Toddler & Child

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On the blog

31 Rainy Day Activities for Kids of All Ages

Tassia O'Callaghan

Potty Training Safety: The Thing No One Talks About (But Every Parent Should Know)

How moms are thinking about sharing their kids online

Jessica Payne

Blended Family Life: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why

Tassia O'Callaghan

109 Grandma Names That’ll Stick for Life

Tassia O'Callaghan

16 Books for Mums That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and Feel Seen

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Capricorn Baby: What It’s Like Parenting a Tiny Grown-Up

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Pisces Baby: What to Expect From the Dreamiest Sign

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Virgo Baby: What to Expect from Your Little Earth Sign

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Libra Baby: How to Support Your Little Peacemaker

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Taurus Baby: How to Parent the Most Chill (and Most Stubborn) Sign

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Gemini Baby: Get Ready for a Whole Lot of Talking

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Cancer Baby: Big Feelings in a Tiny Package

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Leo Baby: What to Expect From Your Fiery Lion

Tassia O'Callaghan

May Half Term 2025: Where Kids Eat Free (or for Just £1) Across the UK ✨

Phoebe Corcoran

Raising an Aquarius Baby: Parenting the Future-Minded Free Spirit

Tassia O'Callaghan

From the community

Recent discussions

Should I let him stay late at a wedding?

My husband's close friend is getting married soon. My parents are going to watch our 8 month old twins for the daytime but aren't comfortable looking after them for the evening because they haven't done it before. We were going to leave before the evening meal/events begin to get back home, but my husband's friend is now saying he wants my husband to stay. My parents will stick around to help me with the kids but don't know their routine or anything, should I say he can stay later and deal with them myself?

dad taking over?

anyone else feel like their babys dad is taking over?
im 4 weeks postpartum, and while im SO grateful that he’s a hands on dad (the bare minimum) i cant help but feel like im literally only here to breastfeed. he lets me sleep more than him but i feel like hes always there, always watching, always taking her from me, always giving me passive aggressive and condescending ‘advice’ ???
ive been feeling like i cant connect with baby and that alongside the stress of breastfeeding is making me so overwhelmed and i dont know what to do.
i guess i just want to know if im the only one? :/

Childcare Gov account- help

Hi there, can I get a bit of advice with my childcare gov account. For background I have a 6 year old and a 6 month old who is yet to start nursery. When I log on and click the ‘free childcare for parents’ menu both kids are listed with their own codes. We have yet to give my LOs code to the nursery.
However when I click the ‘your tax-free childcare account’ only my eldest is listed. Is this normal at this stage or have I missed a step? Thanks!

Would you use this car seat protector under your car seat?

Okay my husband and I keep butting heads over my car. He wants it much cleaner than I have the time or energy to keep up with -> he won’t clean it though.

I’m tired of butting head over this and I’m considering using this thing.

I’ve seen ones that are split but I don’t really see how that system would help me keep the seat clean unlike this single one.

I just spent two hours scrubbing my seats yesterday. I deep clean once a month and take it to the car wash every Monday on top of that I pick up trash daily and put any free items in the bins system I’m using. (One under each of my kids for their toys and one in the trunk for random things so they are flying around .

I’ve come a long way with car maintenance but all he ever sees is what I’m doing wrong and I’m over it.

Is my toddler naughty or just a toddler?😅

So I have two childless friends who’ve made a few comments about my son. He’s just over two, and is deep in the terrible twos. He’s lovely & so funny, but yes there’s a lot of tempers. He doesn’t always listen to me, or eat all his meals, he loves his snacks & stands on the sofa.

I feel these things are part of being a toddler, he’s not hitting, biting or being mean to other children - but is he perfect no! We do have tempers, mainly if he’s over tired. Am I doing something wrong?? I don’t think I’m soft, but I don’t think I’m super strict either - yet my friends have implied they would be stricter with their kids. It’s got in my head massively.

Any tips welcome, just trying to be the best mum I can🫶🏻

Do you do any nursery pick ups in PJs?

I sometimes do when I’m in too much pain to change. Wondering if people ever judge me for it.

Feedback from nursery was that child was not good today and hit another child

She was so negative about her. Made me wonder if she didn’t want her there.

Where do I go from here? Should I ask for the other parents number to apologise?

Question

So I’m a SAHM so uk I have my kid most the time lol however my MIL runs and in home day care so one day a week sometimes twice if I have something to do that she really can’t come with me for a few hours she goes over there and she loves it she gets to make friends and plays with other kids and gets to socialize sense uk that’s good for them and my daughter absolutely loves my mil ( her Mimi) and my mil lovesssss times with her absolutely spoils her rotten lol so like twice a month on a friday or Saturday she stays the night with my mil we have never had any problems or anything it’s a great system I can get my stuff done and my husband and I get a night or two a month of some us time and we go out to eat or something. I have recently been told by a girl I’m no longer friends with that I’m a “bad mom” because I let someone watch her even though I stay home. She is also a SAHM and absolutely refuses for anyone to watch her kids but then complains 24/7 about how she wants a break and stuff her oldest is also 2 and doesn’t know how to play or socialize with other kids because she is lit ever around any other kids until last week now she’s around her new baby brother she is not a nice kid she cusses like a sailor and she thinks it’s okay to hit push punch you name it because her mom lets her do it to them and never corrects her. So I’m kinda confused on how I’m in the wrong for letting me mil watch my daughter and socializing her with other kids buttttt okay🫣

Anyone not feeding baby actual solid pieces of food yet?

Had to wait until 6.5/7 months as daughter wasn’t ready for weaning, and I’ve been doing purées. We very quickly moved out of the ultra thin purées and are now on a blitzed/mashed texture to which she takes very well and really loves her food. Tried everything and likes it!

However she does not get on with finger food at all. I try a piece a day, banana, toast etc and she gags (also actually choked on toast a week ago which scared the life out of me). I’m openly trying her and exposing her to finger foods but she just does not get on with it! Anyone else in a similar boat?

I had the same approach with my eldest - purées, gradually increasing the texture until it was solid food and she eats beautifully and has a fantastic varied diet and has never been overly fussy. But she was eating finger foods along with purées quite well.

I’ve only been weaning her since Easter so it’s been 6 weeks. Is this just something I need to give time?

How are you affording childcare?

We have an 8 month old and a 2 year old. We make too much for assistance but to little to afford it!
Childcare is crazy!!!!

Am I over reacting

I’m keeping myself anonymous because of the lack of self respect 🤦🏼‍♀️ now, I’ve been with my partner about 5 years. Relationship been up and down and we’ve been through ALOT together, our little boy is almost 2. In these 2 years whilst living under my roof as it’s my house, he moved in with me, he’s probably paid for food shopping 3 times. I am constantly carrying us month to month, I’m training to be a paramedic, everything is tight, I had a bad month last month and he paid for the childcare, but then he was skint, he’s doing a course atm and until he’s finished that he’s opening his own business, so I don’t ask him to split the bills down the middle as I know he’s on little money, I pay everything from household to my 4 kids, one of them are his. He doesn’t even offer to pay for food shopping, he asks to lend money all the time, sometimes he’ll turn up to his course sometimes he won’t, this is making me fall out of love because how on earth are my meant to love someone who doesn’t bring anything to the table, this has been going on for years, money doesn’t interest me, never has, but watching your partner struggle every month and doing nothing about it, just means they clearly don’t care right? It’s my sons 16th birthday next month, and my little boy is 2 next week, guess whose paying for our little boys birthday, I am, the presents, the theme park, the hotel, the food! I am struggling, I cry most of the time cos how can he sit there and watch me do this time and time again. I’m on the verge of leaving. Am I over reacting?

Hand washing.

I need opinions on this.
I have worked in hospitals most of my life so I know hand washing is important.
I noticed a while back when my mum washes her hands she only uses water, no soap.
I did say something and she didn’t take it well and also said that the reason we are so poorly these days is cos we are too clean!
I don’t agree and I’ve recently just had a baby and she’s been visiting and I noticed when she went to take the bin out for me she didn’t wash her hands afterwards… I’m not sure why she doesn’t think hand washing is important and honestly it’s driving me mad cos if I say anything it causes tension and she says I’m overbearing and I’ve got OCD cos I make my kid wash his hands frequently 🙄

need help

i don’t really know what to say other than i’m really struggling and think i’m going to have a mental break down soon.

i have no money till 9th june, my daughters dad doesn’t give me any money towards her he just uses it on his drugs and cigarettes. i have no food in the house, my girl is in nappies that are really tight for her. i’ve tried contacting food banks and children centres for help but i’ve got a no every time. I just don’t what else to do. i’m feeling so guilty that i’m struggling, my daughter is literally eating pasta everyday as that’s basically all i have. i just don’t know who to turn to anymore. 😭💔

Favorite [indoor] activities?

Hey y'all! My youngest is Very Two. I am always overstimulated and a lot of days we have way too much screen time and too many snacks, largely because that's the only way I can get things done while she's awake so I can actually have some quiet time to decompress while she's napping lol. I have strooooong suspicions that she's neurodivergent. Mostly nonverbal, very physical & sensory-seeking. She's not really interested in most of the toys we have, except her rocking croc, tricycle, and sit-and-spin. Everything else kinda hust gets chucked around. I'd love to get more toys/equipment geared towards the sensory-seeking, we just don't have the space in our current home. We spend as much time outside as we can; she's usually happily digging in the dirt with a stick or picking dandelions. But it's storm season, and I need some indoor activities! She likes to color, but only for very short periods (like, 2 minutes). I'm looking at building up some sensory bin activities, but they're definitely more of an outdoor activity for her; she's a big fan of dumping things out lol.
She's my second so I feel like I should have things figured out, but she's so wildly different from her sister it's like starting from scratch 😅
Thanks in advance for any ideas! ❤️ bonus points for tips on how to keep up with her energy better; I'm pretty low-energy lately so it's been a struggle 😅

Leaking urine

Anybody else leaking urine? I’m really self conscious about it and I’ve been doing my pelvic floor excercises

Childcare

What is everyone doing for childcare? It seems almost impossible to afford daycare, also leaving my 1 year old at an unknown place gives me big anxiety.

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