u/moluruth

I started cosleeping with my son when he was a month old. I would’ve started sooner but he broke his arm at birth (long story) and I wanted to wait until it healed first.

He slept in bed with me and nursed to sleep/throughout the night until he completely weaned at ~28 months, when I was 7 months pregnant with my second. We kept cosleeping until the baby was born, and then he moved into his own room and started cosleeping with my husband.

He’s now 3.5 yo and is starting to sometimes go all the way through the night without asking my husband to come sleep next to him. Hes a woken up to pee and gone back to bed completely on his own! He’s even been asking to try to fall asleep on his own after bedtime books (he hasn’t actually done it yet but wants to try). We haven’t done anything to push independent sleep but he’s starting to be interested in trying it.

I just wanted to post this as reassurance to people with little babies who are getting pressure from loved ones not to cosleep or else you’ll never get them out of your bed. If you give them time, almost all of them want some space and independence eventually. We have no plans to push independent sleep any further and are following his lead. It’s so cool to see. He basically self weaned as well (I night weaned, but he decided to end it at bedtime too) and that was also cool to see him make that choice himself.

I do not want to play today. No I don’t want to build you a fort. No I don’t want to play hide and seek. No I don’t want to play ice cream shop. No I don’t want build a magnatile tower.

I want to deep clean the entire house with no interruptions. I want to get the errands I’ve been putting off done without needing car snacks. I want to take a nap.

I love my kids so much but goddamn I am just tired today.

Someone in my life recently made comments about how I get too much help from my mom. I’m a SAHM with a 3.5 and 1 yo. I am responsible for all housework, laundry, cooking.

My mom takes my toddler for about 5 hours on Wednesday, and she usually comes over Saturday to hang with my toddler during my daughter’s nap. On Wednesday I use my babies nap to either rest or do chores/house projects and the rest of the day I bond w my baby 1 on 1 and we run errands. On Saturday I use the nap to clean and then we usually all (me, my mom, both kids) go to a playground or something.

My mom is retired and loves my kids so she certainly doesn’t feel burdened. But am I being a bad mom accepting that much help? The comments made me feel really guilty.

My 3.5 year old can get really worked up and maybe once a week will have a SCREAMING tantrum with big tears and top of the lungs screeching. Sometimes cuz he’s tired/overstimulated sometimes cuz he doesn’t get his way.

I read somewhere that tantrums peak between 2-3 but mine didn’t start having them at all until closer to 3 and they are still persisting at 3.5. Is this pretty normal?

My partner works a physically demanding job that requires a lot of lifting and walking. He works anywhere from 5-8 real hrs (8-12+ paid hrs) 5 days a week (occasionally a few hours on one of his days off) depending on the work load. Just trying to gauge what’s normal for other families.

1. husband left enormous spit and toothpaste glob in the bathroom sink
2. I dropped an egg on the floor making husbands breakfast
3. cat threw up on our brand new mattress (the mattress protector hasn’t been delivered yet 🥲). White sheets are def ruined
4. baby makes toddler laugh while he’s drinking milk and he spit takes an unbelievable distance across the kitchen
5. baby’s high chair (which looks like an egg bomb exploded on and around it)

6. baby crawled away from diaper change and peed on the nugget in the 5 seconds I was distracted by opening my toddlers cheese stick

Can I go back to bed now?

My 3.5 yo has been having the same tantrum at breakfast an lunch for the past week. He gets extremely upset about everyone not sitting down and eating at exactly the same time (for example if I give the baby food before our food is plated so she doesn’t scream in her high chair, or if I’m fixing my plate after everyone else is already sitting down).

It’s so frustrating!!! And then he spends the whole meal staring at my husband and I to try to synchronize bites or telling the baby “you can’t eat now.” He’s going through a huge power struggle phase, is this just an extension of that? I’ve tried explaining to him (when he’s calm) that we do not control what other people or when they eat. If I take a moment to stop chewing he says “you need to eat!!!” I’m starting to lose it over here.

I have a 3.5 yo (let’s call him Tim) and a 10 month old. We live on a small dead on street off a busy road. There are two other kids on the street, an 8 yo boy (let’s call him Mike) and a 10 yo girl. 8 yo lives with his mom and grandparents, who watch him while his mom works.

Mike asks to come over EVERY time we are outside. I get it, hanging out with elderly people all day has to be boring and he never has friends his own age over. But Tim barely understands how to play with other yet (he’s just moving out of the parallel play phase) and Mikes playstyle is really hectic and overwhelming. He also comes over unsupervised so suddenly I’m responsible for 3 kids safety, navigating social interactions and making sure my baby doesn’t swallow a rock.

At first Tim seemed to like having him over. But lately he seems to not have much fun and tells me he wants Mike to leave sometimes. Last summer Mike was in camp and this wasn’t as big of a deal but he seems to no be doing any camp this summer. I don’t want to feel forced out of my house/yard every day to avoid an 8 year old.

Am I just being bitchy in this situation? Any advice?

The house is a disaster. I literally cannot catch up. I have so many cleaning and organizing projects I have to do but cannot find the time after my normal day to day chores.

I have an almost 10 month old who does not stop moving, and is into everything. Her only interest is destroying her brothers duplo and magnatile creations, finding missed crumbs on the floor, and trying to get hurt. Nothing feels baby proofed enough (except the big things like stairs and heavy furniture). I didn’t expect my toddlers nugget couch to be so dangerous for a baby!

My 3.5 yo needs to be outside most of every day to function, if he’s inside longer than an hour he’s causing mayhem. I used to be able to get housework done with him but with two tiny kids I find it almost impossible.

This leaves me with 3 hours after bedtime (during which I’m already exhausted) to catch up on dishes and laundry, sweep and vacuum and sometimes mop, meal plan/prep, clean the bathroom, etc.

I wish I could get a full 24 hrs of no childcare just to try to catch up on everything.

My husbands weekends/vacations are never enjoyable and always feel like more work for me than his work days.

We have a 9 month old and almost 3.5 year old. Being with them all day requires a lot of patience and flexibility that my husband just lacks.

He wants to be involved in our daily outing but has low stamina for them so they’re always short (like 1-1.5 hrs vs the 3+ hrs I keep them out of the house) so then I’m stuck entertaining them at home for too long and my toddler is difficult at home.

Then he always naps or rests for a good chunk of the day so I’m just solo parenting with him around which is a shitty feeling. Add in trying to plan breakfast and lunch with him home which can get tricky cuz he likes to sleep in.

I feel guilty complaining but wanted to get it off my chest. Most of the time it really feels easier planning a day with just me and kids. Anyone else feel similar?

I realized today I’m not burnt out exactly, I think I save decision fatigue. Deciding what to do every day while factoring in a baby’s needs, a toddlers needs, my needs, and the houses needs is really exhausting! Making the decisions is honestly more tiring than executing any of it.

I already follow a basic routine/rhythm but my toddler is in a big “where are we going” “what are we doing??” phase and sometimes I feel guilty telling him we’re just sticking around home and the yard. I know that’s a stupid reason to feel guilty but nevertheless I feel it!

What are y’all struggling with lately

My 3 year old is draining all of my life force. I’m pretty sure all of his behavior is age appropriate but it is exhausting to deal with on a daily basis. The boundary pushing, the tantrums, the moodiness, the aggression, the need for seemingly constant attention. Plus I have a very mobile 9 month old so it’s just…. A lot. Anyone else struggling with a 3 year old?

My 3 year old is draining all my life force. I’m pretty sure all of his behavior is age appropriate but it is exhausting to deal with on a daily basis. Plus I have a very mobile 9 month old so it’s just…. A lot. Anyone else struggling with a 3 year old ?

Looking for inspiration on how to organize art supplies. Do you use a cart or shelves or a bureau? Do you have any tips or things that work well for you?