Articles & Expert Guides on Parenting

Medically-reviewed expert guides, tips, real-life stories, and articles on Parenting

143 Best Baby Quotes for Every Tiny, Magical, Messy Moment

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

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

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Scorpio Baby: The Good, The Intense, and The Nap Refusals

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising an Aries Baby: The Boldest Sign in the Nursery

Tassia O'Callaghan

Raising a Sagittarius Baby: Traits, Tips, and What No One Tells You

Tassia O'Callaghan

Parallel Parenting Made Simple: Apps, Schedules & Survival Tips

Tassia O'Callaghan

One and Done Family: Why Having a Single Child Is on the Rise

Tassia O'Callaghan

What Is an Almond Mom? Why It’s a Problem & How to Break the Cycle

Tassia O'Callaghan

From the community

Unacceptable?

My 42 year old husband went out last night for his friends 40th. Its now almost midday and not only is he not home, but hasn't even contacted me. Im 6 months pregnant and we have a 3 year old. He goes over to that friends every friday night fot a few drinks and stays until usually 2. A couple times hes come home at 630 but never this late. Never apologises. But this feels like blatant disrespect. Im starting to suspect cheating too... what do you guys think?

Feeling so stupid and scared

I feel like i can't tell my husband no. I can tell him I don't want to but for some reason it always keeps going and eventually I give up and try to enjoy it as much as i can. Hes not a bad guy but I have a really hard time resisting him when it comes to it. The problem is I am only 25 days postpartum and we've had sex 3 times already. I know my body isn't ready and I've told him as much. All he does is tell me he'll be gentle. Anyways he finished inside yesterday and I have been a nervous wreck. I am not on birth control yet since i haven'tbeen to my 6 week appointment yet. I got pregnant with our current newborn while breastfeeding and not even having 1 period after our toddler. This most recent pregnancy was very hard on me physically and our newborn is dealing with health issues. I am so scared to get pregnant again. I know its not likely that ive ovulated yet since I am breastfeeding still and haven't stopped my postpartum bleeding yet, but i am still stressing out.

I need someone to talk too

These past 3 days especially today. Have been hard. I really need someone that’s not my mom to talk to right now.

My husband has been mad at me for 3 days now. And I don’t know why. I asked and apologized for things I thought it would be.

Today my son hit his face really hard on a table leg. Call doc they said he fine. I’m still going to go see a doc tomorrow just in case. But nothing I do or that has been said to me helping me claim down. My husband will not talk to me about it. And I know once he see it he only going to get more upset with me. I just need a hug and someone to talk to me. I’m a mess right now. And I’m worried like crazy about my baby.

Husband help

How much should my husband help during the newborn stage? I feel like I’m alway taking care of our son, pumping, diapers, waking up in the middle of the night then cleaning the house, washing dishes, bottles, pumps and the laundry. He work a blue collar job so he doesn’t hold our son till he showers and sometimes he is home for 1-2 hrs before he showers and even then he doesn’t hold our son unless I hand him off. Just feel like I’m doing morning shift and night shift and I’m tired and I don’t know how to get him to help.

Struggling

11 months postpartum and struggling to feel happy. I am working full time from home (I hate my job) and I am also full time childcare. We don't have a village. My husband is sore and tired when he gets home. A lot of times, it's just negative energy in the home. I'm also expecting again. Im so overwhelmed and tired. What can I do? I dont even have time to ride my horses anymore...

What should I do?

So my partner brother and family are flying back to Poland for Christmas

My partner is wanting to go too for Christmas and he has said he’s going with or without me (I have no annual leave left and I don’t want to be away from my son for a week)

We went to Poland this summer and there was about 10 people in one house my son stopped eating and just cried the whole time we was there & I have raised these concerns and all I get is ‘I’m going with or without you’

I’m prepared to end my 9 year relationship with him if he does take him away when I have raised my concerns and said no he’s not going

I have said he can go before or after Christmas I just don’t want him going during Christmas my fav time of year and he knows I do all the bdays and Christmas plan it all out do all the presents get everything ready

It will honestly break me if he takes him

His mum and dad was over while my son was 4 weeks old……phones multiple times couldn’t get hold of him & he was gone for about 5/6hrs when he said he would he 1 - yes he’s apologised for this but he still did it

I don’t know what I can do🥲

I feel bad for hiding my disabled child from a new family my daughter has made friends with.

My twins are 5.5 years old. Last year a little boy named Omar was in their class and formed a close relationship with my daughter. They really care about each other. I was able to set up a playdate in the summer and have another one coming up. I only took my daughter last time because my son does ruin friendships for her. His needs are too high, he whines, he's annoying to others, he often makes is have to go home earlier than we wanted to because he cannot handle the environment. The mom knows I have two kids. I made an excuse not to bring him last time because I didn't want his sister to miss out on the fun activity and I wanted to be able to enjoy the outing also. Taking him could have made that impossible. We have lost friends repeatedly because of my sons behavior, crying ect. Am I a bad mom for wanting him to stay home so his sister can have this? or should I risk it and bring my son knowing there's a chance he won't behave well and his sister may never see this friend she values again?

I don't even know im tired and angry

Who else is a 24/7 mom? Because I really don't want your opinion unless you are one. We are a single income house with two children while we homeschool , and I get absolutely no time alone whatsoever unless you count being asleep alone , in which case I am woken at unnamable times by my toddler as they do. But I am going unimaginably, incredibly insane. I am tired of the constant whining,Crying, needing, and feeding.... anything you can think of a child would need I am the bitch for it. I'm not saying my husband isn't just as exhausted sometimes after he comes home from work, but he immediately sits down to play games or watch TV and gets instantly angry when the kids whine or cry or get too loud for him to be able to play his game or watch TV. And he is screaming and yelling at them. When I have been the one home with it all day and deal with it. 24/7 I don't even watch my own shows anymore. I can't remember the last time I picked up a physical book for myself or anything I actually enjoy that I didn't think twice and wonder if the kids needed something before I did.

Vent session

My child’s father makes me feel so small. He barely does his part but somehow takes moments to make me feel like nothing. I don’t currently drive due to PTSD but I promise I want to start back and know I have to get past it. At this time, he drives our son to school and picks him up. Any chance he gets he tells everyone it’s been so hard on him and tells his bosses and his bosses always respond like “what type of mother doesnt drive.” …. Just always applauding him and saying they feel bad for him. Y’all I do EVERYTHING. Taking our son to school is all he does. Minimum help with finances, doesn’t do anything around the house, nothing. Just plays video games, watches tv, drinks and naps. At this point. I’m ready to be done. Today was the last straw with him making me feel small over driving. I’m gonna get myself together and never look back. He better hope I don’t drive the hell away from him for good.

Deal with something a non mom friend said.

Okay so I'm gonna try and make this a really long story short... So back in October last year, my best friends auntie died, now she wasn't close with her auntie like they hadn't spoken in 10 years her mom and her auntie had a massive fight and just never made up. She was obviously upset as you would be because now she'll never get a chance to get to know her. But at the same time all this was happening it was coming up to a weekend I had planned for another friend to cheer her up... Her husband asked for a divorce 5 days before her birthday in June after being together 12 years married for 2. But because we are all adults and have work and normal lives it took months for us to find a date that worked for everyone to go out do drinks and just a really fun night out to cheer her up!
The 1st friend came to this (I told her she didn't have to if she didn't feel up to it but also I thought it would hopefully help her take her mind of things).
Anyway night went on lost of drinking lots of other drama but basically I had the friend who was getting a divorce crying on the bathroom floor because of everything and while I'm trying to deal with that I have the friend who's auntie died come and try and talk to me. I told her that as soon and I get friend 2 sorted I'd sit and talk with her. Friends 2 dad was on the way to come pick her up so it wouldn't be long.
I get back to the table we were all at and out of no where friend 1 lays in to me about how I haven't been a good friend and I haven't been there for her (because I didn't go down and see her last minute when another mutual friend of ours was the day before even though I wasn't even in the house I was out and busy) and that I always do this and (the part I still think about and still gets to me) 'i use my daughter as an excuse'.
Apparently friend 1 and our mutual friend have felt like this for a while but never said anything, I got to speak with the mutual friend and we are all good we talked it out and all is great with us.
I never got to speak to friend 1 because the day after all this happened we found out my mom had cancer and friend 1 wasn't in a good place either with her auntie so I wanted to wait until all of that had passed, then she had the stress of buying a house with her boyfriend and there has always been something that has just not made it a good time but I still think about it and I dont know how to just let it go!
Like she now has a 8 month old puppy so is starting to understand the not having time for anything! But it just really got to me the 'i use my child as an excuse' when she has no bloody idea how hard it is and probably won't either because her partner is a teach so he's home in the evenings and weekends when my husband is a chef so works evenings and weekends so I don't get the extra helps then.
But am I over reacting and should I just let it go or is this something that would annoy you as well?
I know I said I'd make it long story short but that's as short as I can make it with context that is needed.....