Don't know how I'll cope.

My partner (42m) and I (37f) are looking as though we're going to separate. We have a child together (12mths). He's already told me that he will be going for 50% of care for our son, which is in his rights.I just don't know how I'm going to handle it. I shake at the very thought of it. My baby.I have other children from previous relationship to which I remained sole provider, and he sees them whenever he likes, but they were older when we separated and things just worked out.I am curious how other mothers kept it together if you've gone through the same thing? Makes me almost want to stay in this relationship just to keep him near. But my SO has told me he's no longer in love with me, so I guess my hands are tied.I don't want to do 50/50 parenting, breaks my heart. But I'm sure he feels the same. He's a good dad.I hope this is the right sub.Tl:dr : how do parents keep their sanity saying goodbye to their baby on split custody arrangements? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qurteU

My daughter hides her soiled underwear

Not sure if this is allowed but my wife and I need some serious help. We have 3 kids in the household. 17m, 15m and 14f. The 14 year old is from another relationship and we recently acquired custody of her. Since she moved in, she has been hiding her panties during her cycle. We've talked to her several times and can't get a clear answer as to why. She'll hide them under the sink, under her bed, in the chest of drawers. Please help me. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pNtd6B

Mommy makes milk, daddy makes coconut milk.

For whatever reason today my 2 year old started telling my husband "daddy you are a coconut." We laughed about the silly nonsense and the moment passed. Later in the day 2 year old comes up to me asking for milk (still breastfeeding) I tell him I'm busy making dinner (we're working on weaning) so he runs over to his dad, jumps in his lap and says "daddy give me your coconut milk!" and proceeds to laugh his head off...children are so strange. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2quhFl8

Does your daycare provider tell you if another child is sick?

We have 2 yr old twins who go to a small home daycare. This morning our little girl woke up with a red rash all over her face, and front and back of her neck. Both kids were out with their Grandma yesterday at the park and they had sunscreen on. My SO and I assumed the rash was from the sunscreen. I spoke with our daycare provider just now to ask what kind of sunscreen she uses and she suddenly tells me that another child at daycare had the EXACT same symptoms. Turns out it was a virus and he was out of daycare for 2 days. Does she have to disclose things like this to us?(Edit: her face was also swollen) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pMJVmC

Dead tired kids.

Is it as much of a personal satisfaction to you as it is to me when you can put the children to bed early and without a fuss on Sunday night because of a weekend full of fun and activities? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pvyM6N

UPDATE on left out 16 year old boy in middle school AND Online school questions

This is follow-up post to this, in which I was asking advice on how to improve the situation for my 13 year old daughter's 16 year old boyfriend who is still in middle school due to moving a lot. The boy is bright and mature but has been overlooked and is now struggling to relate to his younger classmates. In the comments people were suggesting he get his GED or go to online school. I am skeptic of a GED because it won't prepare him for college the way a school can, and I am skeptic of online school because I don't see how he will make more friends being in online school than being with younger classmates. Nonetheless, I informed him of the possibilities.The boy did not seem that keen on online school, he would rather have a traditional high school experience, but as he is older than his classmates it might be too late for that experience and he was open to looking at online schools. He did say it seems to take what's supposed to be fun out of school and only leave the work part though. He also expressed concern regarding his abilities to sit at home and study in front of his laptop each day all alone without any teachers or classmates physically present to provide motivation, companionship and structure. We had an idea for him to take online school during summers to catch up a year in high school, but still have 3 (instead of 4) years of local high school and the opportunity to have lab, gym, oral presentations and group work.So first thing he did was call the high school to ask if they accept online credit to which they replied no without any further explanation. I decided to call the day after to ask the same question but regarding my daughter, who was also part of the discussion and offered to take the online classes with him so he wouldn't have to study all summer all by himself. I spoke with an administrator who said that it is in the school policy that they don't accept online credit and there is no way around it. So this plan failed, and the next idea we had was to see if there is an online school which will accept the majority of the credit from a local school and still provide a diploma. When we started looking at online schools we found some which are accredited and expensive and some which are not. At a first glance the accredited ones seem to be of higher quality. Does anyone have any input on the importance of online schools being accredited? Does anyone have an online school with high quality classes and teaching to recommend?Since the accredited online schools we found cost money the kid talked to his mother who is completely against online schooling and not willing to pay anything towards an accredited school, but if they turn out to be the best option I would be willing to help out there. Unfortunately though, the accredited schools we found during this first search all seem to require the majority of the credits be taken at the online school and not be transfered from a local school. This would be a drawback. The reason he wants to take classes at the local school is not only that online classes seem to require a lot more effort (discipline) and less reward/ feedback. It is also important to him that he gets to take the classes he cares the most about, such as math and science, at the local school to have a better opportunity to properly learn the material.This led us to talking about how the local school performs slightly below the national average and realistically he won't be getting a good education there either. In light of this, he said he should perhaps just do an online school so he can move on in life and get out of this town. (We live in a 12 000 people town about 3 hours away from what I would call city, by the way.) At this point my daughter said she will then join him because leaving someone at home to do 4 years of school all by themselves is torture. I suggested they then start by taking some online classes this summer to see how it goes and decide after that if they want to continue online school or go to the local school. My daughter said that for her to take online classes this summer there has to be some real possibility that those classes will count into her or his high school diploma because she doesn't want to be doing any work that doesn't directly lead to anything.So, that's about where we are at right now. As a father, I am very hesitant about my daughter going to online high school instead of local high school as there are things learned in local high school that online high school can't provide, such as (non-online) interacting with peers, teachers, participating in after school clubs and sports, group work, oral presentations, lab work, lab reports, social events, and so on. When it comes to the boy, there is the drawback of him being behind his peers in local high school to consider, and I don't know if online high school is a better option. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but my gut instinct tells me that he should be patient and graduate the local high school 2 years behind his peers and it will benefit him long-term, but I don't know. I don't know what advice to give him. So that's why I'm asking for additional input, this time on online schools.I might end the post here, but I'd like to also update you on the outcome of some of the other advice I received in the previous post. It was suggested he call the high school sports team to see if he can play with them (he is too old to play with the middle school teams). He was hesitant to say the least when I suggested this, but he agreed it was worth at least giving it a try. If he didn't like it he didn't have to keep practicing with them, if he got lucky he might make friends (and he better call the coach immediately if he wanted to have a chance to make some friends before summer vacation). The coach was very friendly and welcomed him to practice the same day. I left work early and took him (if he continues playing with them he will have to figure out some other way to get to practice as the middle school and high school are quite far apart). He was definitely the best player at practice and afterwards one of the seniors came up and invited both him and my daughter to a party the following day (yesterday)... (yes, they went, and nobody got hurt but I don't think they enjoyed themselves). So to summarize, I don't know if he will make friends or even continue on this team, but at least he is trying something. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qmR9uA

My 3 year old loves Mighty Morphin Power Rangers...

I was so excited that he loves watching it. It's a show I enjoyed as a kid. Then he comes to me and says...Son: Dad I'm the Green Ranger Me: Great! I'll be the Red Ranger Son: No dad you're the Yellow Ranger Me: No I like the Red one Son: Jacob at school is the red one dad, yellow is the only one left via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pkY1du

Some parenting "hacks" on how to help your kids have amazing experiences on a very tight budget :)

Raising 5 kids on a very tight budget while going through school forced us to get creative on our dates and time out as a family. Here are a few ideas that might help:Most museums and Science Centers have at least one day/night a year when visiting is 100%free. If you buy a membership to the museum, ask for the reciprocal pass which will allow you to get into hundreds of other centers for free (then plan your vacations around these free experiences).Most regions in the US have a handful of free-fishing days where adults and/or kids can fish without a license. Sometimes they will even let you borrow free poles/bait at predetermined scheduled events.Attend free dress-rehearsals of plays, concerts and presentations.Find your local online community calendar to find tons of free events and service opportunities. Note, this is often found on your local newspapers website.If you live near a University or community college, you can often attend free/cheap concerts, free music recitals (especially graduate students about to graduate), free classes, free informative lectures, free events, and chances to watch new movies for free.Get involved in your community garden. There are plenty of people that will be willing to teach you and you may even end up with free fresh produce.Join a ameateur star-gazing club for free. Many times they will let you use their awesome telescopes for free.If you own a smartphone try geocaching or learn the basics of photography through free online courses.Your local library often has video-games and/or movies to check-out for free. Libraries also often have free tickets to events in the community for free.Some demolition companies will let you volunteer for free to help destroy houses and buildings. Haven't you always wanted to take a sledgehammer to a wall?Many technical schools (including massage) offer free or deeply discounted experiences.Volunteering with various groups allows you to help others. As a fringe benefit, many organizations will often sponsor your trips to National Parks, Amusement Parks, etc when you go with those you mentor (plus, you get to make a difference to someone).Many culinary schools often fine-dining cuisine at a fraction of the cost with very similar quality.Most Movie Theaters have discounted movie days. **Most college and/or professional sports teams have discounted days or ways for low income individualsGet involved in Community Sports LeaguesGrab some scrap paper, Go to Youtube and learn OragamiThere are many Free Frisbee Golf Courses scattered throughout the country.Buy a used backpacking bag, decent shoes and a used tent and learn the joy of camping/hiking. Many campsites are free and often National Parks can point you to some free options on their property. Most hiking trails are free and most smartphones can take great nature photos now.If you love spending time with animals, but it is not feasible to get a pet, volunteer at your local animal shelter.You can learn just about anything online as a family including programing, restoration of furniture/vehicles, remodeling, thousands of hobbies/talents, playing instruments etc. Go to garage sales to get equipment for your new found hobby. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qmr9Qf

My daughter is scared of her mother

Hi all,This may be a request for advice or I may just be offering my problems to the ether called the internet. My 8yo daughter has been having a lot of conflict with her mother when she's at her mother's house (we're divorced). There's plenty of yelling from both, time outs where 8yo is locked in her room, and just an overall adversarial relationship. She used to be very close with her mother, but over the last year, I've become the one with whom she shares her thoughts and feelings. Our relationship has become really great, she's a wonderful kid - as sweet as can be at my house. She's helpful, sweet, and loving. She's developmentally-delayed, but has made great progress and does very well academically. My ex and I were operating on a temporary schedule where I had my girls for 6 evenings out of 14, and she had the rest. Our court-ordered parenting plan says I'm to have 5 but temp agreements are fine but are also voidable. Based on having 6 days for 4 years, I filed for a modification based on status quo. My ex got pissed and voided the temporary agreement, so the court order prevails until the case is done in July. My 8yo was very hurt. She said she wants more time with me, is always angry with her mother, is afraid of her mother's heavy discipline (being dragged to her room and having the door locked), and won't hug, kiss, or talk about anything beyond her school day with her mother. She also told me that until last June, her mother spanked her 1-2 times per week, mostly for trying to sleep in her mom's room. I know, it's screwed up. There were a lot of sleep problems at her mom's for a while, and her mom said that when 8yo tried to sleep in her room, she was put on the couch for the night. She left out the part where 8yo was spanked and cried herself to sleep. My daughter's disclosure of this was recorded on my iPhone.I have a meeting with my attorney tomorrow about the new information. During the second half of our marriage, The mom was emotionally abusive to me and physically abusive to me once, but seemed like an attentive and kind mother (she's actually neither, but not neglectful).Anyone have experience with this? I don't know that I have a case or not. If not, there may be other options.This is keeping me awake at night. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pM3sDL

How do I approach and handle racial bias with my child?

Parent of a 4 year old daughter. I am starting to hear words and talk from her that worries me that she has prejudices against black people or people with a darker skin color.My daughter has friends of all backgrounds, has 2 close friends who are black as well and has never really said anything about them in that way. they are just friends. However, one of the show she watches, Yo Gabba Gabba, has a prominent black character/actor and she has said, on the side, how he is 'darker' or 'black' and how she doesnt like him because he is black.Honestly, the character is a bit of an oddball but I dont see how the color of his skin has anything to do with it.Of course television shows use the color black to associate as the bad guy. We also had local news on in the afternoon and I guess she picked up on the news' racial bias as well from stories about criminals.My daughter is VERY binary. We are a very open and accepting family, but everything is good/bad, boy/girl, friendly/mean to her. I feel like thats a mechanism children use, but it could be more unique to her, but I've tried telling her not everything is like that. She always asks the question 'is he a good guy or a bad guy'? 'Is she a boy or a girl?'. Even when President Trump is on TV, she's heard us talking about him and asks 'Is he a bad guy?'I dont know how on earth to handle this but its particularly troubling that she associates black people as bad people. We've toned down on the news and I've talked to her, but she still says off things about the character on Yo Gabba. After talking with her, she has said that she doesnt like him, but also says 'but I know he's not a bad guy'.I feel like this goes a wee bit deeper than one character on one show or maybe it is just him. I've spoken with her honestly about the stories on the news, etc but there is still this bias. What can I do? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oXZiVu

Disciplining other people's kids

My SIL has a much more gentle touch with her kids than I do. Yesterday I watched her 2yo daughter (my niece), let's call her Violet. Violet and I were in a store with my daughter, and Violet ran away and started giggling. I tried to say, "Violet, we can't play chase, come back here" but before I could even get it out of my mouth she was pretty much out of earshot.I raised my voice and tried to keep a firm/stern but not angry tone, and said, "Violet!" and counted to 3. She kept running away and laughing so I picked her up and carried her out of the store. Once she realized I wasn't playing along and that she was in trouble she started bawling.I feel really badly about upsetting her but at the same time what she did was really dangerous! If she had gone in the other direction and run out of the store she would have run onto a very busy street and instantly been killed.My SIL was okay with everything when I told her about it but I know her preference is to use a more gentle touch. She said that if she had been there she would have just played chase with Violet until she was tired out and ready to be done with the game.So I guess my larger question is, should I adapt my discipline strategy to be close to the parent of the child I'm watching? Or is it ok to discipline more harshly than their parents when they're in your care? I'm kind of worried that my niece is going to see me as the mean aunt now and won't want to come over and play with my kids since I am so much stricter than her parents. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pk4NjG

Homeschooling parents, is there anything you would have done differently starting out knowing what you know now?

I have decided that I will be homeschooling my kids. They are 5, 3, and 11 months at the moment. I plan on starting my oldest with the kindergarten curriculum and I'll probably introduce some topics to my 3 year old as well.The public schools in our area are terrible. It gets a little better in high school because there are more options, so we will consider letting the go to public school once they are in high school. We have all of the legalities figured out and I am a former school teacher myself. My son does t-ball and will be starting football in the late summer/early fall. We also plan of doing boy/girl scouts with the kids, so they will be getting plenty of socialization.I would be interested in seeing things that you would have done differently in homeschooling your own kids. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qm0G5m

Last night I had this conversation with my potty-trained 2 year old

Me: Can you go pee in the toilet before bed?boy: No. Did at gramma’s houseMe: But you haven’t been to grandma’s house since Thursday!boy: I'm fine. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qi8Jmq

Looking for safety gate suggestions

My 5-1/2 month old is definitely working towards getting her scoot on. We're getting all our ducks in a row for baby proofing. We've got the plug covers, bumpers, cabinet locks, and plastic for the railing.The only thing I haven't sorted through is the gate. The banister is metal so I'm not sure the best way to mount the gate. I've included a link to pictures and hopefully y'all have some suggestions.ThanksSafety gate suggestions http://ift.tt/2puJVET via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oMr0sg

Anyone find a patch for the "too tired to wake up before 9 AM M-F but up at 5 AM S/S" bug?

I'm very very tired of having to drag kiddo out of bed on weekdays and more tired of not being allowed to sleep on the weekends. I've tried incentives for getting up on her own at 7 AM on the weekdays; she didn't care. I've tried telling her she cannot come out of her bedroom until 7 AM on the weekends; she sits on her bed and sobs loudly (she is elementary aged, so not a toddler.)I want no fights before school and I want sleep on the weekends. Wtf do I do? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oY7ViL

General parenting rant

What do you do when you just feel like you're done? Out of options.My kids act like everything I say is a suggestion or negotiable.My 6.5 yo and I have been having THE SAME ARGUMENTS/CONVERSATIONS, ETC. for at least three years!! He is a VERY SMART CHILD! But with that comes strong willed, stubborn, and frustrating. STOP waking up the whole household when YOU get up in the morning. DON'T stand on the couch. STOP INTERRUPTING PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE SPEAKING!!! The kid can remember his second birthday but he can't seem to remember everyday life lessons I tell him every single day!"No TV until your homework is done." (usually read a book and do 2-3 math problems.)"But mom, wait. Why don't I do xyz first and then homework? Why can't I read my book at bedtime? I only have 2 math problems. I can do them after dinner..." EVERY. DAMN. NIGHT.The one that makes me want to pull my hair out is "But I don't want to..." ??? I didn't ask! It's not a "choice" situation! DO IT!!!Maybe it's because I'm an older parent. I've tried to be calm and rational and discuss things instead of giving orders. But, especially with the older son, it just doesn't work. He has to be given very strict parameters or else chaos ensues. And even then, there's usually a tantrum of some sort.But I'm just worn out. I feel like I've thrown in the towel. Everyday I'm repeating the same things so I just stopped. I cook, I take them to school, I pick them up, I cook again, we go to bed. I'm in such a rut :( via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oMlvK8

Were any of your parents hoarders? How do you manage to be OK with kid clutter?

My parents were both hoarders and burned through money like no other. They ended up losing their home after one ended up in jail after sending the other to the hospital. I had to help clean out 3 40yard dumpsters of crap. I'm the opposite.It didn't really hit me until I was cleaning out the closet and noticed a box of toys. You see, my 3yo and 1yo play with 10 toys. They share 1 stuffed animal. The rest are put into the closet storage to be rotated or donated. I've been okay with the setup because I tell myself they have a ton of toys to play with at daycare. The 3yo will now put away his toys before getting out his books to read (I don't limit books) because I've put his toys in timeout if they're left out at the end of the day. I've donated over 30 stuffed animals courtesy of my mom and MIL. It bothers them that 95% of our baby clothes are hand me downs because we can afford buying them new things. For birthdays we say no presents or if you really insist, books. I refused to let my friends throw me a baby shower because I didn't want things. Our house is not pristine but it is minimal. I don't mind if they track in dirt or roughhouse because it takes me less than 15 minutes to clean my entire house. My husband seems to be okay with the setup.That's how I've managed with having a really dysfunctional childhood. I know it's not what most households do. I was wondering how other parents deal with similar backgrounds. I've literally thrown away toys into the trash in front of my mother just to get the point across. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qlxuLH

Dont accept any messages from u/theqeen747

I'm certaIn this profile belongs to a pedophile. She asked me ridiculously innaproprate questions about my daughter from my last post about early puberty. I'd report this person if I knew how. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pjsjgS

Son was recently diagnosed with a rare medical disorder. How can I make sure my daughter doesn't feel left out?

I have a 10 (11 in June) year old daughter and a 5 year old son. My son was recently diagnosed with a rare medical disorder. It's treatable, but it's pretty serious and will require many hospital visits. Because his condition is rare and we live in a small town, the closest hospital that can treat him in about an hour away. We have a visit coming up this week.I am the one who goes to hospital visits and my husband stays home with our daughter. My husband can't take off work, so this is our only real option.My daughter seems to understand for the most part. My son's disorder isn't visible, so it was a little difficult for her to understand that something was seriously wrong with him at first. She seems to have a better understanding of it now. I just worry that she is going to feel left out. She's entering the tween years and I know these are crucial years, so I would hate for her to feel like we are neglecting her in any way. She adores her little brother and I know that she logically understand that her brother needs more help right now, but I worry about the emotional impact.We can't find any children's books on the disorder and the more general ones we have found seemed to be geared at younger kids.Does anyone have any advice on making sure my daughter feels like a priority? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pjrPqT

Son brought valuable item to school and another student took it home. Not sure how to proceed

I have a ten year old son, in 4th grade, and this past Monday he asked me if he could borrow my fitbit watch. I told him no because I was afraid he would lose it or leave it at school. He went ahead and snuck it out of the house that morning, and took it to school anyway.It took me until Thursday evening to notice it was gone, as I had a very busy and stressful week. When I noticed it was gone I immediately knew that he had taken it to school. He admitted it and said he gave it to one of his friends because she offered to take it home and charge it for him. My charger hadn't been working and I hadn't replaced it yet, so he said that's why he agreed.He said the little girl, who is in his class, has been making excuses all week as to why she has not brought the fitbit back, and since they did not have school on Friday I have not yet been able to get to the bottom of this issue.I am not sure how to proceed. It seems like the little girl either doesn't want to give it back, or maybe even lost it herself, or maybe she is just forgetting to bring it back. I don't know her so I have no idea what the case may be.So I am wondering if i should contact the school and ask them if perhaps they can contact the parents of the little girl and see if they can ensure she brings the fitbit back. I'm not sure if it is appropriate.I don't want to come off as a demanding or aggressive parent, and I certainly don't want to make the little girl or her parents uncomfortable, but the fitbit was an expensive luxury for my family that we would normally not be able to afford, and that is why I am so worried about getting it back. The cost isn't a drop in the bucket for us. My husband worked overtime at his job to purchase it for me as a surprise because he was very proud of me as I recently lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise and he wanted to get me something that would help me to continue my progress. He was so proud to be able to surprise me with it, I haven't even been able to bring myself to tell him that it's missingSo please, if anyone has any advice on how I can tactfully attempt to get my fitbit back without coming off as accusatory or aggressive, I would really really appreciate it. Also please let me know if you think it is inappropriate to ask the school to contact the other child's parents, and if so, what steps I should take instead. Thanks so much! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2piQnk1

My daughter is an asshole

Tl;dr at the bottom.This is a semi-rant/hopefully funny story, enjoy! Also, typing on mobile so excuse formatting/any other errors.Like honestly, I love her, but she's very clearly an asshole to the nth degree in this moment. She's 2 and the baby girl of the bunch (I have two boys 7 and 8 and three stepdaughters 10, 12, and 17). Because she's the youngest by a lot, it has always been important to me to teach the big kids how to play with her so she doesn't feel left out, i.e. run in slow motion when racing her, when they play Just Dance she always wins, etc. Because they are young themselves, it's not always easy for them to gage (or is it gauge?) when they are giving in too much, so she is the best at literally everything by far without even trying.This is most evident when it comes to a family favorite, hide and seek. I have a pretty big house (2 stories and over 3k sq ft) so when the big kids play, it can be difficult at times to find them, even for me. But whenever its the baby's turn, she either does one of two things: 1. Hides in plain sight and simply covers her face or 2: whenever you enter the room she's hiding in, she has a not so subtle outburst. This is true literally every time. You could be counting on the couch and she will curl up in a ball at your feet and cover her eyes and she still considers it hiding. But I digress.Now, to the asshole-ery of today. It's almost bedtime, so I send the baby upstairs after her brother to wait in mommy's room for bath time. The diaper box is empty so I run right out front to my truck to grab a couple. I leave the door unlocked because I "know" I'm the only one downstairs. I come back in the house and head straight upstairs and to my room. No baby. I start calling for her and looking around everywhere. Still no baby. I ask my 8 y.o. to look downstairs and I start checking closets and under beds. He can't find her downstairs either. At this point, I start freaking out. My heart is racing, my head is spinning. What if my poor little baby managed to sneak out the house while I was getting the diapers? I know it's a stretch because she would have had to walk right past me, but I'm a mom in panic mode so anything is possible. I take off down the stairs and just before I open the door, a lightbulb went off. I decided to yell out the one word that I know will summon a child of mine, CANDY!!!!Guess what happens next. The asshole emerges. She was hiding in a toybox in the playroom. I was in the playroom 3x and didn't think to check there because 'Why? She can't hide worth a damn' as far as I know. She played me, she played all of us this whole time, and I wouldn't be surprised if she intentionally sucked at hiding in preparation for an event like tonight. The one-time-only treat of having candy right before bed.And that my fellow parents is the story of why my daughter is an asshole.Tl;dr: 2 y.o. daughter starts random game of hide and seek without telling me and gets a reward of candy when I have to use it as bait to find her. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oLcbpP

Made the switch to his "big boy bed" tonight, and I couldn't be more proud

My boy is 2 1/2 years old. We decided today to make the switch from crib to big boy bed and I was totally prepared for a battle with him getting up and out of bed all night. However, he couldn't have been more perfect. He sat up a few times. He even stood up and moved around. But he never once got out of bed and he was asleep in less than 30 minutes. I'm so impressed with my little guy. I'm sure there will be battles to come with this, but for his first night, he did so well. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qhsPxg

I took all of my son's electronics

Due to the fact that he did not do any of his homework for one subject. I get that it can be difficult, but I always tell him that he can always ask me or we can find ways to help him. This morning, I gave him half of his allowance(he left the money where it was, so I took it back), and told him that I will give him the rest once he turns in the rest of his homework. I even told him that I would rather see a low score/late remark on his homework than see a zero for missing it completely. His only comment was "I'm not perfect" as if I was asking him to be, when all I want is for him to try. I felt that I have tried everything, but I can not reward him for this behavior that's why I took the PC, PS4 and his cellphone. I went as far as taking his door because he shut the door twice on me today. I told him that whenever he's ready to talk, he can always come to me and talk.Did I go over the top with the way I reacted? What would you do? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pt2mK4

Boyfriend's 15 y/o sister coming to me for hair dye

Hey guys, my boyfriend has a sister who is 15 and wants to dye her hair blue. Her parents keep saying no and she keeps coming to me because in the past I've had colored hair (currently black now.) How can I politely and firmly say no? She's been asking for over a year now. Her parents won't even let her dye her tips. I personally feel like it would be nice to let her experiment but bleach is damaging and I'm not her parent. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oKGH34

Preemie parents?

Any other parenta of preemies here? Im a proud father of a 25 weeker and had a tough journey with her. Im in the uk and would be interested to hear from parents in the us? Because of medical bills etc via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qjSjHc

Hair color?

What color hair were your little ones born with? Did it change as they got older? My son will be 7 weeks on Monday, he was born with bright red hair and its still the same. I'm curious to see if it will change. My daughter had a strawberry blonde color when she was born but within a few weeks it turned blonde and my son was born with dark brown hair but quickly turned blonde. So as of now I have two blonde haired blue eyed kids and a ginger baby😀 my mother is a red head. My dad has brown hair but a red beard and I have auburn hair, but I got the pale freckly skin. Daddies hair is a dirty dish water blonde color. I would tease my best friend that her son would come out with red hair like hers but hes a blondie. And sure enough when my son was born the first thing I said was HE HAS RED HAIR!!! Its adorable! He would be the only red head besides my mother. My brothers and sister all have blonde hair. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oTSneT

Intercom system

Hi guys! I'm looking for a intercom system that we can use to talk to our kids when they are in their play house. The play house has electricity but it's not attached to our house.Any ideas. They are too young for walkie talkies.Thanks!! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qqUx75

Boy Won't Stop Bumping/Ramming His Head

My son is almost four years old now, and has been banging/ramming his head for years. He has developed a bald spot in the middle of his forehead which is starting to callous and turn into a knot. I'm aware it's for self-soothing or comfort or whatever, but we are starting to get at wit's end about it. He has put several holes in the walls over years (both drywall and plaster/concrete), and damaged furniture. His pediatrician is not in the least bit concerned despite it being one of our largest complaints at every appointment. It shakes the house in the middle of the night and is starting to be a concern. We have tried everything to curtail/mitigate this behavior, and I guess he'll eventually grow out of it, but how have you handled it? He does it too when angry or upset.Any other parents here dealt with this for this long? Do we just let it run its course? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oTqZh6

Our 10 month old is playing favorites, he seems to prefer me to his mother and it breaks her heart

We have a beautiful 11 month old and everything is pretty good. The only problem is he really seems to prefer me (dad). He sometimes cries when I pass him to mom. I can calm him easier and so on. He's just a daddies boy. I feel terrible for my wife, I tell her not to worry but I know she takes it personally as a rejection. This is all compounded by her sometimes low self-esteem. I do spend quite a bit of time with the little one and often work from home. I do bath times and a lot (maybe the majority of meals). I usually take him for the majority of the weekend and I guess we're out and about a lot when together.Anyone else been through this or have some advice? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2psMHKW

School age kid should have been assessed for TAG three different times but never was, school/district is ignoring our requests, advice?

Long story short, my 4th grader should have been assessed for TAG by the school district (by their own criteria, found on their website) after COGAT testing in the 2nd grade and Smarter Balanced testing in the 3rd grade, plus I specifically (via email) requested a TAG assessment in October of last year and my kid still hasn't been assessed in any way. The school is pointing their finger and the school district. It's a small charter school that still relies on the school district for things like this but it seems like the school district isn't prioritizing the charter school's request.What should my next step be? Principal (who is notoriously unhelpful anyway)? Contact the district directly? Do we have have legal rights to be assessed? We are located in Oregon. Thank you for any advice. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oJQ7vw

How do I tell my kids that our dog is dying?

We just had our 5 year old dog checked because she developed a large bump on the bridge of her nose, and it came back to be cancerous. The vet said because of its location it isn't really operable, and even if we did steroid shots for 7 weeks to try and shrink it, and then operate, the chances of removing all of it are slim to none. She gave her 3-6 months if we want her to live out her life, which we are probably going to do until she starts showing signs of discomfort.So yeah... This sucks. And on top of this all, we are planning on moving to a new state at the end of May. The wheels are already in motion so we are going to have to go no matter what, our house is sold. I have 3 kids, 11f, 7m, 3m. My 11 year old considers our dog to be hers, we promised her a dog when we bought a house and got her one when we did.... They are super close. My 7 year old son is super sensitive, he still breaks down sobbing occasionally about missing my grandmother who passed away 2 years ago. Those are the two I'm really worried about. They are already sad about moving away from all their friends, and now their dog is dying? I mean, come on universe?! I'm so lost as to what to tell them and when.Tl/dr: our 5 year old dog has been given 3-6 months to live, how do we tell our kids who are already bummed out about us moving out of state in a month?Edit: grammar via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qqitHL

First recipes to cook together

My daughter (8) has show an interest in learning to cook. She's in the short side (at the moment) so can't reach the back of the counter on her own. What are some great introductory recipes I can introduce her too ? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qgvS8J

7 Month old Baby Super Observant but no interest in Crawling or Talking

They are very observant of movements, colors, animals, cars, and watching people speak, but have no interest in crawling, swimming, or talking. They can partially turn on there side as they are a bigger babyIs it common for babies to rather take notice of their surroundings, instead of walking, talking or crawling? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pgwgTn

Daughter's 21st Birthday Money

I held my daughter's 21st birthday party at the start of the month and there's been ongoing tension between us about the birthday money. I paid a large sum of money to hire a function hall with food, waiter service and a bar tab at a formal tavern. My daughter received $1600 in cash as birthday money from families and friends and I have given her half of the birthday money to keep whilst I kept the rest to pay for some of the expenses of the party. She gave me back me her half and called me selfish. Am I in the wrong to keep half of the money to make up for these expenses? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qiPE0s

What age to stop bathing with your child?

My daughter is almost 2 and loves taking showers and baths with me and my husband. We can't even turn the water on without her wanting to hop in with us(which is fine we have a very large shower and large jacuzzi tub so there is room). If we tell her no she gets very upset and throws a fit. Anyways what age did you stop bathing with your child? I figure we will do it until she thinks it's gross and doesn't want too anymore. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pgrPI6

Absolutely horrible 16 year old, need help/advice

I am actually a sibling (19f), not a parent, but our parents have completely swept this under the rug so it's me or nobody. I am at my wits end with my parents ignoring this problem while we all (me and them, and arguably his friends) take the brunt of it. Someone has to sort this out and it's not gonna be them!I'm really not a psychologist so there's no way I could definitely get to the root of this, but one factor is that my parents are so scared of my brother's violent outbursts that they gave up on any real parenting years ago.My 16 y/o brother is a disgusting person.He has been allowed to grow up with little to no regulation (when they do threaten discipline, which is rare, 99% of the time he bullies his way out of it, or into a better deal, which has taught him he can get away with anything).He had a girlfriend last year and I used to overhear phone conversations, and he would treat her like she was some sort of dog or emotional punching bag. The sort of things he was saying to her were unbelievable, and this is coming from someone who had grown up with him treating me like crap every day.To us, he is somewhat violent (he will push people when angry and has hit us on occasion).He is entitled - he acts like he owns the world - nothing is ever enough for him, and he has never lifted a finger to help anyone else or even do his own chores (I mean never - he throws his washing on the floor for mum to pick up, his room stinks, once we left him at home for 24 hours and our pets went without food, he leaves his breakfast mess for us to clean...). It's honestly like he doesn't care what happens to other people, and he thinks we are just there to serve him.And he is so disrespectful. The swearing, the arrogance (much more than the average teenager crap that we all go through). He screams on his computer games til 3am every day and doesn't care whether we can get some sleep or focus on our own stuff over all that noise. I actually recently bought him some headphones because he said it would "be easier to talk quietly with these ones", and he's just as loud now. When I try to take them from him he just physically hurts me. He insults my parents' religion just for kicks, to their faces.P.S. Please don't tell me to move out - I get that it's the obvious response and I have of course considered it, but for unrelated reasons it is impossible at this time. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pIUMOi

Proud moments

What milestones or achievements, major or minor, have your children reached lately?Today was a big one for my 6 year old. She starts school this Autumn so we've been looking at the route to school (through a forest) and today she had to walk it all by herself (we followed behind just out of sight) to see if she could remember the route and find her way there. She did so well although needed to stop and wait for us a couple of times for reassurance that she was on the right path. Very proud moment! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qpS3Wn

Fight over daughter's hair

Throwaway because this is pretty personal.My husband and I are normally on the same page on most parenting issues or can come to a compromise if we're not. But I'm currently dealing with the fallout of an issue that we did not come to agreement on.We work with teenagers and we have both seen the negative affects on their lives, especially the girls, of being allowed to grow up too quickly. We have discussed that we both want to make sure all of our children, including our son, should not be thrown in to situations that they don't have the maturity to handle (whether that is media, dress or social situations). I always get his input on the appropriateness of the clothes our daughters wear as I understand men think much differently than women. This being said we have always been careful to treat our daughters the same as our son and I hate the idea of expressing to a girl that there is something inherently wrong with their body just because they are female. We just don't want our children to be sexualized or to buy into the idea that they need to look a certain way.So here's the issue. Our 8 year old daughter asked for a pixie cut which I told her would be too big of a jump from her long hairstyle that currently laid at her mid back. She talked about being tired of dealing with her long hair and not wanting to look so feminine. My husband's reaction was to say that she needed to start with cutting her hair to just below her shoulders and then maybe gradually cutting it shorter over a period of months. He told me that he felt that a shorter haircut would make her look too old and she would receive unwanted male attention. I have never heard of short hair making a girl look "too old" and have seen plenty of little girls with short haircuts. Our daughter does look older than her age already because of her physical size but her dress and demeanor give clues to her true age.I felt my husband's reasoning was irrational and he would not budge from his viewpoint. She was so set on a shorter hairstyle and I decided to let her go ahead and have it cut just below her chin. My husband is currently furious with me and said I did not co-parent with him which was hugely disrespectful. I felt he was stifling her self-expression over his personal opinion of the style. He hasn't said any of this to our daughter and she's so pleased with her new haircut.Is this a real thing, did I make my daughter look too old and attract unwanted attention? Is there seriously something I'm missing in the way that the minds of men work? He's equating this situation to the time that his mom let his 14 year old sister get her belly button pierced without his dad's input. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pJ0gIZ

Sleep training baby the Ferber method rolls onto stomach, won't roll back and gets upset, what to do?

Hello! We are on night of sleep training our 4 month old son using the Ferber method and we encountered a rolling issue we had not been prepared for. He has been rolling from his stomach to back since he was 17 days old and from back to stomach since 3 months. He prefers rolling from back to stomach and often just won't roll back as easily. He likes to sleep on his side but has been rolling all the way onto his stomach throughout the night and will sleep there a little or start whining/crying (I am not worried at all about suffocation as his head/neck strength is impeccable, he just gets uncomfortable and doesn't want to be on his stomach anymore). He is in a sleep sack/blanket, his arms are free but his feet are inside the sack (he has rolled both ways fine in this but perhaps a sack with foot holes would be easier for him?).What do I do when he gets whiny and stuck on his stomach? Do I just roll him back after the interval of time (Ferber method) and hope that he will figure it out soon?Thanks for any advice on this or sleep training in general!!! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pgmyQM

Hosting other kids- etiquette question

So we have a 9 month old baby at home and my husband's goddaughter's parents asked if we could have his goddaughter (age 9) and her sister (age 7) over for the weekend so they can go away on a special trip. That in of itself is totally fine, the girls are easygoing and sweet and I don't mind having them around for the weekend.Here's the etiquette portion- this is a favor we are doing that will likely not be returned or at least not for years to come. I feel like if I asked someone to watch my kid/kids for the weekend, I would offer a bit of money to cover some expenses; for instance, I do have to buy a ton more food than I normally would and we are taking them out to do a couple of lowkey fun activities and there will be some costs involved in that too, like admission fees.The parents did not offer any kind of pocket money for the girls' weekend expenses and I kind of feel like this is a bit rude; I would probably feel differently if they were likely to return the favor in the next year or so but I know that's not going to happen. Or is that totally fine on their part? What do you guys think?Edit: definitely would never actually ask for money! I am just wondering whether it is the etiquette to offer. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oILDFz

Sudden change in 9 month old daughter

For the past week or so, my 9 month old daughter has gone from a placid baby with regular nap and meal times to an irritable, and at times inconsolable little girl. She went from enjoying meal times and eating almost anything she was given to crying at the sight of food or milk. At night time, she cries in between sleeps of about an hour, I'm guessing because she's so hungry but she won't feed. The only way to get her to eat is to dream feed her a bottle but even then, she wakes up startled a lot of the time. She would constantly want her pacifier and now she won't touch it.She has been seen by two different doctors. Neither saw any evidence of teething or any other signs of illness or injury. Her temperature is normal and her bloods came back normal too.There has been no change in her diet or routine, or in the routines of her parents. Her nappies are normal too. The only other sign that something might be wrong is she has very bad breath. The doctor says that could be because she's not eating much.It is all heartbreaking to see. My daughter is obviously suffering, and there's nothing we can do to help. I'm posting in case any of this ribs a bell to anyone or if there's something obvious that we're missing. Please help! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qhCcdw

15 month old is constantly unhappy....at wits end.

Hello all,Writing for advice about my 15 month old daughter. She's our second child, her sister is 5 years old.Since she was born it was very clear that she wasn't going to be as laid back and innocent as our older daughter, and that was to be expected(since our first daughter was ridiculously easy to care for).As the younger daughter grew up my wife and I were very conscious of some very slight things she did that we didn't think were normal. Banging head head against the wall(lightly), more severe tantrums than we were used to seeing, not attaching herself to any real toys or even showing a remote slight interest in the TV or watching photos or movies on our phone in situations where we are trying to keep her calm. The big item we noticed though was that she had absolutely no interest in any sort of cuddling or hugs or any affection of any kind. As soon as she was strong enough to hold herself up, she would most times literally push us away. It sucked, but we just figured it was the difference between two kids. I would guess that the longest she has allowed me or my wife to hold her "like a baby" since she was about 4 weeks old is maybe 15 seconds. This hurts from a selfish parenting perspective, but this also makes it to where we basically can't take her to restaurants or most public places because she won't sit in our laps or be entertained for anymore than 5-10 minutes.With all of this said, she seems to be developing fairly normally. She knows 20-25 words, some sign language, understands several commands and generally seems eager to please when she is in a good mood. There within lies the problem, she seems perpetually unhappy.She wakes up in a bad mood, often times crying/whining until we find whatever random variation of eating/standing that she wants. We take her to day care and she fights us to get into the car. When we pick her up, she seems to enjoy day care and seems happy to see us, but then she fights us to go back home. We chalked this up to some kind of separation anxiety...maybe she doesn't want to leave us in the morning...then adjusts....then doesn't want to leave them in the afternoons?When we get home, I would guess out of the 2 hours we get to play with her she spends AT LEAST 50% of it unhappy. Some of it uncontrollable crying, some of it just heavy whining. If we tell her no or stop her from doing something stupid, she goes into complete meltdown mode every time with no real pattern of how long she will be upset. Most of the time she hates taking baths, she doesn't seem particularly interested in any of the hundreds of toys our first daughter accumulated(the toys she does use often times are things like forks or inanimate objects). It's literally a fight almost every night until bed time. On the weekends, it's basically the same except for longer periods of time, so it's clearly not just her being tired(although that could be some of it during the week).My wife and I have done our best to try and just pass this off as having a child that is a little more stubborn than most. We are both home, virtually the entire time after work, everyday. We actively play with her, and her sister absolutely adores her and tries to play with her too. The majority of the time we reset and keep positive attitudes around her, but it seems to sometimes only be getting worse.We spoke to our doctor at our 1 year checkup and he didn't seem too concerned. At the time, we noticed she had a lot of runny noses and stuff so we thought maybe she had bad allergies and it was causing her a level of discomfort. We tried allergy medicine for a few weeks and it didn't change anything.It should be noted that when she IS in a good mood, she's a really awesome fun kid. She communicates well, she is really really mobile and is fun. When we go to other peoples houses she often seems more entertained and acts better. Maybe she's just bored of our house? But to THIS level?Anyway. I don't even really know what I'm looking for answer wise. Maybe someone has had similar experiences. I obviously feel like there are some behavioral type issues we might need to lookout for down the road, but it's not like it's something they can(nor do I likely want) her to be doing at this young age.For the longest time my wife and I kept telling ourselves that we weren't being patient enough or we were spoiled because of our first kid, but it's becoming far more worrisome now. We are having to spend so much time and energy keeping the younger child happy that we aren't spending as much time with our 5 year old.Thanks for reading. Any help would be wonderful. :) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2puMgSu

My 10 year old said something extremely troubling at school today.

Apparently a young boy in class was talking about his grandma being sick and living with him and his parents. My son said that he would just want the old lady to die so he wouldn't have to waste energy helping with her. He told the little boy to ask his parents to put "it" in a nursing home.The teacher overheard this and called me.My son continues to show no emotion and no empathy and I think something may be seriously wrong with him. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2peuamX

This morning I found out my ex boyfriend, who was a father to myb6 year old daughter since she was born, killed himself. I have no idea how to tell my little girl her daddy is gone.

We'd only been broken up a few days. I knew something was wrong and I knew he was taking it hard but I just didn't think he was hurting that bad.He's the only father she has ever known. She's been calling his phone and leaving messages asking where he is. Idk how to break this to her. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oHlrLF

35 year old Dad diagnosed with a terminal illness. How do I tell my 4 year old little girl?

Hey Reddit.Throwaway for reasons.I'm not looking for sympathy, but for insight on how I can tell my daughter I'm going to die.Posted this in a different sub and they said to try here.I was diagnosed with a disease that's given me an expiration date. While the doctors haven't been able to give me any actual time line their best guess is two years max.I've come to terms with this. I've always known living forever wasn't possible and to be honest, another younger me would of welcomed it with open arms. But all that changed when my daughter came into the world.I'll save the dad rant because every father is suppose to know their daughter is one of the most important things for them to ever have in their lives and vice versa (IMO). I love this girl with everything I am and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt her and everytime I try to say anything to her or my ex.. that's what I feel like I'm doing.Ex knows something's up but isn't pushing it because she knows that pushing makes me push back harder. Money won't be an issue after I'm gone for various reasons I don't feel comfortable with sharing online so I'll know they'll never go without.But how do I tell her?How can I tell my little girl daddy's going away?How the hell am I going to break her heart like that?I don't really know what to expect posting this. My counciler hasn't been much help with this part.Any prayers or things like that I ask that you keep for someone you love and please.. If you have a father, call them and tell them you love him.tl;dr:how do I break my little girls heart? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qoIWp2

Preteen son suddenly worried about death. Looking for any advice.

My 11 year old has recently become pretty concerned about death. His main concern is having someone in his family die, but he also worries about what happens after you die.Some of that is normal, but I am worried that he is becoming too fearful. My husband got home late last night and wasn't answering his phone because his phone died. My son was convinced that something must have happened on the train. He thought there must have been a crash or an attack.A few days ago he was riding bikes with his brother. He came in earlier than his brother and when his brother wasn't home at the exact time he was supposed to be back, he started worrying that his brother may have been kidnapped or hit by a car or some other terrible thing. I assured him that his brother probably just lost track of time and will be home shortly. He insisted on going out to find his brother. Right before he went out, little bro returned home. It was probably about 10 minutes later than he was supposed to be home, but he was fine.It's little things like that. He isn't as concerned about his own death and it isn't holding him back much. He still does everything that he used to do including things like taking public transportation alone, riding his bike a couple of miles to school, staying home alone, etc. He's just concerned about us (myself, husband, younger son, and daughter) dying and I'm worried that it is becoming too much.Everything I looked at online seems to deal cover the younger years and I doubt any of it would work on my son. We shared what we believe happens when you die, told him what other people believe, showed him our will, and assured him that we are all in good health and the other things that worry him (kidnapping, random murder, terrorist attack, plane/train crashes) are super unlikely to happen. None of that has helped. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pevSol

Daughter learned how to say "Love you"

This is big news to us! She has been saying it all day, and it's the first time she's put two words together. I'm a very proud father of my one year old girl.Updated word list in order of when she started saying:MomDadNoYumDogDuckQuackYesLove You via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oU846w

Reading to baby

Hi I'm a first time dad, we've just had a baby girl, she's 10 days old. When do you think I can start reading to her and what kind of books should I read to her? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2oGcaTT

Made books for both my kids, want to write in the front cover but have no idea what, help please!

Ok so its a sort of scrapebook where each page will have a different school year. Each year i will do a short interview with them and ask them questions such as "what was the best thing you did this year?" or "who was your best friend this year?" "favorite class?" "favorite tv show?" and ill write the answers down on the left. Then on the right beside it i will include pictures from everything they did that year (well not all, but the highlights). I custom made the books for both kids and they're really nice. Hardcover and everything. Not cheap at all...I even got started on my son's pre-k entry since this school year is almost over. I wrote down his answers to the questions i asked him and am adding pictures of him with his class, him at baseball practice etc. I know im rambling on i apologize i wanted everyone to get a good idea of the type of book i did. I should also mention that i don't plan on showing either or my kids these books until they turn 18, then i will give it to them as a graduation gift.Anyways...someone suggested that i should write a small something on both front inside covers for them to see. Something thoughtful. But thing is, i'm just kind of stumped. I have no idea whether i should get gushy or just keep it light and funny for them. Can anyone just give me anything, thoughts suggestions etc for me? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2pGyFbq

What are your specific screen-time limiting methods?

Hi everyone. I've got a 5-yr-old who enjoys screen time (what kid doesn't) and that's totally ok with me. We just try to make sure she she has a larger quantity of non-screen time.Like most parents, we really want her to develop a love of spending her free-time reading, building, creating, pretending, physical activities, etc.... and not just resort to screens whenever she's bored.The thing I'm struggling with is that it feels really arbitrary to me as to when we say yes to screens and when we say no. I'd love to have a system that we all can buy into.Instead of something as simple as "X minutes per day," I was thinking of doing something like this: She gets a certain number of 15 minute "tokens" at the beginning of the week. She can use as many as she wants each day (put them in a jar when used) but they have to last all week. So this way she'll learn to spread them out which I think is a good skill.What system do you use? Any pros/cons you've learned along the way?What do you do when you have that occasional/inevitable day when you're tired/exhausted/sick and you let your kid binge a bit on screens?(We are also trying to teach her that screen-time is not a bad thing. It's just like eating a well-rounded diet. Your brain needs to lots of other kinds of activities, not too much screen-time. So hopefully the combination of all this will sink in.) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2qfhtqq