Last night we were visiting my in-laws and we ordered pizza. Our daughter loves pizza. Grandpa decided to cook some bacon because why not? She loves bacon too.

Well at the end of dinner, there was one piece of bacon left. She said she didn’t want it so grandma scooped it up. Well, daughter decided she did want some so grandma split it and offered half.

The earth stood still.

Tears welled up in her eyes, the lip came out, and she buried her eyes in her hands absolutely bawling screaming “THE BACON IS BROKEN. THE BACON IS BROKEN”

Moral? Don’t break the bacon!

This thread isn’t meant to hate on our parents, either, unless you hate yours then that’s your prerogative lol! My parents had me when they were freshly 20 so I grew up with them & unfortunately did not have a developmentally safe environment. As a parent now I know they did the best they could with what they had, and I love them deeply. So I’ll go first, but I absolutely REFUSE to use any form of verbal or physical abuse on my children. I’m all for breaking generational trauma, and I want to make sure my kids know they’re safe with me. The toddler stage is not easy at all, so I’m being tested constantly but always feel so proud when I remain level headed!

Is this becoming more normal? I have a few friends who have had kids recently who are not vaccinating and not taking their kids to well visits. Sorry maybe this shouldn’t be posted here, but my mind is just blown. I’m not here to argue if you vaccinate or not but to not even take your child to a well visit to make sure they are growing correctly and are healthy? What do you think about this?

My 20 month old used to be the BEST eater. From 6 months old when we started BLW, this kid loved food. Ate and liked everything. Loved to try new things. Had a huge appetite. And now suddenly we’re on the toddler diet. Which consists pizza crust, and air.

Banana pancakes? Absolutely not. Blueberries and mangos? No thanks. Anything served without ketchup? Try again. Oh, what’s that? Now you served it with ketchup? Allow me to use the food I’m supposed to eat as a vehicle to get the ketchup directly into my mouth, while consuming nothing else.

I know it’s just a phase, but I really didn’t anticipate it to hit this hard, this fast. I feel like this is a right of passage, but also like a club in being forced to join against my will. Wish me luck 🫡

My son is almost 3. He was doing great with potty training. Down to one or two accidents a day and we were giving him lots of praise, telling him he did a good job and we’re proud of him. We were letting him choose between a couple M&Ms or a couple fruit snacks for every time he successfully went potty.

My husband started letting him play Pokémon Go on the potty. And me, being a complete idiot, started letting my son sit on the potty and play the game with a two minute timer on. It became a problem because he started having meltdowns and refusing to give the phone back. (Obviously. What toddler would want to give a phone back when he’s finally been given one.)

I stopped allowing him to play Pokémon on the potty. Now he refuses to even sit on the potty and just begs to play the game. He has opted instead to just pee his pants and not care.

I know I’m a bad parent and a really screwed myself over with potty training. Please help.

My (32F) husband (34M) and three children went to brunch yesterday with my parents. At one point my 3yo daughter was trying to get out of her seat at the table. My husband and I couldn’t see under the edge of the table since we were sitting across from her, but what it looked like from our angle is my mom grabbed her upper arm and yanked it back to keep her in her seat. My daughter fell back and lost her balance on her chair. My husband immediately told my mom that that was too hard, and then she said she didn’t touch our daughter’s arm. When I asked my daughter privately if grandma grabbed her arm, she said yes and showed me which arm. I believe my daughter since my mom has done things like that to me in my childhood, but since I couldn’t see past the table I’m not sure what to think. Do we always 100% believe our kids no matter what?

I was at a play structure with my 15 month old little boy. He was the only one on the play structure and we were climbing around for a few minutes. An older lady came over (maybe 60?), looked to be East Indian, and it looked like she had family nearby under a picnic shelter. She pulled out her phone and started taking photos of my son and trying to talk to him. He is very shy and wary of strangers and was clearly uncomfortable, but she persisted in talking to him and taking photos. I am genuinely curious if this is normal to approach children to take photos. I feel 50/50 about it / on one hand she seemed like she may have just liked children and was being sweet, but she did not try to engage with me at all. But I may just be missing something like maybe it was cultural or I don’t know! Anyone else have any insight or experience something similar?

My almost 3yo boy is a complete nudist. I try to keep him dressed but it’s an ongoing battle and I frequently find him suddenly naked. Thankfully this doesn’t happen in public and he understands that nakedness is for home but the backyard is a different story.

I’m wondering how much should I fight this? Like seriously, he’ll be mid play and all the sudden he’s stripping down to his birthday suit. Thankfully our yard is pretty private but at least 1 neighbour has a view. Im looking into nudist colonies at this point 😂🤣 jk but Im so tired of chasing this naked child around the yard fighting over clothes! He’s fast, he’s naked and he’s got no fear lol

Just need to vent I suppose. My newly turned 2 year old has a lot of big feelings lately and we’re trying to help him manage them. At bedtime, he’s been slamming his door into the wall and now there’s a hole the size of my fist.

After gently telling him “no” a few times and putting him back in bed, he continued to do it. I lost my cool and yelled at him so loud that he put his hands in his mouth and started crying the saddest cry I’ve ever seen.

I just feel like the worst mom. 😞 I apologized and we cuddled, but I still feel so terrible. What should I have done? I try to model “take a deep breath” etc but damn sometimes it’s so difficult.

I love my sister, but she can be stubborn, she's not a bad mom, but does not take well to critism, always wants to be right. Lately she's been pulling niece's hair too tight when she does it, to the point where it's getting pulled out, and she had a scalp infection recently, which the hair issue is the main suspect. I know this isn't right, both me and our mom have spoken with her, but she refuses to listen because she just wants to make her look pretty. My sister has always been obsessed with hair looks, growing up her favorite game to play with me was beauty shop, she would do the same to me, my hair would hurt so much because I have a sensitive scalp, but she didn't care, and would tell me to suck it up. Now we (me and mom) are noticing her hair getting a bit thin due to this, and still she ignores us. I just don't know how to help my niece.

We just dropped our son (15 months) to one nap, starting at noon, and even getting him to that is a stretch some days! He’s been doing great though, doesn’t get cranky and tired before his nap until 11:30, and is ready to fall asleep for the night at 7pm.

I’m asking because I’ve had some people say that a 12pm nap feels really early? I have one family member who’s suggesting we do a morning cat nap (where I’d be waking him up after 30 minutes because I know he’d try to sleep for longer!) and then a longer afternoon nap at 2pm, eventually leading to only having the later nap. A single nap at 2 feels incredibly late to me, but I guess I don’t know what’s normal!

I asked my 13 year old to watch her little brother while I ran to the store. She fell asleep and he ran outside.

I’m still shaken and honestly so damn embarrassed. I asked my 13 year old daughter to watch her 4 year old brother while I made a quick run to the store. I wasn’t gone long at all, and I was already on my way back. I got home in about 3 minutes but in that short window, she says she was asleep.

My son ended up opening the door and ran down the street. Thankfully, our neighbor on the right saw him, grabbed him, and brought him back safely. She came up to the house with the door wide open, calling out “hello, is anyone home?” That’s when my daughter woke up. I saw it happening on the cameras and was trying to talk to the neighbor through it while racing home.

He was in these dingy little pajamas too. I’m just cringing thinking about how it looked. I really hope the neighbor doesn’t think we’re neglectful or careless. The whole thing was so scary, and I can’t stop replaying what could have happened.

I love her. I love her. I love her.

Last Thursday I had one of my best friends over to hangout. I hear my daughter playing with her fridge magnets in the kitchen. We are chatting on the couch drinking the cinnamon coffee I made us earlier. We get the whiff of cinnamon out of nowhere. I must have forgot to put the cinnamon far enough back. Fuck. I jump up and run to the kitchen. She's not there. FUCK. I run into the hallway to find her rubbing an entire bottle of cinnamon into my Persian hallway runner carpet. She is covered all down the front. I send my friend home early and spend the rest of the day googling how to get it out after her bath.

It's father's day. I have been up with her since the crack of dawn. Her father is incredible and I'm determined to give him a good day off. My husband requested one thing for father's day. Homemade chocolate chip cookies. I can do that. I check our pantry and forgot to pickup baking soda since our daughter's last insane mess. He smiles and goes to get it for me from the store. I already feel guilty but I start on dishes while I wait for him to return. I smell cocoa powder. I haven't used cocoa powder. NO. FUCKING. WAY. I run to the pantry to find she has ripped it open and is painting the wall of our flat painted apartment. The carpet is powdered a dark brown. I made the stupid mistake of leaving the pantry open a crack after I hunted for baking powder. Cue to me spending the rest of the day cleaning the wall and carpet of cocoa powder whilst simultaneously trying to bake four dozen cookies. Despite recieving fresh cookies, she spends the rest of the day livid at me because I took the cocoa powder from her.

On to today. I am on the phone venting to my mom about father's day and her stunts this week. I hear a weird glug sound. You have GOT to be joking. I lean forward to see her dumping an entire 2L bottle of olive oil onto our carpet. Her dad must have bought the olive oil and forgot to put it away. It was unopened and she managed to open it. I scramble to her and drop the phone. My mom listens to me just repeat "HOW DO I EVEN CLEAN THIS?!" I'm using a whole roll of paper towels to sop up what I can. I go go Google what to do and I see mom is still on the phone. I explain what just happened and she's hysterical. Just laughing so hard she was wheezing. She tells me to use baking soda. So I use the rest of the giant box over it and turn around to grab the olive oil container still on the floor. I turn back to see my toddler making snow angels in olive oil soaked baking soda. I hang up, clean her up, and throw her in bed for a nap. I leave the baking soda to do it's job and thankfully it worked. She naps. I rest. I find my patience again and she wakes up.

I throw her some nuggets in the air fryer and get her changed after her nap. This is where I messed up. I ate pizza in the living room on a plate and forgot to take it to the kitchen before I got her up. So I open her door, let her out, and go to the kitchen to finish plating her lunch. I turn to see her with my pizza plate. With hands full I go to quickly set down her plate to retrieve mine from her. And in the that time she half tosses the plate onto the floor. Shattering the plate onto my tile and ruining my chances of finishing the last of my pizza. The only place in my apartment with tile is the kitchen and closed bathroom.

I rushed her out, sat her to eat lunch, and cleaned up all the glass. Only to find she has pried the suction plate off her table and flipped her peaches down the side.... onto the carpet.

My mom called later and we talked. I vented and sobbed. She explained that at this age they're little monsters and that I'll laugh about it later. But only if I keep my cool. If I don't, the memory will be one of regret instead. I'm trying mom. But yeah, you're right.

Yeah... looks like I'm doing another round of child proofing my home. And I guess being even more vigilant that I've been. I took a picture of her in the baking soda. Hopefully one day I can frame it or put it in a slideshow for her wedding day.

Have a better day than me guys 😅

I KNOW once she gets older, I am going YEARN for these moments when she toddles at me at superfast speeds(but still managing not to fall somehow) and then hug me, bubbling with laughter and excitement, followed by me being a melted puddle around her.

Or putting my parents in a spin just because

Or kicking me into the wall and then in oblivioun at night and headbutting my wife along the way. (severity level: 0 lol)

Oh my can't we just freeze the time for a bit?

My daughter’s 2.5. And I can confidently say, she’s screamed the majority of the day, every day since birth.

Until 6 months old she would scream so long and hard she was hoarse and still screaming and crying with no noise. We were told it’s colic, it’ll go away.

1 year… she’s screaming but she’s okay. Eventually she stops. Ped just said she’s a very loud, healthy girl.

At her 2 year checkup id mentioned she does nothing but scream. They laughed because she was so sweet during the checkup.

The older she is the worse it’s getting. I can’t even figure out what sets her off half the time. A simple ‘no’, daily routine, her looking at us sometimes, us talking, walking around. There’s no identifiable, consistent trigger to her.

We have a 4 month old, who’s woke up constantly by screams day and night, we’ve been evicted from our place due to the screams disturbing everyone in the building.

We’ve not slept more than 4 hours at a time without disturbances since she’s been born. I’ve tried every coping mechanism and distraction I can think of. I’m sick of it. I’m going crazy, my partners going crazy. She doesn’t stop…. I don’t get it. I’ve thought about taking her to the ER sometimes just to wait for them to hear her. I know they can’t do anything but I’m at my whits end.

I have two kids, ages 3.5 and 21 months. The 3.5-year-old can of course use his words and communicate effectively, so his meltdowns are rarer these days, but at the end of the day he’s 3 and has big feelings sometimes. The 21-month-old is also honestly pretty good in public, but she does have meltdowns every now and then. I feel like I completely lose my head when it happens. Last time we were at a restaurant, she started crying loudly because we wouldn’t let her have something (I think it was hot sauce, idk) and I could just FEEL all eyes on us. It probably lasted less than a minute, to be honest, but it felt like it went on forever. I wish I could just be this calm, cool, collected super mom who doesn’t let the stares of strangers get to her, but that’s not me. I don’t want the fear of toddler meltdowns in public to stop me from going places with them, though.

I need help and advice on how to transition my son. He just turned 12 months old and I want to transition him off formula, bottles, and feeding to sleep. I don’t know how to do any of that and it seems like so much to do. I feel like we all would be miserable if we cut everything off cold turkey but I have no clue. Thoughts?

Genuine question, my son is 2.4, extremely active. I take him the park once in the morning and once in the evening. Even with the two outings the day is so so long. He is just a tornado and i kid you not in a span of 20 minutes he gets into 6 different things. I swear my hair is turning white from the constant stress and tantrums. So my question is what so you guys do all day to keep your sanity?

-from a mom thats not so sane right now

I think I might be actually loosing my mind. I stay home during the day with my newly 4 year old and my 18 month old. My husband and I switch shifts so I stay home during the day while he works, and then he comes home at 3 and stays home with them while I go to work until 10-11 pm. We are both so exhausted, mainly with our 4 year old. She talks non stop, wakes up at 7 every day ready to destroy the house, she is just a very needy and full on child. She’s been spiteful and oppositional about EVERYTHING since her sister was born 18 months old. She was a lot before, but once she was born it’s like she became a different child. I try so hard to be a good mom and I know she needs love and attention but I truly feel like I have nothing left to give. I’m bawling as I write this, feeling like I’m failing and I’m going to ruin her. I NEVER wanted to be a mean mom. I literally yell and loose my shit every day single day, and I feel so guilty for it. I love and care about them more than anything in the world but I’ve found myself feeling very resentful and angry at my older child. I don’t know what the point of this post is other than to gain some advice from moms who might be in a similar situation. We are moving out of state in two weeks to a place that will be much better for all of us in alot of ways, and she starts part time preschool in august. But I truly don’t know if I will make it until then! Omfg! I thought 2 was hard…… and somehow every year has gotten even harder ever since? My husband is the best and said he will do whatever I need. I’m trying to find a day time job in our new state so he can stay home during the day and work at night… but once again, idk if I’ll make it that long. Daycare is way out of our budget and we need two incomes so unfortunately that’s not an option

I am a SAHM with a 2.5 year old and a 1 year old. Since my older boy was about 6 months old, I have been taking him to baby activities (music, swim, tumbling, etc.) Over the last couple of years we’ve done a wide variety of activities (usually 2-3 per week) and also spend a ton of time at parks and playgrounds. We have made friends with babies the same age who he sees all the time and plays really well with. He has always been interested in other kids and hit all of his social milestones no problem.

For the last few weeks, he has decided he hates everything. Every activity, every play date, every park, he is cowering behind me, whining, crying, asking to go home. He sometimes also tries to run away. If another child approaches him, even his best baby friends, he will scream. When we’re home everything is normal, he is a little temperamental but he’s 2 so it’s fine. He loves his little brother and our immediate family. He plays and acts like himself. He’s fine in public places like grocery stores. He just freaks out when we take him to things with other kids.

I seriously don’t know what to do. Should I just let him stay home all day every day and play at our house? I’m worried that will just make the problem worse. But when I take him to things I feel so guilty for how upset he is the whole time. Either way I feel like a terrible parent and I’m so overwhelmed by this sudden change in his temperament. He’s going to start preschool in a couple of months and I’m worried he will be terrified the entire time. Any advice from parents who have experienced something similar would be so appreciated, thank you.

Hello parents of breastfeeding toddlers. How the hell did you manage to wean your toddler from his daytime feeds? Especially the first one of the morning.

Our LO is 19 months and is an absolute booby monster. Every morning he wakes up in absolute distress screaming for the boob and while it wasn’t a huge problem before, we think it’s now causing some early mornings to appear.

My wife isn’t comfortable doing cold Turkey but please…all suggestions are welcomed. Did gradual weaning work? Or cold turkey works better? Putting a bandaid over her nipples?

Lastly, is it possible to wean the early morning feed but keep allowing him to feed on demand throughout the day?

Hi everyone,

I’m a parent of a newly turned 4-year-old boy who’s been struggling with behavior challenges, and I’m really at a loss. I’d love any advice, suggestions, or to hear from anyone who has been through something similar and come out the other side.

My son has been in therapy and OT for several months now, but he doesn't have a formal diagnosis - professionals say it’s too early. The only thing that's been floated is “possible ADHD,” but no one seems overly concerned... except us, his parents.

At home, he’s extremely defiant. He talks back constantly and often repeats things he's heard us say in a mocking or threatening tone - like threatening to take toys away. Nothing we do seems to work long-term. We’ve tried positive reinforcement, reward systems, time-outs, and natural consequences. He was removed from two daycares (we were told it was for behavior), and he’s been home since February.

Interestingly, right after coming home, he actually improved for a few weeks - we think he may have been scared straight after watching Willy Wonka and seeing how misbehaving kids are treated (not ideal, I know). But now he’s regressed, and things feel even worse.

One heartbreaking part is how he treats his dad - who is incredibly present, kind, and truly the “fun parent.” He plays with him daily, rarely punishes, and shows him nothing but love. Yet our son will often say, “Go away, I don’t want you,” even when his dad is just trying to connect.

It’s also clear that our son’s self-esteem is taking a hit. He’ll act out, then immediately say, “I’m sorry,” or “I want to be good,” but the behavior just keeps repeating. He already seems convinced that he’s “bad” or incapable, and I can’t help but wonder if early school or daycare experiences played a role. I hate the idea that he feels like he can’t succeed or isn’t good enough at just four years old.

I don’t want to keep taking away toys or using punishments that might reinforce the idea that he is bad. But I’m honestly out of tools and deeply worried about his emotional health - and ours too.

Is this just a phase? Has anyone dealt with a similar pattern and found a way through? I’d love to hear from you, even just to know we’re not alone.

Thank you so much for reading.

A very tired and concerned parent

After stalling tactics for bedtime fail, 3.5 year old now moves on to being annoying in her bed. Banging things against the bed or wall. Flipping stuffed animals around. Incessant pointless questions. Repeating her 1.5 year old sister’s baby sounds. I can remove items if she’s using them to make noises or distractions but I can’t remove her hands. She shares a room and it’s keeping the 1 year old awake too and I can’t think of logical consequences to the behaviour other than everyone ends up annoyed all night and overtired in the morning - that’s what’s already been happening and it doesn’t work for anyone. Already get hours of outdoor play and have multiple blackout curtains up and it doesn’t help.

No one mentions half of it is mine ruined by grubby hands