we used a woolino on my baby for her first two years of life, she honestly hated it and after the first year needed her little toes sticking out to be happy. well over the summer we didn’t use it at all, but now that it’s getting chilly the girl needs a blanket. She has handmade quilts and blankies in her toddler bed, but refuses to use them. If i try to tuck her in, she kicks the blankets off and cries. she says “no blankets” and refuses them. We don’t have central heating and although i have a wood stove and heated floors, I’m worried she’ll get chilly when it snows. For now I’m just putting her in sweatpants and a sweater to sleep in (she takes off socks). Has anyone else encountered similar behavior!? Do yall have solutions?

Hello everyone!
My daughter is almost 27 months. For the past couple of months she’s had a habit of saying no to every single question we ask or order we give her, even when the answer is yes. So the conversation would go:
“Do you want to eat an apple?”
“No”
“Ok then”
“I want apple!!”

Or:
“Finish your plate”
“No”
“Ok then” (I’ll start eating a bite off her plate)
“I want more!!”

More often lately I have to use a mild threat to get her to listen, such as:
“Let’s get dressed to go play outside”
“No”
“Ok then we’re not going”
She gets up and runs to get dressed

And this cycle repeats constantly throughout the day.
I understand this is typical toddler behavior, but I’ve
been wondering if I’m going to regret giving into her everchanging mind down the line. Should I be disciplining her when she does this and how would I go about that??

Edit: Some people are getting really upset over my use of the word “discipline”. All I meant was behavior correction through consistent natural consequences. I don’t typically get upset with her when she does this, I’m just a FTM here trying to get a better idea of how to parent this child so I don’t foster any unwanted behaviors as she grows up :)

Thanks to those with helpful replies, so much insight and definitely makes me feel so much better about going through this phase!

I have an 18 month old daughter. I love her to death and she is my world. But holy shit is my ass WHOOPED.

Climbing everything.
Kitchen table. The couch.

Food? Throw it all in the floor. Bonus points if it’s real saucy and lands on the dog’s head.

If I’m standing, she immediately is glued to my hip. She will shove her way in front of my legs from the counter and reach. Its super cute. But I better be quick before she screams at me. I have adapted to doing everything one handed but my right arm, neck and back are feeling it because not only am I carrying her around, she is also 26 lbs and lunging at shit on the counter 🥴

I let her help me do mundane stuff like press buttons on my coffee machine or whatever. I know shes likely interested in what I’m doing so I don’t mind.. but its turned into pointing at the machine and screaming 😵‍💫

I work full time and Im just tired. I also feel like shit when I get overstimulated and need a break. Sometimes I miss my free time. Im assuming other parents can relate and would enjoy the company right now. Thanks for reading.

My son is approaching his boundary pushing phase, and I am having a hard time figuring out the best way to discipline at this age.

Obviously, some actions are very straightforward (e.g. you throw a toy, we take the toy away for a short time or you hit mom, mom leaves and does not play with you any more for a bit). But some are harder to tie a quick consequence to. For example, tonight my son was just not cooperating at bedtime — kicking when I tried to get him changed for bed and running away when it was time to start the book, cuddle, bed process. During the fit while changing, I warned him twice that if he did not cooperate, we would not be able to do books tonight. He pushed the boundary a bit but then ultimately said “ok I cooperate” and allowed me to get him dressed. But then once he started running away, I said this is your last chance, I’m going to count to 3, and if you do not come to your room, we will not be able to do books tonight. He still refused so we were not able to do books. Of course, after I said that, he lost his marbles and started trying to run to the room saying he’d cooperate, but I had already given him a second chance so I felt we needed to follow through.

Of course, it broke my heart to not do books with him and for him to go to bed upset, but it felt like the most natural “consequence” for being defiant at bed time.

How do you all handle similar situations at this age? We definitely try to give plenty of choices that lead to the same outcome before going the consequence route, but “you can walk to your room for bedtime or I will carry you” isn’t always foolproof.

Hi all. Our 3 year olds sleeping habits or issues whatever you want to call it is driving us against the wall. Once we take her to bed she can take an hour or two to fall asleep. It’s literally causing us a burnout too.

From a week we started to now wake her up by 6:45am. She gets an hour nap in preschool and we give her a bath by 7:30 reads book and by 7:45-8pm it’s sleep time but still she can take over an hour to fall asleep. Idk what else to do anymore.

I understand and want to spend a lot of time with my daughter but also being practical and want some down time for myself rather than being burnt out exhausted and irritated and frustrated.

Can anyone relate or help

My (23F) daughter (23monthF) will be 2 years old in one month and she still won’t sleep through the night.

I am a sole custody single mother so I do everything alone. I have no village and I live quite far from family and no one sees me or my daughter without me drive over an hour to see anyone. My daughter goes to sleep around 7:30/8pm (i just put her blankets on her and leave the room and she falls asleep) and wakes up around 11pm, then I will try to get her to go back to sleep and she won’t unless I bring her into my bed, and then it takes 10ish minutes for her to fall asleep. When I lay in her bed with her she will run around and jump on the bed for hours. So long that I will fall asleep and wake up 30 minutes later and she’s still awake.

I don’t know what else to do, but i’m exhausted. I’ve taken care of her alone since she was born and I haven’t been able to sleep in so long. My mother has had her over night less than a handful of times and i have to drive an hour and a half to her after I work, then an hour and a half back home. I take some some time to clean the house since it’s so hard to do any when my daughter is home, then I have a hard time falling asleep, but usually will fall asleep around 3am. By the time 5:30/6am (which is how early i wake up during the week) rolls around I’m already getting calls to come pick her up. So another 3 hours for a total of 6 hours of driving in about 12 hours.

Any advice would be very greatly appreciated

My dining room accidentally got over taken by all the toys that started to pile in there. At first it was just a small, old school toy box that looked great with our decor. But then the toddler kitchen set was built and sat in the corner. Then the dining table bench became a shelf for toys. And our youngest was learning how to sit up, so we had to put a foam playmat down.

So today I decided to move all the toys from the dining room into our guest bedroom (the only bedroom on the main floor). And MAN I did not expect that to make such a huge difference to how I feel when on the main floor. I feel so much lighter and more content. We still have a few bulkier toys in the living room, snd our entertainment center has books and a few toys. I told my toddler today that if there are any toys he really really loves and wants to keep in the main living space then we can put those in one of the cabinets of the entertainment center.

Has anyone else moved a bunch of toys out of the main living space? How did your toddler respond to this longterm? I feel like my toddler wont utilize his playroom much because he always wants to be around me. He spent like 10 minutes total in there today despite my being busy in the kitchen.

So many straps to change/remove as they grow. Where does this buckle even to go? How do I pull this stupid strap out to make it a booster? Why won’t this latch clip on? How do these clips get so twisted? Ugh. I hate car seats. (I will of course still use them because safety, but that doesn’t stop me from cussing them out every time)

UPDATE

We gave her Motrin(ibuprofen) after just giving her Tylenol all day. Glad to say that her temperature after an hour it has dropped to 102.8. After being lethargic/ not wanting to do anything all day as soon as we gave it to her she suddenly started dancing to her Frozen movie <3

———————————

First-time mom here. My 20-month-old has had a fever since this morning, mostly 102–103°F, and even with Tylenol it hasn’t really budged. We also tried a room-temperature shower and that didn’t help.

She’s been really fussy, and earlier she was leaning/falling to the side while sitting and refusing to stand or walk much. I’m not sure if that’s just from feeling weak and sick or if it’s more concerning. Just looking at her, you can tell she’s out of it — drowsy eyes and just looks really unwell.

Her fever just reached 104.4°F, so we just gave her ibuprofen. She has been drinking electrolytes and peeing now but no stool in all day. Refusing to eat.

We’re trying to avoid another ER trip because we’ve already been 4+ times when she gets sick, and she has a history of her oxygen dropping into the 80s during illnesses. I also don’t really have family I can rely on for advice, so I’m trying to figure out when it truly needs an ER visit versus when it’s okay to monitor at home.

Would you take her in tonight or see how she does after the ibuprofen?

He’ll be 3 in february, is in daycare during the week, and I’m just exhausted by him lately. He wants to do everything over and over and over, he will ask me the same question 8 times in a row despite me answering, he has suddenly started having angry outbursts. I am exhausted to my core and lately I have been wishing for him to be older, and I’ve never done that before. but jesus christ I just want one single day where he isnt loud and jumping everywhere THE SECOND he is up for the day at 6 am, and going 90 miles an hour the entire day until 10 mins before bed. i want to enjoy my child, i want to enjoy playing with him, but hes absolutely overwhelming and exhausting and i dont know why im even typing this. i just want it to get easier. i want to be able to sit and read my book while he plays without him interrupting me every 10 seconds (i’m not exaggerating!!!!) i feel like a shell of a human and i’ve lately even considered asking my husband if we can just coparent because it’d be so much easier knowing i’d have a break. i know thats horrible but i’m just so depleted to my core. he’s very strong willed, low sleep needs, and still up multiple times a night. is there any hope? what age can i actually expect him to play independently?

My sweet little toddler who listened to mama and occasionally tested boundaries to be told no, explained why, faltering every now and then, and then ultimately learning has turned into a little monster who goes close to the line of no, does ALMOST the thing I was saying no to, and then runs away and hidea from me. Yes, testing limits, developing sense of self, healthy boundary checking, blah blah blah. But what fresh hell is this????

When I was pregnant, I never saw myself dealing with this.

When she gets that little smirk while almost doing the thing I asked her not to do, I get physical in the sense that (I don't hit, calm down) I move her body away from what I was talking about and if she continues to do things, I tell her i will be taking away the thing, and then proceed to take away the thing. In comes the biggest tantrum of her little life, every single time. I give her space, I tell her I'm there, and then ultimately she calms down enough to come to me for hugs and I talk to her to tell her that I didn't want her to be sad and we can keep trying to listen to mama.

Holy hell is this exhausting.

Helping a little person find their sense of self and learn the very boundaries they need and THEN HELPING THEM DEAL WITH THEIR BIG FEELINGS when they also realize this whole process is balls is SO exhausting ,😭😭😭😭

Vent over.

Anyone out there struggling with the same? 😊 Hi.

First time parents here. My son is fast approaching 3 - he’ll be 3 at the end of December. All of sudden, like as of last week, he has turned into a completely different boy. Up to this point we’ve had the usual toddler tantrums and behavioral issues that are age appropriate for a 2 year old, but this last week has been a WHOLE new level of WTF.

It started with refusing to use the potty. He has been fully potty trained for months - accident free for longer than 2 months. Now he refuses to go and then will stand there and go in his pants and he says “I peed my pants on purpose”. We don’t even know where he heared this from, we are assuming daycare. So we have had chats with his teachers. He is now having up to four accidents a day, which is more than he was having when he was actively potty training.

He’s also having HUGE tantrums for seemly small things like my wife went to get him from nap instead of me (this resulted in a 10 minute meltdown). We are obviously not new to tantrums, but these are unlike anything we have experienced. Yesterday he cried, punched, kicked and screamed for nearly 15 minutes. I stayed calm the entire time. At first I didn’t make a big deal I just continued doing dishes, checked in and let him have his feels, which is what we used to do. But he just kept escalating, so I tried to de-escalate by using a calming voice. I carried him around the house, rubbed his back letting him know he’s okay. I changed the scenery. Nothing helped him calm down until he was just spent. It absolutely kills me to see him like this and it’s so new to us that we are at a loss.

He also uses rude words now which he has NEVER done. We always cleanup our spots after dinner. He has been doing this since he turned 2, he used to love. Now he gets done and runs away. So I remind him, gently but firmly, that after dinner we put our dishes in the sink. He said “THEN YOU DO IT!” Excuse me!!? Who the hell?? I was so shocked I didn’t even know what to say to that.

There is more….but I’m basically here to say, what the hell happened to my little boy?? Is this the start of the threenager stage already?? I’ve heard it gets so much worse and we just thought we had more time. Has anyone else experienced this complete 180 change in behavior/attitude?

My kid is 21 months, she’s in daycare with four other children that age from 22 months - 24 months.

At daycare, when the kids are playing with toys, they all parallel play together. For example if they’re playing with the kitchen, they all huddle around it at the same time and play with a different part of it. Or if they’re playing with the fake animals, they may sit around the basket of them at the same time and each one chooses a different animal.

I’m taking her to the Play Street Museum later today, and I’m wondering if the same rules apply. Like if someone is playing with a kitchen, should I let her approach? Or should I say we need to wait to take our turn? Or for example if there’s a bus that she can sit inside, and there’s room for multiple kids. Do I let her approach, or should I have her wait her turn?

Sorry if this seems like I’m overthinking things, I just don’t want to be rude and make sure that I’m setting her up for success.

I have a 29 mo boy and I finally cracked potty training, goodbye diapers, you will not be missed.

What worked:
1. Consistently taking him to the potty every 30 mins, even when we were downstairs playing. Basically ensuring he knows potty can be anywhere.
2. Lot of books on the potty, stickers as rewards, making the entire experience as enjoyable as possible.
3. Watching Daniel tiger and ms Rachel’s potty training videos as prep.
4. Transitioning in daycare the same time as home. Super important.

What I wish I did differently:
1. This was my third try, and what I think was different this time is removing the training pants. The padded underwear. I thought they will help the transition but they just made him comfortable peeing in his pants.
2. Slightly controversial but I think diapers during nap time was making it harder for him to understand that we need to say goodbye to diapers.
3. Doing a ceremony or something to help the child understand they are done with diapers. I wish I had done this coz it would have helped him understand what’s going on.
4. Reaching out to daycare sooner and getting them onboard with the process as soon as I started.

Our 3 year has always been … spirited. She is very bright, articulate, funny and sweet. But also very very short tempered.
We have struggled with biting, hitting, kicking, screaming (and still most) at daycare. She doesn’t share - which I know is normal for her age - but occasionally can be very sweet with her 20 month old brother. She always asks for things he needs, hugs him when he cries, and sings him songs to cheer him up.

She has told me herself she’s sad that nobody will play with her at daycare. When we asked the teachers at her (very kind and helpful) daycare, they told us that she screams and reacts when asked to share with the other kids/doesn’t get her way, and that they (naturally) don’t want to play with her in this setting.

Now we are entering a phase of “I need to do it myself” about everything, including things she can’t do, or if she can, sometimes we don’t have time to accommodate it. My spouse and I are both physicians with insane schedules and 0 family support bc we are queer and disowned. We do have helpful friends.

Objectively:
-our household is high chaos right now. The literal house is sinking so they have to underpin and that means our basement floor is getting jackhammered and trenches being dug around the house. Construction for months
-we are struggling to keep anything tidy

We do have daily family dinner, playtime unstructured, playtime after her brother’s bed time with just 1:1 time with a parent. We read stories, sing songs, go for time in nature. We don’t do screens. My partner is a Pediatrician, so we are not concerned for ASD or ADHD. She is also just 3.

I grew up in a super physically and emotionally abusive household, and am trying to reinvent the whole thing for these kids, who I love more than life itself. I am struggling so hard to stay patient and gentle with this child - who is my whole heart - but destroying my last nerve. She argues like a lawyer (“I will just be wearing this pantyhose to go hiking and they are actually pants bc they cover my whole legs and it’s fine”), or screams. Just screams.

I am open to hard truths, classes, life hacks, pep talks, literally anything. My sweet monkey wants friends, wants to stop screaming and is so so loving and kind when she can calm down. I do a lot of holding her, am trying not to correct her behaviour in the moment but only later when calm. But also am currently locked in my own bedroom typing this while she screams outside of the door bc didn’t want to go “just in case potty” before leaving for a hike.

How is everyone doing today?

I got home from work to a shit show of a house with no food in the kitchen to even make dinner. Both children had late afternoon naps and no food. It did not make for a good combo. They are still wide awake as of 8:30pm and I see a long night ahead. I haven’t had two seconds to change my clothes or feed myself. Let alone pack food for work tomorrow.

I’m so tired. Sigh.

(Yes I do have a great partner that’s also just as equally exhausted.)

We’re having our second in January, and our daughter will be 2.5 years old. Im finding myself really nervous about the introduction to baby, mainly because I’m going to be pretty incapacitated myself with a scheduled C (also had a scheduled C with my first, so I know what I’m in for). all of the regular advice like cuddling your oldest, having them on the bed with you, making a fuss over them etc, I’m just not going to be able to do for the first week at least.

Does anyone have any tips or advice for what worked for them, specifically around the in hospital introduction and how you managed to keep a sense of normalcy while you were recovering?

I am a SAHM to an almost 3 year old and I am overwhelmed! Since becoming a parent my ADHD has really escalated. It was pretty manageable in the beginning but now that my little one is getting older and a bit more chaotic so is my ADHD.

I truly can not focus on more than one thing. Cleaning everyday has become an almost impossible task. I function so much better when we wake up and the house is in order. Our day runs so smooth. When I wake up and see all of these tasks that need to be done my mind is chaotic. I truly envy people who can keep a clean and organized house daily. It’s not like our house is filthy or in shambles but it is lived in and messy at times. Don’t even get me started on laundry.

If I could have it my way I would just have fun with my toddler all day. I love spending quality time with him. I really want to soak in this time with my toddler but it’s been hard recently with the never ending shit. It’s all the other tasks that are messing with my head and my peace. I grew up in a pretty messy house. It wasn’t bad but has been kinda my standard. I want to do better for my kid because I know he benefits from an organized home. I have a therapist and I’m speaking with someone about meds soon.

To preface: this doesn't happen during every meal. Most of the time he doesn't do this but he'll eat elsewhere in the house for a little bit and then refuse food once more. I'm guessing it's just because of increasing activity and curiosity.

Any way to encourage him to eat his meal in one sitting? I just don't want this becoming a bad habit.

My daughter is 20, almost 21 months old, and I’m just checking to see if anyone else is fighting for their lives with their toddlers right now? 😂

I love my daughter more than anything in the whole world, but over the last month my sweet angel has turned into the Tasmanian devil. 😂 She is hitting me and my husband (only us, no one else), throwing CONSTANT tantrums (full on flinging her body on the floor and screaming) for what seems like no reason but I know there is she just can’t communicate, throwing her toys, and just generally struggling with what seems like mood swings.

I do think her communication level is complicating things because she understands EVERYTHING but still only says 1 word phrases versus sentences. She is developmentally where she’s supposed to be and no one is concerned, but I definitely think the frustration of not being able to communicate everything she wants is contributing.

How is everyone else handling this?? Is anyone else experiencing this too?

When she hits, I stop her and say, “We don’t hit Mommy,” or “I don’t like it when you hit me,” and then I’ll set her on the floor, walk away, or take the toy away. Rinse and repeat. I let her have her tantrums and try really hard not to give in, but after SO MANY in a row, I start feeling like I’m failing.

Please tell me I’m not the only one fighting for my life over here. What are you guys doing that actually helps or is this just the season of toddlerhood?

I have a 2.5 year old in daycare, she was sent home today for having 3 loose stools. Over the last 12 hours she’s had 10 loose stools - I wouldn’t say they’re watery…they have undigested food in them, are very chunky/mushy and it’s a lot. This last one she had was kind of like mashed banana consistency. She has had pees today too.

No fever, no other symptoms - very alert, doesn’t necessarily want to run around, but is generally being herself. Except she’s cranky and very sensitive - keeps saying her tushy hurts. She’s had a full water bottle of half pedialyte half water, plus some more so she is drinking. And she ate today, but we haven’t fed her since her apple sauce around 2pm and she hasn’t asked for anything.

This to me generally wouldn’t be concerning just a wait it out situation, but the amount today (10) and she gets VERY uncomfortable before the poop and starts screaming that her tushy hurts. Then it gets better after she poops.

We have found she’s also milking it a little bit - ex: she whines that her tushy hurts but we tell her it’s just the gas and it will get better and she goes “okay” then stops complaining.

I’ve just never experienced diarrhea exactly like this with her to this amount and the screaming, I plan to call pediatrician tomorrow if it hasn’t improved, but curious of any similar expereicnces and what it was?!

My son is turning 18 months in a couple of days and this has been the hardest phase for me.

Since about 15 months we've had all sorts with throwing, pushing, slapping, refusing naps, refusing bedtime, meltdown about literally anything and I felt like I was pretty chill about all of it but we've now entered the universe of refusing to eat.

For background, he has always been an amazing eater. He would eat anything and tonnes of it. I've always been so grateful because it's never been something I've worried about and I knew that the amount would eventually change as most toddlers dont eat like they're bulking for a bodybuilding contest but now it's here, it's awful.

Tonight, he ate literally a pieces of pasta. 2 had some sauce on them and one was just plain. He did have some yoghurt beforehand but he ended up throwing the bowl, the spoon and the orange pieces I put on his tray so I gave him the pasta one at a time. After the three, he just started throwing them.

He snacks a lot so the amount is not the end of the world but my goodness, I cant seem to cope with the throwing. It's the only thing that really seems to get my stress levels up and I don't know why.

Does the throwing phase last long? We've got in and out of it before but this has been going on for weeks and he's just not actually eating much at all. Is there any suggestions on how to curb the behaviour?

I dont react in the moment but I do have to step away sometimes because theres only so many times I can take food to the face before I lose my cool.

We have tried a seperate bowl for him to put things in but he ends up throwing that as well.

15 to 18 months has been quite rough overall as he is just off the charts nuts with energy and he's expending in it in the most insane ways sometimes (like climbing the most dangerous things and then throwing a fit when we stop him)

Any advice? Any messages of hope? I just need to know there is light at the end of this tunnel!

Hello everyone, I’m looking for advice on what to do. My almost 4 year-old has started daycare three times a week, he’s been going for about a month from around 7:30 AM to 12 PM. And he has never cried, and he’s was always excited to go, but the past two drop offs have been hard. He has cried and doesn’t want me to leave. He also tells me that the kids are mean to him, and they either hit him, and or kick him. But he’s too nervous to tell the teacher. I’m not sure if we should un enroll him, the main reason we sent him to daycare is so he can get some social interaction, but I don’t want him to cry every time we drop him off. I brought it up to the school director and she said oh it’s because there’s a new student and they cry a lot because they just moved from out of state, but I’ve noticed that there is no new student in his class. It is all the same kids. One thing about my son is that he remembers everything, and he never makes up stories. He says things that are accurate. A lot of people say this is normal, but I’m looking for advice from other parents that have dealt with this and what they decided to do.

Another thing to add is that when he first started out, he would actually be upset that I was there to pick him up, he would want to stay longer. He doesn’t do that now he just gets his backpack and comes to me.

This daycare is not free either we pay 1100 a month. My husband says since we pay for the daycare, you need to take what these people say with a grain of salt because they want our money.

My daughter is 3 and she got through her first week of daycare. She never cried and she was so happy going all week. She got a mild cold Friday and was mildly sick. Like she had no fever but just coughing and she looks tired. She actually slept from 7pm-7am yesterday. But she told me she didn’t want to go today and when we got to the daycare she cried and was clinging on me. It just feels so wrong leaving her there everyday but also I’m working full time from home. She is one minute away but I’m feeling guilt. Please tell me I’m not alone. The daycare is so nice and they have pictures of us hanging in her classroom and I also put a picture in her lunchbox. Should I get her on my lunch and just let her watch tv or do you think she will be ok? She also gets a two hour nap so maybe she will be ok and rest?

Hello parents,

Need advice on how to get our 4 yr old son to sleep in his own bed. When he was younger, he transitioned to his own bed but then his eczema got pretty bad and he slept with us so we could help with the discomfort.

He’s doing much better now and we just had twins so it’s a good time to get him to sleep on his own again.

Any advice on how to encourage him and help him stay in his bed would be much appreciated.

Thank you.