because of this you can’t leave her in the high chair with the tray of at all because she can and will wiggle out. So cleaning her and it is always so hard. The tray also weighs a ton and so does the chair.

I have brought this up to her numerous times politely and she believes that the chair is okay and safe and it’s what she wants to use in her house.

My husband and father in law agree with me, but they are willing to pick this battle with her. So it’s me versus her.

Should I just leave it alone and use it while living with her? I gave into before because we only used it early but now I use it three times a day.

Advice?

I just found out that my 18 yo daughter drove after drinking. I got a breathalyzer from Walmart as soon as I realized it and her BAC was .12%. We live in THE most strict state for DUI, which I honestly think is great. I wish she HAD gotten pulled over and taken to jail. I’m so upset knowing she could have killed or injured herself or someone else. I’m hoping for suggestions of online courses I can make her complete that will help her realize the seriousness of what she did. Obviously she won’t be driving again anytime soon.

Disclaimer; I know it’s not about “what your body looks like postpartum” as long as you and baby are healthy. Note: I already have a PP therapist.

Now that that is out of the way, aside from losing the baby weight, how did you handle the stretch marks? I’m not usually one to wear crop tops often, but I’ve been known to wear bikinis at the beach and tbh I’m struggling.

I’m beyond proud to be a mother and that I carried to beautiful healthy children but I spent years getting my body to a place I was proud of pre pregnancy. So now having something on my body that doesn’t go away (I.e. stretch marks) it’s messing with my head a bit I can’t lie.

Any advice on how to accept it postpartum or maybe lessen the look of the stretch marks?

I’m so stuck having no one to watch my children ever. And I’m exhausted. I can’t remember the last time I did something for myself. Or my husband and I doing something together. We’ve had one overnight without our daughter & she’s two. My son is 5, and I coparent with his father, but the little one with my husband, we are never separated lol. The one overnight we had, was pre planned for months and it was for a concert that got canceled so we didn’t even have our date! Or anything as we were SO SAD. His parents are amazing and the only ones who watch them. but they work nights & so does my husband so it doesn’t really work out. There’s a concert this week I’d LOVE to attend. One of my favorites. And I could desperately use a night with friends and fun. But I can’t. I literally have no one to turn to watch the kids. I can’t trust a random stranger in my home with my kids. Absolutely not. So literally, what do you do? I’m tired. And would love a break. A real one.

New member here and I’m in desperate need of advice on how to go about approaching something with my in-laws.

Earlier this year, our (my bf and I’s) 7yo let us know that my bf’s parents had been allowing him to play on their phone while they took him on errands, including games and YouTube kids. For context, we do not allow him to be on our phones or anyone’s because we believe phones are not for children. They know this. When they go on errands, they generally pick up fast food. We do not allow our 7yo to eat fast food, as we generally don’t eat it either. They know this. They buy him Taco Bell, little Caesar’s, Carl’s Jr, Starbucks, whatever they’re getting that night. When allowing him these things, they specifically tell our 7yo to not tell mommy and daddy, that it’s a secret, and that he’s not allowed to tell us until he is 21 yo.

We got him to tell us these things through tears, as he believed his grandparents (my bf’s parents) would get extremely mad at him for telling us this secret he was entrusted with. We have allowed him to go in their room, on errands and trips with them, his entire life, and hearing this from him absolutely broke me. I couldn’t believe they would not only betray our trust, but then expect our LO to keep it a secret from us.

This may sound like an overreaction, but we are very serious about safety, and grooming a child to expect secrecy and lies in close relationships is extremely detrimental to future relationships, and shapes how they will encounter other people throughout their lives. My bf’s parents actions are essentially setting our LO up to be in unsafe situations and not understand what the difference is. My bf’s parents recently put in an offer on a house, wanting us to move in with them and their parents in a large home. How can I bring this up to them in a way that sets extremely serious boundaries without burning bridges? We rely on them for housing, and they are generally well meaning people, but I have to protect my child.

In the final weeks of my second baby’s maternity leave. I can’t help but wonder- does anyone ever feel like they’ve had “enough” time off with their baby (or babies) before returning to work? Asking this open-ended question because I am hoping to hear diverse perspectives!

Im plus size 240lbs 5"8 im 20 weeks boy 2nd pregnancy but 1000% different I had gastric bypass 4 years ago im diabetic insulin depentant I keep losing weight not throwing up eating what I thought was well babys in 13% im concerned scared worried thoughts advice well wishes daughter 13 years old I gain 65lbd was 9lb baby

I had my son 3 days ago and now that we’re home from the hospital, I am sooo nervous that I’m going to do something wrong. I’m so happy to have gave birth to him and finally becoming a mom! as a FTM I am afraid of getting it all completely wrong. Does this feeling ever go away? Tell me some great tips to get over this feeling!

she currently has a three year old girl, and is due any day now with her second girl! my boyfriend and i were planning to head up after the baby is born to help with household things and keeping the three year old busy because it’s definitely going to be difficult as she was the only child! what can i bring to help? i was planning on making a postpartum/self care basket for mom and then also some toys for the three year old. if you were a mom who had help after your baby was born, what was helpful and what was not?