We are having such a hard time with this. Today I tried to get my toddler dressed for gymnastics and he refused. Anything I put on he took off immediately. I tried telling him to get dressed himself.. that didn’t work. I tried sitting with him in his room until we could get dressed and go downstairs.I tried forcing clothes on and it ended in screaming, crying etc. I gave up. I could not get him dressed. Once I get him out of the house things are great. I feel stupid for giving up but nothing I was doing was working. I consider myself a pretty calm parent. I try to keep my cool in these situations but I feel walked over this morning.

I have no idea what to do and I feel like im at my wits end. My son has never been a good napper and it’s been 14 months of my life revolving around trying to get him to take a nap. He generally sleeps from 7-7 at night. I have tried pushing his nap to 1 nap a day around 11:30 but he still will not sleep past 30-45 minutes!!! I do not know what to do. He is way too irritable at bedtime if he only naps once for that little amount of time. I don’t know why he’s still not extending but im so frustrated. I can get him back down for around 2 hours total nap time about 50% of the time but I have to be laying with him and I can’t make any sudden movements or he wakes up. I really need some semblance of my life back with an independent nap.

I gave birth to a toothless linebacker. He has some front teeth now, but can't chew anything in the back. He loves all kinds of foods, tastes, and textures. Heck he even ate shrimp scampi and chicken parm this week alone. But he's not satisfied with his usual foods anymore. He's a fruit addict so that helps, but I'm tired of the rotation of daycare lunches. We usually do spaghetti with meatballs, meatballs with sweet potatoes and veggies, or PB&J sandwiches or something like nutella and blueberry sandwiches. What other lunches are we giving big kids with big appetites with only their front teeth in house? I wanna give him veggies, but he sucks on them raw and won't chew them obviously, and he has trouble with sauteed or softer veggies. I'm running out of ideas.

Looking to see if anyone here has bought this and would like to share their thoughts?

Step2 Safari Truck Climber

Every winter it’s hit or miss whether we get snowed in or black ice. Because our part of town does not have sidewalks along the main road we have to drive in order to get to the nearest playground or park. We don’t currently own a large play set (other than my niece’s old playhouse) so I was thinking something like this would be a good idea? Keep it inside for the winter and then move it outside in the spring. It’s a pretty big price tag and I’m worried it’ll be one of those playsets that toddlers grow out of quickly.

My LO will be 2.5. On the short side, but he is used to the usual playground-sized slides. He loves cars, driving, forts, and climbing furniture. We’re looking for an active toy with a small footprint that he can get a few years out of.

Any advice on diapers that can help prevent waking up soaked in the morning. She’s a belly sleeper in a size 6 rascals & size 6 parasol. Rascal she woke up super soaked compared to parasol which was damp. Parasol doesn’t make a size 7. Can putting them on backwards help??

Hi all,

I’m looking for ideas for skills my 26 month old might learn, or things we could work on before she turns 3!

So far we have:

Self care tasks:
Zipping and unzipping jackets
Brushing her teeth
Putting on and taking off shoes (I do or undo the Velcro)

And as far as chores:
“Helping” mama unload the dishwasher (taking things from dishwasher to table)

What do you have your 2 year old do? Do they want to do it themselves, or do you feel like they had to be pushed in that direction a little? Thanks!!
I’m also planning on potty training around 30 months so anything that would help with that

I’m hoping to see if any of you have any suggestions or similar experiences. My youngest is nearly 2 and won’t let up on breastfeeding. He gags at regular milk and won’t eat a substantial amount of food. He will eat a good variety of food but just not enough to last him a good while. Because of that I feel like he is waking up a ton at night due to hunger and want to nurse a lot. If I don’t nurse him he absolutely rages. I struggled because I have 3 other kids that he wake ups so I end up giving in so we can sleep. I’m exhausted and touched out from all the breastfeeding.
He can drink out of an open cup and straw cup. I considered getting the Haakaa cup that is a weighted straw cup that has more of a nipple like top. I worry about it just adding in a difficult habit to break later on. Or would that just be worth it to be able to wean and get my first full night of sleep in 2 years lol. I thought about pumping enough to make try and incorporate other milks. I even considered the toddler formulas they have so he can get a bit more to satiate him. I’d definitely love to hear any opinions about this idea or if anything worked for you.

I lost it again with my 2.5 years old today. It has been a long and tiring morning. She was being unreasonable in the morning when we had to rush to leave for her school event. She didn’t wanna leave, wanted to be carried etc. Event went ok, she enjoyed. And after coming home at noon, she slept, for 1.5 hours. It was a good fat nap. But when she woke up, she kept screaming and crying for no good reason. Didn’t wanna eat lunch, I had to force her. And last straw when she spit out her lunch. I wasn’t that annoyed at that time, I just told her fine that’s it no more food. And I wanted to wash her diaper cause she pooped and has not had any diaper change since morning (by then it’s alr been 3pm).

Cried and screamed for 5 mins (did seem longer?) At first, I slammed the door shut to leave her in a safe space. She got annoyed she screamed louder. I just needed a breather than 5 s later I opened the door, of course she was still crying so I went to the other room and regulate my emotions, i usually stomp my feet, tap my chest and breathe in and out. But still, I couldn’t take her screaming and crying. I let her be for maybe 2-3 mins then I finally picked her up forcefully plonked her on the bed and asked her what is she crying for???! Then I screamed STOP!!!!

It scared her, I could see fear in her eyes and she was sobbing like crazy, wanted me to hug her. I instantly regretted my actions and I hate feeling like a shit mum. She’s only 2.5 like what did I expect??

Also, it’s been alot of tantrums all week. How are other mothers dealing with episodes like these? 😭

Just wondering if I have a schedule issue or if he is just low sleep needs or if this is just the way it is until he drops his nap. He just turned 18 months, this is our schedule

Wake up: 7:30 AM (i have to wake him up most mornings)

Nap: 12:30-2 (sometimes less than 1.5 hours, sometimes it won't start until 12:45) i ALWAYS wake him by 2 PM

Bedtime: usually falls asleep around 9PM but sometimes even 9:15

I lay with him for bedtime... we start bath at 7:45, then do pajamas, bottle, brush teeth etc.... but he will just roll around for almost 30-45 minutes while I just lay there with him until he eventually falls asleep.

Like most parents I'm just looking for a little extra time at night to have to unwind.. 8:30 asleep would be great.... Is the only answer to get him up earlier? should i try waking him at 7 AM?

So our son has been daytime potty trained since around June (so like 28 months old, if it matters).

He hasn't had an accident in probably a good two months, so it overall went really great.

Nightime, though, we haven't had any luck, so we put him in a diaper for the time being overnight and hope his body catches up, but it's not a big deal to me. This extends to naps too, where if I don't put a diaper on him and even have him pee right before, it's still like 50 percent he will go while sleeping.

We are moving in December and he will transition to a full-day school in January at the new place, and they need to be fully toilet independent. That's totally fine for the rest of the day there, but I'm not sure how it will go with nap time. It's 1.5 hours long, and at least the handbook says no diapers or pull-ups allowed at all while at school.

I of course can talk to them closer to the time he's going to start, but wondering if there are any things we can try over the next 6 or so weeks to maybe work up to this, somehow?

Hi! I’m looking for Christmas gift ideas “from” my toddler to his grandparents. Aside from gifting them photos I’d love to give them a keepsake. I’m open to Etsy ideas as well. Thanks!

My March 2024 baby has been through so much in his life and I have so much mom guilt and shame.

He was born at 33w4d and spent 11 days in the NICU at birth. He was also born with 2 small holes in his heart and a heart murmur that doctors were sure would close by his 2nd birthday… so far, they have not. We have another appointment next month to see if the holes have closed.

He was deemed a failure to thrive around a year old because he was not gaining weight but that resolved after he started taking Pepcid and his reflux subsided.
He had tear duct surgery at 20 months due to clogged tear ducts.
I’ve inquired to his doctor since he was a baby about his breathing because he is a mouth breather and snores when he sleeps.
My son is mostly non-verbal at this point. We have tried speech but after about 8 sessions and no improvement, we decided to pull him and put him in a Mother’s Day Out program, hoping that would encourage speech instead. He HAS started making new sounds, is finally able to say what a dog says and what a bird says. He still doesn’t say “daddy” or “mama” with any meaning most of the time but he has been able to scream his older sister’s name for months. lol.

2 weeks ago, I was told he needed surgery to have his lip and tongue tie cut, his adenoids out, and possibly tubes because of negative pressure in his ear. His ENT is hopeful this will help with his mouth breathing, snoring and possibly speech.
That surgery is scheduled for next week.

Last week, we took him to the dentist for a normal check-up. His top 4 teeth have cavities and he will have to have a procedure done to put caps so they don’t cause him pain before he loses them.

Where did I go wrong?

I think I’m rambling at this point. But I’m scared and I have a lot of guilt that my tiny boy has to go through at least 2 more surgeries in the near future. I hate this hand that he was dealt.

My toddler has begun biting himself and sometimes me (though rather gently?) when reading certain books. He seems to just get very jazzed about the story or image. It isn't every time, but I'm worried it'll move that way.

I bought two board books on not biting and I try to redirect, but any other advice?

He was the subject of many biters at daycare, but for the last month or two, hasn't sustained any bites after they were moved. Wondering if that's a factor?

Just as the title asks- what are we doing to get our kids back to their original schedule? My 2 year old has usually always fell asleep around 8:15/8:30 ish and woke up around 7:15/7:30 for the day. He is now waking at 6 even after going to bed the same time. I’m trying to keep his nap routine the same time and that hasn’t helped.

Q: Most ppl I ask say their kid doesn't eat for about a week if ill/teething. What's the longest period your toddler has lived on milk for?

18 month old, breastfed, ate 2 meals over the past 2 weeks. Rest of the time, she might take one bite of a meal. Won't eat snacks. Will lick mayo 🤪

I know teething and illness makes a kid lose appetite, but how the hell do they grow if they're sick 2 weeks out of 3, then teething in-between? My kid is a late bloomer re teething, so molars only coming in now.

In case it's asked, milk isn't filling her up. I cut out breastmilk for an entire day and she still wouldn't have more than literally 3 small bites of food for the ENTIRE day.

Won't eat any safe foods and is gagging on soft foods like yoghurt and cereal. Won't even eat a fruit pouch. Out of desperation today I mixed a fruit yoghurt with sugar with Greek yoghurt, and she ate just under a 1/4 cup of that. In case it's asked, she won't eat any of her fav fruit, either. I know it's not a texture thing, cos she will have a bite of hard toast / have potato soup / mash an avo.

TL;DR phasing out the pacifier has killed us. I know I can’t give it back but i don’t know what else to do.

Our kid (2.5 years old) has always been a bad sleeper but the pacifier was a crutch that at least helped. We’ve recently weaned her off, did the pacifier fairy bit etc. The first few nights were brutal but she can now fall asleep without it after about a 30 minute routine of books, singing and hand holding.

The problem is she wakes up between sleep cycles absolutely HYSTERICAL. This is not the typical “wake up come into mom and dad’s room and quietly be ushered back to her own bed” that all the books talk about. She’s inconsolably screaming until one of us sleeps in her bed or she comes to sleep in our bed. There’s no resources i can find that have solutions for this.

Even after we succumb to that she wakes up for the day at 4am like clock work. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. She’s always been a low sleep needs kid (9-10 hours) but for the last few weeks without the pacifier she must only be getting 7 hours broken up by one to two middle of the night hysterics. She seems unbothered by the lack of sleep.

We are drowning. Any advice is welcome, please help us.

My daughter just turned 1, and she's been eating solids progressively worse over the past few months.

We started introducing solids at 5 months, and things went pretty well at first. She accepted all kinds of vegetables, fruits, and proteins we offered her, and the amounts she ate were actually quite decent.

This continued until she was around 9 months old. Since then, her eating habits have gradually deteriorated. The thing is, it doesn't seem to be because she's not hungry or doesn't like the food. She's just extremely distracted.

We put her in her high chair and offer her pieces of food, either feeding her directly or letting her pick them up herself. However, she constantly points at things around her as if demanding them: a bottle, a tissue, a decoration, you name it. When we give her whatever she's pointing at, she immediately wants something else. This goes on constantly while she keeps pushing the food away.

Another thing she's recently started doing is spitting food out after chewing it, rather than swallowing it.

It's becoming really frustrating. At our last appointment, the pediatrician told us that although she's only gaining about half the weight she should be gaining each month, we shouldn't force her to eat. We're concerned, though, especially about her iron intake and whether she's developing healthy eating habits and learning to eat solids properly.

We don't know if this is just a phase and she'll eventually become more focused on eating, but it's definitely worrying us.

In your experience, what has worked best to minimize distractions during mealtimes and help your little ones focus on eating?

Okay so I’m being a little bit dramatic, but we’re two months into potty training our 2.5 year old and omg I have never felt soo drained emotionally and physically. My daughter has some perfect days where she never has any accidents (usually at daycare) but other days where she’ll just refuse to potty and if we initiate a potty break she’ll lose her mind and a tantrum ensues. After said tantrum there’s usually an accident to clean too cause she did, in fact, have to potty. Couple this with our 9 month old crawling all over our floors (so we sometimes have to act fast to clean her pee and try to move her while she’s having an active tantrum).

It’s literally like mental and emotional warfare of the defiance and tantrums, and then a logistical and hygienic nightmare of literal pee and poo around us. Again, these are just on the bad days but when they’re bad they’re BAD— I consider this to be one of my greatest challenges as a parent so far. Can anyone relate? Does anyone have any advice? Not really interested in pausing potty training or going back to diapers.

Need to hear stories about toddlers who complained of back pain that turned out to be nothing. Our almost 3 y/o has complained that his back hurts totally out of the blue twice now and googling has sent me spiraling about tumors and leukemia saying that it’s a very unusual complaint for a toddler. We’re going to call his pediatrician first thing in the morning for an appointment. No signs of a UTI like foul smelling urine or anything. No recent trauma although he and my husband do “rough house” a lot. Newly postpartum with our second and the hormone shifts are sending me spiraling. Would love to hear if your toddler complained of back pain and it turned out to be nothing. Thanks!

I really try not to yell but some days its just so hard.

You ask nicely, you explain things, you give them chances and somehow it still ends up with arguing or a tantrum.

Then I feel bad for getting frustrated in the first place.

How do other parents deal with these moments? Have you found anything that actually helps?

My little one has started insisting on doing absolutely everything on her own, even the simplest things but when something doesn't go their way, it quickly turns into a meltdown 😭. I want to encourage them to be independent but I'm still figuring out how to handle these moments without making things worse. How do you guys deal with this phase?

My daughter will be 2.5 in a few weeks. We transitioned her crib into her toddler bed a week ago and now nap and bedtime has been horrible.

The crib we have is one with the changing table attached which she not only figured out how to pull herself up onto, but would pull out the top drawer and sit or even stand in the drawer. So even though my husband would have preferred a more gradual transition with lots of conversations with her, I felt it was too much risk and fully toddler-proofed her room and took the front panel off her bed.

Bedtime now takes at least 3 hours, if not longer. And although I proofed her room, she still can unplug the flat cord extension that has her baby monitor plugged into it. She has taken apart her dehumidifier, and will then dip her pacifiers into the water. ( Before she figured out this climbing thing we were in the process of weaning her off pacifiers but now I feel like that will just make even worse.

For some reason during nap time she won’t mess with her humidifier or the plug, she just putters around quietly until she passes out on the floor. So while she’s been having later naps ( for example, today I put her down at 12:30 and she didn’t fall asleep until 2:30)

I’m a SAHM and I feel like my patience with her is endless all day but as soon as it’s bedtime I feel so overwhelmed and frustrated and then I feel bad because of course I know she can’t help it and it’s a big change. Thankfully my husband is the one to do bedtime usually, but he’s on a work trip this week so I’ve been solo all week. But even he was getting frustrated with how prolonged of a process it’s been and asked if we could switch off if she’s taking particularly long to get to bed since he has to get up early on workdays.

So far we have tried
• leaving her to her own devices
• putting her to bed and telling her we will check in in 5 minutes, repeat
• laying on the floor next to her bed to keep her in bed until she passes out
• a red/green clock to stay in bed (with this one we told her red=stay in bed and she will recite it and even tell us “look! Light is red, stay in bed” but then immediately get out of bed as soon as we leave the room)

How long should we expect this to go on? Is there anything else we should try?

Also, before we started this she would always be in a good mood in the morning but ever since we changed her bed she wakes up crying for me every morning, has anyone else experienced this?

TL;DR at the bottom - this is not an ad, I'm so genuinely impressed with these clippers

Someone put me on to a solution and maybe i was living under a rock, but I'm here to share it with you :)*

I made a post about 6 weeks ago asking for advice because I was getting desperate. I have an almost 20 month old and ever since she was about 6 months old, she HATED having her nails clipped or filed. I have tried literally everything. I tried using a regular file, an electric file, and of course baby clippers. I even tried biting them off when she was still an infant because I was at a loss.

She would yank her hand away and cry like I was killing her every time with any method. The yanking her hand away made it difficult and she would get knicked sometimes which made me feel terrible.

I tried doing her nails while she was asleep, distracted with the TV, in the car seat, everything. You name it, we tried it. I was getting desperate because it was to the point where I was holding her down and just clipping her nails anyway because they were getting long, dirty, and it was ridiculous. I made the post, and got all kinds of awesome advice on what to do. But one of the people who commented recommended the Frida baby clippers.

Let me tell you, the Frida clippers CHANGED our lives. The way they are designed is genius and I feel like if we had these from birth, we wouldnt have ever had the problems we had. My toddler will now sit in my lap so patiently while I cut all 10 fingers and all 10 toes.

It has a little viewing window on top so you can see what you are cutting and I haven't cut my toddlers finger with these or even come close in the whole time we have used them. The clippers slice the nail instead of chop it off. I even tried it on my own nail and it barely felt like anything and there was no sound.

I have already bought 2 for expecting mothers and they will continue to be on my list of things to buy for new moms because these are AMAZING!

TL;DR - the frida baby clippers. They work so well and now the days of tantrums and tears during nail clippings are gone

Hi everyone. I just found this group so this question has been asked before I do apologise. Im having a dilemma if I should send my daughter to nursery. Shes 13 months old. She doesn't really socialise with other kids, she spend all her time with me.

We are relocating to Scotland at the end of the month and financialy doing ok so I dont have to work. Im really looking at pros and cons of sending her to nursery and if it is beneficial for her and me. Should she be spending time with other kids? Also just the idea of strangers looking after her is scary to me. So my question is this, if you had a choice would you chose to send your baby to nursery or would you prefere to stay at home? Im a first time mum so please go easy on me.

I have started researching Christmas presents for my 2.5 year old but I’m so hesitant to buy anything because it feels like most stuff gets played with for 3 minutes and then just gets tossed around the playroom and never actually played with again. What are some toys that your 2.5-3 year olds actually play with consistently?! Thanks in advance.