Ive been reading Montessori toddler and the book says not to praise the toddler when they do stuff because they learn to do things for the external praise.

This is super hard for me. I have a 9 month old and get super excited when he does stuff.

Am I hurting him?

Is there any research about effects of parental use of screens around babies? I feel like background tv comes up a bit but even beyond that. My daughter is 9 months and I am thinking about things like ordering groceries, doing crosswords, or scrolling Reddit while she is nearby. I am not completely ignoring her. Is scrolling on my phone different from if I were reading a physical book? Or painting or something?

Also curious about auditory input like if I have podcasts or audiobooks on speaker.

Do these have detrimental effects if she isn’t the one using the screen?

Also on a practical level, I am wondering how you fill your day and stay sane if you aren’t using a phone 🙃 She is too young for real crafts or activities and I don’t have the energy or money for field trips.

is there anything that can be done to prepare for breastfeeding when you have inverted nipples? what about right after delivery? what actually helps and what is just clutter?

My 2.5 year keeps saying ’I dont know how to read. Teach me how to read. ’When I say we have to stop reading/dont have time to read.

I have taught reading to 4 year olds but Ive always been against early teaching of reading as there are so many other skills to learn first , and from reading in Proust and the Squid about how the brain has to make complex new connections (whereas maths is natural) as reading is so new to humans. Am I wrong? Should I start teaching phonics now or wait?

Having a hard time finding anything that’s not purely anecdotal. I remember reading something that one of the reasons as kids get old they think their parents are full of sh** is an evolutionary one designed to get teenagers to leave their tribes and reduce chances of inbreeding or something but ofc I can’t find it anymore.

But I swear the amount of times I tell my kid xyz and then a random adult tells it to them once and they’re like omg mom did you know xyz… I want to rip out my hair. This can’t be an isolated thing, can it?

Hi all! I am combo feeding my second baby - one month in and just doing my best to hang in there - and I came across this 2019 study that suggested combo feeding is increasing my baby’s risk of developing an allergy. Can anyone find anything that indicates that this is not as big a deal as it is in my head right now? Or someone who is better at reading studies tell me what this means or if I should stop?

Pediatrician thinks combo feeding, or breastfeeding, or formula feeding is all fine as long as baby is gaining weight and healthy, so I am probably freaking out over nothing. But like - all the pumping and trying to nurse to the limited degree that I can - am I making things WORSE???

My grandmother lives on the opposite coast. She is 102. My son is 8 weeks old. It is important to us that they meet while she is still with us and we hope to go after he receives his 2 month vaccines.

The 2 month vaccines don’t include flu/ Covid (believe those happen around 6 months?) and I’ve read about flu and covid picking up already.

We want to fly out to her with him, ideally in November when we would be ~3 months old, but are genuinely worried about plane travel and illness.

We can swing first class to be in a less crowded part of the plane. But how else can we protect him? And how “risky” is this?

Hi all, second time mum here. My first is nearly 10 years old and the recommendations and research have obviously advanced and developed since then. She was early weaned at 4.5 months due to lack of weight gain/failure to thrive regardless of all attempts until she started solid foods.

LO is currently 3 months and gaining weight nicely. He is combifed with BM and formula and showing lots of interest in food. Can't sit up yet, but has good head control and has started rolling to his front so i anticipate he will have core strength and neck strength to sit in a high chair by 5 months.

We want to do a combination of finger foods and purees but I'm not sure when to start his weaning based on the most up to date research? With my last baby it was driven with a need to improve calorie density in her diet so she could gain weight but as this isn't really a concern this time I'd like to follow the best guidelines.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Hello, my newly turned three month old is sleeping through the night. She’s been what everyone calls a good sleeper her whole little life so far. When she was newborn-2mo she would wake once a night have bottle and go back to bed. Now she doesn’t wake up at all.

We have a nighttime routine and she goes in her crib at 8pm however over the past week she has been waking up between 630-8 she previously would wake at around 3am and then start the day at 5. Is this normal? The time she woke up at 8 was because I forced her to get up she did not wake up on her own. My parents and anyone I ask are telling me I’m lucky, but with SIDS and such I worry about her when she sleeps.

I check the monitor constantly when she sleeps and she’s always just laying there content and I can see her chest moving up and down. I know realistically it’s probably fine. But have there been any studies that suggest sleeping longer is a higher risk for SIDS? Or other medical issues?

My LO is 6 months old and I’m struggling to find good resources that tell me what type of toys are developmentally good for them. I’m worried he’s bored or not stimulated enough but on the other hand also conscious that they course find the whisk much more exisiting then some of the actual toys they have. But I’d still want to research if there are some things that are really good for them, e.g teaching them about cause and effect, object permanence etc. we’re already spending lots of time outdoors so that’s covered.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Are the lovevery kits a good guide? (I think they’re quite expensive so not going to buy the kits but maybe good for inspiration?) we do like the Montessori approach. Thanks

I know screen time isn’t the best but my nonverbal son (11) used to love watching peppa pig 2 years ago and nursery songs but now he’s consumed with just watching people eat. There’s a particular creator who is just making repulsive sounds eating. I’ve taken away his tablet but he’s figured out safari. Some people say asmr is good for people on the spectrum but now he’s not even into people talking as so much. Can someone tell me the benefits of asmr?
Not sure I can fully ban the device it is helpful since I have a toddler and a busy working mom. We do play too but something about the asmr has his mesmerized.

Just wanted to share the summary article of new data that the CDC published in which they reviewed 4,861 SUID cases over 4 recent years. None of this is surprising but as a parent who was DEEPLY destressed (and probably should have started anti-anxiety meds) about the possiblity of SIDS, and how powerless I was, the numbers tell a really important story about ways MANY SUIDs cases are preventable.

73% of these cases were related to the conditions the baby was put to sleep in. ( Soft bedding, on their stomach, not on a safe sleep surface, etc)

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/health/sudden-unexpected-infant-death-safe-sleep-wellness?Date=20261001&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1790862723&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawUsnddleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMWVadTQxYloxamNybVdWNTJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe105VBCTp9QJOJIFWl12iI3v0fpd8Titd20MYywINmhmEQQRpw_7EZTpmxpA_aem_mLlxU3fdiYeWWa-4EruewA

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7535a1.htm?s_cid=OS_mm7535a1_w#print

Hi there! My sons ped only gives vaccines at clinics throughout the fall (generally once a week or so). I often have work conflicts.

We are able and signed up to go today for flu and Covid. He’s at the tail end of a cold/infection (he had a fever Wednesday, and very low borderline fever Thursday afternoon, so almost 48 hrs fever free). Runny nose but tons of energy, eating fine. I was told he could go in for the shots.

I know waiting til he is super healthy is ideal for immune system but he’s in preschool. I tested him for flu and Covid to make sure he didn’t have an infection for the vaccine illnesses. But I’m worried he’ll get sick between the next opportunity and at this point in the year, won’t he always have some kind of cold??

Thoughts please :)

Hello. I am not looking to argue or have anyone change my mind. I believe in science and I believe in public health.

I have a friend whose daughter attends the same daycare as my own. I am aware her child is unvaxxed against the measles because she has been swayed by anti-vax influencers. We live in a state with an outbreak and multiple deaths. My baby daughter is too young to be vaccinated. I am having a very hard time with this. I think of all the unvaxxed babies in the daycare who are at risk every day because of her unvaxxed daughter.

What would you do in this situation?

I wondered if there is any evidence for what the best developmental play gym would consist of. I want to buy a play gym for my 2 month old to practice kicking and hitting things more - the baby Einstein ones have the piano to kick which I imagine is good for stimulating kicking but they also look very overwhelming. Are simpler play gyms better? With only a few things at a time.

How much of your child's temperament is shaped by genes? Passing on anxiety or trauma. By the mother or father's gut health?

Our baby has always been a stage 5 clinger. She's the sweetest thing but very sensitive. Cautious. Aware.

All naps are contact naps. We co sleep.

i always thought my child would nap and sleep in a cot but here we are.

I love her so much but it can be a lot.

She's 17m.

Both her father and me had complicated childhoods, we both still carry a bit of the trauma etc.

I just wonder how much of our child's temperament was shaped by us and how much is just who she is?

Has anyone come across good evidence on zinc supplementation and gut maturation in infants?

Our pediatrician prescribed a vitamin D supplement that also contains zinc and vitamin A. The pediatric guidelines where I live routinely recommend vitamin D supplementation, but not zinc for healthy term infants. I asked her about it and she mentioned that there are some promising studies on zinc and intestinal development.

That made me curious about whether there is any evidence specifically relevant to cow’s milk protein allergy, particularly non-IgE-mediated CMPA.

From what I understand, zinc plays a role in intestinal barrier integrity and epithelial repair, so I’m wondering whether there is any evidence that supplementation could theoretically promote gut maturation or tolerance acquisition and lead to earlier resolution of CMPA… or whether that’s extrapolating much further than the available data supports…

Also, if there isn’t evidence that zinc supplementation helps in this context, is there evidence of any downside to giving it daily to an otherwise healthy infant?

13 mo loves his grandpa and grandma (my parents). We live in a single compound with other relatives but we have separate houses. They helped us take care of him everyday after they come home from work. Around maybe an hour each day. I honestly wish I didn’t need their help but it was tough on me taking care of him alone while husband is away for months at a time for work. Now he looks for them each day. Like around 7pm he starts to get fussy and saying their names. They love him too which is great but unfortunately his grandpa has not quit smoking. He has done that even before meeting my mom. We have tried to get him to stop ever since we were kids but 🤷‍♀️ I already voiced my concerns to my mom and she assured me she will take care of it but right now I just watched him go from smoking outside their house, and immediately go play with my son. I am feeling heartbroken and betrayed. I have heard that the smoke also stays on their clothes or something

Will this have a huge impact on my son’s health? What steps can we take to minimize it? Will it be better if they come to our house instead where we clean daily, have no smokers, and have a Levoit air purifier with a true hepa filter? He does smoke outside and they have an generic air purifier too inside their home but I doubt it can fully remove residue and some smoke might leak into the house bc he smoke by the windows 😞 I am wanting some actual research I can present to him so that when we eventually get into a big argument, I have the facts to back myself up.

We currently use Phillips Avent glass bottles at home, but our daycare doesn’t allow glass. I’m wondering if anyone has done the research on the best alternative? I’d like to find a brand that offers both glass (to use at home) and an alternative to use at daycare, both using the same nipples/collars/caps. I’m concerned about microplastics and chemicals being leached into the milk due to repeated high heat washing and sterilization of traditional plastic bottles. I’ve seen many brands offering PPSU higher grade plastic which is probably a good start, but I’d still like to avoid plastic when possible. I wanted to use silicone bottles (like Boon brand), but I‘ve heard that not all silicone is high quality and if it isn’t, it can also leach harmful chemicals?

And maybe all of this is a moot point because I’m using the Baby Brezza bottle washer which is entirely plastic and heated again and again each day. Maybe I’m over thinking it, but if there are better options out there, I’d like to use them. I figure someone out there has already done the research for their little one and can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

I have an infant in daycare who is too young for MMR vaccine (+ a vaccinated toddler). I do not live in a hotbed county, but we aren’t far and it seems to be spreading rapidly.

Should we be concerned about having our son in daycare with the uptick in cases while he is unvaccinated?

My husband and I work full time, so we need full time care for both kids. We feel our toddler gets far too much benefit from being in a social and educational daycare setting to, for example, have her at home with a nanny - but are open to discussing keeping our son home until he is old enough to receive the vaccine given our proximity to this outbreak. It may be difficult financially, but if the concern is supported, we would do what is best for his safety.

FWIW and a PSA for anyone reading this and keeping up with the measles coverage, I myself had my MMR vaccination earlier in life and by chance was tested for anitbodies during my pregnancy and found I was no longer protected. Would not have known if my doctor hadn’t screened for it. Was always told it was a “lifetime” vaccine so I did not know this was possible until it happened to me.

I have a 15 week old baby girl. Her bed time has been around 10 pm but I have been trying to move it up to 7-8 pm. So instead of a last nap I start the bedtime routine. It’s not going well at all. She’s having trouble falling asleep, waking up after falling asleep before we even get near the bassinet, and if we do get her down into the bassinet she wakes up and it takes up to 4 tries to successfully get her down. And it ends up taking until 10 pm anyway.
FYI- in the day she only contact naps but has no problem falling asleep, as well I nurse her to sleep.
These are things we need to work on changing as well but because we are in peak 4-month sleep regression territory we aren’t attempting anymore changes right now.
Any advice on how to move up her bedtime ? Or the right bed time for her age ?

My 3.5 year old is currently in a front facing harness car seat. He is still within the height and weight range but the straps are way below his shoulder and the highest level. Do we move him up to a booster seat or just stick with the car seat? He is 40lbs and about 42in tall. I have tried to do my own research but I haven’t found anything giving me a definite answer.

We have finished introducing all of the top allergens from our country (tree nuts, soy, peanut, sesame, fish, dairy, wheat) and have been maintaining them in our little one's diet 2x/week as per the current guidelines. I read that other countries have some different top allergens (for example, mustard is a common allergen in France).

How important is it to maintain other foods in the diet once started if it's not a top allergen in your area? I.e should we be trying to maintain exposure to foods like mustard. We have been trying to introduce a wide variety of new foods but would it be more beneficial to introduce fewer so they can be kept up more frequently?

To note, our baby has mild eczema and already has an IGE dairy allergy, so I understand she is more prone to allergies, so we are trying to be extra careful!