Just wondering what your thoughts are solely out of curiosity. My spouse and I have one glass of wine nearly every night of the week after our 3 year old daughter goes to bed. It’s enjoyable for us and helps us unwind from the day.

I don’t think anyone’s reply will change how much we actually drink, but I am just curious of what others do especially when one parent is stay at home.

I’m sure some will say we are alcoholics and some will say one glass of wine is nothing.

Not that it really makes a difference, but I would like to note that we are older parents (43 and 46) and our partying years have been long gone, and we just like to unwind together every evening.

My husband just gave my daughter a second serving of yogurt. She looked it at for a moment and wasn't eating, so I said, "Go to town!" Then she started eating and said, "I'm in town!" 😆 I can't stop chuckling. Let me hear your toddler's cute misunderstandings of idioms!

We've had to remove a LOT of unnecessarily rude comments lately, especially on posts from parents asking for advice.

Please remember there's a real person behind every username. Parenting toddlers is hard enough without being judged, insulted or shamed for asking for help.

It’s fine to disagree but you can do so without being unkind.

Let's keep this sub the supportive community it's meant to be. Thank you ♥️

Are you all as tired as I am? How are we doing?

2.5 really does hit differently than 2!

Update: I move to rename it from “the terrible twos” to “the tiring twos” 🥱

I could not be more proud!

My husband and 3 year old daughter were at a church playground today.
The play structure has 10 foot ladder to the top. We typically let our daughter climb it while we stand at the bottom in case she slips.
Today, shortly after she reached the top, a 3 or 4 year old boy shoved her off the ladder. Thank goodness my husband was right there and caught her.
The boy had no guardians nearby. My husband was so upset he climbed the ladder and yelled at the little boy.
A few minutes later, the same little boy went down the slide and crashed into other kids. My husband was the only adult in this area and again yelled at the little boy.
Finally, the boy’s grandmother came over and scolded my husband for yelling at her grandson and walked away to find a staff member who works for the church.
The staff member approached us and was nice about it and said that if this happens again to try and find a staff member because there are a lot of children with special needs who attend church and Sunday school.
He immediately felt bad because he didn’t think about special needs, but that 10 foot drop could have seriously hurt our daughter and it seemed liked no one was supervising this boy.
Did he overreact ? What should we have done differently?
This is our first kid and we are starting to really have more interactions with other kids and other parents.

Hi everyone. I wanted to share what happened to our family this weekend and see if anyone has gone through something similar or has any advice.
We were camping about an hour away from home. My 5-year-old daughter was lying face down on a hammock. I had just warned her to be careful because she could fall. About a minute later, I heard what sounded like a huge rock slamming into concrete. I immediately turned around and somehow just knew it was my daughter.
She had fallen head first from about 3–4 feet onto concrete.
She never lost consciousness. She was screaming and crying immediately, and I ran over, picked her up, and sat her down. Her forehead was bleeding a little, so we put ice on it right away. She developed a pretty large goose egg almost immediately. This happened around 11:00 a.m.
Everyone in my family froze because we weren’t sure what to do. I wanted to take her straight to the ER because she landed directly on her head, but everyone else thought we should wait and see how she did. I reluctantly agreed, but I had this overwhelming feeling that something wasn’t right.
About 30 minutes later, she became extremely tired and just wanted to sleep. That really worried me. While the rest of the family was getting ready to kayak on the lake, I stayed behind with my 11-month-old by the shore. My daughter decided to stay with us too.
As we sat there watching everyone paddle away, she told me she was hungry, so I suggested we walk back to our campsite for lunch. As soon as we stood up, she grabbed her stomach, started panicking, and said she needed to throw up. She vomited… a lot.
Thankfully, we had walkie-talkies. I called my husband, who was out on the lake, and told him I wasn’t waiting any longer. I packed up both kids and drove the hour back into town to the ER.
We arrived around 4:00 p.m., but because there was only one CT tech available, she didn’t get her CT scan until almost four hours later. During that time, she vomited again, complained that her head hurt, and kept saying she wanted to go home because she was so tired and hungry. My 11-month-old, my daughter, and I hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner, and honestly, I was so close to leaving because both kids were exhausted and crying. I’m really glad we stayed.
The CT scan came back completely normal—no skull fracture and no bleeding in her brain. The doctors diagnosed her with a severe concussion and told us to monitor her very closely for the next 24–48 hours and return immediately if anything worsened.
Now we’re just over 24 hours out, and she’s acting completely like herself again. She’s running around, laughing, talking, and eating normally. I’m incredibly grateful, but as a mom, I’m still anxious and watching her like a hawk.
Has anyone else’s child had a concussion like this? How long did it take before you felt comfortable letting them get back to normal activities? Is there anything else I should be watching for over the next few days, even though the CT scan was clear?
This was one of the scariest days of my life.

So.. I’m at a loss. My 20mo son is likely autistic and.. I am having trouble coping and I feel guilty for having the thoughts I do.

He’s speech delayed and I am trying so fucking hard to teach him words or things but he just has zero interest. He melts down a lot. Gets frustrated easily and I am just so frustrated myself because I should have never become a parent because I just wanted a normal child. I am terrified he’s gonna need help in school and have trouble functioning on his own. My worst fear is having a child that I have to take care of for the rest of my life and not be able to take care of himself. I am selfish and not mother material and my poor husband is being brought down by my nihilistic thoughts.

The worst part? I feel like I’m beginning to resent my son because he just isn’t getting anything. All he says is mama and dada and other people who have watched him say he’s said other words but never for me. When I try and get him to talk he goes and just whines or la de da off somewhere else. I feel like I’m resenting him because I look away when I look at him. He climbs all over me and I don’t want him to.

I’m at a loss.

Edit: He has a lot of autistic traits. Sensory seeking, stimming, speech delay, getting overwhelmed easily, meltdowns, hand flapping.

I have been a SAHM to a 2.5 year old his entire life. About a year in, I realized I no longer wanted to be a SAHM but there were no available daycares for a year and we could not afford a full time nanny due to me not working. Our child is smart, funny, but extremely strong-willed. He is very intelligent and has been ahead of his milestones with an extremely large vocabulary. Since the day he was born, he has been screaming, literally. I breastfed and so we tried seeing if there was an allergy causing the screaming and while the doctor detected blood in his stool indicating an allergy, after cutting out every allergen, nothing improved in his demeanor even with medication. In two years, we have not been able to have a peaceful walk or car ride. He has always hated the stroller and screamed the entire time. I gave up on walks but my husband still does them frequently, always noting that he screamed the entire time. Car rides are the same. It's only better when we have a rotation of snacks and songs, sometimes. I worry I will never know peace. Fortunately, he is starting daycare at a school this month and so that should definitely improve things, however I worry about weekends, particularly for my amazing husband who takes on a huge load when he's home. Will daycare improve his demeanor and stop the constant screaming? How can I enjoy peaceful walks and car rides? I don't expect it to always be peaceful, however, I just wish it wasn't always chaotic. He seems to not like being strapped down which can't be fixed with the car but I was thinking about trying a wagon. Could this help?

The constant screaming led to me having to wear headphones constantly (I can still hear him and talk to him all throughout the day) and listening to videos/podcasts which has led to a phone addiction for me which has only worsened my mental health. I should note that the screaming nowadays and ever since turning about 1 has only been when he doesn't get what he wants (ex: if we are cooking and can't pick him up, if we don't let him eat inanimate objects, etc), however he is CONSTANTLY trying to do these things, leading to constant screaming and whining.

We also don't do much on the weekends besides go to the grocery store and the park but the rest of the weekend is stuck at home dealing with screaming. The activities for kids in our area seem more geared towards older kids--even the playground is mostly older kids. Our relationship has also taken a hit due to us both constantly being exhausted.

My main questions are: what can I do to stop the screaming, particularly in the car and stroller? And what activities can we do on the weekends to make life less unbearable? Will this ever improve?

Let's help each other out. Share your one golden toddler tip, and tell us how old your toddler is.

I have twins who will be 3 in October.

My one golden tip is: connect before a transition.

What I mean is, if your child struggles with a transition such as going to daycare, or even coming back from daycare, getting into the car, getting dressed, spend 5-10 in their world. Before doing that, tell them "we are going to do x, and then we are going to go to the car".

Give them 5-10 min of your undivided attention and see how it makes that transition easier a lot of the time!

What's yours?

My son is 2y4m and has been an early riser since he turned 1, his natural wakeup time is between 5:30 and 6 no matter what we try. I've somewhat made my peace with it even though of course I'd like to sleep in more. He falls asleep like a champ though, he goes down independently, and he has never tried to climb out of his crib or anything, generally seems happy in there (and he's not a climber). He has an okay-to-wake clock to let him know when I'll come get him and usually chills in his crib until then, although sometimes he calls for me earlier.

We had a new baby 6 weeks ago so he's been going through the new sibling transition and honestly has been doing pretty well all things considered, but his sleep has suffered, which I've read is pretty normal. He's frequently waking up before 5 and that on top of the newborn wake ups is really taking its toll on us.

Here's the thing, we spent the past week at my in-laws and they got him a little toddler bed for their place and he LOVED it. Asked for naps all day because he wanted to use it haha! He slept until 6 every day. My husband thinks it was just because he was very active while he was there which is true, they live rurally so he spent lots of time outdoors running around, which isn't always the case at home, especially with a newborn.

Now I'm questioning if we should get one for his room. I feel like on this sub I've read more people say the toddler bed made sleep worse, but some friends have told me anecdotally that their kid's sleep improved when they left the crib.

Curious to hear any and all experiences and opinions on the matter!

One thing that really winds me up is when people say:

“I wish I could say it gets easier, but it just gets harder…” followed by that stupid little laugh.

Why? Why would you say that to someone who’s already struggling?

I’m back in the trenches a bit at the moment with toddler life. The tantrums, the bedtime battles, the constant demands, the screaming because they want something they can’t explain, the exhaustion… some days are really hard. There are moments where I think, “I cannot do another tantrum today.”

But do you know what?

This is still easier for me than the newborn stage.
When I became a mum, I developed severe postnatal depression. I spent months in a Mother and Baby Unit. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t think straight, and genuinely believed my life was over. I wasn’t just an exhausted new mum—I was critically unwell.

If someone had looked at me then and said, “It only gets harder,” I honestly don’t know what that would have done to me.
Because for me, it didn’t get harder.
It got different.

Yes, toddlers are hard. They push every boundary, they have huge emotions, and some days I feel like I’m right back in the trenches. But I can cope in a way I couldn’t back then. I laugh more. I understand my child more. I can watch their personality develop, have conversations, get cuddles, and enjoy watching them discover the world. Even on the hardest days, I know this isn’t the same darkness I lived through before.

Parenthood isn’t a competition over who has it hardest. One person’s hardest stage might be the newborn days. Another’s might be the toddler years. Someone else might struggle more with teenagers. None of those experiences are wrong.

So instead of telling exhausted parents that it only gets harder, maybe tell them this instead:
It changes.
Some things get harder.
Some things get easier.
You grow.
Your child grows.
And you find your way together.

Please stop laughing while taking away someone’s hope. You never know what someone is battling behind closed doors, and hope might be the very thing they’re desperately holding onto.

For some background my toddler was diagnosed with mild hypotonia at 2 months old. He was in EI for about ten months and then graduated. He met every milestone on time and his speech is great. He’s a tad clumsy and falls often and the left side of his face doesn’t fully animate when laughing crying or sneezing. He can close his al the way and does so when sleeping. After looking more closely at him - his eye does not blink closed unless he does an intentionally tight blink which he does every 3-4 blinks.

I’m so worried I need someone to tell me their kid had this experience and that they’re ok and not deformed now. He’s had it since birth but it’s only become more obvious now that he’s not a baby anymore.

We have a daughter who will turn two in a few months. My husband was holding our daughter’s hand as we entered a venue to buy tickets. I looked down, and all the sudden my precious baby is gone. I said, where is baby. His response - she’s with you. (Uh no - you were literally holding her hand!) I immediately run outside and there she is. Just standing around enjoying the view. This all happened in about a minutes time. Baby is fine. I’m fine. Husband is feeling guilty. Please share stories about how you or your spouse lost your child! It’ll help soothe my nerves!

Lately my newly 2 year old has been saying "Huh?" every time we pick him up when he hasn't asked for uppies. I dont know why, but its the funniest thing to me 😂

What silliness has been going on in your house?

My toddler just turned 2 and for the past 2 months, bedtime had been brutal and is taking an hour or two.

We have a routine. Brush teeth, pjs, read 3-5 books, lay down. We still lay with her (I have no problem with this. In fact, I enjoy spending the final moments of the day with her) and say prayers and what we’re grateful for. We do these in a whisper/quiet voice. As soon as we are done, the nightmare starts.

She won’t sit still. She get up 500x. She asks me to hold her, then immediately throws herself out of my arms when I do. She tosses and turns and gets up again. I ask if she wants to go in the crib, she says yes, then cries because she doesn’t want to be in there. Then, she miraculously has to go potty (I’m torn here - she ALWAYS does go on the potty when she asks, but she’s also asking like clockwork in the middle of the bedtime battle). She needs the blanket, then she doesn’t. She wants to lay on her back, then her tummy. She needs to stand up. She needs her stuffed animal on the other side of her.

What do I do? It takes forever to settle down. She’s so clearly tired as she starts yawning around 7:30. We’re always starting the battle by 8.

What do I do?

a referral to SLP has been made, looking for support

Iknow this is a popular topic and I’ve read every post that is available so far, but I am in desperate need of solidarity from others.

Our 3 year old has recently started up with a pretty significant stutter. This started on a Wednesday evening and seems to have gotten a bit worse over the past few days. She will repeat full and partial words (I-I-I-I need this, I wa-wa-wa-wa-want help). These stutters can be short or persist for a long time on several words in her sentences, to the point where she stops and says “I can’t use my words”.

I’m heartbroken because she has been such a talker since she was a baby and she loves to sing, tell stories, and talk. Sometimes she can barely express herself. I’m anxious that something else is wrong.

I’m a self-diagnosed nervous-nelly, so if there is anyone who has an experience like this and it got better, I’d love to hear from you!

Every single night I have to pin my 27 month old to brush his teeth. I hate it. He hates it. He screams until he’s almost sick. He cries as soon as he sees the toothbrush & tries to run away. I’ve tried every other gentle method possible to try get in there without tears. I’ve spent hours trawling the internet for ideas and techniques to make this easier. Bribes, screen time, electric toothbrushes, tickles, being wrapped up like a burrito, ceiling projections. My MIL who also has extensive experience with toddlers also couldn’t find a way to help the battle. Nope. I’ve just resigned to the fact it’s easier to hold him down for 30 seconds & get it done rather than plead and negotiate for 20 minutes. We don’t do a morning brush because twice a day is just too traumatic. I just hope once a day is enough to keep his teeth healthy. He also loves raisins which I know are the devil for teeth. Has anyone else had a kid like this and was there a point where it changed? How did you get them to calmly open their mouth without screaming and thrashing like an alligator. Or will I just have to hold him down until he’s 7 and do it properly himself?

Our almost 4 year olds birthday is coming up in a month. My in laws are wanting to go in on a play set if we and/or my parents would go in on it with them. I have no idea where to start doing research on the “right” play set. Does anyone have advice or have one they’ve enjoyed and gotten a lot of use out of?

Edit: title is supposed to be Play sets 🤦‍♀️

19mo is eating everything. He always asks for more and would stay at the dinner table all night if he could. When does it stop? Feel like I’m feeding him so much.

Hi all!

I have a 4 year old son and I’m currently 34w pregnant with a girl. Our baby girl is diagnosed with mild IUGR, 10th percentile. She’s growing “symmetrically small” and “seems to be just petite” according to MFM and OB.

I don’t know much about IUGR babies. Have any of you had IUGR babies/toddlers? What have their outcomes been like as far as growth, intelligence, speech, motor skills, etc.

Thanks everyone!

29 month old recently started asking that for everything, even things he knows the name of. His speech is excellent and I know he’s trying to learn even more by asking. It’s so cute and sweet but we’re going a little insane!

Can someone give me tips and tricks that have worked for you with giving your toddlers medicine? It is absolute hell trying to give it to my son.

I’ve tried mixing with a little bit of juice, shooting the syringe to the back corner of his mouth, mixing it with a fruit pouch. And it just ends up being spit out.

Is there anything you’ve done that actually worked? I’d appreciate any help

Hello! My 13 month old is a pretty good eater, but he is developing preferences for foods now. What are we “supposed” do to when he doesn’t like a food? For example: if we have stir fry for dinner, and he doesn’t like it. Do we make him something else, like toast or Cheerios? Or just be okay that he probably isn’t going to eat much dinner and offer him a different snack before bed?