My 14 month old son was mostly sleeping through the night, but for the past 3–4 weeks he's been waking 2–3+ times and only goes back down with a small feed; otherwise he fights sleep. He has a consistent routine, and I feed him to sleep and transfer him to the crib, which hasn't changed. We're not sleep training, so I'd love to hear whether this passed on its own for anyone, what caused it, and any no-cry tips that helped.

We are flying from LAX to HNL in a few weeks. It will be my husband and I, and our toddler. This will be my daughter’s first flight. I know to bring A LOT of snacks (healthy, unhealthy, pouches or lollipops for ear pressure), many random small toys/coloring books, stickers, to entertain them, and an iPad plus over the ear headphones for emergencies. Plus the usual diapers, wipes, hand sanitizer, etc. Any other recommendations that I’m missing? Is there a particular way to pack these things that is most efficient or a particular type of bag that worked well for you?

I think I’m causing myself more stress and anxiety than necessary but I have much fear for this flight lol. TIA if you reply 😬

Camping was so hard with 18 month old

We've gone camping 3 times with our baby and now toddler: when he was 11 months, 14 months, and 18 months. The first two times were easy because he wasn't super mobile.

This last time was so hard because now he's walking, almost running, and getting into EVERYTHING. We kept him safe and with us but it took constant vigilance, it was very tiring, and my husband and I couldn't help one another like we're used too. It was the opposite of relaxing camping!

Does anyone have tips on how to make it easier to camp? We'd like to go on more trips with him (the toddler loved it!) but I'd like it be less stressful. Some ideas I have are to use the leash/baby backpack more, find ways to have him "help" us and he has to stay right with us, or just accept that one of us has to be with him at all times and not doing regular camping tasks during that time.

My daughter developed this rash about a week ago. All over her chest and stomach. Doctors don't seem concerned because she's not really itchy and hasn't had a fever. It doesn't seem to be getting better. If anything it's starting to spread to her face and arms. Does anyone have any ideas? We have been applying hydrocortisone and giving her allergy medicine per the doctor's suggestion.

My son is 3 next month and we have a 5 week old. We have found that his behaviour was starting to deteriorate during the end of my pregnancy. However since baby girl arrived his behaviour is out of control.

He will throw things around and when we take them off him (calmly, and explaining that it is not safe) he just moves onto the next toy and throws this. He also hits and kicks me and his dad, pulls my hair and scratches or hits us with his toys. He has now started to hurt his sister and has once shook her moses basket as she was sleeping in it. He has accidently kicked her whilst kicking me and then once he realised what he did he smacked her. He has also splashed water in her face when we were bathing her, he also often says he wants to smack her. He also slams doors and bangs on them next to her when he knows baby is asleep and when we move him away he just runs back and obviously when I'm home alone with them both it's extremely hard to keep him away whilst making sure she is safe and happy.

We try and stay as calm as possible when he does all of this but sometimes we do raise our voice because it is exhausting 😫 We have found no matter what we do nothing seems to be working and his behaviour is just getting worse.

We dedicate at least 20 minutes a day to do whatever he wants together without the baby, as whenever we research what to do this is the first thing it says. Feel like this has made no difference to his behaviour though.

Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so how long did it last?! Or do people think I need to speak to someone? I have spoken to health visitors and they say it's normal but this seems extreme now 😫

At what point do we stop labeling behaviors as normal toddler behaviors and label them as concerning? I have had suspicions about my daughter for a while now and everyone has dismissed me saying it was normal behaviorally etc. Now that my April 2024 baby is 2.5 I feel like it’s gotten worse. She struggles with her emotional regulation and severe aggression along with severe tantrums, repetitive behaviors, struggling with transitions, sensory sensitivity, and occasional restrictive eating. However, she is also extremely smart, has great speech, very social, and wayy advanced for her age. She goes to an in home daycare with kids 2-3 years older than her, so she’s always thought she was older than she really is. I work in special education so I’m familiar with most diagnoses & disorders — but in elementary aged children. Even though shes still so young and everyone is brushing it off, I feel stumped that I can’t even pinpoint what exactly is happening with my own child and I just want to help her! I’m not sure if its a behavior thing, autism, etc but I know its something. I scheduled an appointment in January (it was the earliest available) for an eval for her, but until then I need help!!! Has anyone gone through something similar? What was the outcome? Any helpful tips and advice?

I refused to get a double stroller and found the hoppie to be a good solution to carry my toddler on my newborns stroller. I couldn't use it 1 day.

My son tipped over the entire stroller to where I panicked the newborn would tip. It is NOT SAFE. My son is on the higher height and weight for his age and I told the company it would not work for us. They refused to give me a refund or have any understanding of the matter.

I am very disappointed with it and the brand service. Who faced a hoppie issue here?

Has anyones 3 year old been extremely difficult saying no to everything and barley wanting to eat? My 3 year old for the past 3 weeks has been eating such small amounts of everything and just not much appetite. Went to her peds dr and everything seemed fine. Is this a 3 year old phase where they barely eat when offered?

Hi people, my second born is turning six months old next month and I'm looking for a sturdy highchair. And I DO NOT WANT STOKE. Because I had it for my first child who is 3 now and I hated adjusting and cleaning it. The strap doesn't budge easily at all, you have to fight with it. Food traps in its crevices, the fabric of straps get dirty with food easily and grime builds up on them. And then taking them off to wash in a machine is another level of hard work. Its good as a toddler chair but its vey bulky and takes a lot of space. Me and my husband both have tripped over its legs. I know there are lot of fans of the chair but for me it not everyday feeding friendly.

Im hoping to find another wooden, convertible high chair. I've come across Mocking bird and Diner pal and both look something worth considering. Especially since Im trying to avoid the cleaning headache and a chair that spreads all over the place this time around.

So guys help me pick one. Share your first hand experience with these chairs? Do you actually love yours and would get the same for second child if needed?

Hi parents of Reddit. Help.

We have an 18 month old. He’s never been a great sleeper but we’re a bit desperate now.

He goes down to bed at 19 (no fuss, fairly easy) and usually sleeps through the night or wakes up once or twice. That’s all good.

The thing is he wakes up at 4:15 every single morning. We used to be able to put him in bed with us and he would settle for a little while but now not even that. He screams and tries to get away. If I try to keep him in his crib he also screams.

I can see he’s clearly tired and he’s usually ready for a nap by 6. And when he goes down he would sleep 60-90 more minutes. Which tells me he has more sleep in him.

Nap-wise: I know he’s probably overtired. He does one nap at daycare at noon and it’s always short. Like 30 minutes. Not because they cap it but because he gets up.

At home on weekends he does two naps, between 40-60 mins each.

If anyone has been on a similar boat and did something that worked I’m all ears. Please. Thank you.

I’m really struggling at the moment and could really do with some advice and reassurance from other mums. ❤️

I have a beautiful two-year-old little girl who is the most loving, sweetest child, and I’m currently pregnant with baby number two. Unfortunately, this pregnancy has been incredibly difficult. I lost my mum, I’ve suffered with hyperemesis and have had hospital admissions, the longest being two weeks. I’ve also had gallstones and gallbladder surgery, and I’ve now been diagnosed with cholestasis of pregnancy, meaning I’m in and out of hospital for tests and monitoring.

Through all of this, I feel like I haven’t been the mum my little girl deserves. I’ve been much more snappy, I shout more than I ever want to, and I find myself getting frustrated over normal toddler behaviour because I’m physically and emotionally exhausted. I know she’s only two, and she’s just being a toddler, but sometimes I feel like I have absolutely nothing left to give.

She’s seen me really unwell, crying and struggling, and I’m terrified that it’s affected our relationship. I still try my best every single day. I take her out when I can, spend time with her, take her to see family and try to do fun things together, even when I feel awful. But on my really bad days, especially when I’m sick, I struggle so much.

I don’t have much support around me apart from a few friends, and I mainly solo parent, so a lot of the time I feel like I’m carrying everything on my own.

Today, my little girl spent the day at a friend’s house, and my friend told me she was hiding under the table and didn’t want to come home. She was also calling my friend mummy. I know she’s only two, and I don’t want to read too much into it, but it absolutely broke my heart. It made me question whether I’ve made her unhappy or damaged our bond, and I’ve been beating myself up ever since.

I feel like the worst mum in the world. I love my little girl more than anything, and the last thing I ever want is for her to feel scared of me or to think she isn’t loved. I just feel like I’ve been in survival mode for so long that I’ve lost the patience and calmness I used to have, and I don’t know how to put things right.

Has anyone else been through something similar, especially during a difficult pregnancy? Have you managed to rebuild that closeness with your little ones? What practical things helped you reconnect with them and become a calmer mum again?

Please be kind. I’m not looking for judgement; I’m genuinely struggling and just want to do better for my little girl. I want her to feel safe, happy and loved, and I want to make sure our bond is still there. ❤️

I already went to the ped and got a full work-up. Everything is totally normal and healthy…he’s just naturally a smelly person lol. Age 3.

I’m looking for tips to manage the smell and keep her clean. For context:

I'm in Canada: So antibacterial soaps like Dial aren't an option/safe for toddlers here. We bath daily with honest gel soap and use a wash cloth and let it sit for 3 mins. He still smells.

Baking soda worked: It knocked out the smell but gave a rash, so that’s a hard no.

We prioritize cotton: i try and find breathable clothing as much as possible and can confirm laundry is clean thanks to [r/laundry](r/laundry).

What has actually worked for your kids? I'd love any daily routines or product recommendations.

Title. My kid is almost 3, and has the classic little kid speech impediments; she loves her shoes, which she calls her sneakers, but unfortunately, it comes out sounding a LOOOOOOOT like the N word. Thankfully, this has only been heard in our home, but what are my options if this happens in public?

1. Try to explain that she's saying "sneakers"

2. Preemptively direct her away from the word "sneakers" until she can pronounce it properly

3. Do nothing and hope for the best

4. Your suggestion here

Is there a reason our 2 year old is likely waking up after a few hours of being asleep? She will wake up and sit up and get upset which I’m assuming is because she can see she’s on her own but she used to sleep straight through but the last few weeks has started waking up after a few hours. Could it be because of a new sibling? Her brother is just over 2 weeks old and obviously around the time of him being born, she had grandparents staying with her etc

Hi there,
We are transitioning our toddler from her crib to a toddler bed that’s has an opening.

We want to baby proofing her chest of drawers so that, if she decides to go on nightly adventures in her room, she can’t open these drawers.

I can’t seem to figure out which system to get that I can secure each drawer individually.

Anybody know of a system that works for this style of drawers?

Thank you

Hi! I’ve noticed that my 19 month old struggles to eat some food textures. She’s not really picky, she will try most things, but she struggles to chew and swallow some foods that I see other babies her age eating. She has all four molars top and bottom. Examples:

She is always asking for apples but can’t eat them. She’ll take a bite because she likes the taste but even a super paper thin slice of apple gets pushed around in her mouth then spit out. After a while of this she stopped trying to bite apples and now just licks them. Doesn’t seem to like cooked apples. Also will gag on any tiny amount of apple skin or other fruit skin like grapes, so I peel them before quartering. Won’t eat blueberries bc of the skin.

Same with cucumber - she will take a bite then spit it out or gag on it when it gets caught in the back of her throat.

Seems to enjoy the flavor of oatmeal but will get pieces of oat stuck on her tongue and gets upset, will spit it out or request I help her get it off her tongue. Won’t eat anymore after that.

Won’t eat pasta unless it’s super soft. Same with steamed veggies like broccoli or carrots.

Things she eats without issue: pizza, toast, shredded chicken, meatballs, soft fruit like kiwi, refried beans.

This morning I was like “maybe I’ll try blending her oatmeal” and that’s what made me wonder whether this is normal since I don’t think most 1.5 year olds need their oatmeal puréed? Should I talk to my doctor or am I overthinking and she will figure it out?

ETA: we did mostly baby led weaning and she never gagged much then but it’s like…she never made any progress even after getting more teeth. She was better at eating raw cucumber as a 7 month old than she is now! We never did baby purées since she didn’t like them but she has always liked “naturally” soft/pureed-ish foods like lentil soup etc.

My son is 3.5 and seems to genuinely dislike being around his 12 month old brother. He constantly monitors everything his brother does and gets upset or hits him just for being nearby. I learned not to force them to play together or share toys, but I just want them to be able to be in the same room peacefully. I’ve tried so many different approaches, and nothing seems to help or work for long.

When he isn’t around his brother, my 3.5 yo is the sweetest kid. He is shy, loves other babies (lol), and does not have any behavioral issues at daycare. He also will wonder where his brother is at and ask for him when he’s napping or with my husband. So he must love him, right? Has anyone experienced this?

I’m even wondering if therapy might be beneficial at this point. He slapped me and his father in the face last night, so I’m at my wits’ end.

Please help me. I want to break down and cry im at my wits end.

My son is 27 months and is refusing to get his night bath as we used to, so now he's taking a shower in the morning. The problem is that he hates, screams, sounds like a murder scene when i turn on the hair dryer, but as it's getting cold I can't let him go out with his hair wet. Any advice or recommendations?

To clarify, I come from a tropical country so hair dryers were not needed. My son sees me using the hair dryer but wont approach me. He also hates the shopping mall hand dryers and leaf blowers.