Childcare - 30 free hours

Trying to figure out the best way to make the 30 free hours work since you have to return to work in either September or January - had baby on 3rd Nov and wasn’t supposed to be returning until mid Oct. Are we returning early, late or just sucking it up and paying the full amount until Jan?

Keen to hear how you are all making it work!

in our community

Would you be annoyed?

Husband went out last night to a pub quiz (absolutely fine) however his lift home was with his friends new girlfriend who arrived totally drunk yet he still got in the car. He said it was awkward to refuse and get a taxi in front of others. He's 36 years old and I honestly thought he'd do better when he has a family at home. I'm so pissed off with him!

Partner working all the time

Does anyone else have a husband that literally just works all the time I am honestly so drained I am literally so exhausted 😩 😭 I am just on my own all the time I feel like it would probably be better if I was just a single parent sometimes it’s just so draining.
I am currently receiving postnatal support as since giving birth to my second I have been struggling I had a really traumatic time it’s Easter weekend and I am just sitting at home not having the energy to do anything he literally works Monday - Saturday all the time till 5am-7pm.
I was just wondering if anyone else has a similar situation does it get better I just don’t know if I can carry on with this relationship I hardly see him and when I do it’s pretty much bed time.
The washing is piled high the house is a mess and I don’t have the energy to do anything other than to look after my two children.

3 year old resisting potty training

Hiya. Any advice for potty training my three year old please? We've got various pottys and toilets/seats for him to use. We've tried sticker charts, bribery, I've even got a bag of presents and said he can choose one each time he uses the potty, but he just refuses. When I suggest it or try to make him go without a nappy he just gets upset. I don't want to turn it into a battle but don't know what else to try. Do I just wait for him to be ready? Or give him a deadline for wearing nappies and stick to it? I was going to do the naked for three days thing but it's just upsetting him. Help! Thank you

Advise!!!

Ok so this Easter Dad is supposed to have 5 nights with our 2yo (court ordered) I’m fine with it. I think our child will struggle as they already struggle with a 2 night stay, but it’s ordered so it has to happen. There is no mention in the order that these are in addition to his regular contact it just says the child will stay with the father for 5 nights at Easter, there was a conversation in court about it only been 5 as it was to build up the nights gradually.

He is now trying to tag it to his weekend meaning he will have 6/7 nights. I don’t agree with this as like I say 2 nights are hard for the child’s it is so 5 is going to be hard and I don’t want to add to it.

My solicitor has said until he agrees I should not let him have her. I agree and I don’t want to give into him as he is very much all about control and abusing me not doing what is right for the child but I am also conscious that the child then misses out on a little holiday away with his family all for the sake of 1/2 nights. It seems so silly.

What’s your thoughts and advice??

2 weeks

I finally got my own apartment and left my husband 2 weeks ago today. Im honestly surprised how civil he's been. But I knew that he'd be with other women immediately, and I thought I was okay with that. The fact that he's still even with nothing to lose because I left, lying to me about being at another house is driving me crazy. I have his location and drove by there the other day so I know. Its. It healthy for me to concern myself with I know. But I cant handle the quickness and the lies. I know this is how he copes, he cant be alone and probably why hes being so nice after I left.

If you’re not close to your mom - what went wrong?

Now that I have kids I want a strong and close relationship with my babies. Something I didn’t have with my mom and still don’t.

My mom and I see each other once or twice a year and that’s if I go there to visit her. We don’t talk on the phone unless she wants to call me to ask my younger sisters to go back home.

Never comes over to see my 3 kids never calls to check on them avoids me when she sees me out with my family.

When I was a teen we argued non stop. For years until I left the house. But before that I was always the good child always listened always did what she asked. I was the oldest so did everything for her went above and beyond. I bought up my younger sisters stayed up late nights fed them changed nappies bath them took them out on weekends. My sisters don’t remember her doing any of these things because she never did them. And now she hates them staying at my house she calls non stop.

She’s manipulative and twists things a lot. I have other siblings and she pits us against each other without us realising. Only now as an adult I’m picking up on things and how she manipulates around things.