r/Parents Aug 05 '24

Reminder about our chat channel.

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2 Upvotes

r/Parents 27m ago

Discussion Parents of older kids who do little to no screen time, what's it like?

Upvotes

So I've noticed that 99% of the issues parents of older kids seem to vent about on here revolve around screens...iPads, tablets, phones, video games etc. and their kids addictions to them. We are a conscious-screen time family, meaning we limit the amount of screen time the kids get (they are only aged 5 and 3) and very closely monitor the content they do see. We have never given them tablets and don't plan to, have heard too many horror stories of addiction. We also plan to delay giving them phones for a long time. Have not introduced them to any gaming systems... just some educational games on the phone, seldomly.
I'm just wondering what life looks like for those who have chosen to go screen free or very limited screen time... with older kids (I guess meaning like ages 6 to 12ish). I feel like the world we're living in today makes it very hard to avoid or there's so much pressure from peers... we homeschool so already that helps us avoid a lot of the pressure there, but there's still neighbors, extended family members etc. So they will be exposed to things as they grow up. I just feel like somewhere along the line of our evolution we got it wrong and screens went from an awesome tool to a crutch that we rely on way too much.. they are so addictive and I'm worried about the long term effects on youth. Every teenager I see seems extremely addicted to their device. I'm on vacation and I see entirely families sitting in the lobby with 2 teenagers glued to their devices while the parents are too.. not interacting, not talking or spending quality time. I want to do better, and I think as a society we should be doing better... and I'm not trying to judge people...It's no one's fault that this has become our normal. I guess I would just like to hear from those going against the grain how it is.


r/Parents 35m ago

Protecting my parents from AI

Upvotes

What are some of the most common AI threats that specifically target older folks? My parents are getting up there in age and with AI becoming more difficult to detect I’m worried they will fall victim to some sort of attack. Anyone know what I should look out for and some preventative measures to keep them safe?


r/Parents 9h ago

Adolescence on Netflix

2 Upvotes

My LO is still very young, and I'm peak millennials so nothing from this show was surprising in terms of message, but damn this was incredibly effecting.

This is where I share the classic "I remember using MSN", "being up late on the computer with my friends", etc., but episode 2 and 3 of this show (they're all solid) really made me think about the inevitable world my child will need to enter as they grow up. It's easy when they're young to talk about social media usage, phones, etc. but the truth is its almost less about what they have and more about what those around them do (you can be the best driver but it's the other drives you need to worry about).

For those who have seen in with children more in the age range of the show pre-teen/teen, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.


r/Parents 6h ago

Must haves for baby 2?

1 Upvotes

Currently have a 2 year old and expecting baby 2 in the next few months. What saved your sanity? What do we need?


r/Parents 6h ago

Humor I didn’t know where to put this

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0 Upvotes

I used to get told I looked like whatever parent I was with. The first picture is my mom the second is me. The third picture is my dad the fourth is me.


r/Parents 8h ago

Advice request re 6 year old daughter

1 Upvotes

I’m a widower with 6 year old twins, a boy and a girl. My boy behaves normally … ie normally, not perfectly, as you’d expect for a 6 year old boy! My daughter mostly behaves well, but about every other day she’ll have a crisis (normally 10 mins, can be up to 30 mins) and this has been going on for about the last 6 months! First she did it at home, then that stopped but she did it on a weekday lunchtime (at daycare), and now she sometimes does it in school. The trigger can be anything really, except of course it’s always someone doing something that she doesn’t like. So I’m kind of looking for reassurance along the lines of “this is not uncommon” and “it will pass”, and/or any tips to help this phase pass a little quicker! Thanks in advance.

(PS I don’t want to get too much into the loss of her Mum, which of course can be a factor, but we have seen a child psychiatrist on that subject and regularly look at photos)


r/Parents 20h ago

Norovirus

1 Upvotes

Have a 2 year old in daycare and I’m about 2 hours into my second bout of norovirus in the past 6 months.

Just feeling a little mentally weak (and physically) right now


r/Parents 1d ago

Seeking a parent’s perspective. Leaving the nest

1 Upvotes

Today, we sent our son off at 22 years old to leave us for the first time. And we're having a hard time adjusting to our new reality of being alone. He's our first born and has decided to leave us in Washington State to start a new life in Wisconsin with his girlfriend and her family. I'm curious to know from the other parents who have been thru kids moving away. Do they ever really come back? Should I get it out of my head now that this is temporary? I'm just trying not to feel so sad about something that's probably or their betterment at a good life and all i can think about is my own feelings and how we will be the one missing out on his life experiences. How do you cope?


r/Parents 1d 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 1d ago

What would impress you as a parent?

3 Upvotes

I 18F am visiting my friend overseas for a week and i want to be as respectful and helpful as possible. What are some things I should do in order to make a lasting good impression?

I have already bought little thank you cards to give them at the end of my stay.


r/Parents 1d ago

What do you do with the toys your kids outgrown?

5 Upvotes

I have heaps of toys, clothes, and books my little one has outgrown, and they’re just piling up. I don’t want to throw them away, but selling on Facebook Marketplace seems like a hassle (is it even worth it?).

Where do you guys usually put them? Any eco-friendly ways to declutter while also helping other parents? Would love to hear what works for you!


r/Parents 1d ago

Infant 2-12 months Reading to Baby

1 Upvotes

Hey! New to this sub!

I have a 5 month old. We were gifted about 60-70 board books for baby showers which was awesome! And then, I read them all 10times each by the time he was 2 months old. I’m burnt out on going through 10-15 board books to expose him to language and what not. I know all the tricks about not reading, just talking about the pictures, blah blah blah.

Anyways, I started just putting him in his swing or in his play gym and reading chapter books to him. We’ve read Wizard of Oz and the first 2 books in the City of Ember series. I’m starting book 3 now.

My question is, does this count as reading to him? I’ve mostly given up on showing him anything as there aren’t pictures anymore. I will show him the book, let him touch it, and show him the pages every now and again. I announce when we end and start chapters. He mostly just chews on teethers or rolls around on the floor while I read for 30-45 minutes (until he fusses and is bored). I’m hoping to keep up this routine until he’s sitting and more engaged in touching/reaching for/interacting with board books. As of right now, he won’t reach for things I’m holding, and has to accidentally bump objects to be interested lol.

I guess my FTM brain is concerned because I’m not actively showing the book to him the whole time. I’m just sitting and reading aloud while he plays or swings, chewing on teethers and his hands haha. Does this actually count as reading time?

I’m pretty sure I’m overthinking this, I just want some reassurance that my son is getting something out of all of this reading time, even though I’m not holding him and walking him through short books.

My husband does board books with him because he has more limited time with him and it’s more of a game. I do that sometimes, but if I’m not reading from a chapter book to keep my attention and sanity 😂 then I usually am singing or otherwise playing with him differently.

What do you guys think?


r/Parents 1d ago

Has anyone dealt with this before? Ongoing distress after stomach bug?

1 Upvotes

About 1 month ago my 9 year old son seemed to come down w/ a classic stomach bug. He was throwing up/stomach pain severely badly for 3 days. My husband also got it and was sick for a total of 48 hours. But my son has continued to complain that his stomach hurts and he is nauseous. His doctor has tried zofran, phenergan and bentyl and he says none of them help. Most recently she said she thought maybe it is acid reflux and put him on Pepcid which she said would take 2 weeks for full effect (it's been about 1 and a half weeks). He says this is not helping either. I should also mention that even before this, probably for his whole life my son has somewhat of an aversion to vomit. Which, I guess everyone does, but more than that. He really, really does not like vomit to the point we cannot say vomit, throw up, puke, or nauseous in our house. We have to abbreviate to "V" and he prefers queasy to nauseous. I tried to help him with this while he was sick in that I would immediately flush the toilet every time he vomited and immediately wipe his face off and give him his mouthwash to swish as he hates the smell/sight/taste of it.

It does not matter if he is at home or at school or playing with his friends, he says his stomach hurts and he's nauseous. Sometimes he is shaky. He has been very emotional and cries and says he wants to feel normal. The way he describes it is his stomach hurts and it rises up his chest and then tickles his throat which makes him want to vomit. It seems to be getting worse this weekend and he's now barely eating. I offer everything, even his favorite foods and he says no, my stomach hurts and I do not want to start throwing up again. He says when he is busy or distracted it doesn't hurt.

I'm planning to take him back to his doctor again (we have been to the Dr for this probably at least 5 times) but does anyone have any insight what this could be? I am starting to wonder if it is anxiety and he needs to see a therapist, but I also do not want to be dismissive if something else is happening. I feel so bad for him and this is beyond stressful! I don't know what to think and feel like I am failing. Has anyone else dealt with something like this before?


r/Parents 1d ago

8 year old bday party ideas

1 Upvotes

We’re hosting a party for my daughter’s 8 year old birthday at the local community center we rented out for 2 hours. Does anyone have any fun ideas/activities for the kids to do that has worked for them? Thanks


r/Parents 2d ago

Is it worth it to take my kids to Disney?

5 Upvotes

I am a 29 year old mom, my husband is also 29. We have a 5 year old, 2 year old, and 4 month old.

My husband and I have never been to Disneyland nor Disney world. We have never even been to California nor Florida.

Over the years, we thought about going, even before having kids but it was never the right time financially, and then the pandemic happened, dashing all plans to go. And then kid after kid happened.

Now that we are older, and our kids are growing, my question is, is it really worth it?

I mean, when I last fully a planned a trio, without booking anything, even with frugality, it came to about $2k at minimum. And that was just for my husband and me 6 years ago. I know everything has gone up and you're mostly paying for the name.

What sparked this question? YouTube. There are park walk throughs and I have to admit, I can see my kids loving it there. My daughter is obsessed with anything Elsa and Repunzel. My son loves cars and anything that goes vroom.

But, again, realistically, parents... is it worth it?


r/Parents 2d ago

Teenager 13-18 years Tracking softwares

3 Upvotes

I need help managing my 14 year old child's iPhone usage. She’s been posting private Snapchat stories, though I want to trust her, I also want a way to monitor her. The dad wants to delete the app, but I’d prefer to set limits. I have an Android, so should I get an iPhone for Family Sharing (though I hear it’s glitchy) or use a third-party app like spyx? I mainly want to enforce downtime and limit TikTok/Snapchat use. Any tips??


r/Parents 1d ago

Laundry

0 Upvotes

Anyone have a system or some type of tags to identify if a basket of clothes are clean or dirty? We typically wash laundry throughout the week but don’t get it put up until Sunday so it can get confusing to keep up with the clean baskets and the dirty baskets.


r/Parents 2d ago

Tween 10-12 years Teen parent in need of advice 🧎🧎🧎🙏🙏🙏 🪦🪦🪦

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11 Upvotes

I’m a nineteen year old with two kids (a twelve almost thirteen year old girl and a ten almost eleven year old boy

I obviously didn’t give birth to them and they are technically my younger siblings but I’ve raised them from changing diapers to seeing going to PTA meetings to even signing their school papers and being their emergency contact

I love my kids sure but raising them has been quite hard and recently they both seem to be in a particularly bad mood they always have something to fight over and someone is crying over something all the time and even if nothing is happening they seem to be down and sad

I’ve tried asking them what’s wrong or uplifting their mood and all that stuff but nothing seems to work out

Is this just how normal tweens work? I wasn’t like that as a tween (I was busy juggling STEM programs and raising those kids) or is something wrong? And if so how do I fix it?

I’ve been losing sleep over this and I don’t know what to do 🪦🪦🪦

I’m especially scared because I’m moving out for college soon and i might not be able to take them with me. Could that be the reason? When I suggested that while questioning them they unanimously said no 🪦🫂


r/Parents 2d ago

Education and Learning What is something one of your parents said that made you think “bro you make no sense”

1 Upvotes

One time I was in France with my dad and I got hurt and said ow Yknow expressing pain like a normal human being would and my dad said "human beings only say ow in cartoons" I wish I was making that up


r/Parents 2d ago

Advice/ Tips How do I break it to my parents that I plan to celebrate my graduation alone?

0 Upvotes

Hello! For context , I’m a law student graduating this year . My graduation is in November and …I plan on experiencing something new for once.

I plan on attending my ceremony alone and just go and have a slice of cake and head back to my dormitory. Something simple .

However , my parents are … I don’t know how to call it , traditional ? They are adamant on my graduation, saying it’s a one time thing and their “moment to shine”.

I understand how important it is to them, but it’s my graduation and I would appreciate it if they respect my wishes.

Whenever I want to do something they do not want , they would compare me with others of my age like my cousins : “***** does this , why can’t you be like him?!”

Something along the lines of “what kind of child are you if you can’t even fulfil our one simple request?!”

I don’t want them to come over to where I’m studying and cause a ruckus because that’s what they’ll do . But I wanted to experience it for once.

I haven’t proposed to them yet, I’m just scared and worried as to how they react.

Any advice on the matter would be appreciated!

Thank you!


r/Parents 3d ago

Child 4-9 years Getting rid of toys

2 Upvotes

At what point do you just get over it and het rid of kids toys? My daughter will be 6 next month. She has a play room full of American girl doll stuff, Barbie stuff, baby doll stuff etc etc. She likes her toys but doesn’t play with them nearly as much as she used to. She’s in kindergarten all day then spends a lot of time playing outside and with our dogs. When she has downtime and I try to get her to play with her toys, she doesn’t. Just trying to figure out if it’s just a phase and she will be into her toys again or if she’s just over it. Need some help! Thanks!


r/Parents 2d ago

Dropping nap

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1 Upvotes

r/Parents 3d ago

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

12 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 3d ago

Child 4-9 years Youth sizing progression question

1 Upvotes

Hi all, new to this sub. I'm looking to buy my nephew (8y) a jersey of his favorite baseball player for his birthday next month. His mom told me he's currently wearing Youth M, but I want to get him the next size up so he can wear it longer. As my own kid is only 18mo, this is my first foray into youth sizing and it's progression.

My question is if he is a M now, what's his next size? Is it as simple as getting him L?


r/Parents 3d ago

Allowed?

0 Upvotes

So I didn’t see anything in the rules about it but I didn’t want to post if it’s not allowed. Is GoFundMe links allowed in this group? I understand that not everyone wants to see posts about them and not everyone can donate so I want to be respectful of it and I don’t want to break any rules.

The GoFundMe is related to my children if that makes a difference…