r/ParentingAdvise

I (38f) am in a really tough spot right now and just need a safe place to vent, get advice, or hear from anyone who has survived something similar.

I have a 10-month-old baby girl and I am currently 32 weeks pregnant with my son. I have been trying to find pathways to get a reliable, safe car so I can work, but my credit is ruined from a past marriage where my ex-husband's missed payments were documented under my name.

The hardest part is that I am working through a case with CPS right now. To be clear, I have been 100% clean and sober since November 3rd, 2025. (Four days after I got clean, I found out I was pregnant with my son). CPS originally became involved because of a relapse after my daughter was born, but right now the pressure is because I am struggling to find work. It is largely because I don't have a safe vehicle to transport two babies under the age of one, and it is incredibly difficult to find anyone willing to hire a woman who is 8 months pregnant.

I am so terrified that CPS is going to use my current lack of employment and transportation hurdles as an excuse to keep my daughter away from me or give her to someone else. I just need someone to point me in the right direction of programs, non-profits, or consumer resources that can help.

I have 8 weeks left before my son gets here. I am 100% not ready, and I have absolutely nothing for him yet. This isn't my first rock bottom, and I know I have the strength to pull myself out of this because I’ve done it before. It’s just not happening fast enough, and the clock is ticking.

I just want to protect my babies. There has to be structural assistance or community programs out there for situations similar to mine. I am fully prepared to work from sunup to sundown, I just don't really know where to look. I was hoping someone on here could share some known organizational resources or advice on how to navigate this specific barrier with a caseworker. I just want the chance to give my babies the life I never had.

Hey other parents!

I'm loosing my mind.. my kid (she has always been like that honestly) does everything she can to go to sleep as late as possible.

I get that she might have her own sleep cycle (same as us btw..) but she still need to get up early in the morning to go to pre-k.

We do everything we can, we read stories and then we kiss her goodnight and then it starts... she gets up, doesnt always get out of her room, but we hear she gets up, play with her toys, or sometimes she will sing superrrr loud in her bed, or gets up because she has to pee (even though she already went before going to bed..).

She will find any excuse. And i tried everything i can nothing works, or does not work enough, or long term.

We end up getting mad at her, and threaten her with all kind of stupid things we would never do ("if you keep playing with this instead of sleeping we will give it away..")

I know its awful, and useless... and it used to work for a while but not anymore of course..

I dont have any other room i can put her toys in, so... what can I do.? any idea? im desperate lol

My son does not seem to like cold food, he has been coming home with untouched lunches a lot for frequently, when he first opened up abut his growing dislike i though he was just throwing tantrums because i didnt think it was a big deal. But now, i am worried because if his lunch isn’t warm, he just won’t eat it. And lunch break is almost five hours after school starts. 

At this point, I’ve tried wrapping containers in towels. I’ve preheated food flasks with boiling water, and I am searching for solutions. 

People keep recommending cooler bags, but I need the opposite of cooling. 

Some suggest high-quality insulated flasks. Others say add hot water bottles around the container. I’m testing everything and anything at this point. I’ve even spent time scrolling through different lunch containers and insulated food jars online on places like Amazon and Alibaba just to see what options exist. 

Because the thought of him sitting there hungry breaks my heart, plus there is no point in me putting so much effort to prepare and park his lunch, only for him to not touch it. 

I need to find a middle ground solution to this problem, because the way i see it, there is solution that can give both of us satisfaction and i must find it. 

At the very least, so that he doesn’t start losing weight from skipping meals. does anyone have any recommendations or hacks to preserving the warmth of food for longer?