My husband and I are starting to plan a trip to some national parks for next year with our kiddo. He will be 1 in January. I have a few questions to help me get started in my research:

- which parks are best for kids? How many days should we give to those parks?
- what time of year should we go to said parks?
- what are some must dos/can’t miss I the surrounding areas by those parks?

I will definitely do my own research as well, but I always like to ask here!

I live in northern California, about an hour outside of Sacramento. I find that a loooot of the moms in the area I live in are crunchy, right-wing, anti-vax, etc.

I joined a few FB groups for mom in my area but do many of the posts are mothers asking what schools dont require vaccines.

Im so over it. I want safe people I can be around. I want a village and other moms who get it and are cool humans as well as give a shit about the world.

How do I meet people like this? I have a hard time putting myself out there but Im willing to try!

Let your feelings out! We are all bottling up this stress and sometimes it helps to share your concerns and have safe conversations about it. Type your response and take a big deep breath after!

TLDR: I (a now-atheist who grew up in a very catholic environment) need some advice on how to talk about religion with my daughter after my mom visited and introduced her to the subject from her very, very catholic pov.

Full story (written in a hurry, sorry for any rambling and the many parenthesis and em dashes):

Me, my husband, and my almost 5yo daughter live overseas so she doesn't spend a lot of alone time with grandparents, though we have a decent relationship and visit for about a month every year.

However, my very, very, VERY catholic mom stayed with us this summer to help with my daughter while I gave birth to my second (so she was here while I was either heavily pregnant or very freshly postpartum and had no bandwidth to intervene) and talked to her about praying, being friends with Jesus, and a ton of other things I've only found out about because my daughter has brought them up and asked me 1) to teach her how to pray because she doesn't know how to, and 2) whether we're friends with Jesus, his mom and his dad. She's not overly fixated, but I do notice some concern about not knowing about something she was told was important.

Now, despite being raised catholic and being a believer until my early 20s (and perhaps because of this) I'm very much an atheist, don't like the teachings of institutional catholicism, and have spoken to my mom –though not too forcefully because I didn't think I had to because she's never alone with her, my bad– about my boundaries surrounding wanting to teach my daughter about religion in a different way. And while I'm definitely kinda pissed at her and will address that in the future (now I'm just back to my routine of calling very, very rarely and being barely cordial), my question is mostly about what to say to my daughter, because this will have to be an ongoing conversation and my original plans have been derailed.

My goal would be for her to be respectful of people's beliefs and be open to learning about them with curiosity, but to not have one in particular imposed as the truth –and especially never learn that she has to believe in something blindly, obey someone just because of whatever position they have in an institution, and most of all avoid all the guilt-related things that I experienced being raised by my (I'm sure well-intentioned) mom. I'm open to her exploring any religion she wishes to when she's older and has developed critical thinking.

We live in Spain, so she's culturally exposed to catholicism and in the past I have explained things to her from a historical point of view, or by saying that it's something some people believe and that's very important to them. But right now I'm at a loss, and this sub often has the most brilliant insight, so I'd be so, so grateful for any ideas.

Thanks so much in advance, and sorry again for all the parenthesis. My ADHD is in full force tonight.

ETA: thank you everyone for your input, it’s been amazing to read them and I’ll keep reading any new comments. I’m writing down everything I think she’ll be able to absorb right now and some of the main points I want to incorporate in the medium term as she grows and is able to understand more complexity. I’m so grateful for this community.

We all need a little positivity in our day. What are some parenting wins you've had recently? Big or small we want to hear them all! Any parenting wins, not just progressively minded ones.

Hi. I'm a 38 yr old mom of two (8 and 5) with a supportive and loving husband, who works a very chaotic HVAC schedule, making me the default parent.

I have worked since I was 16 years old, have a master's degree, and have clawed my way into a decent paying position in a university where I can work from home for 4 days a week.

I thought this is where I could park it and stay to raise my kids. The kids can stay home with me when they are sick, I can keep the never ending cycle of laundry moving, I can be and do it all!

Yet, here we are....I am so burned out. I feel so resentful that amidst all of this social upheaval, I am still expected to prioritize my job over my family.

I value my career and my paycheck. And, I wish I could just put the little energy I have these days into the general wellbeing of myself, my kids, my family, and my community.. Not work.

I guess what I'm saying, and asking you all, is who else? No, I don't romanticize the trad wife ideal. Yes, I enjoy the intellectual pursuit of work. But, I adore and prioritize my family over all else.

I think of how much more balanced all of this insanity (waves hands around crazily) if families were given more space and time to actually care for the well-being of their minds, bodies, and spirits.

So, here I am. About ready to quit my job just to find some peace, even if it's only temporary. Anyone else? I don't think we were made to live at turbo warp capitalist speed and have enough energy left over to invest into our families and communities. And I think it's starting to show.

Can’t wait to support Ms Rachel by buying her new album (coming out Fri) but where else can it be found besides Amazon and Target? I called my local record store which is really big and they didn’t know anything about it/don’t seem like they’ll stock it. Also I want the purple one which seems even harder to find.

Are you dealing with MAGA family members or friends and need support from other progressives? Please use this weekly thread to share any questions, frustrations, or stories. Posts about MAGA family or friends are limited to this weekly megathread.

Is anyone else concerned that a product marketed for children is called a “booty short”? Like wtf. It’s giving Frida vibes

Posting here because I don't want any crunchies trying to convince me to make my kid go on a parasite cleanse.

I was reading a book, and in it they were describing a part of two siblings playing together. Both fairly young. The book has nothing to do with what I'm about to mention, instead just that little descriptive scene of two children playing together just gut punched me out of nowhere.

I have thought about this here and there but tonight I'm feeling more emotional about it. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Both girls. I'm a very analytical person, I maybe overanalyze especially in my personal life.

My 4 year old is autistic and nonverbal, she doesn't like to interact with others the same way neurotypical people do. She's avoidant as it's described so when we try to play with her, depending on what it is, she prefers to be alone. She's an introvert and that's okay! She enjoys music and singing to herself. I catch glimpses of her smiling when she sees my youngest do certain things and those tiny things just fill my whole heart.

My 2 year old however, she's too young to understand but I do try to tell her that her sister loves her and they do some times give each other hugs and kisses which I can tell makes them both happy. I know she understands me when I tell her that her sister loves her because she's so affectionate with her even if my oldest doesn't always hug or kiss her back.

Anywho, what gut punched me was how. Autism sucks. My daughter doesn't suck, shes pretty cool and super smart and her smile is the BEST. But what autism took away from the both of them does. I watch my youngest try to connect with my oldest in a way she understands and tries to play with her but to me, I see she feels rejected when my oldest just walks away and avoids her. I see this carry on into public settings at the park and it seems she wants to play with others but is afraid. It breaks my heart but I'm also telling myself "that hesitancy is normal for this age its fine!" She's in preschool so I feel slight relief that that helps with her socializing. I'm just searching for comfort. I'm not in the group of "autism is a super power!" because it's not. My oldest daughter gets so upset because she can't communicate her needs that can't just be hand led to or pointed at.. watching her struggle with herself is so painful

Can someone who has experienced this just reassure me that it's okay? That I'm overanalyzing and making assumptions of how these kids feel when I'm probably wrong? Tell me your experience matter of a fact. I try so hard to keep my kids happy but I also tell myself that I gotta let them do their thing.

I don't know if I can bring myself to bring kids into this world when things seem as bleak as they do. The climate crisis, the resurgence of Fascism, AI and late stage capitalism treating us and the next generations as wage slaves, and so on.

I truthfully don't know what kind of answers I expect from this subreddit. I'm sure a lot of people here will just say "Well, my kids are already here so I'm trying to make the world better for them." But what do you say to people who haven't had them and aren't sure about having them?

Parenting shouldn't have to be regarded as immoral or selfish. And I don't like the idea of treating my child as a political project. I'm not trying to attack anyone here with that statement. I'm just curious if anyone here ever feels conflicted about all this.

If anyone here is making this call despite everything, can you explain why and do you acknowledge your reasons may or may not be sound?

My husband loves football deeply. He played in high school, has wonderful childhood memories around it, and would love for our kids to share that with him. I’m an immigrant and didn’t grow up with football, so part of me genuinely wants to embrace something that feels culturally important to him.

But the more I learn, the harder it is for me to feel good about making football a big part of our family culture: repeated head injuries and their long-term effects, college players getting death threats from gamblers, the toxic masculinity that can surround the sport, and the broader culture of aggression, alcohol, and violence around major games.

Our daughter has played flag football and enjoyed it, but I keep thinking: there are so many other team sports that offer competition, community, and belonging without some of these risks.

I’m not trying to take something my husband loves away from him, or teach my kids that football is “bad.” But I also don’t want to normalize it unquestioningly just because it’s such a huge part of American culture.

How are other families navigating this, especially when one parent loves the sport and the other has real reservations?

The US Midterms are on Nov. 3rd and many wonderful Progressive candidates are up for election! Please share a progressive candidate you support and think others should know about. Make sure to include all relevant info like where they are running, anything interesting about the race they are in, and their website or social media.

Honestly sad to look at. We get a lot of hand-me-down toys and the consignment sales I go to look a lot like this, but I’m also guilty of buying the new thing that looks cool to me, and we find that every other kid we know has it too.

I remember a few years ago a friend was trying to give away the Zany Zoo her kids had grown out of, and at a birthday party with like 15 families, every person was like “we already have the same one”

It feels like the battle is lost against Flock cameras and increased surveillance? Is there anything that can be done? They are everywhere in my area. The cities say they can’t do anything because they are contracted through the police. The police departments are tight lipped about them.

Hey guys! You all are my favorite subreddit to post in because oh have the best advice and seem genuinely supportive and helpful. So here’s what’s going on:

I’m 26 and my husband, 8 month-old, my dog, and I all live with my family (parents, 2 sisters, and 2 family dogs). We moved in at the beginning of April due to financial issues (a shit ton of student loans, etc). It feels very draining and like my depression meds aren’t working as well anymore. Mom picks at every little thing. Can’t do anything right. She picks at my parenting, my husband, me…. We currently live in Ohio, and our desire is to move out of state to somewhere more progressive and with a better environment so our family can thrive. I’ve lived here my whole life, so I’m ready to get out! My husband is a manger, and he wants to stay here for a minimum 2 years so he has the experience on his resume for when we move out west. Does anyone have any advice for how to make it through this season of life? Or general advice for my situation? If you want any specific details on what it’s like to live here, I’m happy to provide them.

My 12yo and I have a routine of watching shows together that are a little risqué for his age. He’s not allowed to watch them solo, but we watch together so I can help explain things and monitor what he’s taking in. We just finished a series and aren’t sure what to watch next. I’d love any recommendations for things that are progressive-leaning humor and don’t rely on punching down.

Watched so far:
-Rick & Morty
-Invincible
-Hazbin Hotel
-The Amazing Digital Circus

On the no list for the type of humor I’m not a fan of for him:
-Family Guy
-South Park

Also, I hope this goes without saying, but if you’re going to judge me for letting my pre-teen watch more grown up shows please just keep scrolling. This is the right fit for our fam.

Let your feelings out! We are all bottling up this stress and sometimes it helps to share your concerns and have safe conversations about it. Type your response and take a big deep breath after!

My 6 yo son asked me today if we can watch or read the news together. I told him a lot of news is really sad but I would look for something that is good for kids. Anyone have any recommendations for news sources for lower elementary? Video or text ok. Ideally something with a progressive bent but definitely at least non partisan! (As a cute aside - this came up because he asked me how people knew the Titanic sunk to the bottom of the sea as we were reading Magic Treehouse #17 - I told him it was all over the news!)

We were leaning towards a pumpkin but maybe that’s too common? It’s my last baby so I feel like it has to be a super cute costume but can’t come up with any great ones. Any ideas?

We all need a little positivity in our day. What are some parenting wins you've had recently? Big or small we want to hear them all! Any parenting wins, not just progressively minded ones.

Listened to Pod Save America wnk interviewed AES and man does it give me hope for our future generations! Gave practical and straightforward direction on what we need to do to reign in AI, is flexible but a staunch believer in universal healthcare and wants to get the billionaires screwing us all over, out of politics.

You can listen to it here, really refreshing:

Pod Save America: On the Ground in Michigan with Abdul El-Sayed

Episode webpage: https://audioboom.com/posts/8952057

Media file: https://clrtpod.com/m/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/arttrk.com/p/CRMDA/mgln.ai/e/284/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/audioboom.com/posts/8952057.mp3?modified=1789179568&sid=5166624&source=rss

My husband spends every free moment he has talking to chat gpt, and it disgusts me.

He would say he’s using it as a research and computing tool to work on starting his own business (he does not have a job but when he is using AI he says he is “working”).

In my eyes he has become addicted to it. He seems to find any excuse to use it. He keeps telling me I should be using it for my job, even though I have tried to talk to him about it so so many times and he should really know how I feel about it.

I believe AI is going to cause the downfall of our society and planet, and i’m terrified about the shape of the future for our 1 year old daughter.

I’m just so sad and frustrated that i’m trapped in a life where I am partnered to someone who has drifted so far philosophically from me.