SCREEN TIME; Would you describe your parenting…

I do believe screen time can be both beneficial and harmful. We love family movie days/nights, we love Pixar films and wanted to share that with our little ones but we don’t do games on devices/youtube/short reel like videos and some kids series I can clearly see overstimulate them so we don’t watch.

I would describe us as aware of the danger of screens but I wouldn’t say we are strict with ZERO screen time, at all, we have the TV on in the background for a lot of the day, not kids tv all day and sometimes just music channels. Screens are going to be here forever and I do believe in teaching the balance. We are a camping loving family so when my kids have been outdoors playing, discovering and learning about the world all day I really don’t see how a bit of Toy Story in the tent is going to erase all that for a young one.

I do think smartphones and iPads see unnecessary for childhood, but I’m also not opposed to a movie on one during one of our many 5/6 hour drives. Like anything in life, is it not about balance? As parents we should research and learn of course, which is why there are things we have decided our children aren’t allowed but I do personally think completely screen free parenting takes it a step too far.

I see parents not allow their children to look at a screen say in FaceTime to a family member, I regularly show my children photos of my phone and we look at them together, we also look through physical photo albums🤷‍♀️ The world has both now.

in our community

Mother

The house is quiet.
Finally, a moment to myself.
I sit on the couch, expressing milk for his next feed.
Time circles my mind.
Do I have enough time to write this?
Should I sleep instead?
It’s getting late.
I should be grateful.
I should be present.
I should… I should.
The guilt.
The intrusive thoughts.
The disconnection from self.
The robotic washing of bottles, clothes, and dishes.
Then the question returns.
Do I have enough time for me?
What me?
Who am I?
Where am I?
I miss her.
I miss me.
Who have I become?
I have become a mother.
I am everything to this little human who will one day call me mum.
His life depends on me with every waking moment.
I give.
And I give.
Then he smiles.
And suddenly I see him
the little human I have nourished with tired eyes,
with time,
with love stretched beyond capacity.
Sometimes I leave to rest.
To breathe.
But even then my mind returns home.
I should be there.
I should be caring for my baby.
Is this normal?
Am I normal?
I feel myself unbecoming the woman I once knew so well.
They say this time is sacred.
And it is.
But it goes fast.
Maybe because we are not fully here in these early days.
We are surviving.
Living on autopilot.
Days blur together.
Until suddenly he shows me something new —
a smile,
a look,
a tiny trick he has learned.
And that moment is priceless.
His beautiful smile.
His big, beautiful eyes.
He is beginning his life
as I share mine
to keep him thriving.
A sacred sacrifice.
A whirlwind.
A shift in reality.
Who am I?
I am mother.

Does anyone have a child that’s a bit “different” when it comes to in law’s family? 😅😂

My sister in law is having a conversation with my 4year old and ask what their favorite tv show is and my 4/yo response “stranger things” and absolutely no comment when she said that 😂
She ask what is their favorite food and my 4yo says “spam” their response is “huh? What? “
Then asks what their favorite candy is and my 4y/o responds “no I don’t eat that. It’s not good for you” no response again 😂
I feel like there’s an expectation they have towards my kids
If they ask what their favorite tv show is they’ll expect a “Mickey mouse Minnie Mouse” that type of stuff for ex
Please tell me I’m not the only one and how do yall feel about it?😅😂

Weetabix

How would you serve it to a 6 month old please? Is it boiled water, formula or mix with cows milk?? I don’t trust google and can’t for the life of me remember what I did for my daughter lol

Separating

So my husband has decided he’s done and doesn’t want us to stay together any more. I thought he was depressed and would get over it eventually but instead he’s decided our marriage is finished. We’re in an awkward position where neither of us can afford the house on our own and neither of us can afford to move out and rent, so logistically we’ll be staying in the house, sleeping in the same bed, raising the kids together whilst not being together? What am I supposed to do? I’ve never felt so useless and rejected. What a waste of 13 years of my life. I thought we’d be together forever. Just needed to vent

???

My birthday is on Friday March 20. I’ll be 35 years young.My man wants to wait to celebrate it until April 1st because he’ll be paid. I have no one else except my man and my kids. I haven’t spoken to anyone from my family since 2018. This year hit me and I’m crying just writing this. I am so lonely and sad. I just need to be lifted up. Am I being unreasonable or selfish?

Nursery funding

I’ve given and submitted the code for the 30hrs funded hours to my sons nursery and we are due to start April 1st. Basically I put his start date as the first day he is eligible for it.
I have just received my invoice and they are charging me for the full 50hours a week with no funded hours on there.
I have emailed them to clarify but just wondering about other people’s experiences. Am I right in expecting the funded hours to be applied from my first invoice, or is it possible that because the invoice has to be paid BY April 1st (before the funding kicks in) that I have to pay the full cost despite the hours I’m paying for being after April 1st.

Stressing out over it a little, and how I’m going to afford paying that amount before I’ve even returned to work as I was expecting my bill to be nearly half that 😬