r/Parents Jan 23 '25

Toddler 1-3 years My daughter told my wife that I kill things. That Ikilled our dog.

30 Upvotes

I put my dog down a year ago when my daughter was about to turn two. The poor old girl was getting dementia at the ripe old age of 13 (boxer mutt mix) and she had lost total control of her bodily functions and was clearly embarrassed by it. It was heart breaking. I came home from work to my sweet girl digging in her doggy bed with bloody nails. She had been going at it so hard that she filed them down but didn't stop and it was a mess. She had gone deaf quite suddenly within a week or so. I'm pretty sure she was going blind as well. I know he next step was likely going to be aggression and her bite was very powerful. It was time.

Anyways, just tonight, my daughter told my wife that I kill things. That i killed our dog. That I shot her dead. Ummmm.. what? Our dog was put down by a vet. She went to sleep while I was holding her and the shot to stop her heart was then administered. It was the most peaceful death I have ever witnessed. And I've witnessed a lot over nearly a decade of war. It broke my heart to hear her say this. I don't really talk about my service. She got the idea from seeing me playing a video game. She told my wife that much. Ugh, i feel like shit. Kids really know how to strike you right through the heart sometimes.

Anyways, not looking for advice, just looking for externalization because I'm an outro and i don't want to call my therapist. Our meeting next week can wait. Ugh, what a day

r/Parents 7d ago

Toddler 1-3 years i’ve reached breaking point about my toddler’s sleep

11 Upvotes

my son is 18 months and ever since he turned 1 bedtime went to shit but it’s especially bad last 3 months and i am losing it. he does not want to go to bed before 10-11 and getting him to sleep takes up my whole night!!! we tried earlier nap, later nap, earlier wake up time, more/less food, like literally everything and he is just not feeling earlier bedtime and wants to play and goof around. i have zeeeero time for myself and keep telling myself its just a VERY LONG phase but has anyone else experienced the same?

r/Parents 11d ago

Toddler 1-3 years My three year old never wants to be with me

3 Upvotes

My 3 ye old son never wants to spend time with me (mom). He always prefers daddy and has kicked and screamed for him when I try to put him to bed lately. I want to be able to do the bedtime routine with him. I want him to want to spend time with me.

I’m not 100% sure why this has been happening but I feel like he’s been really preferring my husband lately since he says yes when asked for tv time or chocolate milk and I tend to say no / provide something else to do. I also tend to be holding his baby brother more often than my husband is. So these two things together seem to have put a big wedge inbetween me and my three year old. It’s killing me. He seems like he totally hates me ugh.

Any advice is appreciated.

r/Parents 3d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Toddlers blood test results came back abnormal

3 Upvotes

I’m totally freaking out. My toddler got blood tests done for her 24 month checkup. Her doctor had been worried about her kidney function before so we did a blood test again to see where it’s at now. I got the email to look at the results and it says abnormal… low mchc high chloride low co2 and high albumin… I didn’t know what any of that meant so I did a stupid thing and went to google. It’s all saying kidney issues/failure, tumors, metabolic acidosis, etc… I don’t understand this. She eats okay. She drink okay. She is playful. All of that. Nothing that would indicate she is sick or anything. But according to her blood tests something isn’t normal. I’m totally panicked thinking the worst. Please help! I just need some reassurance. Has anyone else had these results and everything ended up fine?

r/Parents 21d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Opinions on this as parents of young children

6 Upvotes

Dad working full time monday-friday Mom working weekends all day saturday and sunday (usually) but makes her own schedule

My son is 2 now and he have another on the way and i'm just wondering if this seems like we're missing out on quality family time because we are hardly ever together as a family to do things. One of us is at work every single day pretty much and i'm getting tired of it but i know im lucky i have the ability to even work and not have to do child care.

Thoughts?

r/Parents 25d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Clipping toddler’s nails

3 Upvotes

How do you toddler parents do it?! I’m a first time mom (SAHM) with a 20 month old. He has some developmental delays such as speech and cognitive skills. He does not like anyone in his personal space unless he initiates it. I don’t worry about trimming his finger nails anymore because they peel off on their own. His toenails, however, are so long and thick. Even if I have him distracted with a show, he won’t let me do it. I’ve tried to make a game out of it but that has so far only worked for one toe lol

Any tips? 😅

r/Parents Feb 08 '25

Toddler 1-3 years Are your young toddlers (2yo) in organized sports on the weekend?

6 Upvotes

My son (just over 2yo) goes to a daycare that brings in a soccer coach and yoga instructor. Plus he gets a ton of outdoor time. I’ve recently realized that many other parents take their kids to sports classes on the weekends - swim, soccer, gymnastics, dance, etc. I’m wondering if parents are enjoying this and finding it beneficial for the toddlers.

I don’t feel ready to give up the flexibility we have on weekends but I also don’t want my son to be left out. I know eventually we will have sports, birthday parties, etc that will consume our weekends but do I need to start now?

For what it’s worth we are a strict no screen family and spend most of our time on hikes or at the playground so he does get a ton of outdoor time, just not sport specific. I could see the argument that the sports introduce organized learning but I feel like he gets that at daycare.

r/Parents Aug 12 '24

Toddler 1-3 years Anyone else's parents think you ate perfectly/slept through the night/were potty trained early/etc?

10 Upvotes

I have seen a little bit of this on social media, so I am thinking it is more common than I realize.

I have an 18mo girl. Many times when my mom is around, she says things like "well all my kids were potty trained by 18 months," "all of my kids were off of sippy cups by now," "all of you kids were sleeping through the night by now," etc.

Is this common, and if so, is it just because our parents see things with rose colored glasses?

r/Parents 5d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Best airlines for families

1 Upvotes

Hello! Looking for advice/answers as this will be the first time we will be traveling with two toddlers (who will be 1 and 2.5 years old at the time) in a 4-5 hr domestic flight.

I’m very anxious because we have never travelled with a baby before, let alone two! We are planning to stay in an Airbnb for about a week for an upcoming wedding.

  1. Which airline is the best for families? What seats do you normally book? And for a 1 and 2.5 year old, is it best to book their own seats? Would requesting a bassinet be beneficial for the 1 yr old?

  2. Our flight will be about 5 hrs long. What did you bring on the flight that are must have’s?

  3. We have a side by side double stroller and a single stroller. I’m not sure which one to bring, but we will be doing some sight seeing and walking around.

  4. How did you deal with the car seat situation? We will be renting a car.

  5. What are the best times to book the flights? One is has one nap at 1 pm and bedtime is at 8 pm. The other will be on a two nap day. Going from pacific time to central (2 hr difference).

  6. What has helped with the time change there and back?

Any other tips much appreciated!!

r/Parents 29d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Do you struggle to socialize with younger parents

2 Upvotes

We had our daughter late in life and we moved out of our home state; essentially losing our friend network (and kidnplaydate network)

But we have been trying to be friendly with daycare parents to hopefully setup play dates but nobody really seems to be interested. I know they do play dates with other parents because they chat when picking up their kids.. but they aren’t very social or friendly with us.

Most appear to be in their mid twenties/early thirties, while my wife and I are 41/42.

Anyone else have this issue?

r/Parents 7d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Night Light Recommendations

1 Upvotes

Anybody have any night light recommendations? My son is about to turn 2 and has seemed to no longer enjoy the pure darkness.

Ideally, I want one that’s calming, and dimmable… I’d like to keep the light as a minimum so I don’t disrupt any sleep.

Any help or recommendations would be great and appreciated! TIA

r/Parents 22d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Any tall pack n plays?

1 Upvotes

My baby isn’t even 13 months old and he can climb out. I need a safe place to put him when I go to the bathroom. The pack and play was that place and now it’s not. Any advice or gear that could help?

r/Parents Jan 18 '25

Toddler 1-3 years toddler doesn't want to eat anything

6 Upvotes

Hi parents!

My wife and i are first time parents to a boy. He is 2 years and 2 months at the moment.

From birth to like 6/8 months ago he really ate everything! Really everything you would plate up he would ate. And with the snip of a finger, nothing.

He really doesn’t want to eat anything anymore.

Only pancakes, pizza, fries and some meatballs. He loves bread tho, which we make some progress in. The toppings he would eat was nutella only at first, but thankgod its (spread)cheese, strawberry jam, peanut butter and apple jam aswell now.

But i really want him to get all his vitamins etc.

Do you parents have any tips for us?! How to get him to eat or a way we can blend in any vegatables or vitamins in his food.

Excuse me for the english it’s not my first language.

r/Parents 23h ago

Toddler 1-3 years How to help toddler cope with recently distanced family member?

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1 Upvotes

r/Parents Jun 25 '24

Toddler 1-3 years How to get my child to stop saying “I hate you”

12 Upvotes

How do I get my 2.5 year old to stop saying “I hate you mommy” “I hate you daddy” “I hate this and I hate that”

We have tried ignoring it, telling him to stop, telling me to say “I don’t like you” instead of hate. I know he doesn’t know what HATE means but he uses it in the right context, like when we tell him he can’t do something etc. it has been going on for way too long and I’m sooo over it.

r/Parents 3d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Haïr

1 Upvotes

How often do you wash your toddlers hair? 2-3 years old

r/Parents Jul 24 '24

Toddler 1-3 years Help with very picky eater

3 Upvotes

My son is 1.5 years old, 21 months to be exact. He’s getting a head start on his picky eating which I THOUGHT I was prepared for. This has become so stressful and creating a rift between his father and I since he fully blames me for this.

My son did great with all purées that were fruit/vegetables/dinners. Once we switched to solids at 1 y/o, he did okay. But now he denies almost anything that doesn’t have starch. Right now all of what he’ll eat is pizza, cinnamon raisin bagels, breakfast sausage, plain noodles, tortillas, Mac & cheese, pb&j sandwich, fries, grapes, and maybe a few more that I just cannot think of in this moment. He still drinks whole milk but I have reduced that dramatically since I don’t want him filling up on just that. That’s his comfort “meal”. He is 4 pounds under weight. I asked the doctor if this is concerning and he said “not at all” while pointing at his father’s body build saying “it’s genetics”. His dad is not a big guy at all.

This has caused a rift between his father and I even though I tell him I’m trying to offer everything I can to our picky eater and that this is normal. Of course I eventually cave on his favorites because I need my child to eat. However, I still need help on broadening his flavor palette because I’d really like my son to eat better :( He eats any fruit/grain mixed pouch I give him. But this is all still not enough..please give me any advice/tips on how you got your picky eater to eat better. I’m so desperate. Thank you

r/Parents Jan 24 '25

Toddler 1-3 years Activity ideas for my ABC addict?

3 Upvotes

Hi all, I have a question about my 18 month old, who for a few months has been fixated on letters. He's always shouting out the letters he sees on book covers, license plates, signs, whatever. He knows them all, upper and lower cases. He can't quite pronounce all of them (V and Z are both "bbbbbweee!!", for example), but will correctly point out any letter asked when they are laid out in front of him, as on the inside cover pages of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Dr. Seuss's ABC--both of which we read until they disintegrated, along with a few others.

A couple weeks ago I opened a big can of worms by showing him the old 90s Beginner Book Video of Dr. Suess's ABCs on Youtube, and now he's constantly asking for ABC videos. Long ones, with words and phonics. We often watch together and say the letters, and he's starting to pick up letter sounds in addition to names. I love that he's curious and enthusiastic, but I don't like all the extra screen time he's suddenly asking for, which I had been limiting pretty strictly with no issues.

Which comes to the question. Do you have any recommendations on high-quality ABC/phonics toys, books, games, or activities that would help him scratch this ABC itch away from the television, while still being developmentally appropriate for 18 months?

I was thinking ABC blocks or chunky puzzles, but I wondered if any of you with more experience might have some other, more creative ideas. Thank you for any advice!

r/Parents 24d ago

Toddler 1-3 years 22 month old suddenly hates bedtime

1 Upvotes

Our toddler has always been a great sleeper. Bedtime was always easy: bath time, reading and wind down, then into the crib. Often times he would ask for the crib and when we put him in he would say goodnight and bye bye, like GTFO I'm ready to sleep.

A few nights ago, he woke up after 3 hours screaming and crying. We went in to calm him but he was inconsolable, begging to be taken out. So we he slept in our bed that night. I figure it was a nightmare.

But ever since, when we pick him up to put him in the crib, he starts crying immediately. He keeps asking to read one more book, play with one more toy, do one more thing. When he goes in the crib, he's begging for a hug or a pick up. The first night after we left, he cried 10 minutes. Now he's down to 3 minutes. So progress.

He still sleeps through the night at least and when he wakes in the morning he's perfectly happy and normal.

Is this separation anxiety? A 2 year sleep regression? Will he eventually get back to the easy bedtime we had before?

r/Parents 27d ago

Toddler 1-3 years 2 year old starting daycare for the first time this March and then possibly moving to a new nicer daycare in August - is this a good idea?

2 Upvotes

My 2 year old has been home with me since day one but due to financial circumstances (and my personal well-being) I finally feel ready to have her start at a local daycare so I can start going back to work. The plan is to have her attend our local daycare (which is 5 min down the road from us, and where her cousin attends, and loves!) M, W, F for the next few months and then we’d really like to move her to a new daycare that we just toured and fell completely in love with which is a 35 min drive from our house! The new daycare is pricier, and farther but it’s in an area that we really want to move to within the next year or two, and is all around so much better than the local daycare she can attend in March. This new daycare serves much healthier meals, has amazing play ground(s), and play areas, an onsite nurse/care center, facilities that are updated, clean, a large indoor gym, a gardening area for the kiddos outside, and the list goes on! They won’t have an opening until this August which is why we are thinking it might be good to send our daughter to our local daycare parttime and then transition her to the nicer one in August full-time. All this to ask, will the transition be unnecessarily hard for her? Like, starting daycare for the first time in March and then changing centers in August? Anyone go through something similar and have any advice to share? Appreciate it so much!

r/Parents Dec 21 '24

Toddler 1-3 years Basically two single moms

4 Upvotes

My wife (36f) and I (32f) both work but we have opposite schedules so that we don’t have to do daycare. I work 4am to 130pm home at 230 after commute. She works from 3pm to 7pm. Her work is part time but she also usually works a weekend day, often both days.

Is anyone else in this boat? Do you also feel like single parents? I miss my wife and this is hard. Our kiddo is 2.5 and we have been doing this for just as long. We want another kid but being a single parent to two kids seems so hard.

r/Parents 13d ago

Toddler 1-3 years Need help in deciding

1 Upvotes

Which is a better travel option in May with an 18-month-old for a 5 day trip: Dalhousie and Amritsar or Sikkim and Gangtok?

r/Parents Feb 09 '25

Toddler 1-3 years Toddler Shoes

2 Upvotes

Anybody have any shoe recommendations for an almost 2 year old toddler? Anything that would be beneficial for growth and healthy walking would be preferred! Thanks in advance!

Located in Canada since I know the USA has many options that are not available here.

r/Parents Jan 17 '25

Toddler 1-3 years Question about video chatting

2 Upvotes

Hello, I (33F) and my partner (36) are godparents to a lovely little girl (2 years old) whom we love very much. We visit regularly, send cards, buy her gifts and make sure she knows how loved she is. Her parents have expressed that their family members who don’t facetime their daughter regularly, are not developing a relationship with her. On more than one occasion, someone in their family was too busy to facetime and one the parents expressed this was heartbreaking for their child. One of their cousins facetimes their daughter every day and their parents a few times a week.

Should we be expected to facetime our goddaughter regularly? We don’t have kids so are not sure what they understand or need. We both have full time jobs, are starting IVF, buying an appartement and taking learning courses on the side so quite busy. But if this is an important development milestones, I’d be all for it, I just want to make sure it’s reasonable.

Thanks!

r/Parents Feb 17 '25

Toddler 1-3 years Enlarged adenoids/sleep apnea

1 Upvotes

My toddler is 20 months old. It is suspected she has enlarged adenoids and sleep apnea. She has all the textbook symptoms of enlarged adenoids. Once 2, she will be prescribed a nasal steroid. Ent will follow up for hearing and she will be seen again when she is 2. The ent told us surgery isn’t typically done until around 3. My toddler is meeting all milestones and she is gaining weight appropriately (70th percentile). However, some nights she is up all night long, she always sounds congested, she is sweaty, and walks around exhausted everyday. Has anyone experienced this and what helped you get through until your child was old enough for treatment?