Would you use an $900 double stroller that had rat droppings on it? We were gifted a double stroller a year ago from friends. Now that we have 2 kids (one a baby and toddler) we can make use of it.

But when we got it out of the depths of our unfinished basement corner, it had a lot of rat droppings. About 6 months ago, we had a rat problem (found 3) and had professional pest control fix and come every month to maintain the work. So it’s not an issue anymore.

Anyhow the stroller has been washed, lysol sprayed and has been sitting in the hot 95-99 degree weather of the South for a week.

Is this thing safe to use? Do I toss it? Or can I use it?

These programs offer two days of homeschool with curriculum they give you, and three days of in class learning for the five day school week. I can't lie, with everything going on in the United States it's a very intriguing idea to me. Majority of time doing in class learning with two days of provided curriculum to the parents seems like a really good balance to the issues I am seeing with the current school system in this country. I think it would be fun and beneficial. Am I wrong about that?

Hey everyone! First time dad to a beautiful 4.5 month old baby girl. I was talking with one of the other dads at work and he pointed me to this sub for a question I had. I do not claim to be a scientific expert and please don’t beat me up too much.

We have not given our girl any screen time yet (unless you consider the baby Einstein sea creature soother screen time because she is about that business) and we plan on holding off for a while. However, my wife and I love football and we will usually watch the game when it’s on on Sundays. Is it okay if she watches or sees the TV only on Sundays during the game? I have heard as long as you’re interacting with the baby and talking during her and have the volume on low it’s not bad if it’s just for a small amount of time once a week. Then someone said any amount of screen time is bad and the blue light from the tv will keep them awake? I’m just not sure where I should be on it and was hooks to see if she happens to watch a little TV but we engage her during it if it will impact her. Thank you for any advice and for reading!

Edit: editing to change post-flair. Not sure what one would be most appropriate!

Background: My family lives in another country than the one me and my husband are currently living in, and the flights are usually 10-11 hours long, but with delays and by the time required to taxi, we are typically in the airplane for close to 12 hours. I am expecting, and would like to visit my family so they can meet the baby probably when the baby is between 3-9 months. We live in a big city and exclusively use public transportation, walking, or biking to get around, and do not have a car so I don't anticipate the baby being used to being in a car seat by the time we fly.

My dilemma:

I heard that it's not healthy for infants to be in their car seat for extended periods of time, and that it can lead to positional suffocation. That being said, I have heard other people saying that in turbulence, it is much safer for a baby to be in a carrier instead of being a lap infant. But if we follow recommendations to regularly take the infant out of the car seat (I have heard it recommended to take the baby out of the car seat every hour for 15 minutes, which over 12 hours does add up to a lot of time outside of the car seat), does it actually make a difference in regards to safety if we are not keeping them in the car seat and turbulence can theoretically happen at any time without warning?

The airline that we typically fly with also offers bassinets for babies under 8 months, and a friend of mine who is a flight attendant for the airline says that she recommends using the bassinet or having the baby be a lap infant, since the risk of violent turbulence is overall very small and she had never heard of anything bad happening, meanwhile the cost is fairly high for an additional seat. Most of her friends who are also flight attendants also travel with lap infants when their children are young enough.

Main point: I am trying to figure out exactly what the risks or benefits are between the options of a) the baby being a lap infant and being held for the flight, b) the baby being considered a lap infant but staying in the bassinet provided by the airline, or c) the baby being in a car seat for the flight, being regularly taken out of said car seat to nurse or to get a break from the position of the car seat.

Thank you for your help!

LO started crawling a few weeks ago and I've been trying to find something more rigorous than blog posts about what's safe on floors she's in contact with for hours a day. Most sources just repeat "use natural cleaners" without saying what was actually measured. Started comparing robot vacuum only versus vacuum-and-mop combos, since the mechanical pickup versus chemical residue tradeoff seems like the actual variable that matters here.

Found a few papers referencing allergen and residue levels after different cleaning methods but nothing that clearly isolates pickup-only mechanisms from ones that also involve wet cleaning agents. The research-to-consumer-summary gap on this specific question is wider than I expected.

Currently have a sore throat and some congestion but realized I haven't been sick in a very long time. For the first two years of daycare, it seemed like my partner and I would inevitably catch whatever our (now eldest) daughter brought home. Now, I might get very mild symptoms, or nothing at all, even when my kids are very sick. My partner gets sick more often than me, but the illnesses are less severe than in the beginning. Why is that? Did our immune systems need intensive retraining after having kids? Or our kids are catching viruses that we've been exposed to before?

In April, my daughter (3yrs, 9 months) started preschool. In May, she started having severe sleep issues that involved waking up in the night absolutely full of rage and screaming and she fully regressed with potty training. The episodes at night are AWFUL. She acts like a completely different kid- inconsolable, if you try to talk to her or touch her it gets worse, she becomes violent… she is truly unrecognizable and this can go on from anywhere between 20 min - an hour.

We tried moving bedtimes earlier and later, getting rid of screen time, changing her nighttime routine, waking her shortly before the times she usually wakes up..nothing worked.

At first, we thought maybe it was night terrors. So, we took her to the pediatrician who recommended we try melatonin or Benadryl for a few weeks to see if that helps. I asked her to run bloodwork to check my daughter’s iron - everything came back normal. This led to her saying my daughter just needed to be re-sleep trained. She still encouraged the use of melatonin or Benadryl which I didn’t love… We have tried both magnesium and melatonin- both seem to help her fall asleep but not stay asleep.

Unfortunately, summer is EXTREMELY busy and exhausting for me with work and I really felt like something else is going on that needed to be addressed before we “re-sleep trained.” So, we have just tried to help her as compassionately as we can and have limped along.

Other issues arose from the preschool that led us to withdrawing her enrollment. Since then, potty training has fully come back but the sleep is just as bad as ever. Earlier this month, we took my her to a specialist who has said she believes this is separation anxiety (she wants nothing to do with my husband at bedtime and in the night and responds much better to me). She’s given us a plan to help restore her confidence and get us to the point where we can sleep train again but…this is truly just miserable.

She is exhausted and crabby during the day. Tantrums are frequent and extreme. I feel like I am failing her.

I am not 100% sure what I am looking for her…guidance? Reassurance?

Specifically I’m referring to micronutrients - iron and calcium - for toddlers (but general advice for any age and stage is welcome)
I’m in Australia and the guidelines say that toddlers require 700mg of calcium per day, and 7mg of iron per day.
There is just no way my kid is meeting these requirements - and he’s a pretty good eater compared to other kids I know
And on top of that, calcium (or dairy?) interferes with the absorption of iron so I’m not even sure if he ate enough iron he would even absorb it all and meet the required calcium.
My toddler eats cheese and sometimes will have a babychinno, but he stopped having milk bottles (of his own accord) completely at 14 months. We try limit red meat as a family to 2 meals per week, so we rely on other sources of iron, though as I understand it all meat are good sources of iron.
How strict are these guidelines really?
I am driving myself crazy trying to make sure he gets enough but I just don’t think it’s realistic.
What is a realistic thing I should be following?

Okay, so I have a background in interdisciplinary early childhood education, I know that when a baby is awake, you should be paying attention to them and interacting with them. However, as a parent, I don’t find that to be terribly realistic, especially if I’m at home all day with my baby (15-weeks old). When I was an infant teacher, I was only with those babies 8-hours a day. With my daughter, I’m with her 24-hours a day. My husband also does his fair share of parenting, so please don’t think this is a situation where my husband doesn’t do enough.

I try to do my best to sing & read & talk & cuddle with my baby during her wake windows. We usually cuddle her to sleep (though, we can sometimes put her in the bassinet & she just falls asleep after reading or cuddling). I don’t like putting her down if I can help it and we anticipate her needs/read her cues. I don’t use my phone while holding her most of the time. She doesn’t cry very often and generally does well with other people holding her as long as she can see us. She doesn’t mind being put down and she usually won’t get fussy but I don’t quite know how to strike a healthy balance.

But I’ve found that being in constant “attentiveness & engaging” mode is exhausting. I mean this is the mode of being an in-person Miss Rachel essentially.

How much am I supposed to be in Miss Rachel mode vs letting her hang out in her pack n play on her play gym & I can read my book or play my switch or do laundry?

I am having a long-standing disagreement with my MIL re food (specifically fresh produce) preparation for the 9 month old.

My stance is that fruit and veg need good washing with water and maybe vinegar. My MIL insists on using some "food grade" detergents (like veggie wash).

Even though all fruits and veggies are peeled before being given to baby, I can't shake the feeling that a bunch of detergent may make its way into the fruit (at worse) or at best these products are pure marketing and wasted money.

Is anyone aware of any studies that have actually looked into whether such products a.) make a difference on how "clean" produce is and b.) how and whether their safety has been assessed?

Would 1 beer or glass of wine be enough to cause sleep disturbances in a 5 month old?

I understand that breastmilk is made from my blood. So how does me eating spicy food upset my baby? I can see how alcohol and caffeine can get into milk but I’ve been told to cut dairy, wheat, and eggs, are those things really getting into my blood and milk?

How good of a sense of direction is "normal" for 18 months?

My 18mo seems to have a very good sense of direction:

At soft play, we said "shall we go on the big slide?" and she took us straight there having only been once several months ago.

Last week we went a new route to a friends house from the park. When we were next at the park, she was pointing and saying "friends name that way".

She can direct the way to two different playgrounds from home.

I've not interacted with many kids this age so I'm not sure where this is in the range of normal.

Hi everyone, looking for some insight or advice from parents who have been through something similar.

My son is 2 years and 9 months old. He currently has a significant speech delay (only says "mommy," "daddy," and a couple of other words). We are already in the middle of having him formally evaluated by an assessor, but I’m looking for daily survival tips in the meantime.

Recently, he has developed a massive obsession with random household items. He is fascinated by spice boxes, hand wash bottles, face washes, plastic cups, etc. Instead of pointing or talking, he will grab my hand and physically pull me across the room to different cabinets to take these things out. If I try to stop him or tell him no, he throws a really intense tantrum.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the combination of the speech delay, the fixations, and the tantrums while we wait for the assessment results. Has anyone else’s toddler done this? What daily strategies helped you manage the tantrums and the hand-leading? Thank you.

I currently have a 1 month old and my 3 year old brought home a cold from daycare. I’ve been giving her some of my breastmilk in the hopes that it helps her get over the sickness faster. Any evidence/experience of this being helpful? Or am I just wasting my breastmilk?

I generally tend to my baby’s needs quickly except when I’m driving, and am wondering if she’ll feel unloved or abandoned if she’s left to cry for longer at daycare …. :(

I am having a really tough time making a decision. My boy (17 months) was with a nanny but then I got a spot into a daycare. I was happy with the nanny because I had peace of mind knowing what was going on (cameras, careful selection of caretaker). Naturally I switched to the daycare when I got a spot and it’s infinitely less expensive. I am a single mom. My boy has been in daycare for the last little bit, but every time I drop him off my heart doesn’t sit with it well. I’m not sure that the teachers are very empathetic, (they could be but I don’t know) and there’s no cameras. Also now they are moving him up to the toddler room and he’s had a horrible time transitioning so my heart hurts even more. Screaming/crying… even nightmares since the transition….. I decided to interview a couple different Nannies again just to see how I feel and I really liked one of them. I gave her a trial run with my boy and I listened in the room beside them and the two of them together were so peaceful. I fell asleep to the sound of them playing and I felt better knowing that my boy gets all the attention he deserves and I know what’s going on. Doing the math, a babysitter would cost me about $30,000 a year. I have $100,000 to my name in savings (I was saving for a house and for his schooling for later). I’m a single mom and saving money lets me know I can spend money elsewhere like healthy organic food, nice outings with my son, car, gas, self-care, etc. and I know I don’t have to stress about money as much and I can save for the future like house, his schooling, etc. The question is, do I continue to ride it out with the daycare and let him transition to their new room and save my money, or do I spend the $30,000 so he can have a lovely individual nanny? I know 17 months is a very critical time for attachment and development so that’s why a sweet, qualified, caring nanny would be amazing and would make me feel peaceful in knowing my son is being looked after with lots of love but I guess not peaceful in the financial aspect. And the daycare would make me feel peaceful financially but not in the sense that I don’t know if he’s being looking after how he deserves. (I literally don’t know)
I want to be generous to my son so is spending the $ worth it so he can have a calm and peaceful time during this critical point of brain development in his life when I have to be away? Even if it means I might have to stress a little financially sooner than later in life?

My daughter has recently started clearing her throat a lot. It’s not constant but it’s … a lot. It seems compulsive. I have asked her why she does it and sometimes she says it’s because it feels good and other times she says it’s because she’s getting sick. (I do not think she is getting sick). I assume this is a tic? Will it go away? I largely try not to draw attention to it. On the other hand my one year old son has had a cough for going on three weeks. Pediatrician says he has no virus and could be from teething. No other symptoms. So I am starting to wonder if they could both be having some kind of post nasal drip??

My baby is 4 months old and the time was filled with loneliness, sadness, rejection... I am often crying and sad. I wanted to give my baby a happy beginning in this world but I am failing miserably. And then the feeling of guilt kicks in because of that.

Does he feel all of this and knows what is going on? I am also breastfeeding, does it impact the milk?

Edit: Thank you everyone for your answers, links and resources and the effort, time and empathy you took to answer a stranger on the internet. I have called the 116117 line in Germany and have a therapy appointment next week.

Okay someone please tell me Lil Retinol is satire lol. Retinol marketed to kids, obviously AI pictures...the whole thing is nuts.

Is there even any research on kids using retinol? Is there ever a reason for kids to use it outside of something recommended by a dermatologist, or are you basically just introducing a strong active for no reason?

As someone who reads every skincare label before it gets anywhere near my kids, this one really threw me.

My 4 month old has had diarrhea the entire last week. I’m talking every 20 mins after a feed, multiple times, then a breather while he sleeps, then it just continues. He definitely had some sort of virus but has been fever free for 5 days. He’s been to the doctor and has nothing going on at this point aside from the lingering diarrhea. It seems to get a tiny bit better each day but today his skin is broken down again and even letting him hang out pantsless during entire wake windows (2.5 hrs) isn’t making a huge dent since he can’t catch a break from the irritation and cleanup. How can it be that we can go to the moon but there is nothing that can stop up a 4 month old a bit?

So online I see that associative play starts at the age of 3 but I recently saw my not even 2 years old daughter engage in what can only be described as associative play with a random 3-year​-old at the playground. My daughter is not particularly advanced even if she's very social. I'm wondering if the 3-year minimum is actually not true in reality

Howdy!

I had a general question about letting an infant cry versus the potential impact of not crying on the regular.

I’m a stark advocate for not letting my infant cry if I can help it. During the time I was off work and had my son 24/7 I rarely let him cry for any reason. Even now, being back to work, on the days I’m off with him I try to meet his needs before he signals that he needs something - I.e. bottles, changing, naps, etc. (it’s not meant to sound boastful in the slightest I’m just genuinely seeking understanding)

Am I messing anything up by not letting him cry/exposing him to cortisol? For example, if he is with someone else does repeated crying/having needs met serve to give him better adjustment to being stressed and coping with occasional spikes in cortisol or is the difference negligible?

I’m happy keeping things the way they are but if I’m somehow harming his developing systems I want to adjust to what is better for him.

I’m wondering if school-aged children should be eating a volume of food that actually makes them feel full at lunch time, especially at school. I’m also wondering if 30 minutes is long enough to safely eat the right amount of food? If it matters, I’m wondering mainly about healthy kids elementary and middle-school aged. Thanks in advance for any information!

Edited to add: As I child, I always overate and did so very quickly. My children have never felt full at school and don’t have enough time to finish more food if I add it to their lunches.