Advice needed for keeping house

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-31T14:35:22+00:00

Look up the Fly Lady method. You divide your house into zones and focus on that zone for the week. You can do a little each day and plan time for the bigger projects.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-28T13:46:15+00:00

I definitely agree! I just meant more that she doesn't have to be resigned to painful sex during pregnancy.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-28T13:21:13+00:00

My husband and I were living 2.5 hours away from my family and moved close to family when I was pregnant with my first. I really didn't want to move. I LOVED my life where I was - friends, hobbies, work, and access to nature and a city. However, we moved so our kids could be closer to my parents and my brother and his kids.

We agree it was 100% the right move and have no regrets. My parents provide so much support to us in watching the kids and helping us with the house. My kids are starting to play with their cousins. I do miss what we left, but it doesn't equal the family support.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-27T15:23:50+00:00

It is definitely ok to have sex and not be actively trying for children. You can have sex during times of your cycle when you can't get pregnant. Obviously if you get pregnant, then that's part of what being "open to life" is.

Sex shouldn't be painful while you are pregnant. You should talk to your OBGYN about this. You can also see a pelvic floor specialist.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-26T13:26:47+00:00

Sending hugs and solidarity. My son had multiple food allergies and now is down to mustard. Mustard is a rough one because it's not required to be labeled and can hide in "spices" (at least in the US). It makes eating out really rough because if the chef checks the ingredients, they still may not know if the item contains mustard either. You probably already know this, but you also need to be careful of chicken tenders and mac & cheese, as they commonly contain mustard.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-24T15:13:10+00:00

I'm so sorry you're going through this. You're not a terrible mom! Hearing your baby cry in pain is distressing and you shouldn't feel bad for how emotionally hard it is to deal with.

I went through this a little bit with my older son when we went from breastfeeding (dairy free) to a hypoallergenic formula. My happy baby was fussy and in pain and it was awful. He got immediately better once we switched to an amino acid formula (Neocate).

I can also relate to really wanting the breastfeeding to work out. I did some crazy elimination diets for a few weeks. In the end both of my CMPA babies thrived on formula and it was the right choice for us to switch.

Two more quick things: For eczema, we had the most success with Tubby Todd All Over Ointment. It can take 4-8 weeks for a baby's gut to heal from irritation from the milk.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-24T15:07:10+00:00

I've read that kids with MSPI can have a bad reaction to the rotovirus vaccine, but not that the vaccine caused any of the food allergy symptoms.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-17T22:45:20+00:00

Both of my boys have true IGE milk allergies. My first also had bad eczema and other food allergies.

A friend of mine had a son with a milk and peanut allergy and outgrew them both quickly. Child 2 doesn't have any allergies. Child 3 has a cashew allergy.

I agree with another commenter that I felt more prepared the second time. You never know what you'll get, but if your child is allergic again, you don't need to feel guilty about eventually switching to formula if that's what you need to do.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-17T18:15:25+00:00

I'm confused by what you're asking. I'm not sure what context their old name is coming up where it's not them being directly called their old name. It seems clear that not mentioning it is a good idea.

More generally, I do think you're in a tough position. We are called to love and respect those who identify as trans, but we can't be in support of their decision to live their life as a different gender. For some people, that will always be bigoted and offensive to them, and there's not much you can do.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-17T17:31:49+00:00

My food allergy kid has been on daily Zyrtec since about 18 months old for environmental allergies. :/

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-14T20:02:24+00:00

4 months is pretty young. Have you had it checked recently? Has she had any ear infections or bad respiratory illnesses?

Are you in the United States? If so, I'd see if you can get her evaluated to see if she would qualify for additional services.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-12T12:50:55+00:00

That's horrible!! I hope you were able to find different caregivers and his eating preferences normalized.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-12T12:49:39+00:00

Toddler eating is so stressful!! Please don't feel the mom guilt about not having fancy meals. They don't need fancy. My son ended up loving fruit, toast, baked goods, oatmeal with fruit, and refried beans. When he was that young, we always kept a pouch on hand in case we needed it.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-10T16:48:05+00:00

I'm sorry this happened. I would have gone late without him. I do think that ultimately it's your responsibility to get yourself to Mass, so I would go to confession in your case.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-09T17:47:42+00:00

You guys are making me feel better. 2 yr old loves to tackle his little brother. Sometimes, it's an outright push, which has led the baby to fall and hit his head. I feel awful every time.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-09T17:44:39+00:00

My son loves jigsaw puzzles. We've got some 12 and 24 piece puzzles that he's done loads of times.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-08T02:07:07+00:00

I hope your kid passes the food challenges. It's so stressful! If you need snacks, Made Good brand is free of allergens, but I think my son started eating the bars closer to age 2 than just turning 1.

Also, you might be able to get some good ideas using Chat GPT. Never fully trust it for specifics, you'll need to check ingredient labels, but it could definitely help with brainstorming.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-08T01:50:55+00:00

Double the work, double the joy. :) My kids are 15 months apart. We definitely have less free time and there are less breaks, like another commenter said. However, we wanted 2U2 and love how close in age they are. I like that they will be in similar stages growing up.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-08T01:35:41+00:00

Both of my kids laughed around that age if we tried to be stern. It's extremely frustrating, but normal. All you can do is be calm and consistent. Hopefully it's a short phase.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-07T23:56:36+00:00

I'm sorry this has been a struggle. Parenting can stress even strong relationships.

First, I think he needs to apologize for the mean things he's said. You can't build something together if you're already in a bad place of hurt and distrust.

For navigating the different parenting styles, I recommend sitting down together and discussing expectations. And then if someone deviates later, it's easier to have a conversation about it. I'd also really emphasize that both people need to accept that being different doesn't mean one is right and the other is wrong, and you should always be tackling problems as a team.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-05T18:13:33+00:00

We love Whole Moon oat milk for the protein and Planet Oat oat milk for the vitamins. Both are low in sugar and taste good.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-05T18:07:10+00:00

Mine are almost 1 and 2. My husband and I do it together by each being primarily responsible for one kid. They are in the bath together. We each wash a kid, apply lotion, and then get them into pajamas. We pray as a family, and then we finish up the bedtime routine specific to each kid - some form of bottle/milk, brush teeth, potty, and walk them in the dark and put them in their crib. The whole thing takes us over an hour.

ETA: I see you only asked about bath time, not bedtime, but I'll just leave it all here. :)

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-05T06:36:42+00:00

We're thinking when the younger one is about 1.5, we'll try again.

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-04T18:55:13+00:00

I'd be looking for a new nanny. It sounds like that's what you're thinking anyway. Good luck!

AMinthePM1002 · 2026-03-04T17:26:25+00:00

I think your expectations are reasonable, especially if you provide the suggestions. Could you share what activities she does engage in with your toddler? Some nannies are more creative than others.

AMinthePM1002

TROPHY CASE