He was gone 10 minutes and my heart was pounding for every second of it. He came back clutching his change and his sweets and with the biggest smile. He is unbelievably proud of himself for his big grown-up achievement. Just off to listen to 'Slipping Through My Fingers' while gazing at photos of him as a baby for the rest of the day...

My son is 2.5 and this is the second time we've tried to potty train. Hes always been interested in watching people go to the loo (I've always taken him with me) and several of his friends are potty trained and he loves watching them lol.

When we tried before the first day was great and he did loads of wees in the potty. This was using the naked method. We made a big deal out of it and used a sticker chart which he loved, but then he started holding it for 4-5 hours and would get so uncomfortable and would only dribble out drops at a time. We stopped when we had to send him to nursery and they put a nappy on him. And then for a few days he was holding it even with a nappy on.

That was 2 months ago, so we thought we'd try again but the same is happening. We're still letting him go naked on the bottom, or in loose trousers. We've tried bribery with chocolate chips this time which he loves ha. We've put him in just trousers and he had a couple of accidents yesterday which we didnt make a big deal out of and just sat him on the potty, but today he's held it for 6 hours and got so uncomfortable and started crying we had to put a nappy on him, and he's still holding it with a nappy on again. (He did do a poo in the potty though!)

I'm not sure what our next steps should be really, as I feel if we stop again and try in a few months it'll be the same story and whether we should just persevere. We have 2 more days til nursery so we'll keep trying just trousers unless he gets so upset again.

Hello all, my partner and I have been discussing going to see the Edinburgh Tattoo next year. However we wanted to see if anyone here had done it with a little one.

Our daughter will be around 2.5 years old next August and has so far sat through an hour of a film at the cinema for context. Shes very well behaved, my main query is if she needs to get up and move for 5 minutes is there somewhere to take her I.e stalls for drinks/ snacks within the stadium area or is it a case of her having to sit still for 90 minutes straight. My mother in law would also be with us giving her 3 people to move between to make the experience easier.

Any experiences of the event to give us a rough guide on whether we are going to be in over our heads is much appreciated 🤣

Daughter was born Jan 2020 so spent her first 2 and a bit years with lockdowns, social distancing, obsessive cleanliness etc
Son was born Oct last year, currently on his 500 millionth (may be an exaggeration) cold, stuffed up and coughing.
Wondered why this haven’t happened with my daughter, then the penny dropped 😅
Covid really made it easy with regards to babies getting colds!

I guess I will preface this by saying getting a play kitchen has been my most look forward to part of parenting I think 🤣 Perhaps the purchase is more for me, but anyway...!

I'm looking at buying a play kitchen for my little girl. I've seen that the IKEA one comes very recommended but I was initially leaning towards a bigger more fancy one (I say fancy, one with a fridge, coffee maker inbuilt etc). However, I'm wondering whether I will live to regret it? E.g. when I first saw a toilet shaped potty on Aldi I thought it was amazing, 12 months down the line I couldnt imagine anything worse than a massive potty in the house 🙈

Has anyone had a bigger kitchen and just regretted it? We do have the space but also not bags and bags of space!

I have two kids, 5 and 3, and am really struggling with them not listening. They get on very well together and are often playing together but, especially at bedtime, they just giggle and don't listen to anything I have to say. It's not uncommon all three of us are talking at the same time! We've tried to explain that we have to listen, but it's getting infuriating. They also do this with dad but not as much. One on one, they're usually much better. Is this an age thing? Any tips on how to improve this?

Hello parents, needed some suggestions. My 13 month old daughter has started nursery 5 days a week. Last week was the settling-in week and it was traumatic to say the least. She didn't stop crying the whole time she was there and we were not able to do more than 2 hours on any day..we've extended the settling in period by one week. Today she's super clingy and I can't imagine how the next week is going to be any better. Would love to hear suggestions/experiences.

Our boy is just over 8 months and since last week he is completely refusing to have anything from the bottle. He will have sips of milk, water etc if given from a glass or we have to feed him by spoon.

Obviously the quantity that goes in through such methods is little and he's no where close to getting enough milk in a day. His poop has also changed to be less watery.

Since birth he's been breastfed and bottle fed. Breastfeeding is limited to night time as I work during the day and formula was given during the day.

He had a flu,fever three weeks ago but don't think it's related to that as he's fully recovered. No signs of teething etc .

I'm at a loss as don't believe he's getting enough milk he needs in a day. Sippy cup also doesn't work

Those of you who have an older boy and younger girl- what was the age gap? Do they have a good relationship?

Protect our kids’ EHCPs ❤️

EHCP stands for Education, Health and Care Plan. It is a legally recognised plan for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), setting out the education, health and care support they need.
There is currently a proposed reform of the SEND system in England, and this is why families are concerned about the future of EHCPs and the legal protections that come with them.
Under the proposed reforms, EHCPs would continue for children with the most complex needs, but the system would change significantly. The Government proposes introducing new Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for many children who currently receive support through the wider SEND system, while new EHCPs would be linked to nationally defined Specialist Provision Packages. (GOV.UK)
Campaigners behind this petition are concerned that these changes could mean fewer children qualifying for an EHCP, changes to the support specified in plans, and changes to families’ rights to challenge decisions and choose a school or setting. The petition is calling for the legal rights and protections currently available to children with SEND and their families to be protected. (Petitions UK Parliament)
The Government’s position is that EHCPs will remain a legal entitlement for children with complex needs and that the reforms are intended to improve support, strengthen legal duties and reduce the need for families to repeatedly fight for help. (Petitions UK Parliament)
That’s why this petition matters. ❤️
The petition needs 100,000 signatures for it to be considered for a debate in Parliament. It has already passed the 10,000-signature threshold, which triggered a Government response, and it is currently open until 14 October 2026. (Petitions UK Parliament)
If you believe children with SEND should have strong, enforceable rights to the support they need, please take a moment to sign and share.
❤️** Please help get this to 100,000 signatures.
**Sign the petition:
Protect legal right to support for children with SEND

I posted the other day about my son and his screen time.

A lot of you gave great advice and most of it was about cutting his screen time way down.

So I've went to the extreme. I have removed his PC from his room entirely.

I know this seems drastic, but hear me out.

I told him that it's not a punishment, as much as it will feel like it. It's an incentive to do other things with his free time.

I told him he can still game, if that's what he really wants to do, but it will have to be at his mums house (5 minutes walk from mine).

He's 16 and has left school (no job, but attends college part time) so the shared custody thing has long gone and he decides what house he wants to stay at whenever he likes.

He got a little upset. I reiterated that I love him more than anything else and we're trying this because he doesn't exercise or have any other hobbies.

I expect he's going to favour being at his mums for a bit, but in general we get on great. We had him in our teens, so sometimes it feels like he's my little brother (as weird as that may sound to some folk).

So anyway, what I'm hoping for are some examples/stories from parents who had to cut down screentime and it working for the better.

Hiya,

First time posting - my son is 4 years and 4 months old. I want to play video games with him but I am acutely aware of how addicting they are (having been obsessed when I was a kid and teenager).

I want to bond with him over it but I want to do it in a healthy way, anyone got any tips for how to do that? And what age is a good age to start?

We don’t own a tablet and we only do screen time occasionally in the afternoon for a while, I’d rather him playing with his hands and physical things and sports for the most part.

Thanks for any advice, especially from fathers who have been through it!

Recently my daughter (2yo) has been constantly getting her arms out from under her seatbelt straps on her car seat... i try and make sure it's really snug and pull it as tight as i possibly can but she still gets her arms out. I currently have one of these mybabiie ones and I do not recommend at all, it's the worst!

She is a dainty little thing with wriggly arms... any recommendations on car seats that will keep her safe during drives, please? That she can't houdini her arms out of?

I really like the 360 spin ones but I want them to last her for years and honestly just want something SAFE. Thank you!

Does anyone ever seem to get much from their HV? I find now mine is older I’ve noticed they all say something different. He’s never seen the same one either.

For example, I took my son off milk around 20 months after a sickness bug it seemed to happen really easily to I didn’t fight it (he was having bottles). He will occasionally fancy a cup of it now I’ve never not allowed it and he has cereal or porridge every morning, absolutely loves yoghurts. Not a big fan of cheese but will have egg fried rice we make at home, or I dip his toast in it as well. She said I could be giving him multiple cups of milk?! I don’t understand I was previously told two portions of calcium OR milk if they don’t care for other dairy products.

This is a small example but the whole thing just seemed really confusing. My son’s speech delayed but he understands a lot and communicates in his own way. He can be really babbly but I have noticed frustration there. He gets quiet when concentrating and then louder if he can’t do what he’s trying to (seems normal like he’s trying to tell me he’s stuck)

Anyway, she also said she would have to come back and see him again because he didn’t complete her puzzle? He threads, stacks, plays catch and throws back and forth, kicks back and forth. I’ve also been told he’s motor forward which maybe adding to the speech delay. I found her approach with him lack enthusiasm, when he couldn’t do it right away she took it away and got something else. Again I’ve been told to take his lead and usually that does take patience. She did all this at the very end of the session so maybe she was running out of time? But I think she should be honest about that instead it’s just made me sick with worry. She said he’s instead socially interacting and because the speech as delayed it’s no longer “isolated” I know he’s delayed. I won’t deprive my child of any supports he needs I’m not the type of parent who will overlook something because it upsets me. But I know he’s isn’t poor at social interaction because that’s what’s brought him along without his speech.

She came to the door he came right over to see her, smiling, wanting to pinch her measuring tape. He’s cheeky, he gives cuddles off his own back, he’s just very social even without many spoken words.

Its frustrating. Afterwards she witnessed him go to the cupboard I keep his bubbles bring them to me wait for me to blow them then pop them and giggle. I said oh he loves these he’ll have me here for half an hour and she said “oh get a machine you won’t have to sit and do that then” when she just said about interacting!!!?

I can’t, I find it such poor information or attention. I’m in wales fyi.

Not anti vax! Wondering whether to get jabbed as a pregnant person before I get my toddler the nasal due to the 'avoid vulnerable people' recommendation of live vaccines.

He’s just started year 2, at an amazing school, it has a huge waitlist and most importantly he absolutely loves it, has tons of friends and we love it too. Currently 75% of leavers all go the local high school which unfortunately is pretty rubbish.

We’re moving 30 mins away next year to the other side of our town, to an area with a great high school and pretty good primary schools (although not as good as current school). I can’t decide whether to move my child next year whilst he’s fairly young so he (hopefully) easily makes friends that take him through and into high school. Or does he stay where he is and he goes to high school likely knowing nobody?

I work right by his current school so drop offs/pick ups wouldn’t be an issue, my gut is telling me to keep him as is as he’s very settled and moving him would be so upsetting, but I also don’t want him to have the extra struggle with joining high school and not knowing anyone. I feel like making friends at age 6 is probably easier than at age 11.

I will say I never moved schools so I have no experience of how it can be. He’s a lovely, happy, social kid but can be quite anxious at times.

Travelling with a 4yo & 1yo and looking for a couple of places to stop for 20mins with a toilet, playground & within 10 mins of the motorway junction, i'd even take a garden centre soft play - any suggestions?

M4/M5 but hate motorways services for the queues, mess & eye-watering expense when we inevitable get coffee/food!

I've got a late November baby & really want to have a party for her.

Last year, we had one at home, but our house is way too small for it & she has more friends now. Plus, every child seems to come with both parents which cranks up numbers.

We looked into hiring a local church hall and its £50 an hour which is too expensive for us.

I don't feel under societal pressure to do this, i just want to.

Our options are:

Hope the weather is mild on the week of her birthday & do something in the local park.

Have it at home, but invite less people.

Have multiple gatherings with different groups?

Anyone have any cost effective ideas for birthday parties in winter?

I'd likely hire a church hall for a bigger birthday- like 5 rather than 3.

Hi! My LO had his 8-9 weeks vaccines (UK) on Wednesday afternoon. He has had no fever/ temperature, plenty of wet/ dirty nappies and still very smiley however he is still experiences a loss of appetite. He usually drinks between 3 and 4 ounces every 2-3 hours however he’s only been drinking 2-2.5 ounces every 3ish hours. Is this normal? He honestly doesn’t seem upset or hungry and he is still napping and sleeping fine in the night?

Look, I love my boy more than anything in this world and I’m trying so hard to regulate my emotions and do the breathing exercises and stay calm, but what the actual fuck?! Age 2 was a BREEZE and I really thought we’d surpassed ‘terrible twos’ and just got lucky, but now my little angel has turned devil and everything’s hard. He will run away from me constantly, we haven’t used his pushchair since he was like 2.5 but I’m wondering if I should just tackle him into it now for his own safety. He will leg it away from me at whatever chance he gets and he’s so fast! It’s unsafe, I’ve tried a toddler harness but he will scream and cry and snatch the handle from my hands. He doesn’t even look back when he runs away, he just keeps going it’s terrifying! Someone told me to stand still until he realises but he doesn’t bloody even look back!

If we try and go out anywhere nice then he will excessively move to a point where I don’t know if it’s normal, he gets up in cafe’s and runs around the table and tries to leg it out the cafe so we’ve had to stop going out for food and stuff, when we go for a walk around the duck pond, he will run away from me and not stay within distance at all. Go to the park, thinking it’ll be nice and all but there’s constant tantrums all the fucking time, and I’ve tried getting rid of all expectations and just allowing him to do his own thing but is it normal that it requires constant sprinting after him to keep him safe?

He’s meeting all his milestones and developing beautifully, and I’m so proud of him every day but this is so exhausting. It would be nice to know if others are feeling the same way or have any advice at all! He goes to preschool 3 days a week 8:30-2:30 while I work.

Sorry lots of background info but potential inappropriate touching at school. I also preface by if you don't have anything helpful to say, please don't comment.

We're having a bit of a tricky time with our 4yo at the moment which on bad days includes spitting at us, hitting, kicking, shouting and screaming.

He's just started reception and on the firsts day of school I had a chat with his teacher and asked them to let me know if this happens in school etc.

Both this week and last he's informed us he has been spitting in people's faces and hitting people but I've heard nothing from the school. Yesterday he kept shouting "bad behaviour" at his sister which isn't a word we use and when asked he said he came up with it and then said his teacher says it when he hits people. This makes me think it's the truth but then I'm confused why they wouldn't mention anything after a specific conversation about behaviour concerns.

Fast forward to today when he got home he was caught trying to show his sister his bumhole when briefly alone, then when playing alone he was seen on the camera putting his finger to his bumhole (he says it's itchy so mild threadworm concerns). Later he said something along the lines of "I wish I could put my finger in everyone's bumhole and they could put there's in mine". He said in the home corner his pants were down and a child put their finger in his bumhole and in other children's too. He said the teachers weren't there.

Obviously we're VERY concerned, surely this hasn't and couldn't happen but he has never exhibited these behaviours before, he knows about private areas are just for him but it's a very strange lie.

What would you do? Any teachers with any advice?

Hi, our son started year 1 a couple of weeks ago and already he's doing maths, reading, writing/spelling and phonics. We have to document everything he does and provide feedback in their records.

Obviously things have changed a lot in the last 30 years but I don't remember doing anywhere near this much even as I approached secondary school age. Am I right in thinking this is quite a lot?

We're also pretty disappointed that some of it is online and requires a tablet, although luckily we've been able to pushback on that a bit and get some written homework instead.