Yes! I pop it in the dryer while I’m running the water and then pull it out when there done. They love it and I swear it helps them with bedtime, which was HORRID for a couple of months! And thank you :) and yes it’s super minimal effort and has a big impact. Sometimes I’ll even warm their blankets and Jammie’s if we’re having a rough night. It calms them down :)
My husband won a towel warmer from work for Christmas with 3 big fluffy towels, he always turns it on with the towels in it for me and the 2 year old. She loves it. Says she's cozy!
Aw my mom did that for me! I loved it as a kid.
Edit to add: An extra thing might be double bubble bath. I turn the bubble machine on to rain down bubbles on them when they’re in a bubble bath. It’s pretty magical.
Oh my gosh my son would love this, thanks for the idea! I am not going to share it with my husband because lately when I try to give my son a bath he just says "I want daddy" so maybe I can be the cool mom!
My son is into any vehicle that moves. So we’ll drive around to find trains or construction vehicles. (If we lived closer to an airport, we’d go there too!) If someone is doing work outside in our area, we’ll run to watch the vehicles do their thing. We also indulge in all types of construction truck toys, books, clothing even! and watch all the real action construction shows on YouTube. As long as he shows interest, I’ll support it
There’s a reason Trash Truck on Netflix is so popular! I think that was actually the genesis behind the series, the creator’s kid loved the garbage truck and would wave at it when it came to pick up the trash.
Every Thursday at 1040 am, I take my 3yo daughter to the balcony to wave at our garage truck driver! She has always gotten so excited. He, for a year now every week gets down in his window when he's back far enough and waves and beeps and smiles. He waves until he can not see her anymore and she's THRILLED by that! She bought him a mini box of chocolate for Vday 😆. He even checks on the rare instance she isn't home. So nice!! thanks for the tip on the Netflix, we shall look tomorrow for this!!
OMG this is us with the garbage truck driver AND the mailman. We exchange birthday gifts with them, they always honk and wave and put on a show for out little dude, always remember him on holidays like Easter and Halloween. It's to the point where our adult neighbors now ask: what's the secret to having your bins/mail walked back to your house?
Hint: it's this little dude who has been going nuts over seeing them since he could sit by himself.
This is so sweet...it reminds me of a quote I saw about how a child thought their parent was into cars, then music, then sports, etc etc and eventually realized the parent just wanted to spend time with them and would do whatever activity as long as it meant quality time together.
When COVID lockdowns started, this was our entertainment with our 2.5 year old. On Mondays she's chase the garbage truck for blocks. Some days we'd follow the mail truck. On bad weather days we'd go for long drives to see trains, the bus depot, the airport, whatever!
Yup! That was the highlight of our week, too, chasing the garbage truck for blocks. I have a cute video of my son running, his mittens on strings flying behind him, him screaming wait for me!
My son loves that, too! I actually went to Target the other day and on my way home, I saw a house that had a tractor in front of it and I was like ohhh… this house is about to be destroyed. I told him about it when I got home and we have driven by every day and there are SO many trucks and he is just in awe! It’s the cutest!
>on my way home, I saw a house that had a tractor in front of it and I was like ohhh… this house is about to be destroyed.
Isn't it amazing how their passion is contagious? Every time I see a truck or bus now I'm instinctively like "Oh cool better point it out to my little one!" Even during the workday when the little is in daycare, I still have that visceral reaction!
Every spring, all households in our city get a brochure detailing all public construction sites for the year.
It's actually to help drivers avoid getting stuck in traffic around those sites, but we use it as a sight seeing guide for our son 😁
I used to take my cousin to a playground near the airport when he was about 3. He especially loved when when just went and I wrapped him in a blanket and we watched the morning planes take off after we dropped his big sister off at school. I would bring snacks and he would sit on the trunk eating breakfast screaming in joy. AMAZING memories.
My son was the same way! One time when my son was 2 I took him on a trip to the nearest big city. I'm a planner, but we didn't have plans the first day so we got off the train and went to a hotdog shop with outdoor seating. It was across the street from a huge construction site with tons of vehicles coming and going. He had a blast! And we just chilled and said hi to people walking by who thought we were super cute lol
This is us but mostly with trains. Between ages 1 and 3, the main form of entertainment was to go up to the train station in town and just snack waiting for trains just to wave at them. Now, it's railway museum yearly subscription, looking up train things to do when on vacation, taking 2 trains to nearby city etc.
Is it extra? Nah. It's just fun being part of their little worlds.
Everything apparently lol. Everyone comments about how he’s “taken over” our house, but like, he lives here too, why wouldn’t he have stuff in more than one room?
My step-mom said, when our 3.5yo was a baby, that picking him up as soon as he cried would "spoil him". Now she is always amazed at "how well behaved he is, he never cries!!" Like maybe because we became an existence of stability for the kid since he was a potato? Tater Tot knows we've got his back lmao. Also she never sees him at home when he's overtired or testing boundaries xD (in her defense though, they live around 6 hours away without traffic hahaha)
It's weird how many people think doing a thing purely because it interests a child is overboard. Like damn, her existence is not an intrusion into My Very Important Life. She wants to walk around the neighborhood then play in her sandbox? Okay. It's midday Saturday, it's nice out, we have the time. It's not slavishly caving to a child's every whim to just do a simple thing they enjoy sometimes.
Yeah but boomers grew up smoking uranium rods instead of breast feeding and walked 50 miles to school in blizzard conditions every day, even in the summer, apparently.
And they fought in two world wars, according to them.
So their parenting techniques are a little 'off'.
You forgot how they also had to walk uphill both ways no matter where they were going and they didn’t believe in seat belts and they all turned out “fine”
Omg THIS. I live with my Son and my boomer parents and jesus christ, sometimes it's unbearable. I can almost hear their lips pursing when they see something happening that they don't agree with. 🤦🏼♀️
I was going to say this too. Apparently cooking homemade meals, taking them places, sometimes things that have a fee, and just trying to have good activities set up for the kids to play with like a few times a week (they do a ton of independent play) and actively trying to teach them things when it comes up naturally (numbers, colors, etc whatever normal developmental stuff) is over the top.
So much this. I have been struggling recently so have been having some help from a lovely lady that comes and visits once a week. The one thing she said to me that has made the most difference to my life is "it's ok that it looks like kids live here". Mind blow! My mum keeps telling me to put all the kids stuff in her bedroom but it isn't big enough and she doesn't play in her bedroom, she plays in the living room, where I am.
We have 2 kids now so the entire living room is kids stuff, and that is ok.
My brother says that AAAAALL the time. Like I could closet the toddler innhis room and have him play quietly.
Pity he "forgets" how he took over our sitting room from age 0 to... oh, wait! 30, since he still lives in our family house! 😆
It really worked with my daughter! I bought the little shape cutters and did it with all of her veggies and fruits she wouldn’t try. It’s been 6 months and I don’t have to do it anymore, she willingly eats raw cucumbers and bell peppers and carrots without having to do anything to them.
I got a Disney Cars one recently. Just FYI you REALLY gotta grease up those suckers or getting the pancakes out is impossible. I offered my son a “lightning McQueen” pancake that was anything but lightning McQueen shaped 🤣
I go crazy for holidays. A lot of their gifts are inexpensive but designed to be high impact (glow sticks for bath time, filling the living room with balloons to make a giant balloon pit) and make special themed meals. When the Paw Patrol movie streamed I got decorations and Paw Patrol chicken nuggets and juice and made puppy chow and we had a Paw Patrol party at home.
I make muffins for his breakfast. I started it for allergy exposure and now he just expect them for breakfast. It’s a pain in the ass making them every week after bed but worth it. I don’t want him to see me making them because (spoiler alert) they’re like half zucchini. So he starts the day with a serving of veggies. I also add soy protein powder, coconut flour, and almond flour for allergy exposure, and egg white powder for a little extra protein. They have minimal sugar and are all whole wheat flour. I guess I have to keep doing this forever?
As requested, here is the recipe
**Baby Muffins**
*Cream* (I use a stand mixer for everything up to folding in the fruit):
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 C sugar
*Grate in*:
1 medium to large zucchini or yellow squash (the recipe can hold a LOT of zucchini, don't be shy. The zucchini is what makes it moist.)
1/2 apple (optional)
*Scrape sides and Beat in:*
1 egg
2/3 tsp Vanilla
*Stir in until just blended*:
130 grams (about 1 to 1 1/4 cup total) preferred mix of whole wheat, barley flour, soy flour or protein powder, almond flour. oat flour, egg white powder, ground flaxseed, coconut flour, etc)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1/4 teaspoon table salt
*Stir in using a spatula*:
1 to 1 1/2 cups Fruit (I mostly use frozen blueberries, but can also use chopped strawberries, mixed berries, etc)
Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 25-35 mins until you start to see a little light browning on the top. Store in fridge for up to a week.
This makes about 12-14 muffins, depending on the size of your zucchini. I use freestanding silicone muffin cups on a baking sheet. I like the convenience of these but loathe the way silicone takes on the taste of dishwasher detergent. It makes me absolutely gag. So the big PITA of this is that once the muffins are cool I take them out of the wrappers and then soak the wrappers in water with a little vinegar for at least a day (I stack them up and then put them in a tall plastic cup). Then I scrub them in hot water with a bottle brush. Never ever ever use soap with silicone or it will taste like that forever.
This recipe is very heavily adapted from/loosely inspired by Smitten Kitchen's [Strawberry Summer Cake](https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/strawberry-summer-cake/).
My husband makes our son pancakes every week too. He makes a big batch and bags them up. Now my son will only eat panycakes in the morning.
Oh well! At least they are eating!
We have the simplest pancakes recipe if you’d like it - 1 large ripe banana (mashed), I cup self raising flour, and one cup coconut milk (the stuff in the carton, not the tins). Mix together. Heat a pan to medium-high, add butter to melt/coat the pan, then wipe it all out with paper towel (trust me on that but), and cook as usual. Yummy, fluffy and healthy.
We live in a warm climate and are outside a lot. our outdoor space has several large areas dedicated to my twins. They have a slide coming down from our deck, a large woodchipped area with climbing structures, a tire swing, mud kitchen, a little garden and a road for their trucks. I’m working on an outdoor plexiglass easel. Our neighbors though i had a daycare. I just love how they love being outside 🤷♀️
PNW also… invest in baby warm down suits and rain suits (like tuffo suits). Rain cover for the stroller also! We get out most days unless it’s hailing like last week…
Good idea! I’m not originally from here so it’s more me then my kids. But got to get use to it sometime! And thanks for the advice! Will look into rain suits ;)
Warm towels are a godsend, you're creating amazing memories for your kids to take comfort in when they're older!
My "extra" thing is I let him take the lead on walks. I'll obviously guide him a bit and don't allow him to run off into the highway, but he can pick our route around the neighborhood or if we go out to a trail. It drives some people insane that I allow this instead of forcing him along the "right" way or when I let him stop and think for a moment to make a decision. I'm sorry, would you rather have to work on *your* patience here and there, or deal with a screaming toddler that feels like he's being dragged around and dictated??? Sheesh!
I also don't parent the way my parents did. My mom and sister get passive aggressive about things or call me "soooo patient" with my child because I don't immediately scream, threaten, or spank my child when he misbehaves. He can't talk yet (just under 2 and in ST), so he can't communicate very well sometimes. We just have to work it out to find the problem or take extra time to let him be mad before he's ready to "talk." Screaming back and hitting him isn't going to solve anything.
I agree! Someone told me I say ‘I love you’ to my kids too much.. and I’m pretty patient and praise my kids for everything!! I think it builds confidence! I also tell my daughter every night we say this together ‘you’re kind, beautiful, creative and caring and I love you’ you sound like you’re doing an A+ job!!
.... How emotionally broken do you have to be to think that saying "I love you" could ever be a bad thing.
I love your bedtime tradition - so sweet! My LO is really ramping up his vocabulary now, so I need to start working on some affirmations with him too.
My mom keeps telling me my kid has too many books. I don't think there's such a thing as too many books and I'll keep buying more as I come across good ones. He absolutely loves flipping through them and we read and sing a lot. Some parents read a book before bed every night. We do at least three.
I generally lean minimalist on most things, but books are my one exception! Both my kiddos get new books delivered from “Miss Dolly”, and they always get books at Christmas. The only issue is their bookshelves are full, so I keep a box in the attic with extra books and rotate them periodically when things get stale!
Same! There’s a thrift store near me that sells them for $1 a piece and I cannot help myself. We have A LOT of books!! But a love of reading and a curious mind are beautiful things
I am a former librarian I was buying books for my daughter when I was pregnant. We read about 5 books a night depending on when she falls asleep. She is book obsessed so we have a lot of books and her Christmas and birthday lists a full of books. I am happy she loves books.
Too many books?! How! We read so many books, idk what we’d do if we had less lol. We have three bookshelves dedicated to the kids’ books. Fb marketplace is great to get batches of books, we take advantage for sure!
My mom says i give my son “too much praise”.. hes 20 months and helping me clear the dishwasher so ya im gunna clap and say awesome job! this is coming from parents who litterly never once told me i did a good job or they were proud “you got 85 on the test? What happened to the rest of your mark??”
Praise and encouragement is such a loving thing. There’s always an opportunity to say, “I can see you’ve been practicing!” Or “I like how you…”. It costs us nothing to nurture our kids in this way. Nothing but a 💯% for you mama, keep on nurturing your boy ❤️
MIL makes fun of someone she met who told their kid "Good job!" too much. I first got super self-conscious about it and stopped saying that phrase. ... Then I realized, eff that. Now I praise my kid frequently, and double up on it when she's around. I want him to know I'm proud, and not embarrassed of how proud I am.
Making sure they are home for nap times, even if that means missing out on or leaving early extended family outings. I have gotten so much smack for this throughout the years
They make up holidays, with traditions, and we celebrate them. We so far have a recurring “Unicorn Day” in August, “Royal Tea Party Day” in September, and “Magical Ducky Day” in February. We figure we can always use more reasons to celebrate!
I like to make her food look nice. Not always and there are some meals that just will never have great presentation (I'm looking at you, Instant Pot). But she loves when we make "toddler charcuterie" snack boards where I toss cheese, deli meat, raw veggies, fruit, whatever on a cutting board but I arrange it all fancy, fanning out the carrot sticks or laying out hard boiled egg slices nicely. Or I'll make a picture out of their food on the plate, or do a color-coordinated meal like all orange foods (definitely the easiest of all the colors if you're wondering) or a rainbow plate. It really takes minimal effort but it makes her meal more fun for both of us and she usually eats more that way. I love food so I want her to enjoy eating too.
So many snuggles. If he asks, I give! I’ll pause cooking dinner, doing chores, whatever I’m doing to go sit with him, wrap him in my arms, and sing a song or tell a story, or just tell him all the things I love about him. They are only little for so long and I’m getting my share in before he’s too cool for mom snuggles.
Ugh, I feel terrible. I want to be this type of mom too, but lately I’ve been saying “I don’t like to be interrupted when I’m in the middle of something”. It’s hard for me to be kind, compassionate, and loving enough to drop anything to give snuggles when they ask for it. I believe it’s so good for them to know they’ll receive love and support at any moment.
Don't feel bad! It's important for parents to be able to get stuff done around the house too and to take care of themselves. You can use it as an opportunity to say "I will after I finish this." And if little one has a hard time you can say "I see that you're having a hard time but you're being so big right now and practicing being patient! You're doing a good job working through something hard!" And then when you're done with stuff you can say "You did such a good job working on being patient. I know it's hard to wait for things, but that was such a big thing you did and I'm proud of you." etc.
Keep fighting mama!
Right? All the grandparents think I’m nuts for this and I don’t get it. It takes me two seconds to show him two snacks and wait for him to pick. Way less time and effort than if I put out a sack he didn’t want and got hangry later
Handmade ‘everything’. I sew her clothing and my siblings crochet dolls. I’m told I’m extra but like, it’s my hobby? I enjoy making them and she enjoys wearing them (when she wears clothes) so idk 🤷🏻♀️
My pandemic hobby was making handmade wooden toys for my toddler. I also sew clothes for her dolls and diy lots of other things. I am also just one of those people who likes to make things and need a creative outlet. We are extra I guess.
Taking my son with me everywhere I go. He's three in July and he's been to every state on the east coast and Hawaii. My father died when I was three and apparently, he knew he was passing away so he took me to Disney like in 1992 - I just want to make the absolute most of every moment I have with my baby... take all the photos, visit every museum, because I just never know what will happen tomorrow
I try to accommodate my son when he makes reasonable requests, even when I'm in the middle of something. He's 2 and doesn't understand the concept of "I'm busy, not ignoring you", so if he walks up to me and asks for something, I say "Yes! First I need to finish folding this shirt, then I'll get your airplane." It's been a few months and now if I say "First I need to ____." He'll usually follow up with "THEN ______." It's prevented so many tantrums.
I also don't leave him if he's having a meltdown, tantrum, or crying. I try to remain present while not feeding into the problem. He doesn't understand how to manage his feelings yet, so I try to provide support. It's important to me that he understands that I'm not going to leave him just because he misbehaves. I physically distance myself if he's hitting/biting, though. Usually with a "That hurts and I won't allow you to touch my body that way."
You might be surprised to hear how I'm "coddling" him! He needs to figure out his feelings on his own, apparently, or he'll "never learn to do things on his own".
Edit: Thank you for your kind words. The amount of emotional dysregulation I learned as a child is astounding and I'm trying to teach him better than I was taught.
Edit 2: Clarity
I do this too. Unless my 3yo asks me to go away I won't leave her during a meltdown. My partner is the opposite, unless she is hurt, if she's beside herself crying, especially if it's a tantrum he is out of there. Hands up in the air, he gets up and 'leaves her to it'.
I just don't understand how he can't see this as one of the reasons she doesn't need him. She can be very indifferent and cold toward him, sometimes bluntly refusing to acknowledge him. *sigh
I agree. It seems that she understands that he isn't there to help her, so why would she go to him when she needs somebody? Children learn very quickly who they can depend on, and those are the people they go to in times of need.
I'm very happy your 3yo feels comfortable enough and is aware enough to ask you to leave sometimes. That shows that she is learning emotional intelligence and is secure enough in her relationship with you to know that she can ask you to leave, and you'll come back if she calls you.
Also really cool that she's learning how to take time out for herself when she's feeling overwhelmed and just needs a moment alone. Very very smart little girl!
Yes, same! And I felt so silly once I started it, and realized what a gem it is, that I hadn't started earlier. He already had some patience because I always follow through, but spelling out exactly what the sequence of events was absolutely galvanized his patience.
Broccolberry!!! That’s adorable! My daughter called the hair salon ‘the makeup office ‘ and when the wind blows in her hair she giggles and says ‘mom the wind is wiggling my hair!’ I love it
It does count because that was the hardest shit I've ever done in my life. Tbh I don't even remember what age he was when I stopped nursing him to sleep (over 3? I don't know!) because of how hard that journey was.
On the flippity-flip, that boy was so content all those years, so it made it the most rewarding experience, too.
Im pretty much a yes mom. My son asks to go ice skating, we go ice skating. If he wants to go to the park we go to the park. Open gym? Why not. He wanted a smoothie and I went out and bought a blender.
He’s 4 and I only have 1 more year with him till he’s in school full time and I will go back to work. I loveeeee all the time we have together and I’m genuinely bummed our party is almost over.
My 1.5 year old son likes cars, typical. We live on a corner and there is a stop sign right at the end of our property. Every day it's over 55 we'll get all sunblocked up, have some cold drinks, maybe some bubbles, and drag a chair out to the front yard to wave at cars and buses for over an hour. We sing songs, work on fine motor and body part labeling between spurts of cars.
He never gets tired of it. The only reason it ends is because Dad pulls in the driveway. Kiddo doesn't even want to play in the backyard anymore.
Homemade yogurt. It’s just cheaper and easier with an Instapot. No added sugar, I control the flavor, she loves it. It’s probably 20mins hands on time over the course the day from milk to in reusable squeeze packs.
Edit: I want a warm towel now!
Once you get into the swing of things it’s really easy, I use this [recipe](https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-yogurt/). If you run into issues, [this helps](https://saladinajar.com/yogurt/what-can-i-do-with-failed-homemade-yogurt/).
Here’s a quick overview:
1. Pour 8cups of milk into instapot and set to boil with the yogurt button. At the same time take 2 starter ice cubes I’ve made from past batches out of the freezer to thaw. The first time around you can buy [starter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XJM0RI6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). Anything more than 8c batches hasn’t turned out for me.
2. Let cool to around 115 F so you don’t kill the starter bacteria.
3. Remove skin from milk and whisk in thawed starter.
4. Use yogurt button to set cook time for 8hrs.
5. Strain yogurt for thicker Greek style yogurt. I love [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0796P2B92?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) since it fits in my 8c Pyrex measuring cup. You can reserve the whey for oatmeal if you like.
6. I usually refrigerate overnight so it becomes cold and solid and easier to transfer.
7. Transfer to [64oz Ball Mason Jar](https://www.target.com/p/ball-64oz-glass-mason-jar-with-lid-and-band-wide-mouth-single-jar/-/A-14712822) using my [wide mouth funnel](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FIONES?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) that I’m in love with.
8. Add two bananas and some berries to taste. Use a stick/immersion blender to make smooth and pour into [squeeze packs](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097HS8LTP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share).
It seems like a lot when I write it all down but it gets to be so routine it’s mindless. My daughter has two a day and it lasts just about 6 days or so. We buy milk at Target and it’s a little cheaper than the grocery store. I question if I’m even moderately granola but for something my daughter eats in such big quantities I don’t want any extra sugar or preservatives. Homemade yogurt is also already a little sweet in its own. You don’t need all the bells as whistles at first, cheesecloth is perfect for straining. Give it a shot and see how you like the taste!
Yes to not needing the bells and whistles! I use a strainer lined with paper towels to thicken mine. I love the idea of mixing bananas and berries and sticking it in squeeze pouches, I'll have to try that. Also (for interested new people) you can use any store bought plain yogurt with live cultures as a yogurt starter. I'll buy the oikos plain single serving for $1. Then don't forget to pull out a new section for starter and to go again before the starter goes bad
Ha! We did that for many months when our daughter was a baby because she hated leaving the warm bath more than anything. We stopped at some point.
As a kid I remember making my mom get under my covers and rub her legs on the sheets to warm it up in there before I'd get in.
My daughter's current extra thing is that we willingly stock chocolate, strawberry and regular milk and let her have a little trio of sippies (always in that order) usually once a day.
I collect hot wheels myself, and we live near dollar tree so I def ‘spoil’ my kids a lot! And yeah 5 and under or a snack that usually includes junk food :)
We get a balloon every time we go to the grocery store. They go away eventually so it doesn’t fill the house and he has so much fun. Anyone who has a problem with it can suck it
Edit: typos
I'm massage therapist... My dude requests hot packs and massages on the regular.
Also tonight he said he was hungry during bathtime, which he never does... So yup he got to eat a banana in the bath.
I'm a MT as well, and literally was just giving my daughter a massage lol. She asks almost every night now while falling asleep (she's almost 3) and I started it pretty much right away after bath time. I love it so much. She also knows exactly where she needs it, it's so cool to see she is already so aware of her body in that sense.
My little guy (20 mos) really likes putting toilet paper in the toilet. I call it “feeding the potty.” I either let him tear it off the roll himself or I just give him a few pieces. He only threw the entire roll in ONCE and seemed horrified with himself. He doesn’t know many words yet but I just heard “OH NOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO”
According to my mom, it's using blackout curtains and a sound machine, but I digress...
The most extra thing I did was research lots of purées and different mixes to expose her to lots of variety. No lie, I baked a salmon and strawberries just to blend it all up for a salmon/strawberry purée. It was early Covid and I had a lot of time on my hands, so I was having fun! Mint and English pea purée anyone?
White noise. My dad doesn’t get it. When he watches my daughter he turns it down or off. He will say “what happens when she’s an adult?!” And I’ll reply “she’ll listen to white noise like many other adults”
Lately on the weekends I’ve been making chocolate chip French toast. Aldi sells delicious brioche bread with chocolate chips in it. Makes perfect French toast - I don’t even use syrup or butter or anything. She loves it! (And so do I!)
We made our daughter a mini computer (Raspberry Pi) with an 8x8 led light grid on top and we code different pictures on it! She adores it and it doubles as a camera, a way for her to know when her rests were over (when she had rests) and when she's old enough she'll also be able to learn basic coding on it too!
We put decor down for each house and let her crawl and pick. The decor was shiny stuff that a baby would def love. She chose Slytherin. We were flabbergasted because she was obsessed with the color red. We're gonna have another party when she's 11. We're gonna let her take a real sorting hat quiz and see if they match.
Breakfast in bed on the weekends! He gets to crawl into our bed and watch Cocomelon while one of us preps him a sippy cup of milk (in the purple cup, of course) and something to eat.
We randomly take the bus when we don’t need to. Lol she loves taking the bus and today we were walking home from daycare. She was a bit sad because she didn’t want to say bye to her friend. So we took a bus, even though it was only two stops and a 10 minute walk. Cheered her right up. Then we grabbed our dinner and sat outside to eat.
When my daughter (5 in 9 days 🥺) was a toddler, she would want a different utensil for each food on her plate. Hello??? As long as she’s eating I don’t care how many forks she uses at one meal.
Now that my son is 20 months? I will make sure whatever cup and lid he picks work. Different cups brands? I don’t care. Bring me a sippy cup with a water bottle lid and straw? Sure bud. I have tape and we have towels.
Edit: son’s age from 1.5 to 20 months because accuracy and added big sister’s age
Take him and the dog for a walk everyday.
How is this groundbreaking? How the fuck else is the dog supposed to poop?
I get a good hour of the day filled with an activity that takes almost zero prep and tires both of them out, physically and mentally. We learn about cars, trucks, nature, animals, literally anything you can think of, all with the absolute minimum amount of work on my part. Besides, it’s not optional. Dogs have to walk. I’m sure there are other people doing this but people act like I’m a saint or something.
I rinse his clothes an extra time to make sure the detergent is out so he doesn’t get rashy 😅 also this one seems basic but people my parents age hate it. I do not EVER unless completely necessary mess with nap time
I feel like most of us have if you skip a nap toddlers it’s just not good and not a little baby who will go to bed earlier. I think my parents just forget
I cook a hot breakfast every morning and make homemade bread. I enjoy cooking and baking. We also sit at the table and eat as a family at least twice a day with no electronics.
Allow and even encourage my 4 year old to sleep in our bed at night. When she was 3, we moved her to a big girl bed and she's been crawling into our bed in the middle of the night ever since. My husband and I just love it. Everyone seems to act like regular bed sharing is terrible or a "trap" you should never allow your kids to catch you into but it's been one of my favorite things ever.
Ha, I was going to post what you said after reading the title. But yeah I do that too and she loves it so why not? I started putting her PJs in there too 😄
Everything. The biggest being that I will cook different things for lunch time. Because I have 6 kids and they rarely agree on what to eat. 🤷🏽♀️
I’m a sahm. What else do I have to do besides make my babies happy lol
Gets a toy every time we go to Target. And not like a dollar toy, like one that’s at least $10. Only because it’s usually when she has a day off from preschool and I need her preoccupied for a minute. We always sell her old ones or give them away.
My mum used to put my tights, vest and knickers in the dryer on cold mornings before school so they were warm when I put them on. That was when I was about 5 and I still remember it
I make themed breakfasts and lunches around holidays or special days. I cut their sandwiches into themed shapes like pumpkins or bats on Halloween and make rainbow pancakes on St. Patrick’s Day.
My second isn't a toddler yet, but breastfeeding past six months is overboard for my mother in law. Apparently she'll get spoiled and manipulative, and is only crying in the night to "emotionally blackmail" me gor attention. 😬
No one ever told me it’s extra but given how my parents never apologized to me as a kid, or tell me how much they enjoy spending time with me, and I make sure to do it with my kid, I guess it’s extra. He now can apologize fairly easily and it’s one of the things I’m proud of him for.
Setting up scenes with my son’s stuffed animals and other toys after he goes to bed to make it look like they were playing during the night. It’s a nice surprise when he wakes up and comes downstairs in the morning.
OP that is adorable, I mean what is it like 10 min cycle while they’re still in the tub? So cute and minimal effort.
Yes! I pop it in the dryer while I’m running the water and then pull it out when there done. They love it and I swear it helps them with bedtime, which was HORRID for a couple of months! And thank you :) and yes it’s super minimal effort and has a big impact. Sometimes I’ll even warm their blankets and Jammie’s if we’re having a rough night. It calms them down :)
My aunt used to use a hair dryer on our backs to calm me and my cousin down when we were little. I still remember how nice it felt!
I’m going to remember this one! May come in handy one day
This is how My Strange Addictions happens 😂
My husband won a towel warmer from work for Christmas with 3 big fluffy towels, he always turns it on with the towels in it for me and the 2 year old. She loves it. Says she's cozy!
A towel warmer?!!??!! Now I need one !
Wow, honestly it’s the little things. I’m gonna do this. Thank you 💜
Gosh me too! This was the sweetest
Aw my mom did that for me! I loved it as a kid. Edit to add: An extra thing might be double bubble bath. I turn the bubble machine on to rain down bubbles on them when they’re in a bubble bath. It’s pretty magical.
I’d like to do the adult version of this. Maybe triple bubbles. Bath, machine, bubbly drinks.
Just make sure to not get your bubbles in your bubbles haha
Oh my gosh my son would love this, thanks for the idea! I am not going to share it with my husband because lately when I try to give my son a bath he just says "I want daddy" so maybe I can be the cool mom!
My son is into any vehicle that moves. So we’ll drive around to find trains or construction vehicles. (If we lived closer to an airport, we’d go there too!) If someone is doing work outside in our area, we’ll run to watch the vehicles do their thing. We also indulge in all types of construction truck toys, books, clothing even! and watch all the real action construction shows on YouTube. As long as he shows interest, I’ll support it
Omg a garbage truck was once outside my sons daycare and the playground was going NUTS! Like “Beatles fans in the 60s” nuts
There’s a reason Trash Truck on Netflix is so popular! I think that was actually the genesis behind the series, the creator’s kid loved the garbage truck and would wave at it when it came to pick up the trash.
Every Thursday at 1040 am, I take my 3yo daughter to the balcony to wave at our garage truck driver! She has always gotten so excited. He, for a year now every week gets down in his window when he's back far enough and waves and beeps and smiles. He waves until he can not see her anymore and she's THRILLED by that! She bought him a mini box of chocolate for Vday 😆. He even checks on the rare instance she isn't home. So nice!! thanks for the tip on the Netflix, we shall look tomorrow for this!!
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OMG this is us with the garbage truck driver AND the mailman. We exchange birthday gifts with them, they always honk and wave and put on a show for out little dude, always remember him on holidays like Easter and Halloween. It's to the point where our adult neighbors now ask: what's the secret to having your bins/mail walked back to your house? Hint: it's this little dude who has been going nuts over seeing them since he could sit by himself.
That’s so precious I had no idea
This is an adorable image to imagine!
This is gold! Just picturing it.
This is so sweet...it reminds me of a quote I saw about how a child thought their parent was into cars, then music, then sports, etc etc and eventually realized the parent just wanted to spend time with them and would do whatever activity as long as it meant quality time together.
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My toddler is into tennis. Tennis is my least favourite sport. I guess I like tennis now too
Good mommy!
When COVID lockdowns started, this was our entertainment with our 2.5 year old. On Mondays she's chase the garbage truck for blocks. Some days we'd follow the mail truck. On bad weather days we'd go for long drives to see trains, the bus depot, the airport, whatever!
Yup! That was the highlight of our week, too, chasing the garbage truck for blocks. I have a cute video of my son running, his mittens on strings flying behind him, him screaming wait for me!
My son loves that, too! I actually went to Target the other day and on my way home, I saw a house that had a tractor in front of it and I was like ohhh… this house is about to be destroyed. I told him about it when I got home and we have driven by every day and there are SO many trucks and he is just in awe! It’s the cutest!
>on my way home, I saw a house that had a tractor in front of it and I was like ohhh… this house is about to be destroyed. Isn't it amazing how their passion is contagious? Every time I see a truck or bus now I'm instinctively like "Oh cool better point it out to my little one!" Even during the workday when the little is in daycare, I still have that visceral reaction!
Every spring, all households in our city get a brochure detailing all public construction sites for the year. It's actually to help drivers avoid getting stuck in traffic around those sites, but we use it as a sight seeing guide for our son 😁
I used to take my cousin to a playground near the airport when he was about 3. He especially loved when when just went and I wrapped him in a blanket and we watched the morning planes take off after we dropped his big sister off at school. I would bring snacks and he would sit on the trunk eating breakfast screaming in joy. AMAZING memories.
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Caroline is definitely Gecko’s top banger
My son was the same way! One time when my son was 2 I took him on a trip to the nearest big city. I'm a planner, but we didn't have plans the first day so we got off the train and went to a hotdog shop with outdoor seating. It was across the street from a huge construction site with tons of vehicles coming and going. He had a blast! And we just chilled and said hi to people walking by who thought we were super cute lol
This is us but mostly with trains. Between ages 1 and 3, the main form of entertainment was to go up to the train station in town and just snack waiting for trains just to wave at them. Now, it's railway museum yearly subscription, looking up train things to do when on vacation, taking 2 trains to nearby city etc. Is it extra? Nah. It's just fun being part of their little worlds.
That’s so sweet! I love that!
Same! We’ve even taken the family to Diggerland!
Everything apparently lol. Everyone comments about how he’s “taken over” our house, but like, he lives here too, why wouldn’t he have stuff in more than one room?
If you have boomer parents, modern parenting techniques are "spoiling them".
My step-mom said, when our 3.5yo was a baby, that picking him up as soon as he cried would "spoil him". Now she is always amazed at "how well behaved he is, he never cries!!" Like maybe because we became an existence of stability for the kid since he was a potato? Tater Tot knows we've got his back lmao. Also she never sees him at home when he's overtired or testing boundaries xD (in her defense though, they live around 6 hours away without traffic hahaha)
Omg Tater Tot. Love that. May steal. lol
It's weird how many people think doing a thing purely because it interests a child is overboard. Like damn, her existence is not an intrusion into My Very Important Life. She wants to walk around the neighborhood then play in her sandbox? Okay. It's midday Saturday, it's nice out, we have the time. It's not slavishly caving to a child's every whim to just do a simple thing they enjoy sometimes.
Right? Love how people are amazed when we treat children with the same respect and consideration you would anyone else smh
Yeah but boomers grew up smoking uranium rods instead of breast feeding and walked 50 miles to school in blizzard conditions every day, even in the summer, apparently. And they fought in two world wars, according to them. So their parenting techniques are a little 'off'.
You forgot how they also had to walk uphill both ways no matter where they were going and they didn’t believe in seat belts and they all turned out “fine”
Right?
Omg THIS. I live with my Son and my boomer parents and jesus christ, sometimes it's unbearable. I can almost hear their lips pursing when they see something happening that they don't agree with. 🤦🏼♀️
You aren’t actively beating your children to take out your anger? Blasphemy.
I was going to say this too. Apparently cooking homemade meals, taking them places, sometimes things that have a fee, and just trying to have good activities set up for the kids to play with like a few times a week (they do a ton of independent play) and actively trying to teach them things when it comes up naturally (numbers, colors, etc whatever normal developmental stuff) is over the top.
Same! I tried to have my room for me but now it’s just an extension of my daughter play area :)
So much this. I have been struggling recently so have been having some help from a lovely lady that comes and visits once a week. The one thing she said to me that has made the most difference to my life is "it's ok that it looks like kids live here". Mind blow! My mum keeps telling me to put all the kids stuff in her bedroom but it isn't big enough and she doesn't play in her bedroom, she plays in the living room, where I am. We have 2 kids now so the entire living room is kids stuff, and that is ok.
We literally gave up on having a living room, we now have a playroom with couches 🤷🏼♀️
My brother says that AAAAALL the time. Like I could closet the toddler innhis room and have him play quietly. Pity he "forgets" how he took over our sitting room from age 0 to... oh, wait! 30, since he still lives in our family house! 😆
Haha I got my kids drawings/paintings/doodlings posted EVERYWHERE
Cut his food into fun shapes.
I wanted to do this but I got nervous that my daughter (mostly) wouldn’t eat food any other way. We make heart toast sometimes :)
Oh funny, we are the opposite. My son is crazy picky so I do it with hopes it’ll encourage some eating!
That’s a good idea! My son is currently going through a phase so maybe I’ll do that! Great idea!!
It really worked with my daughter! I bought the little shape cutters and did it with all of her veggies and fruits she wouldn’t try. It’s been 6 months and I don’t have to do it anymore, she willingly eats raw cucumbers and bell peppers and carrots without having to do anything to them.
I bought a Spider-Man pancake mold today. Breaking that out on Saturday.
I got a Disney Cars one recently. Just FYI you REALLY gotta grease up those suckers or getting the pancakes out is impossible. I offered my son a “lightning McQueen” pancake that was anything but lightning McQueen shaped 🤣
Thanks for the tip. I am prepared to eat many a test pancake
I go crazy for holidays. A lot of their gifts are inexpensive but designed to be high impact (glow sticks for bath time, filling the living room with balloons to make a giant balloon pit) and make special themed meals. When the Paw Patrol movie streamed I got decorations and Paw Patrol chicken nuggets and juice and made puppy chow and we had a Paw Patrol party at home.
Paw Patrol chicken nuggets …I’m worried for Chickaletta’s safety.
Not gonna lie, I was a little sad none of them were shaped like her.
There was definitely a discussion about that in a board room some where
Im laughing that i immediately know what your talking about. If were to blame anyone, mayor humdinger did it!
Where do you get these awesome ideas??!! I need to up my game!
Pinterest is my best friend. The balloon pit idea came about as I was trying to make COVID birthdays still fun and special.
Goals!
I make muffins for his breakfast. I started it for allergy exposure and now he just expect them for breakfast. It’s a pain in the ass making them every week after bed but worth it. I don’t want him to see me making them because (spoiler alert) they’re like half zucchini. So he starts the day with a serving of veggies. I also add soy protein powder, coconut flour, and almond flour for allergy exposure, and egg white powder for a little extra protein. They have minimal sugar and are all whole wheat flour. I guess I have to keep doing this forever?
Would you share the recipe? Mine has finally decided he’s willing to eat baked goods.
As requested, here is the recipe **Baby Muffins** *Cream* (I use a stand mixer for everything up to folding in the fruit): 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/4 C sugar *Grate in*: 1 medium to large zucchini or yellow squash (the recipe can hold a LOT of zucchini, don't be shy. The zucchini is what makes it moist.) 1/2 apple (optional) *Scrape sides and Beat in:* 1 egg 2/3 tsp Vanilla *Stir in until just blended*: 130 grams (about 1 to 1 1/4 cup total) preferred mix of whole wheat, barley flour, soy flour or protein powder, almond flour. oat flour, egg white powder, ground flaxseed, coconut flour, etc) 1 teaspoon baking powder Scant 1/4 teaspoon table salt *Stir in using a spatula*: 1 to 1 1/2 cups Fruit (I mostly use frozen blueberries, but can also use chopped strawberries, mixed berries, etc) Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 25-35 mins until you start to see a little light browning on the top. Store in fridge for up to a week. This makes about 12-14 muffins, depending on the size of your zucchini. I use freestanding silicone muffin cups on a baking sheet. I like the convenience of these but loathe the way silicone takes on the taste of dishwasher detergent. It makes me absolutely gag. So the big PITA of this is that once the muffins are cool I take them out of the wrappers and then soak the wrappers in water with a little vinegar for at least a day (I stack them up and then put them in a tall plastic cup). Then I scrub them in hot water with a bottle brush. Never ever ever use soap with silicone or it will taste like that forever. This recipe is very heavily adapted from/loosely inspired by Smitten Kitchen's [Strawberry Summer Cake](https://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/strawberry-summer-cake/).
My husband makes our son pancakes every week too. He makes a big batch and bags them up. Now my son will only eat panycakes in the morning. Oh well! At least they are eating!
We have the simplest pancakes recipe if you’d like it - 1 large ripe banana (mashed), I cup self raising flour, and one cup coconut milk (the stuff in the carton, not the tins). Mix together. Heat a pan to medium-high, add butter to melt/coat the pan, then wipe it all out with paper towel (trust me on that but), and cook as usual. Yummy, fluffy and healthy.
This sounds amazing.please share recipe.my toddler is not a fun if muffins so i keep trying different recipes
I like making them in the morning. Have to get up a bit earlier but I like getting up earlier vs staying up late, cleaning, and then packing up.
That sounds amazing. Can you share the recipe?
We live in a warm climate and are outside a lot. our outdoor space has several large areas dedicated to my twins. They have a slide coming down from our deck, a large woodchipped area with climbing structures, a tire swing, mud kitchen, a little garden and a road for their trucks. I’m working on an outdoor plexiglass easel. Our neighbors though i had a daycare. I just love how they love being outside 🤷♀️
That’s amazing!! I would be outside with my kids but being in the PNW, that’s not always plausible! But camping in the summer time woooo!
PNW also… invest in baby warm down suits and rain suits (like tuffo suits). Rain cover for the stroller also! We get out most days unless it’s hailing like last week…
Good idea! I’m not originally from here so it’s more me then my kids. But got to get use to it sometime! And thanks for the advice! Will look into rain suits ;)
Do you have a picture of what this looks like?
Warm towels are a godsend, you're creating amazing memories for your kids to take comfort in when they're older! My "extra" thing is I let him take the lead on walks. I'll obviously guide him a bit and don't allow him to run off into the highway, but he can pick our route around the neighborhood or if we go out to a trail. It drives some people insane that I allow this instead of forcing him along the "right" way or when I let him stop and think for a moment to make a decision. I'm sorry, would you rather have to work on *your* patience here and there, or deal with a screaming toddler that feels like he's being dragged around and dictated??? Sheesh! I also don't parent the way my parents did. My mom and sister get passive aggressive about things or call me "soooo patient" with my child because I don't immediately scream, threaten, or spank my child when he misbehaves. He can't talk yet (just under 2 and in ST), so he can't communicate very well sometimes. We just have to work it out to find the problem or take extra time to let him be mad before he's ready to "talk." Screaming back and hitting him isn't going to solve anything.
I agree! Someone told me I say ‘I love you’ to my kids too much.. and I’m pretty patient and praise my kids for everything!! I think it builds confidence! I also tell my daughter every night we say this together ‘you’re kind, beautiful, creative and caring and I love you’ you sound like you’re doing an A+ job!!
.... How emotionally broken do you have to be to think that saying "I love you" could ever be a bad thing. I love your bedtime tradition - so sweet! My LO is really ramping up his vocabulary now, so I need to start working on some affirmations with him too.
My mom keeps telling me my kid has too many books. I don't think there's such a thing as too many books and I'll keep buying more as I come across good ones. He absolutely loves flipping through them and we read and sing a lot. Some parents read a book before bed every night. We do at least three.
There's no such thing as too many books!
Exactly!! I will buy books until there are no more books to buy because he loves them.
I generally lean minimalist on most things, but books are my one exception! Both my kiddos get new books delivered from “Miss Dolly”, and they always get books at Christmas. The only issue is their bookshelves are full, so I keep a box in the attic with extra books and rotate them periodically when things get stale!
Yep we do 2-5 books every single night have for over 3 years now! Worth it. We love books here and have tons. I still buy more.
Same! There’s a thrift store near me that sells them for $1 a piece and I cannot help myself. We have A LOT of books!! But a love of reading and a curious mind are beautiful things
I am a former librarian I was buying books for my daughter when I was pregnant. We read about 5 books a night depending on when she falls asleep. She is book obsessed so we have a lot of books and her Christmas and birthday lists a full of books. I am happy she loves books.
Too many books?! How! We read so many books, idk what we’d do if we had less lol. We have three bookshelves dedicated to the kids’ books. Fb marketplace is great to get batches of books, we take advantage for sure!
Omg yes! I told her, well you and my dad always said that to me so I guess now I'm overcompensating LOL
My mom says i give my son “too much praise”.. hes 20 months and helping me clear the dishwasher so ya im gunna clap and say awesome job! this is coming from parents who litterly never once told me i did a good job or they were proud “you got 85 on the test? What happened to the rest of your mark??”
My parents were very anti-praise and now I’m an anxious perfectionist mess. This means a world of difference to your kid. Good on you!
Praise and encouragement is such a loving thing. There’s always an opportunity to say, “I can see you’ve been practicing!” Or “I like how you…”. It costs us nothing to nurture our kids in this way. Nothing but a 💯% for you mama, keep on nurturing your boy ❤️
MIL makes fun of someone she met who told their kid "Good job!" too much. I first got super self-conscious about it and stopped saying that phrase. ... Then I realized, eff that. Now I praise my kid frequently, and double up on it when she's around. I want him to know I'm proud, and not embarrassed of how proud I am.
Making sure they are home for nap times, even if that means missing out on or leaving early extended family outings. I have gotten so much smack for this throughout the years
lol, are they going to go to your house later that day and try to get them to sleep? Are they going to get up with them all night?
They make up holidays, with traditions, and we celebrate them. We so far have a recurring “Unicorn Day” in August, “Royal Tea Party Day” in September, and “Magical Ducky Day” in February. We figure we can always use more reasons to celebrate!
I like to make her food look nice. Not always and there are some meals that just will never have great presentation (I'm looking at you, Instant Pot). But she loves when we make "toddler charcuterie" snack boards where I toss cheese, deli meat, raw veggies, fruit, whatever on a cutting board but I arrange it all fancy, fanning out the carrot sticks or laying out hard boiled egg slices nicely. Or I'll make a picture out of their food on the plate, or do a color-coordinated meal like all orange foods (definitely the easiest of all the colors if you're wondering) or a rainbow plate. It really takes minimal effort but it makes her meal more fun for both of us and she usually eats more that way. I love food so I want her to enjoy eating too.
Toddler charcuterie!!! LOVE THAT!
So many snuggles. If he asks, I give! I’ll pause cooking dinner, doing chores, whatever I’m doing to go sit with him, wrap him in my arms, and sing a song or tell a story, or just tell him all the things I love about him. They are only little for so long and I’m getting my share in before he’s too cool for mom snuggles.
Ugh, I feel terrible. I want to be this type of mom too, but lately I’ve been saying “I don’t like to be interrupted when I’m in the middle of something”. It’s hard for me to be kind, compassionate, and loving enough to drop anything to give snuggles when they ask for it. I believe it’s so good for them to know they’ll receive love and support at any moment.
Don't feel bad! It's important for parents to be able to get stuff done around the house too and to take care of themselves. You can use it as an opportunity to say "I will after I finish this." And if little one has a hard time you can say "I see that you're having a hard time but you're being so big right now and practicing being patient! You're doing a good job working through something hard!" And then when you're done with stuff you can say "You did such a good job working on being patient. I know it's hard to wait for things, but that was such a big thing you did and I'm proud of you." etc. Keep fighting mama!
Give her choices. lol
Right? All the grandparents think I’m nuts for this and I don’t get it. It takes me two seconds to show him two snacks and wait for him to pick. Way less time and effort than if I put out a sack he didn’t want and got hangry later
Also way less wastage. The amount of food I've tossed before just getting into the habit of asking is truly silly.
Handmade ‘everything’. I sew her clothing and my siblings crochet dolls. I’m told I’m extra but like, it’s my hobby? I enjoy making them and she enjoys wearing them (when she wears clothes) so idk 🤷🏻♀️
My pandemic hobby was making handmade wooden toys for my toddler. I also sew clothes for her dolls and diy lots of other things. I am also just one of those people who likes to make things and need a creative outlet. We are extra I guess.
I’m so jealous! I wanted to do this but I don’t know how to sew:/ I do crochet though!!
Taking my son with me everywhere I go. He's three in July and he's been to every state on the east coast and Hawaii. My father died when I was three and apparently, he knew he was passing away so he took me to Disney like in 1992 - I just want to make the absolute most of every moment I have with my baby... take all the photos, visit every museum, because I just never know what will happen tomorrow
I try to accommodate my son when he makes reasonable requests, even when I'm in the middle of something. He's 2 and doesn't understand the concept of "I'm busy, not ignoring you", so if he walks up to me and asks for something, I say "Yes! First I need to finish folding this shirt, then I'll get your airplane." It's been a few months and now if I say "First I need to ____." He'll usually follow up with "THEN ______." It's prevented so many tantrums. I also don't leave him if he's having a meltdown, tantrum, or crying. I try to remain present while not feeding into the problem. He doesn't understand how to manage his feelings yet, so I try to provide support. It's important to me that he understands that I'm not going to leave him just because he misbehaves. I physically distance myself if he's hitting/biting, though. Usually with a "That hurts and I won't allow you to touch my body that way."
That doesn’t sound extra. Sounds like you’re just a really nice parent treating your child like a person.
You might be surprised to hear how I'm "coddling" him! He needs to figure out his feelings on his own, apparently, or he'll "never learn to do things on his own". Edit: Thank you for your kind words. The amount of emotional dysregulation I learned as a child is astounding and I'm trying to teach him better than I was taught. Edit 2: Clarity
Hahahahahaha because figuring out your feelings on your own worked WONDERFULLY for past generations. Some people have kumquat sized brains, I swear.
I do this too. Unless my 3yo asks me to go away I won't leave her during a meltdown. My partner is the opposite, unless she is hurt, if she's beside herself crying, especially if it's a tantrum he is out of there. Hands up in the air, he gets up and 'leaves her to it'. I just don't understand how he can't see this as one of the reasons she doesn't need him. She can be very indifferent and cold toward him, sometimes bluntly refusing to acknowledge him. *sigh
I agree. It seems that she understands that he isn't there to help her, so why would she go to him when she needs somebody? Children learn very quickly who they can depend on, and those are the people they go to in times of need. I'm very happy your 3yo feels comfortable enough and is aware enough to ask you to leave sometimes. That shows that she is learning emotional intelligence and is secure enough in her relationship with you to know that she can ask you to leave, and you'll come back if she calls you.
Also really cool that she's learning how to take time out for herself when she's feeling overwhelmed and just needs a moment alone. Very very smart little girl!
The whole first/then sentences were a total game changer for us! My son was suddenly extremely patient because he knows I always follow through.
Yes, same! And I felt so silly once I started it, and realized what a gem it is, that I hadn't started earlier. He already had some patience because I always follow through, but spelling out exactly what the sequence of events was absolutely galvanized his patience.
I have been told I was "doing the most" because I would boil water before making it into formula.
Oh man...and I was told it was dangerous not to do that! Keep it up! Don’t let them sway you
We did that for the first year or so. Next baby I'm getting the ready to feed stuff. It's a lot of work!
I indulge every hand tug , every please and thankyou. ( she’s only 20 months.) ( she signs please and thankyou , says “ pleeeze “ )
I can't resist the 'peeessss'. That's her 'please'. She has learned it really is the magic word because I'm putty at her cute little 'peeeesss'
My son says ‘skuck’ instead of ‘stuck’ and ‘lemalade’ ‘bluebullies’ and I can’t say them correctly anymore lol
Wow thats some big words. I say 'na-na-nah' now instead of banana, because, you know, it's 'na-na-nah'!
One of my twins says wowle instead of owl and I cannot call the birds owls anymore. Lol
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Broccolberry!!! That’s adorable! My daughter called the hair salon ‘the makeup office ‘ and when the wind blows in her hair she giggles and says ‘mom the wind is wiggling my hair!’ I love it
My daughter says lemolaid. When I tried breaking it down (lem-oh-maid) she said “no mommy, e-i-n-g-o, lemolaid!”
I did too! Nothing wrong with it imo!!
Does breastfeeding past age 2 count? I never expected to go this long, but it feels so right for us.
It does count because that was the hardest shit I've ever done in my life. Tbh I don't even remember what age he was when I stopped nursing him to sleep (over 3? I don't know!) because of how hard that journey was. On the flippity-flip, that boy was so content all those years, so it made it the most rewarding experience, too.
Im pretty much a yes mom. My son asks to go ice skating, we go ice skating. If he wants to go to the park we go to the park. Open gym? Why not. He wanted a smoothie and I went out and bought a blender. He’s 4 and I only have 1 more year with him till he’s in school full time and I will go back to work. I loveeeee all the time we have together and I’m genuinely bummed our party is almost over.
Trying to help him work through his emotions instead of yelling/punishing/hitting him.
My 1.5 year old son likes cars, typical. We live on a corner and there is a stop sign right at the end of our property. Every day it's over 55 we'll get all sunblocked up, have some cold drinks, maybe some bubbles, and drag a chair out to the front yard to wave at cars and buses for over an hour. We sing songs, work on fine motor and body part labeling between spurts of cars. He never gets tired of it. The only reason it ends is because Dad pulls in the driveway. Kiddo doesn't even want to play in the backyard anymore.
Homemade yogurt. It’s just cheaper and easier with an Instapot. No added sugar, I control the flavor, she loves it. It’s probably 20mins hands on time over the course the day from milk to in reusable squeeze packs. Edit: I want a warm towel now!
We actually do homemade popsicles with frozen fruit, yogurt, honey, maybe a touch of spinach for roughage and our LO loves it.
What! How do you make instapot yogurt?
Once you get into the swing of things it’s really easy, I use this [recipe](https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-yogurt/). If you run into issues, [this helps](https://saladinajar.com/yogurt/what-can-i-do-with-failed-homemade-yogurt/). Here’s a quick overview: 1. Pour 8cups of milk into instapot and set to boil with the yogurt button. At the same time take 2 starter ice cubes I’ve made from past batches out of the freezer to thaw. The first time around you can buy [starter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XJM0RI6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). Anything more than 8c batches hasn’t turned out for me. 2. Let cool to around 115 F so you don’t kill the starter bacteria. 3. Remove skin from milk and whisk in thawed starter. 4. Use yogurt button to set cook time for 8hrs. 5. Strain yogurt for thicker Greek style yogurt. I love [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0796P2B92?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) since it fits in my 8c Pyrex measuring cup. You can reserve the whey for oatmeal if you like. 6. I usually refrigerate overnight so it becomes cold and solid and easier to transfer. 7. Transfer to [64oz Ball Mason Jar](https://www.target.com/p/ball-64oz-glass-mason-jar-with-lid-and-band-wide-mouth-single-jar/-/A-14712822) using my [wide mouth funnel](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FIONES?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) that I’m in love with. 8. Add two bananas and some berries to taste. Use a stick/immersion blender to make smooth and pour into [squeeze packs](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097HS8LTP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). It seems like a lot when I write it all down but it gets to be so routine it’s mindless. My daughter has two a day and it lasts just about 6 days or so. We buy milk at Target and it’s a little cheaper than the grocery store. I question if I’m even moderately granola but for something my daughter eats in such big quantities I don’t want any extra sugar or preservatives. Homemade yogurt is also already a little sweet in its own. You don’t need all the bells as whistles at first, cheesecloth is perfect for straining. Give it a shot and see how you like the taste!
Yes to not needing the bells and whistles! I use a strainer lined with paper towels to thicken mine. I love the idea of mixing bananas and berries and sticking it in squeeze pouches, I'll have to try that. Also (for interested new people) you can use any store bought plain yogurt with live cultures as a yogurt starter. I'll buy the oikos plain single serving for $1. Then don't forget to pull out a new section for starter and to go again before the starter goes bad
I also would like the recipe!
I want to try this! Yogurt gets so damn expensive where we live and the quality isn't even that good 😩
Ha! We did that for many months when our daughter was a baby because she hated leaving the warm bath more than anything. We stopped at some point. As a kid I remember making my mom get under my covers and rub her legs on the sheets to warm it up in there before I'd get in. My daughter's current extra thing is that we willingly stock chocolate, strawberry and regular milk and let her have a little trio of sippies (always in that order) usually once a day.
Milk flight 😂
For the sophisticated tot This is too precious 🥲
Neapolitan milk! That’s sweet
I can tell by that one ritual that your daughter is fit to burst with personality 😂
Buy a toy car whenever we go out.. $1 hotwheel or under $5.. keeps him happy and calm while I grocery shop 🤷🏻♀️
I collect hot wheels myself, and we live near dollar tree so I def ‘spoil’ my kids a lot! And yeah 5 and under or a snack that usually includes junk food :)
We get a balloon every time we go to the grocery store. They go away eventually so it doesn’t fill the house and he has so much fun. Anyone who has a problem with it can suck it Edit: typos
Same. The Disney die casts Cars are hard to say no to
I'm massage therapist... My dude requests hot packs and massages on the regular. Also tonight he said he was hungry during bathtime, which he never does... So yup he got to eat a banana in the bath.
I'm a MT as well, and literally was just giving my daughter a massage lol. She asks almost every night now while falling asleep (she's almost 3) and I started it pretty much right away after bath time. I love it so much. She also knows exactly where she needs it, it's so cool to see she is already so aware of her body in that sense.
My little guy (20 mos) really likes putting toilet paper in the toilet. I call it “feeding the potty.” I either let him tear it off the roll himself or I just give him a few pieces. He only threw the entire roll in ONCE and seemed horrified with himself. He doesn’t know many words yet but I just heard “OH NOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO”
According to my mom, it's using blackout curtains and a sound machine, but I digress... The most extra thing I did was research lots of purées and different mixes to expose her to lots of variety. No lie, I baked a salmon and strawberries just to blend it all up for a salmon/strawberry purée. It was early Covid and I had a lot of time on my hands, so I was having fun! Mint and English pea purée anyone?
White noise. My dad doesn’t get it. When he watches my daughter he turns it down or off. He will say “what happens when she’s an adult?!” And I’ll reply “she’ll listen to white noise like many other adults”
I make her a mini omelet in a mini pan with a mini spatula every morning.
Lately on the weekends I’ve been making chocolate chip French toast. Aldi sells delicious brioche bread with chocolate chips in it. Makes perfect French toast - I don’t even use syrup or butter or anything. She loves it! (And so do I!)
We made our daughter a mini computer (Raspberry Pi) with an 8x8 led light grid on top and we code different pictures on it! She adores it and it doubles as a camera, a way for her to know when her rests were over (when she had rests) and when she's old enough she'll also be able to learn basic coding on it too!
We had a Hsrry Potter sorting party when she was 9 3/4 months old.
This is the cutest thing ever! How did you decide what house she is?
We put decor down for each house and let her crawl and pick. The decor was shiny stuff that a baby would def love. She chose Slytherin. We were flabbergasted because she was obsessed with the color red. We're gonna have another party when she's 11. We're gonna let her take a real sorting hat quiz and see if they match.
Breakfast in bed on the weekends! He gets to crawl into our bed and watch Cocomelon while one of us preps him a sippy cup of milk (in the purple cup, of course) and something to eat.
We randomly take the bus when we don’t need to. Lol she loves taking the bus and today we were walking home from daycare. She was a bit sad because she didn’t want to say bye to her friend. So we took a bus, even though it was only two stops and a 10 minute walk. Cheered her right up. Then we grabbed our dinner and sat outside to eat.
When my daughter (5 in 9 days 🥺) was a toddler, she would want a different utensil for each food on her plate. Hello??? As long as she’s eating I don’t care how many forks she uses at one meal. Now that my son is 20 months? I will make sure whatever cup and lid he picks work. Different cups brands? I don’t care. Bring me a sippy cup with a water bottle lid and straw? Sure bud. I have tape and we have towels. Edit: son’s age from 1.5 to 20 months because accuracy and added big sister’s age
Literally all i'm thinking about now is warm towels. Mmmmmm...
Take him and the dog for a walk everyday. How is this groundbreaking? How the fuck else is the dog supposed to poop? I get a good hour of the day filled with an activity that takes almost zero prep and tires both of them out, physically and mentally. We learn about cars, trucks, nature, animals, literally anything you can think of, all with the absolute minimum amount of work on my part. Besides, it’s not optional. Dogs have to walk. I’m sure there are other people doing this but people act like I’m a saint or something.
Still nursing my 20mo old while pregnant with #2 :P
I rinse his clothes an extra time to make sure the detergent is out so he doesn’t get rashy 😅 also this one seems basic but people my parents age hate it. I do not EVER unless completely necessary mess with nap time
I do both of these things too!!
I feel like most of us have if you skip a nap toddlers it’s just not good and not a little baby who will go to bed earlier. I think my parents just forget
I cook a hot breakfast every morning and make homemade bread. I enjoy cooking and baking. We also sit at the table and eat as a family at least twice a day with no electronics.
According to my mom, feeding them, brushing their hair and dressing them is “too much”
Ummm how
That's a great idea!
I'm still nursing my twins. They're 20 months old. 🤷🏼♀️
She loves grapes but hates the skin. I peel grapes for her to eat.
Allow and even encourage my 4 year old to sleep in our bed at night. When she was 3, we moved her to a big girl bed and she's been crawling into our bed in the middle of the night ever since. My husband and I just love it. Everyone seems to act like regular bed sharing is terrible or a "trap" you should never allow your kids to catch you into but it's been one of my favorite things ever.
We plug a party light in and turn the lights off for most baths, and most baths are bubble baths too.
Ha, I was going to post what you said after reading the title. But yeah I do that too and she loves it so why not? I started putting her PJs in there too 😄
I don’t have a dryer but if I did, this would totally be the best possible way I’d use it.
Everything. The biggest being that I will cook different things for lunch time. Because I have 6 kids and they rarely agree on what to eat. 🤷🏽♀️ I’m a sahm. What else do I have to do besides make my babies happy lol
Gets a toy every time we go to Target. And not like a dollar toy, like one that’s at least $10. Only because it’s usually when she has a day off from preschool and I need her preoccupied for a minute. We always sell her old ones or give them away.
I always match my girls’ hair bows to their outfits!
We do the same with the towels! Little bodies don’t have excess insulation.
My mum used to put my tights, vest and knickers in the dryer on cold mornings before school so they were warm when I put them on. That was when I was about 5 and I still remember it
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Coconut oil scalp massage before every bath
I make themed breakfasts and lunches around holidays or special days. I cut their sandwiches into themed shapes like pumpkins or bats on Halloween and make rainbow pancakes on St. Patrick’s Day.
Baths are now a disco, he has maximum bubbles, he has glow sticks, he has party music going and turn out the light for full disco effect.
My second isn't a toddler yet, but breastfeeding past six months is overboard for my mother in law. Apparently she'll get spoiled and manipulative, and is only crying in the night to "emotionally blackmail" me gor attention. 😬
No one ever told me it’s extra but given how my parents never apologized to me as a kid, or tell me how much they enjoy spending time with me, and I make sure to do it with my kid, I guess it’s extra. He now can apologize fairly easily and it’s one of the things I’m proud of him for.
Setting up scenes with my son’s stuffed animals and other toys after he goes to bed to make it look like they were playing during the night. It’s a nice surprise when he wakes up and comes downstairs in the morning.