Anyone else feel judged because your kids prefer gender specific toys?

This is a bit of a weird question, but I feel like I have to ask. I am pregnant, so this could all just be my pregnancy brain reading too much into everything.My oldest is an almost 3 year girl and she is very much a girly-girl. I have always been a bit of a tomboy and my husband is masculine, so it wasn't something we forced on her at all. It's just her personality.We had a play date recently and the girls were playing with the dress up bin. The other mom said something along the lines of, "Wow. Do you think she has enough dresses?" I kind of laughed it off and then she said, "We try not to push stereotypes on (her daughter's name)." I explained that we didn't push it on her, but I still felt like she was giving me the side eye. She kept encouraging her daughter to play with my son's toys instead.I have also already purchased a pink kitchen set (It's the one she has been asking for) for her birthday and I was showing some moms in her playgroup. Some of them made a face and one of them said, "Oh, pink? They come in different colors now. Some are even more realistic looking." She showed me the one she got for her two daughters. It was nice, but I know my daughter wouldn't want that one.I don't really know what I am asking for here. Am I reading too much into these conversations (very possible)? Should I stop getting my daughter what she likes so I don't push gender stereotypes? Are we accidentally pushing gender stereotypes here?Thanks. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2nfwoOJ

Need to brag about my kid peeing on the potty

No one IRL wants to hear about this, so here goes...We were reading bedtime stories. DS pointed at his diaper and said "pee pee." I told him "let's go to the potty, then!" He ran to the potty on his own. I undressed him (he was wearing onesie PJs), and he sat on the potty unprompted by himself. He asked me to sit on the toilet next to him, so I did and said "tinkle tinkle." Then he peed. A lot. Without getting up before finishing. We got him dressed, washed hands, and then he crawled into bed on his own ready for sleep.Who is this child!? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2mOnFYr

Senior skip day argument. I would love to hear some other opinions.

My husband and I have 3 high school aged boys together. The oldest is 17 and is a senior in high school.Senior skip day, for those of you who don't know, is a day where all of the seniors skip school and go out to do something fun. Most kids go to the lake or things like that. It is a known thing and teachers won't be handing out much work that day. They expect it.My son wants to skip school to hang out with his friends. My husband is completely against this. He is probably strict compared to a lot of the parents I see in this sub, but he has a great relationship with the boys and they have a lot of respect for him. The oldest has always been the one to give my husband a bit of a harder time, but he is finally starting to understand why his father has been so hard on him. If we tell him no, he'll obviously complain about it, but we are both confident that he wouldn't go behind our backs. He's respectful of our rules.I kind of want to just want to allow him to do it. I feel like he has earned this. He is going to be attending college this fall on an athletic scholarship. He received a very respectable score on the SATs and has worked very hard for four years of high school. I feel like he deserves a bit of a reward.My husband seems to think that our son can enjoy time with his friends in the summer, but our son will probably be spending a lot of his time in the summer training. When not training, he'll be working a summer job. It's not like he will have boatloads of time. My husband has always been very against letting the kids miss any school or any practice. One of our kids (middle son) has a medical condition and my husband didn't go easy on him with school or practice either. He was always there. Even if he couldn't participate on that particular day, he was at practice watching and learning. He's a great father, but he has some things he is particularly strict about. They have had to miss out on some things because of their fathers standards and I don't want to add another thing to that list. I don't think it will be a big deal in the grand scheme of things if we make him go, but I kind of want him to have this.The downside is that we would probably have to let our other boys (high school sophomore and freshman at the moment) skip when they are seniors as well.Should I try to convince my husband to let him skip or do you think my husband is right to make him go? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2o8WFTT

Birth of Twins story (longer story, be warned lol)

I don't think I grasped the reality of the situation until my truck topped out above 180km/HR and she told me she's having birth in the front seat. Maybe it was when she started reasoning with herself and making up situations out loud about how it happens, that I started to panic. I prayed to any entity that would listen and kept my foot on the pedal.I know how babies come into this world. It isn't via stork, but this was a whole different situation for me. I have an interesting job (cannot post), so when I say things don't gross me out, believe me. I have seen it all. At least I thought I did. I have developed a strong stomach over the past few years.I couldn't talk when I got to emergency. I made hand gestures and blurted single words to a nurse that I happened to know. She gave me a wheelchair and off to delivery I go. I would have took the stairs with her in the wheelchair if I thought it would be faster, because the elevator wait was the longest seconds of the day.Needles and gore dont bother me, I watched all the needles and the catheter install, I was good. Then a head popped out of my Fiances downstairs, and I thought "oh my. That's a full head of hair."I like to think I don't get scared. I watch scary movies and occasionally tense up. Every once in a while a friend can catch my nerves, but for the most part I have a good handle on it, including my job situations which are by no means reasonable.The doctor starts explaining he may need emergency blood transfusion because my fiance has a low iron and may not clot blood, and risks bleeding. I was still alright, but I played it off and reassured my fiance. I wasn't going to let her know they were dead serious, so I said something about it just being procedure and not to worry about it and to focus on her breathing. The doctor kept talking about complications but I honestly wasn't listening. I had complete tunnel vision and my audio was focused on my Fiances breathing.The doctor says when she is feeling lower pressure; to push. She immediately says she needs to push, and wham. There's a fucking head coming out of her lady bits. A super tiny head, followed by a body. Hours had passed since admission and time was moving fast but seemed very slow to me. I assure you it was nothing like the movies. Ben (my first son) wasn't crying and I was concerned because he wasn't crying or moving, or breathing. The doctor explains it is completely normal with some babies, and not to worry. The ambilical cord was cut, he starts crying, we are gold. Apparently it is totally normal and he was super cute. Next baby please.So the same procedure starts again. Doc explains he may have to induce labor if she doesn't start having her own contractions. He breaks her water, and says when she feels pressure to let him know. "I GOTTA PUSH!!" and before he can say okay, boom Jackson is sticking out of my fiances Lady bits.So, the same thing happens, no crying or anything, as wait for the cord snip. Cord gets snipped, Jackson is purple (much like a plum) and not moving, and somehow I know my son isn't okay right now. So Doc looks at me and says that this is normal. He explains the same thing as before but I know a bulls hitter when I see one and he was lying this time. All of a sudden there is like 5 nurses (and an Asian man in a suit?) resuscitating my son. Im not a doctor, and I knew there was something wrong. I was completely helpless. So I did what any man should do at this point. I start bullshitting too.She says "why does he look like that? Why isn't he crying? Is he okay?" I say "that is normal he is okay. He isn't crying yet but he will. He is alright it is normal. Doctor says most babies are like this, he will be alright." She believed me, and for once she didn't know I was lying (because usually she can tell and calls me on it).This is when I realized I was full of shit and that I was experiencing the scariest moment of my life. I had no idea if he was okay, or going to be. I felt myself become extremely angry, and I wanted to rush over and help, but I knew I was absolutly helpless. My son's life was in these people's hands and I had to watch and wait, regardless of the outcome. I doubt if I will ever be more scared than this in my life.I am not religious at all, yet I was talking in my head to someone, and myself. I continuously said the same things over again. Please help my son. I am not leaving this hospital with one baby. I imagined myself explaining to my step son that he only has one brother not two like we planned, and how upset he was going to be. I imagined myself explaining to Ben that he was a twin, but his brother didn't make it through delivery. I wasnt sure if I was suppose to lie and not tell them about it at all. I was terrified. Then I thought "I AM NOT LEAVING THIS HOSPITAL WITH ONE BABY."I don't remember feeling more relieved than the sound of his cries. Call it coincidence, but within seconds of thinking "I am not leaving with one baby" he started crying. It was like 1000lb just came off my shoulders. All I said was "he is okay." I cannot describe the feeling of knowing that he was going to make it.The next part all happened quick. I went out to tell my parents and show the few quick pictures I snuck, as the babies were whisked away to ICU. We were admitted to our room and I decided to write this experience. I was pretty rattled and I started to write it as a coping method, but thought it would make a nice story.2 months later, I have two sweet identical twin boys home safe and sound. Sorry about being so long, I am new to reddit but I thought others may like to hear incase they went through something similar via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2nfr1iv

Unfair mom at the playground

This is more about other parents, I hope that's ok.In a play group with other moms and toddlers that my son and I attend, there's one mom who's really unfair, for lack of a better word. Since there's not a teacher or clear leader in the group, I don't have someone to complain to.Today, the kids were taking turns with a big ride-on toy at the playground. Her son is the oldest and usually grabs it first. She follows him around and makes sure he gets his "full turn." When the girl who got a turn after her son was on it, her son was pulling on it the whole time so the girl didn't really get to enjoy her turn.At snack time, the kids eat potluck style, sitting in a circle. A smaller boy (about 18 months) reached around her son (3+ years) to get something, her son hit him in the face! Instead of being horrified, she said "Hmmm. Do you need space?" Then literally blamed my son who was across the circle, about four kids away. "Oh, I think there's not enough space because [my son] is there." To make clear, my son was taking up very little space, was the first to sit down and there was several feet empty on the other side of him. It was utter BS!These were just examples from one day. She does this stuff every single time we meet! Always monitoring every other kid but then let her kid go wild, making sure her kid is fairly treated but then is unfair to everyone else. It's so selfish.Every other parent is really laid back but it must bother them. This mom is by far the oldest one in the group, so maybe no one wants to confront her? It seems like she should know better.I'm not sure what, if anything, to do. I need this group so I don't want to quit but I'm ​starting to hate this woman and dread seeing her. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2mOjfB0

I keep loosing my temper with my toddler and I feel horrible about it. She just drives me nuts lately! What do you do when you start to loose it?

My daughter is 23 months old and she has been driving me up the wall lately and more often then not I am snapping at her. I am a stay at home mom so most of the day it's just me and her. My husband works 6am-6pm mon-fri(she goes to bed at 7pm) and works sat and sun most weekends(usually 6 hours both days)or if he doesn't he wants a break so I really never get a break since we have no close family and friends. I think this isn't helping the issue. Anyways lately everything is a struggle with her. She won't sit still to get dressed or get a diaper change and kicks and screams. She won't use the potty everytime(sometimes maybe 3-5 times a day) but refuses to put her diapers or a pull-up on and freaks and tries to rip them off everytime so she is always peeing on herself or the floor since I give up on the fight. And let her go naked in the house or just pants and no diaper. If I fight her she gets hurt because she flings herself into a wall or runs off and falls and hits her face. She won't eat her breakfast,lunch or dinner she just picks at it and is always saying she is hungry non stop and throws a fit when she doesn't get food asap(usually I give her what she didn't eat for her meals so that pisses her off even more so she throws it,awesome I know) it's a struggle every god damn day! She has started crying everytime I put her to bed(nap or night time)for a snack even if I just feed her and I offer her a healthy treat(like veggies) and she won't eat it so she's not hungry and screams for a hour before falling asleep. And I refuse to give her a treat at bedtime just no so she can scream. Everytime I get so mad I just can't help yell at her alot or slam the door hard and loose my cool. I also can't take her to the store anymore because she figured out how to unbuckle the belt and escapes the cart and almost kills herself by trying to jump from the cart or she yells down and screams the whole trip but won't hold my hand or listen when she walks and she grabs everything. So now I look like the horrible mom in the store with the brat kid who screams and whines and runs off. Awesome! I'm just so done and feel like I can't control her or do anything. I feel like giving up. Does it get any better. I'm so over this whole mom thing and I can't take it, and I know I need to relax alittle but it's so hard for me. How can I stop loosing my temper and not hate my daughter for her behavior? via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2o81Tza

I would just like to thank the anti-vax movement..

Because of the anti-vax sentiment my 1 year old is currently in the throes of measles. She had contracted it 2 weeks prior to her vaccination because of some psuedo science touting dummy decided that herbs and essential oil is more trustworthy than actual tested and concise scientific method and study.Thanks to the anti-vax movement I've spent all weekend in and out of the ER because my baby's temperature would not budge, her face and body is covered in a swollen rash, and she is utterly miserable. I stood in a luke warm shower holding her and crying because she was so weak she could hardly lift her head and there was nothing I could do about it.Luckily she's on the road to recovery now but this could of all been avoided if people would quit believing the anti-vax bullshit and realize that the most vulnerable population is suffering because of their choice.Fuck you if you believe that vaccination do more harm than good, I've seen first hand what that way of thinking brings and I will eternally be supporting vaccinations for all who can.Thanks for reading, sorry for the profanity. via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2o2AcHr