October 2023 Babies 🇬🇧

Is anyone else's toddler just super clingy? My little girl just won't do anything by herself. If I'm trying to cook or clean I have her constantly whining 'carry, carry' and her following me around, if we go upstairs she whines at me to carry her up the stairs. If she plays it met with constant 'help help' even though I know she's perfectly capable of doing things, and she even whines 'help help' to get us to spoon feed her, despite the fact she is perfectly capable of feeding herself and does so wonderfully at nursery. I'd love to say it's a phase and is because she has a new sibling, but she's always been like this and it's just so draining. Will she ever become less clingy or independent, or have I got this for life? I love her to pieces, but I just need to be given time to get on top of the housework, feed the baby, cook the dinner etc

My lg still has a nap 2-3pm everyday, which we can't make earlier as she refuses point blank to sleep at nursery, and she doesn't get back until 1:30pm. She would happily sleep until 4pm if we let her, but we purposely keep it to an hour to help with bedtime. We are finding though that she's gone from going to sleep at 7:30pm - 7:30am, to still fighting sleep at 8:30pm and waking around 6am. I'm wondering if we need to cut out the daytime nap completely? But worry she'd be so cranky by evening if I did this, and my partner works nights, so I'd have to put up with this on my own, plus I have an 8 week old baby who gets very fussy in the evening, so I don't want to put myself in an awful position

Those of you who have potty trained, are your little ones also going dry and without nappies for naps and nighttime?

My little girl has been potty trained during awake time since September with the odd accident here or there, and most naps she does manage to stay dry, although we do put a nappy on in case. But at night there's no way we'd be able to go nappy free as she has such a big, full nappy in the morning. Last night her Dad forgot to put a nappy on for bed and she wet herself and happily just lay in it and went back to sleep, so I don't just want to take the nappy away and hope she figures it out.

Should I be doing something else to try and get her to stay dry overnight?

I know there's been a few threads on this already so nit looking for a general list of ideas. I've got a list of things I'd want to get but I think most would be better for 3rd year and a bit lost with what would be a good one that would have longevity but could be used now already. Wondering if anyone who has older kids has experience in them using yoto or similar at 2 years old, is it too early for them? Was also thinking a toy toolbox bench but also better for 3 year old maybe? He's quite good with his fine motor skills.

For me my social anxiety crystallised after having baby as a intense fear of being judged and yesterday I finally bought alcohol while with son in buggy. Without justifying myself to anyone that it's for my partner for our anniversary as a present and I won't be drinking it (which is true). I decoded it was nobody's business and to not care if I got judged and I actually got IDed for it and felt flattered about that and so definitely someone noticed I bought alcohol and I didn't feel judged. Yaaaay. I used to feel panicked just eating crisps while pushing the pram because I was starving due to cmpa breastfeeding when LO was a baby and I felt awful for setting a bad example by eating junk food in front of a 8 month old who had no idea what I was eating and was looking at the cars 😅. I felt everyone was staring and judging and I'm so glad that now I could potentially eat a chocolate bar while pushing the pram knowing that i deserved the break sometimes and my LO can't see me so can't ask for it and he doesn't get chocolate yet. So happy I can finally be a little less harsh on myself, slowly. Gradually. 20 months yesterd🥲☺️ I suddenly realised this morning omg that means he is 2 in less than 4 months. Where is the time going