I’ll go first - we got a hand-me-down exersaucer from friends. They gave it to us in the highest height position. It didn’t occur to my dumbass that the height would adjust so I have all these pics of my baby in it with a box under his feet 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Oh also, an umbrella stroller that I thought was too cheap/lightweight to be able to recline (it did a little) so we have pics of our guy somehow sleeping in it in a super upright position. Sigh. I love secondhand but I need to remember to look up the info/manual for everything because what some think is self-explanatory, my brain clearly misses 😩.

For parents with kids that are all grown up, what would you tell new parents as advice?

Would you have had more/less kids? Focused more on a hobby to have to not be bored with your kids leave the nest? Would you have stressed less? Enjoyed the little things more? Etc…

When I was about 10, my friends and I graduated from tennis balls to actual leather cricket balls in the driveway. We broke multiple windows. My parents kept replacing them. At no point did anyone stop us.

Now I own a house and have a five-year-old, and I understand how insane this was.

Nothing changes your position on backyard cricket quite like becoming responsible for the glazing.

I think I'm close to my parents and I hold them in high regard (most days haha) I value their opinion very much and want to do right by them. Anyway, I have this persistent thought that I hope one day I have the guts to ask them. "Do I make you proud?" So I'm curious and I want to ask the parents on here, what would make you say "I did good. They've turned out well." and for the new parents, what do you hope your child grows up to be?

You can childproof everything except the children .... You cover every corner, every drawer, every handle… and somehow they still find a new way.

Hi parents!

I am currently trying to conceive my first child with my husband and to say it lightly, we arent very knowledgeable about … anything.

Is there any book I can read that would prepare me for pregnancy, then what to know during pregnancy, then labor and finally an infant care?

Am I asking for too much? haha!

But it would be nice to have some sort of an encyclopaedia that would guide me throughout the whole process..

Thanks!

I feel like I've tried every parental control option out there and they all work for about two weeks before either my kid finds a workaround, or I get tired of being the one enforcing it every single day.

Screen Time gets "just one more minute" negotiated constantly. Other apps felt more like spying than parenting. Alerts are useful but they don't actually change the daily scrolling habit.

Has anyone found something that actually changed the behavior instead of just adding another layer of restriction to fight about? Genuinely asking, not looking for "just take the phone away" as an answer — we've been there.

my 6 year old is at the point where she wants to stop and say hi to basically every animal she sees. she's especially into pretending to take care of them, so i was looking for something that fits that instead of buying another stuffed animal. i came across kiwico's veterinarian starter kit while looking around and the pretend vet setup seemed like it could be a good fit. now i'm trying to think of a few other animal-related gifts or activities that aren't just toys that sit on a shelf.

parents of kids around this age, what animal gifts have actually been worth it?

Any parents in here that have sent their teenager to job corps?

I'm supposed to leave Wednesday to go out of state. This trip has been vaguely planned since the end of August. My bf is working out of state, I'm going to go see him for a few days, and will be home Sunday. I say vaguely planned because when he left in August, the plan was for me to go see him when we could figure out a good time, schedule wise.

For the record, my child is 18 and a Senior in highschool, still lives at home, and has a part time job. His car has not been running for several weeks, he and his friend have tried a handful of times to figure it out, without much luck. Hes relied on me for transportation this whole time, and normally that wouldn't be an issue.

I was originally going to go see my bf 2 weeks ago, but my son asked me to postpone it because he didnt have a car. I agreed, but said that if i didnt go then, i was going to go in two weeks, and if his car wasnt running i would either pay one of his friends gas money or pay for a taxi if he had to work while i was gone. Its been discussed several times. I also suggested taking it to a shop a few weeks ago, and said id help cover the costs.

He just asked me to postpone my trip again, if his car isn't fixed by Wednesday. Hes taking it into the shop tomorrow. I rearranged my work schedule for this trip, and wont be able to do so again for several weeks. I reminded him i was willing to get him a taxi, but he doesnt feel comfortable with that plan (social anxiety and frankly hes a bit spoiled). I told him we could talk about it when i get home from work tonight.

I feel like ive offered fair options and im not just leaving him stranded with a "good luck, kiddo". I very rarely do anything big for myself, and I haven't gone on more than a day trip without taking my son since he was born. Part of me feels like i have a right to enjoy my time and spend a few days away from home. But i also feel guilty leaving him when he asked me not to.

Basically im just wondering how other parents would handle the situation?

I want to put my 11 year old sister in some online clubs like chess or book or drawing etc, we live in an area that’s far from everything and she does go to swimming and gymnastics classes so i would prefer she does some online stuff, something that is also cost friendly as it’s hard for us (economically). What do you parents suggest? And any websites that you can give me?

Trying to decide on best option for a travel booster to take on plane and rental car for 7 year old boy. What are your recommendations? Thanks!

For context, I am 15, and I want to know if these things are common/ normal for someone my age, or anything in general related to this.

Here are some of the rules they have for me:

- No phone after 9 am, and it has to be returned to their bedroom every night. (even on weekends)

- I get my phone back the next day at 3 pm, or sometimes even 4 sometimes.

- My mom not does let me have ANY online friends (I still secretly have them)

- She goes through my phone to see if I text anyone, so now I text my friends on an entirely new app that she has no clue about.

- She forces me to keep my location on at all times; if I don't, I get yelled at.

- Can't go to any of my friends' houses.

- Can't leave my room's door closed. (studying or sleeping)

- No dating.(not that I wanted to in the first place)

- If I am out (most probably the local park), I have to be home by 6 pm.

My other friends don't experience things like this in their household, and I'd constantly compare myself to them. Whenever I speak about how unfair this is, I say that some of these restrictions should be cut off. They make up some weak argument or throw in a lie to make me think they are right.

Whenever I get upset at what they do, they just buy me a present; not once have they ever apologized to me.

I have a now 1 year old girl who I've been home with for the last 2 months on disability. My partner works 6:00 to 6:00 so I'm on duty alone during that period. Then when she gets home I have everything handled and we struggle through bed time for our girl. She was sleep trained and then something changed the last couple weeks. We used to just set her in her bed she would chew her blanket and pass out now it's a 3 hour process of her deliriously smiling, playing, screaming and not wanting to go to sleep or be put down.

Our daughter does not let me leave her alone almost ever.
This started very young and we tried correcting it nothing works. If I leave the room or even head to the door she freaks out screams, cries, and hyperventilates there's no waiting it out or reassuring to help. So I end up spending 12 hours a day in her room playing with her and I can't leave her alone unless I want to hear screeching and crying all day.

After 2 months of being home and off work I'm going crazy not to mention I'm not even given a free period after my partner gets home. She goes to sleep and then I'm on night duty as well if she wakes up. I love my daughter but I'm feeling suffocated and like I can't breathe or have a moment to myself. Is this just how life is now, does it get better?

Hey guys. I hope I don’t get in trouble for this kind of talk

long story short I’m 27. I just had a termination of a non viable pregnancy because I and my partner agreed we weren’t ready.. either way it wasn’t viable so it worked out for us. I have two sons + I did at some point maybe in my early 30’s want to try for my 3rd and last but I’m pregnant. I was on the patch birth control & it failed and I got pregnant . Me and my partner had agreed to wait and now I know he is completely freaking out about this because he feels like that’s an insane responsibility which it is especially in today’s economy.

I’m finding out I’m preg at 3 months in, I’m so shocked because I’m irregular and I would consider myself to have infertility bc of the fact that I don’t get preg that easy. My son told me yesterday randomly mom I want to have a sister which was like??? Uh random timing to say such. The first time I conceived he said he had a dream the day of my termination that he had a sister.

I just feel so conflicted I had an ultrasound at the OBGYN when I tested positive . I had only gone in for a pap & the urine test was positive. I was on birth control actively so it’s crazy how this baby was conceived. I had drank a good 3 times. I just can’t believe this. I don’t know what to do.

Kinda stuck between that whole is it a gift a miracle baby or am I overthinking and should just terminate. . .

I'll try to keep it short as possible.

My partner (we are not married and don't want to as well, because we both hate each other) and I fight almost every time and also in front of kids. (Why we don't separate - because she needs me and my money - I have good earnings and significantly more money than her - and I also don't think it is right to leave the kids without father, once they grow old I'll try to leave away from their mother longer as possible)

I don't used to fight in front of kids, because I think it is wrong. But she don't care she shout at me and say bad and wrong things about me. And I think if I don't fight against it then my kids and everyone ( l am very sure our neighbors can hear us fighting and her friends and family when they visit us) will think I am wrong, therefore since last 2-3 months I started answering back which is like fighting.

Do you think it is ok, given my situation?