Sharing a love for musicals

When I was a kid, my mum would occasionally let me stay up late if a good movie was on. And often, that movie was a musical. That's how I met Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Cyd Charisse.And that's when I started loving musicals.Our local outdoor theatre would have shows every summer, and we'd always go for my birthday. I saw "Oliver!", "West Side Story", "Oklahoma!", "The King and I" ... the list goes on.My daughter chose to be a theatre major. She loves everything to do with theatre. She says ruefully that it's ironic that someone who loves musicals as much as she does can't sing or dance.Tonight, we saw a fabulous performance of "The Phantom of the Opera". She was enthralled and thanked me again and again for getting tickets. It was one of the best nights of my life. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wnuPWS

From twin bed to toddler bed, regression?

Would it be bad to switch my 2.5 year old and 3.5 year old from twin beds to toddler beds? New situation doesn't have room for two twin beds in the same room, but two toddler beds would fit. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2eJEJZx

When did your children get their top front teeth as babies?

Mine is 12 months and all she has are her two middle bottom ones. The doctor acted slightly concerned. How abnormal is it not to have any other teeth yet? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2iMkNcZ

My 7 year old is a wise ass

I feel like I'm being outsmarted by a 7 year old boy. He's been a 50/50 custody kid for the last 3 years or so, along with 5 year old brother. These boys are bilingual, I am not. When 7 year old gets in trouble he often starts speaking to me/answering me in French (or sometimes in Italian which is weird because nobody has taught him Italian, he has language apps that he seems to be jumping around in). And he thinks this is hilarious. I don't have a clue what he's saying, I know what merde means and I know he's being a little merde but I don't get far past that. And he can really drag this out, like a diversion tactic. I don't know if I should be reacting to this or just ignoring it?This kid also loves to wind us up, he does this to his mother too. For example he won't cooperate, and he won't cooperate and he won't cooperate and then when you start getting mad about it then he says "haaaaa chill out" and again, thinks it's hilarious and then happily goes off to do what you wanted him to do 10 minutes ago while you're left behind in this bad mood. But then the thing with this pattern is that sometimes he actually is being defiant but both versions look the same at the start. So again, I don't know if I'm feeding this too much?7 and 5 are also big on roughhousing, which is fine. But then 7 goes on to do additional "punching bag" stuff and he likes to do it out in public. Like in the space of a few minutes today he ran 5 into a wall and then he did this crouch and stick his leg out while 5 was looking the other way so 5 then tripped over, flat on his face. Both times 5's first response was "ouch" but then he also finds it hilarious, so they're both finding this hilarious, and this old lady is looking at me like they're nutcases, which they are. After the foot trip I told 7, you're going to hurt him, stop it. I don't know what other discipline I can give walking down the street. Sometimes I feel like I need to constantly shadow 7 so that 5 doesn't lose his teeth. And when I mentioned that to wise ass he said "he gets new teeth though". Ok, well he needs the baby teeth for now doesn't he.7 is usually fine at school, if there's a complaint it's usually that he talks too much and doesn't shut up. When you question him about that he tells you he got bored (or "je something something"). Sometimes he just seems like a very 'busy' kid, like he always has to have something going on. And I'm glad that he finds life so hilarious but I could really do with him listening a bit more seriously sometimes. Any advice or comments or even telling me "oh no, he's completely 'normal'"? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2guy1ud

2yo has become terrified of getting his hair washed

It makes me sad, he used to love it. When he was able to sit up in the bath I started asking him to look up so I could rinse, but he is perfectly incapable of sitting still. Water would get all over his face and make him gasp/panic/feel like he was drowning.Now he's fully mobile and it's like trying to wash a cat. He refuses to look up or sit still so I can rinse, so if I want to wash his hair it means a lot of screaming, soapy eyes, and panic.Aside from pinning him down, how do I cut down on the bath time drama? Is there any way to un- traumatize him? It feels terrible :( via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2eJbWV7

My preteen shamed my cousin's wife

We were on vacation with our two families and he glanced over and saw her 1 yr old facing forward in a car seat. He squeals "YOU DON'T HAVE THE BABY REAR FACING?!" This was my face 😬 via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2eIKvut

Video Game Help please?

Hi there, I need some help understanding the whole RoBlox, Minecraft thing. I have an 8 year old son and I allow him to play Minecraft but have strict settings on it. I have no clue what Roblox is. He comes from school like everyday talking about his friends get to 'mods', they can 'hack' Roblox to get all kinds of extra Roblox? I really have no idea if what I'm typing is even making sense to anyone; that's how clueless I am. To me hacking means illegal shit. But I can't imagine a bunch of 2nd graders know how to actually hack something, right? Is there anyone that can help me out with understanding these games? I want my son to be able to play them but safely and legally.EDIT: sooo as I'm reading your comments I am pulling up his Roblox game on his iPad. Ummm turns out he has an account and has some friends. WTF? How did he manage to do this without me knowing? Good lord I feel stupid. I appreciate the internet and all that it can connect us too but I'm also terrified of it as a parent. I'm looking at this xxxcoolgirlxx 'friend' of his and all I can think of is a nasty pedophile sitting in his basement preying on my kid. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wlNhz0

Just took in a 9 and 8 year old from a bad household (I'm the aunt). Need advice

Hey there,I'm going to try and keep this as short as possible but I am the aunt to a 9 year old boy and 8 year old girl. They came to live with my brother (their father), my fiance and myself full time about a month ago, after their mother attempted suicide for the second time.A little context: the mother has many mental health issues (diagnosed with a cluster B personality disorder) made worse by alcoholism, drugs and her pathological lying. While obviously my brother played a big part in their conception, she is one of those women that lie about being on contraception or poke holes in a condom. She was about 19 when she had the boy. She also has 2 other kids with another guy. She hits her partners first, then calls the police to report domestic abuse. We have an affidavit stating she had done meth around the kids and was a protitute. The amount of stories about this woman would boggle you but my hate for her isn't why I'm here.After she got out of the hospital for the first suicide attempt, we invited her to live in our amazingly priced but big townhouse with the intention that she can eventually take the lease over so her kids could move back with her (They were with the other aunt after child protective services got involved). That month she lived there was fucked up. She was wasted every day, she lied to us about finding a job and she would go out with her pedophile boyfriend instead. While she was there though she would talk about how her children are her life and what an amazing mother she is. She missed every visit with them for 3 months. She told me my nephew was autistic and a genius and straight up said she treats him special.After the second suicide attempt, while she was with us, child protective services decided it's in their best interest for the kids to live with us since we're not fucked in the head. It was originally going to be a 3 month process but the Aunt was also doing meth and the kids had to leave ASAP. Because im a girl and i made the least monet, i was the one that had to quit my job and watch the kids until school starts.Now I'm a childless 25 year old introvert that never liked Kids, even when I was a kid. I like to work and be super independent. Hell, I was the youngest person I knew in my life before they were born. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing and even just making them food gives me anxiety because they want me to make them something special but because of the sudden nature of the situation, we are financially struggling. Hard.My nephew is my biggest issue. He is not autistic. At all (he's been tested). But the mother is so fucked that she kept pushing her agenda on him and made him think he has to act out to be special. He cries when his sister touches him after he hits her. He hits her then says it's because he's the most sensitive boy in the school. He wants everything and everyone to catered to his will. He does not talk with people, he talks AT them. It's not that he's incapable, but he's doing it for attention. I know that for a fact. He pretends to be this way because his mommy nourished it into him. When in her care, he was abusive to other children at school and would cry after he got in trouble. What would she Do? Go the the school and yell at them and say that they don't know what they're doing and that he needs special treatment because shes obsessed with this autism thing. Instead of teaching in to write better (he cries because his handwriting sucks), she would say that messy handwriting is a sign of brilliance, instead of telling him he needs to practice.She kind of fucked this poor kid up and I need advice on how to reprogram this behaviour. He will be going to therapy but that won't be for another month.I've tried talking to him and explaining why he's wrong to think girls are stupid because they wear makeup instead of saving nature, but he can't admit he's wrong because his mommy told him he's the smarter boy ever who's always right. It literally hurts him when I try to tell him why he's wrong because he can't handle a woman being anything other than a stay at home mom. He does not act this way to his dad and my fiance. He expects me to feed him and his ego by giving him special attention and love. I ain't doing that. I'm not only not that kind of person, but I know it will be toxic for him at this age.Note: I may not like kids but I love them and do my best by giving them as much love and emotional support as i can. When it's granted, I tell them they're awesome and praise their hard work and good behaviours. I give them lots of hugs and kisses because I also know kids need that safe space and feel like they're wanted.I'm sorry for the rant but I didn't know how to explain the situation properly without it.Is there any advice or something someone can give me? I would greatly appreciate it! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2gtievV

Update: how my husband and I will support our children through college.

I sat him down and we read through all the responses in the last thread. We talked it over and decided to pay for tuition, room&board, and books. Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vvlywX

Our 16 mo old fell down the stairs today

He fell down the basement stairs today. He pushed open what I thought was a locked basement door and tumbled down about 10 steps. They are carpeted and we took him to the hospital. He got a CT scan and everything came back ok.But I'm absolutely crushing myself here. I feel guilty, can't stop imagining the worst. I'm beating myself up for not protecting him more.He's currently napping and I just can't even eat I'm so sick to my stomach over it.How can I get over this without holding so much guilt and anxiety? I feel like an awful parent. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vMBruv

When could your kid blow their own nose

My 1st will be 4 in December and refuses to blow her own nose so we still use the snot sucker on her. Really not interested in continuing to do this, especially going into the next cold/flu season. When could your kid blow their own nose and when did you stop using the snot sucker? Any tips to help her learn to blow her own nose? Thanks via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2esuwnH

People think my son is a girl because of his long hair. How would you handle it?

My son is 6 years old. We've never cut his hair. He has beautiful, blond, slightly curly hair. We leave it down sometimes or put it in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, just like dad. Of course no one thinks Dad is a girl!People often comment on my 3 beautiful daughters. Sometimes I correct them, and they get all apologetic. Then I try to reassure them it's ok, it's a common mistake, it's not a big deal, etc. Sometimes I just let it go. How would you handle it?For what it's worth, it doesn't seem to bother my son. He usually ignores it, or sometimes says that he's a boy with long hair. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wVm33L

Weekly - Things my kid said - to share all the things your kids say. - August 31, 2017

This is a weekly thread where you can share the things you're kid said to you that made you laugh/cry/go on a mad rampage.If you'd like to talk daily about things your kids say, feel free to visit /r/thingsmykidsaid via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xPxGpk

Twins 😳

Just found out today. Suddenly it all adds up... my wife's crippling nausea being much worse than the last pregnancy, the spirals of black crows above my house, that old lady who cursed me at the fayre...For real though, anyone got any advice on dealing with pregnancy, having 3 kids under 4 years old, boring practicalities like car seats and holidays and beds, routines and sleep?Help a scared dad out. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xB0B1k

My parents watching one grandchild (5m) but not his little brother (18months)

I'm so irritated. My parents have been having my oldest son spend the night with them one day a week since he was about 6 months old. Fairly recently we have mentioned to them that essentially they need to be watched together now since his little brother constantly says his name when he's gone and misses him. Im not forcing both of them to spend the night but maybe be watched for a little during the day, and even offered to stay there too so they didn't feel overwhelmed or something. I also need to add that they have only offered to watch my youngest maybe three times since he's been born and it wasn't for more than 2-3 hours. My mom and grandma have a history of playing favorites in my family and never see their other two grandchildren from my siblings or offer to watch them and I don't want my youngest to feel like that when he gets older. My mom texted me super pissed off saying she was shaking she was so upset and not to talk to her.I know I'm doing the right thing for my kids, they would still be able to see their grandparents, and maybe my almost two year old will finally know what to call his grandma, but am curious if others have gone through this? Any advice? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wl0zfn

How do I give my kids some privacy, while making sure they're not doing anything illegal or dangerous?

My parents severely restricted my privacy when I was a teenager. Sometimes I would lock my room's door to prevent my younger brother from distracting me while I was studying, and he would tell father, who would then come and pound on my door until I opened to make sure I wasn't watching porn. I also found about my (safe and tame) fetish when I was a teenager, and parents soon figured it out so they tried to "shield me" from it, saying it was "wrong". I never talked to them about it, but it couldn't have been religious reasons because they're not religious.You can probably imagine how frustrating that was for someone who was still emotionally and sexually developing, and you can also guess that I don't want that kind of restrictions for my kids - I want to give them some privacy and freedom, but how do I make sure they're not doing anything dangerous? Is going through their stuff and computer bad, invasive parenting? What options are there?Thanks. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xAEVSH

Do any of you guys have kids with ADHD?

I'm looking for advice on how to cope with a 6 year old who I'm nearly positive has ADHD. I haven't had him diagnosed by a doctor yet because I want to try any alternatives to medication that I can. I was always one of those parents who assumed that all little kids were super energetic and ADHD was a diagnosis made up to pad the pockets of doctors and pharmaceutical companies. Then karma flipped me the bird and gave me my son, Flash. Anyways, he's having trouble concentrating in school and is falling behind. All the little fidget toys were useless for him and weren't allowed at school in the first place. Any suggestions from anyone dealing with this? How do you help your little guys cope? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vMiiIN

TIFU by getting into a weekend state of mind.

Today is my Friday, so I was in weekend mode, thinking about what to do with my me time tonight. 8:00 came and I told my kids it's time for bed then my 5-year-old told me she's hungry. I totally forgot to make dinner and I forgot to make her lunch for tomorrow.Now my me time is getting pushed back. 🙁 via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wq6JsY

Worried about my child being an introvert like myself.

I'm a single mom, works full time, have friends I keep in touch with, closest friend just moved away. I have a large family that has become my main social group outside of work. Other then that I tend to stay by myself, cleaning, cooking, reading, movies. I have a 2.5 year old and he is mainly around adults. I'm worried I'm not getting him out enough with other kids or even other people besides family. He's generally shy upon meeting anyone then warms up eventually. Would my introverted habits and choices rub off on him? I'd love to be more outgoing but it's just not me, and I don't want to limit him from being himself by not taking him to meet other kids. We go out often, parks, zoo, kid friendly play places but I tend to not interact much with other parents even just casual talk. I want him to see and know that's it's ok to say hi and be friendly. Am I'm worrying too much? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wLtZ7r

What has been your experience with Girls Scouts?

My daughter is 8 years old and I think she is mature enough for something like Girls Scouts but I have zero experience with that organization and don't know much about them. I'd like to hear your thoughts on your own or your daughters' experiences. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2gqNcVb

Daughter keeps hitting the pets

My daughter is going to be 2 in October. She is already extremely well mannered. Everything is "please" and "thank you". She's a very sweet and healthy child. However, for some reason, she will not stop smacking or kicking the house pets (2 cats and 1 dog) Neither my wife nor I hit or kick or abuse the animals ever so I don't know where she picked up this behavior from. She understands verbal reprimands "no" "stop" "bad" and positive reinforcement phrases "we have to be nice to the animals" "nice and soft" then she'll pet them and be very nice. She still will hit them with either whatever toy she's carrying or kick them multiple times a day. She even announces, "kick!" While kicking one of them. Any one have any similar situations/have some advice for us? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2iJZLMl

4.5 year old suddenly can't/won't go to sleep without either me or my wife sitting with her.

This often takes several hours eating into the only time my wife and I have alone as we also have a 2 year old who is fairly high-maintanance right now. This becomes a huge battle if we try to get her to fall asleep without one of us spending half the evening sitting with her, she gets hysterical. This is causing us stress and I'd really appreciate any suggestions. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2el2MNN

Homework.

I need help/tips for homework.We have a 6yo little one, a foster child. Backstory: We got her a at the end of May when school was almost over and with the house change and everything that was going on she missed the last days, social worker said she had completed kinder and that she was going to first grade. When we enrolled her and the social worker gave us more info about her turned out that she had NOT gone to kinder AT ALL. The parents never put her in school.Fast forward to this past Monday: she started first grade last week and this past Monday was the first day with homework. The afternoon was a nightmare with her doing homework: crying, yelling, fake tears, saying and saying that she was done when she had done nothing. On Tuesday was pretty much the same and we decided to call the parents so they see what's going on with her (which we had mentioned already on Monday but they didn't believe it, I guess), we put them on speaker so they can talk to her and this is how the conversation went:Parents- "hi baby! Hi, name of child, we love you! We love you, name of child! Love you!"We hat to reminded them of why we were callingParents: "oh! Yeah... umm... babe, you have to do your homework, ok? You have to... but if you can't just do what you can, it's ok if you don't complete it. It's ok, ok? Just do what you can, ok?"Us: "no, that's not how it goes, she needs to complete all her homework, you need to tell her that she need to do her homework"Parents: "yeah, but that's the way she's aaaalways been. That's the way she's been since she was born...! You just have to have patience with her, you know? Just remember that, parenting is all about patience. She'll get there." (Thing that makes NO sense because, I mean, they have a case)Us: "you need to tell her that she needs to do it. I'm not calling you for help, this is not my first child. This is gonna go in the report. We're trying to help her and she doesn't want help and you're telling her that it's ok. This is going on the report."Parents: "oh! Oh...! Umm... child's name, you have to do your homework ok? You need to learn all this, just do your homework ok, babe?"*The way they were talking changed as soon as we told them that it's gonna go on the report, which has to go on it, it's not just because I want to be a B.Today I am making the letters on paper so she can trace them, the alphabet and her name, she barely knows how to do her name, and I'll probably do the numbers too...Any tips on what else to do? Or how to handle this? For next visit with parents we're gonna send her with the paper I'm making for her so they can see and whatever homework she has.Also, if this is not the right sub for this, please let me know where to put it, thank you. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wUc3b6

3-year-old son wants to be a princess

This has only been going on for a few weeks. During make-believe play he goes around saying he's the princess, mom is the prince and dad is the dragon. He only wants to be the princess. It's progressed to now him saying he wants to be the girl because only girls can be princesses.He doesn't rebel against boy clothes or ask to wear girl clothes or princess stuff. He's always liked traditional girl colors (pink, purple). Toys up to this age have been gender neutral and he's never asked for the girl version of something or rejected the boy version.My wife is freaking out a bit. To me it seems like he's having fun playing a role in this particular make-believe he's constructed and it doesn't have a bearing or deeper relevance to his identity. But perhaps that's wishful thinking on my part? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xzYlXR

A few years in to parenting now, missing the good ol' days.

This is a different type of post than the happy, bubbly posts I've seen on here. I'll admit I am feeling selfish as I really do not enjoy parenting as much as I thought I would. I am not mentally ill or depressed; I just want my simple life back-the way it was before I had kids. I know this isn't possible, but still hard to cope with. Used to have no worries about money, was set for life....not anymore. One very expensive medical bill with crappy insurance turned us from wealthy to thousands in debt in the blink of an eye. I also hate all the extra arrangements I have to make just to handle the simplest things, where as before, if I felt like going out for a burger; I grabbed my keys and walked out the door. No need to buy 5 separate meals either, with the "must have" extras-junky milk shakes and deserts that I normally would never buy for myself. My wife criticizes me for this, although I notice her own feelings aren't too far off (her missed days as a biker she mentions all too much) we resent each other for these same exact feelings. The kids will never realize the sacrifices we make for them either, and inherently just demand more which also kinda gets on my nerves.I do love my kids, and the handful of cute moments are really great, however to be blunt: they don't balance out all the crappiness that comes with it. I know I can't be alone here so I am asking any of you that had similar experiences, if it gets better, and what you may have done to pull out of it and enjoy life again.To be clear, I'm not asking how to ditch my kids and get my bachelor life back again, just how to be as happy or more now that I live my life as a parent. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your responses!! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2woMAUc

Never thought I'd terminate a pregnancy in my 30's.

I am coming to r/Parenting because I wasn't able to find any experiences from mothers who have had VAGINAL births and have had abortions AFTER having kids.I have never had an abortion it just so happens my first unwanted pregnancy turns up when I am already married with children. My husband and I have 2 kids 8 and 1. I was about to put an IUD in this month and turned up pregnant. I was numb for the first two days in sheer panic and disappointment. Neither of us are looking to expand our family for ALL reasons (from financial to medical). Scheduled a termination for next week which puts me at 4 weeks - thankfully the clinic terminates this early. I am looking to hear from any mothers who have had vaginal deliveries and went through a termination after. I have bad panic and anxiety disorder I haven't been able to sleep or eat since scheduling the procedure, the anticipation is killing me. How did you find it pain wise? (I am not taking any sedatives or pain killers aside from lidocaine shots into the cervix to numb it) - I cannot take any drugs because it literally throws me into sheer panic (I have a control problem and deathly afraid of nausea and vomiting that pills and sedation cause). Here is a bonus: to induce my last pregnancy I had 7 stretch and sweeps by the midwife...who pretty much had her fist in my cervix to try and start labour...are cervixes that have been through vaginal deliveries easier to dilate during early termination?Any stories would really help PM me if you would like to be private . via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2woGALd

I'm watching TV

I have a 3 yr old, a 2 yr old and a 7 month old.My kids are good sleepers, crappy eaters but they're good overall. We are currently going through the terrible two's/three's combined so it's been hell some days too.I stay at home, every day I clean the kitchen multiple times, chairs, counters floors, bottles. I do laundry and fold clothing like it's my favorite hobby. I cook when I can. I vacuum every two days before the dirt from us coming in and out of the house accumulates. I go grocery shopping and run, I only get about 20 mins before one of them is ready to go. I spend my afternoons mostly at playgrounds, I live off of coffee and leftover food from the kids.Thank god they all sleep beautifully, but my life is nothing fancy. Very busy and I'm thankful for them. But today my husband took the toddlers on a family vacation with his family, he'll be gone for three days and I stayed at home with my baby girl. His family will help him and there are other little cousins around our kids age so they'll be playing together.I'm still feeling guilty for not going but I am enjoying watching TV. I thought I was gonna do all kinds of things that I can never do with my toddlers with me all the time but just watching tv while baby sleeps is just what I want.A nice iced mocha would make this perfect, but for now, I'll settle for a quiet house and my favorite tv show. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wos31W

My 2,5 y.o. is ruining playground experience for other kids

We have a big playground near our house, and I'm often taking my son here to play.And every time he's ruining it for another kids, because he have this weird "new toy" fixation, like he wants every toy on the playground to be his toy. He's grabbing other kids toys right from their hands (and they often don't let go). So there's crying, there's tantrums, there's fighting, and there's me apologizing.He have A LOT of toys at home, and I'm always bringing a bag of toys with me — he don't play with them (he's okay with sharing them though), he wants all the toys that are not his.I've explained to him whole "mine"-"not mine" concept, I told him to wait for his turn to play, I yelled at him, nothing helps. Every playground visit is an exhausting battle. What to do? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2iGShta

Sleep issues with 8 year old

So for the past 2-3 weeks my 8 year old son has been waking up at random times throughout the night saying he's scared or had a nightmare. His bedtime is 9pm and sometimes he is still up hours later just laying in bed. I have tried to calm him down and get him back in his bed but when its 3am and I need to get up in 2 hours it gets tiring. Read below for more details.My wife's parents use to watch our children while were worked. she worked 7-3pm and I am 7-4pm. Her parents are now moving hours away and we had to change our schedule. I now work basically 6-3pm and my wife is 5-12am. In the past she would work 10-6am and I would work at 9. this would totally drain her as our 2 year old would be up at 8am and I’m leaving for work. But we found a healthy middle were someone is always home and my wife gets enough sleep that she needs. we have been on the current schedule for about 2 months now and it’s been working great for our marriage and no more back and forth with the kids. I bring this up because it was a household change and could affect some things.My son will wake up at random times throughout the night and say he had a bad dream. I sit down with him and basically ask him what it was about or if he is still scared. He can't tell me what it’s about just that he’s scared. We recently bought our house about 2 years ago and we have both the kids bedrooms on the first floor. Our house is a 1 1/2 story house so our bedroom is the whole upstairs. it’s still pretty close as the stairs leading upstairs are right next to his bedroom door. Since we moved in he hasn't had much or a problem sleeping in his room and our 2 year old daughter is soo easy right now. basically put her in her bed and she’s out for 9 hours after 5-10 mins. We have asked him if being on a different floor is making him feel alone and unsafe. He said kind of but I was able to calm him with showing that we have an alarm system on the house and how it works. and also that if anything happens I’m still only seconds away as if I was on the first floor. I don’t think that is the issue now.He will be starting in a new school as before he went to the school across the street from where my in-laws would watch him. With no day care now we have him enrolled in his home school. He seems really interested in meeting new people and making new friends. Also the larger playground at the new school excites him.He has been through a lot of changes at home with everything listed above. I ask him if any of it bothers him and he says no. I don’t know what to do. I understand that he has an irrational fear and know that you can't just say "man up" to him or what scares him might sound like nonsense to me. I've tried sleeping on the couch some nights so im literally down the hall from him on the same floor, but he still has been having nightmares or just too scared to sleep. I've talked to him when it happens and am able to make him see that there is nothing to be scared of, but it all seems to come back when I get him back into his room and in his bed. He does have a nightlight in his room, a lizard cage that has a light and at his request I leave the living room light on that shines down the hallway into his room. This cannot be the norm. My daughter sleeps in pitch black and wants her door open at night. With the lights on I noticed she wakes up during the night and it’s a bit of a fight to get her to sleep with the light on.What he watches on TV is limited to age appropriate shows and only for short time each day. He does have a computer in his room but I have it so locked down that he can't access the internet and basically can only play minecraft. He does read a lot and he is to read at least 30 mins every night. Maybe some of the books that he picks out could be causing some fear but I would hope not as they are age appropriate.I’m looking for ideas or something that I may not be seeing as the issue for his fear and nightmares. With our schedule change I see less of my wife than normal but she’s not sleep deprived and is in a better mood now. We both look at it as having quality time over quantity. It’s been working and we feel more connected than before when she was getting 2-3 hours sleep every weekday. But his fears are cutting into our time. Hopefully it’s just a quick phase but I’m wondering what I can do to maybe help settle his little 8 year old mind and sleep peacefully throughout the night. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xy34Jw

Suggest a snack container for my Kindergartner?

I've been looking forever for a snack container for my Kindergartner to take to school and I'm running out of time. She needs to have 2 small snacks a day. I thought that a single container with 2 compartments would be the easiest for her to keep track of. I feel like maybe they just don't make what I want?Must-haves:2 equal-sized divided compartmentsan attached lid with a latchnot larger than about 6" x 6" x 3"bpa free materialLike-to-haves:dishwasher safea leak-proof sealfun colors (red would be great, it's her favorite color)available with Amazon Prime or fast shipping optionsExamples that are close but don't quite fit the bill:Kid Basix Safe Snacker not dividedYumBox MiniSnack unequal sized compartmentsLunchbots Pico Duo lid not attachedIf you experienced parents have other suggestions for sending snacks to school, please share! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wSICWX

father working away

hey everybody, My husband may start working away from home a few days a week. its an incredible opportunity for him, and though it will suck having him away from home I know we are strong enough to do it. I guess i'm seeking advice or experiences of others who have/are going though the same situation. from January next year we will have a 20 month old and a new born. I know its not going to be easy any tips or stories? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vK6Zkw

My 2 year old son (29 months) has climbed out of his crib two mornings in a row now when he is done sleeping. Need advice on when and how to transition to a toddler bed.

He has for a long while now had the ability to climb out, he just has not fully executed on it. Now he's freaking cavalier about it.My wife and I are a bit concerned about him being groggy and falling on the way down, so we are toying with the idea of transitioning him to a toddler bed.He has a nice collection of toys and books in his room and I am concerned that he will "take advantage" of his ability to easily get in and out of the bed.Lastly, he has been in his crib since he was ~6 weeks old, so there is some concern about his comfort in losing the "cage" that is a crib.Any words of advice are appreciated.Thanks! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vF6Gs8

I'm 16 and my son is 6 months soon. Any tips and tricks for the future.

As stated in the title, I'm 16 years old and I have a son, and even though I am young he is the best thing that ever happened to me. His mother(18) and I are still together and we are not in any big disagreements on how to raise him. I just want some parenting tips and tricks for when he gets older.Anything will be perfect, I've never been a dad before you know. :) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vs2n7s

Weekly- Wallet Wednesday- August 30, 2017

This is a weekly thread where you can share pictures of your children and cute, crazy or awful things they have done. Please upload your pictures through Imgur and post the link as a comment. Feel free to share the context of the picture! If you are not a parent yourself, this is the place to ask us anything. Also, if you ever wonder who we are, click here to meet the mod team! via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vsdGfR

How do I get my husband to help me with our daughter? I'm so stressed and tired!

I have a great 2 1/2 year old girl. I stay home with her while my husband works 7-3 mon-fri from home. He doesn't help me at all and I don't know what to do. I do all laundry, dishes,cooking, cleaning, cutting grass, fixing things around the home, bills, grocery shopping, doctors visits, outings with daughter, etc. he doesn't even pick up after himself(yes I do that too). I do a lot of these things when she naps so no breaks for me all day. Also you would think since he does none of these things he help with our daughter a lot... nope. When he gets off work he plays on his computer for a hour alone in his office(says he's working he's not), then I cook dinner he ignores her while he plays more games on his iPad so it's hard to get dinner cooked, after dinner he takes a hour bath(it's about 6 by the time he's out), then he plays more games on his iPad while he sits in her room with me and her and expects me to entertain her, then he runs for 30 mins and takes a shower(keep in mind he's taken 2 showers now and a bath and I haven't showered in weeks by myself usually daughter hops in with me when I get a chance to shower), then it's her bath and bedtime and then he wants to engage with her finally and then she won't sleep because she wants his attention. So I'm fighting with her to go to sleep until like 9:30(when bedtime is 7:30) so yep no breaks from me. Then at 10 I go to sleep exhausted and repeat the next day. On the weekends too he sleeps until 11(since you know I love waking up at 6:30am every god damn day)and if I wake him up he gets extremely pissed so we just leave and do stuff. Then after her nap it's the same routine as the week. I'm so over it. I have told him many times I want to work again and he says no unless it's a 9-5(I worked weekends and night as a stylist and he wont watch her). He knows I can't get a 9-5 and make enough to cover daycare cost. On top of this he wants another kid. I do too because I love my daughter so much but I know he won't help and I'll probably die of no sleep and exhaustion. Also on a side note I have no help from family or friends. We moved 4 hours away from everyone I know. I've tried making new friends but it's hard. How do I get him to help?? I bring it up and it does for a day and then it's back to the same old thing. I'm so over it! I'm not a slave but that's what I feel like. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wII4ST

Two year old wakes up often at night and has meltdowns

Hi. Our two year old wakes up often in the night and screams for nearly two hours solid, resulting in all of us getting a broken 5 hours worth of sleep, nearly every night now. She usually wakes 3 hours after initially falling asleep and cries for milk. We get her milk but she doesn't want it or will throw it in a fit of anger. She'll continue on asking for other items like bananas, her iPad, her nana or her favorite toy. Regardless of what we do or what item we fetch for her she ALWAYS ends up in full on meltdown mode for 1-2 HOURS. We are desperate to find out how to handle these midnight meltdowns. It's taking a serious toll on all of us. Any advice? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wRFjzn

3 year olds are hard.

At the mall of America with my 5 kids. I was looking up the directory for a restaurant. Less than 20 feet from me is an escalator. My youngest son who's 3 and a half walked right up to the emergency stop box, opened it and pressed the button. If you'd asked me 4 years ago about parenting I would have said something like "It's really not as hard as people say." then this little guy came along. Love him to death but sometimes the leash backpack doesn't seem like such a terrible idea. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vDgv9I

Your thoughts on sharing snacks?

So I have a friend whose kid is constantly asking for the food we are eating. The food we brought to the park as our snack. She, the kid, asked why I didn't pack her food, after giving her a bunch of food! I said I'm not your mom and go see if your mom packed anything. She didn't.This is constantly happening. Am I being a bad friend? She has a 8 month old too that she does pack food for.She's also super rude when she asked and I'm always correcting her. Ok. Mostly I need a small vent about a stupid thing.Basically what is your snack sharing etiquette? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2gowuGb

I recently told my kids: I love you because of who you are. I am proud of you because of what you do.

Essentially, I want them to understand that, no matter what they do, I will love them.My dad used to tell me things like this all the time. The problem was, these little nuggets of wisdom often had pitfalls in their logic. For example: "Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something." Essentially, "you can do anything you put your mind to", but with an obvious pitfall or two.Or "Quitters never win. Winners never quit." The logical pitfall here is, sometimes, you have to quit in order to succeed and so on.I don't know if this will stick into my kids heads the way my own father's words stuck into mine, but I don't want these particular words to serve any purpose other than edifying, encouraging and building them up.Two questions:What are the pitfalls that you can see from my little nugget?What are some parable/nuggets/sayings you've been told or told your kids with positive or negative outcomes? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wHSNNl

My children (6 and 4) don't eat meals

Both of my children are rebelling against mealtime. They refuse to eat prepared meals. I get that some of the foods we cook aren't their favorite foods, but even when we cook their favorite foods they just pick at it. Our mealtime policy has been "no special meals" for them, they eat what we eat or they don't eat anything. I'm worried that it's backfiring or something. We made pizza and they just picked off the pepperoni. Pizza! It's the staple of any kid's diet! And even chicken nuggets sit on the plate, usually with one bite taken out of them. I don't feel that I should be forcing them to eat, I don't want to create unhealthy eating habits by threatening them with punishment for not eating. And I don't want to give them PB&J every night, which is the only 100% guaranteed thing they'll eat every day. There are no negative consequences in our house for not eating and I don't know if maybe there should be? What would the consequences even be? What would you suggest to fix the problem? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wmH7wU

I am a board-certified sleep physician and neurologist. Hope you will join me for an AMA on r/IAMA on Wednesday, August 30 at 4 p.m. ET.

Dr. Nate Watson here. I am a sleep specialist, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), professor of neurology at the University of Washington and co-director of the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center. Recently, the AASM launched an online calculator to help you find your family's customized ideal bedtime and improve sleep habits. During my AMA, I will answer any questions you have about how much sleep your children need, and how healthy sleep can improve your family's lives. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xKReeG

Graco Extend2fit taking off the pads question

http://ift.tt/2vCv0ut seem to be going crazy. But looking in the manual or online, they don't seem to say anything about this white plasticky part? I've tried pushing it down, pulling it up, pulling it out but I can't get it out. I don't want to yank too hard for fear of breaking it. I'm sure it's something simple I'm missing. I'm frustrated beyond words. Earlier, my poor daughter (coming from the doctor) projectile vomited all over the car seat and my car. I'm trying to get this cleaned up while she's napping so I can move on with my life and focus on making her feel better. Arrrrghhgh!Anyways, any comments will be appreciated. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2x24UVg

Are you CPR/First Aid certified?

My husband and I make it a point to take first aid/CPR/AED classes regularly so we are prepared in case of emergencies.My husband actually used the Heimlich maneuver on me recently when I choked on a piece of steak at dinner.It's fairly easy to find low cost classes in your area and well worth the time if you are responsible for little ones. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vCaYjN

Daycare Dropoff Drama

My son is almost 2 and has been in daycare for about 2 months. At first he was excited to go but then quickly started to not want me to leave him. He cries when I try to go and grabs my hand and doesn't want to let go.I figured it would get better as he got used to it but instead he's getting worse. I've asked some of the people there and it supposedly doesn't last long but he's literally the ONLY kid who does that at the time I drop off. It's embarrassing and I'm getting the feeling that the women are over it and getting annoyed. I'm not in love with the morning people but that's another story. I super love his regular teacher. I spy on him when I pick him up from daycare and he seems happy but then is ecstatic to see me and usually wants to leave right away when I pick him up.Does anyone know how I can make this better? My heart aches to have him be so upset. He really seems to be thriving at day care besides this.I've tried staying for 5-10 minutes walking around the room with him and holding his hand and trying to interact with things and capture his interest and make him happy. I used to be able to sneak away when he found a toy to play with but he's caught on to that and it doesn't work anymore. Usually I just have to rip the band aid and leave as he's screaming in the teacher's arms :( via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2xK9uVs

Cub Scouts ?

My seven year old son as I dropped him off at school said I wanna join the cub scouts. So I said fine signed him up, but my question is what will he learn and being non religious in our household, how much church stuff is pushed into the program. As well what is the difference from cub scouts and boy scouts. I would love for my son to enjoy this a learn a lot of things and be a part of something I just wanna know how much he will actually take away from it. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wg8AlN

Early reading unusual?

Is it unusual for a 3.5 year old to be able to read? A couple weeks ago, I discovered he could read several words and since then he has progressed to reading level B books. If this is as unusual as the internet makes me believe, should I take any steps now regarding this or wait til K (which is 2 more years)? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vBlGY5

Meeting girlfriends daughter - how do I make her like me?

My girlfriend and I are 23, she has a 5 year old daughter. I'm meeting her this weekend. My girlfriend and I are very serious and have been for a while, she's just very responsible about her daughter and who she lets into her life as her father isn't around. I know I'll be apart of her life for a long time and really really want to be someone she LOVES being around, looks up to, looks at like a friend, and trusts me and genuinely is happy I'm around. How can I make a good impression and make sure all goes well. I'm really nervous she won't like me and will turn off any attention to me. I don't want to be "moms boyfriend", but I don't Nessicarily expect her to ever call me dad. I just want to be cool, down to earth, connect with her and make sure she loves being around me. Our plan is to go out for breakfast Sunday morning and go from there. On a side note I'm a bodybuilder with a big stature, I'm a little nervous this could be off setting to her but on the other hand I think it might be funny/interesting to her. Do you think I should try to hide my physique as much as possible? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vpyJzv

Is my 2 year old a psychopath? Exaggerating, I hope, but could use some reassurance / tips!

Holy dramatic title, batman!My two year old has always been a hitter. (And a whiner, but that's neither here nor there). However in the last few weeks, Kiddo#2 is really upping the ante re: hitting. The part that alarms me, though, is that the hitting seems to come totally out of the blue, and does not seem to be a replacement for communicating, or coming at a time when Kiddo2 is angry. Examples (several as relayed to me by his nanny):At a music class last week, Kiddo2 was playing with music sticks along with the rest of the kids. Tapping to the beat. Then just turns around and cracks a crawling 6mo on the skull and goes to back to tapping the sticks. [Nanny immediately removed Kiddo2 to talk about not hurting / made Kiddo2 go apologize / then left music. This is normally Kiddo2's favorite class.]Toward the end of last week, at an indoor play area. Kiddo2 is playing with some friends, ranging from 1-3. Has a truck in hand; nanny is talking to another mom, and sees Kiddo2 all of a sudden run about 5 feet away to hit a friend with the truck. [Nanny immediately checks on kid, makes my Kiddo2 apologize, they leave]Yesterday, Kiddo2 is with nanny at the library in the morning. Gets to play with a soft car toy. Takes it, walks 2 feet away, hits a 1 year old in the head with it. [Nanny immediately makes Kiddo2 apologize and leaves the library / no more play time and no more books]I also have a 4 yo, we'll call Kiddo1. In the afternoon yesterday, nanny is washing up lunch dishes. Kiddo1 is playing alone. Nanny all of a sudden hears Kiddo1 telling Kiddo2 to stop, then that quickly escalates to Kiddo1 shrieking that Kiddo2 is hurting them. Nanny comes over to find Kiddo2 is punching at Kiddo1's face and pulling Kiddo1's hair really hard. [Nanny immediately takes Kiddo2 to "calm down room" aka time out aka kids' bedroom, and later goes to talk to him about being gentle / not hitting / makes him apologize.I come home yesterday evening, and as Nanny is relaying this right a few minutes after I walk in the door, Kiddo2 comes over and starts kicking Kiddo1. [I pick Kiddo2 up and immediately bring Kiddo2 to calm down room / timeout, say can't come out until I come retrieve them; I don't talk to Kiddo2 about what happened until after time out is done, per advice I read here somewhere re: even a negative talk being attention/reinforcement in the moment]So on the one hand... I get that two year olds sometimes hit, or even bite. On the other... Kiddo2 doesn't seem angry, or upset, or to find it funny when he's doing this. There's no frustration or laughing or anything. It's just... totally out of the blue, with not much emotion from him.So part of me thinks "ok look he's a kid, don't freak out". The other part of me - the part that's googled too much - knows that sometimes kids show "callous and unemotional" traits as toddlers, and worries that I can't seem to find ANY reason for these things to a) be happening and b) be escalating.So any feedback, parents-who've-been-in-this-longer-than-me? Any ideas for things to watch out for that might actually be a trigger we're not spotting? Or ways to better handle this? Or just reassurances that I shouldn't read google and this is totally normal even with the lack of emotion we're seeing as Kiddo2 is doing these things?!Thanks in advance for any insight. Here's hoping I'm overthinking this and Kiddo2 isn't actually a little psychopath in the making. Assuming that's the case, I should totally print this post for the memory book to give Kiddo2 when it's time for their own kids ;-) via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2voHABr

Parents with kids who are 2 or 3 years apart, what are the pros and cons of your age gap when the kids are older (late elementary through high school)?

I've heard a lot about pros and cons in the very early years, but what about later? Obviously much depends on the individual kids and their personalities, but I'm interested in hearing anecdotes about what you've found positive or negative about the age gap between your kids.For a two year gap: is it a big convenience to have kids at the same school for longer? Are they more likely to hang out, be able to do the same things on outings? Do they fight/compete more? Was it worth the chaos of the early years? I'm a little more familiar with a 3 year gap because that was what my sister and I, and most cousins, had, but I'd still be interested in more perspectives. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2vGDkIR

Seeking help with 1 year old and crib sleeping

My wife and I are first time parents and we have put ourselves in a bind. Our little on has been extremely hard to get to sleep in his crib since day one. My wife stays home and lets him nap on her during the day and I take over at night and he ends up sleeping with me after he wakes up in his crib. Last night we had gotten home around 8:30 last night. We put him in his sleep clothes and my wife nursed him for a bit. After that it was horrific. For the next 3-4 hours we would get him to sleep in our arms then attempt to lay him down. He would pop up and we would have to start all over again. There were a few times where we would let him cry it out for about 10 minutes or so and watch him through the monitor. We are struggling in what feels like a war of attrition. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2wPIuY0