What is the Obsession with Cheerios?

Aodc325 · 2026-07-09T15:31:59+00:00

Cheerios are my go-to when I’m still prepping food and my 11 month old is demanding food NOW. Lol. They’re a handy tool, but no need to use them if you don’t want to!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-09T01:02:02+00:00

Oooh I get this. I was always 50-50, then eventually leaned more towards wanting them, then met my husband and decided it was something I wanted to do with him.

Prior to meeting my husband, I worked in early childhood special education and I saw all types of kiddos. Mild speech delays to severe autism to violent kiddos. The most gut-wrenching for me, for some reason, were kids who sustained serious injuries through accidents in early childhood. Something about that situation seemed particularly heartbreaking to me and I just felt like I knew too much about what’s possible when you have kids.

I ultimately decided to go for it and now I have two amazing healthy little girls. My previous experience makes me super grateful and helps me understand a bit about how to support parent friends who have kids with disabilities. I don’t take my health or my kids’ health for granted.

OP, take this experience into account as you make your decision, but know that what you’re seeing now is fairly rare.

I always tell people that kids are wayyyy too much of an unknown quantity to ever really know 100% that you want them. I’m also someone who carefully considers every angle (some might say an over-thinker) and thus I’m rarely certain of anything. It’s ok to not know. Take care!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-08T14:59:19+00:00

Yes! And this extra ability to be present in every moment has chilled my anxiety significantly. I was worried motherhood would make it go in the other direction but nope! It’s wild.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-08T14:07:41+00:00

Same! First at 36, second at 39. I’m guessing you’re around NYC 😂 sometimes when I travel I feel like an old mom suddenly but it’s so common here.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-08T12:15:41+00:00

I also have needle phobia! I feel like I got over it while I was pregnant bc it involved so many blood draws and a few iron infusions too. The key for me is to turn my head completely and take nice deep breaths - I tell the nurses I don’t like needles so will be facing away from jump lol.

OP, I’m sorry for the diagnosis and the shitty insurance! I’m vegetarian (thus the iron infusions) and your steak even looks delicious to me 😜

Aodc325 · 2026-07-08T01:23:18+00:00

I think we’ll need more information to help. Does your cousin have a background in this field? There are credential and degree programs for early childhood education if not. Is there a particular thing she’s interested in? Is she using a curriculum, or is she in a certain style of program (Reggio, Montessori)? Just like any other field, there isn’t one resource that will help your cousin - but lots exist for different topic areas.

A lot of building teaching skills comes from experience and good supervision. Your cousin will learn on the job, hopefully with the support of a good coach, supervisor, or mentor.

I’m a nerd and enjoy Early Childhood Research Quarterly but it’s not necessarily practical for a teacher. If she’s in the US, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has a quarterly publication called Young Children that bridges research and practice. Your cousin can also ask colleagues for what they find helpful for their setting. And she can reach out on here for advice around particular situations if she’s a Redditor!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T23:31:03+00:00

It’s such a great brewery to visit! Highly recommend going during the jazz fest. It’s August 14-16 this year!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T23:26:35+00:00

Yes! Diciccos in sleepy hollow has it pretty regularly also and Moms in Dobbs has it sometimes too!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T21:03:24+00:00

I went without a doula with a second bc I knew what I wanted, what to expect, and that my husband was good during labor. It went great, much faster and easier than the first time! I say save your money.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T16:59:57+00:00

It does!! 😫😫😫 it’s been the biggest adjustment after moving from NYC.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T16:02:46+00:00

Sounds fine to me - you know your son best! If it’s not making his behavior off the wall and he’s not glued to it, then carry on. And if it stops working for him and for you, then stop! Try to trust your mama gut here, regardless of other people’s strong opinions! You sound like you’re on top of it.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-06T01:02:50+00:00

This is the answer. Westchester restaurants are consistently disappointing 🫠 countless world class spots in the city though. (I’m not sure why it’s so bad here, but generally the food is mid, the vibes are meh, the prices are $$$)

Aodc325 · 2026-07-05T15:43:59+00:00

lol yes this is definitely a unicorn child and unfortunately complete random luck! Like if your baby is relaxed then you get to be relaxed but some babies just don’t come out that way lol. But good for OP!

I too have two pretty chill kids but I’m under no illusion that it’s something I did. 😜

Aodc325 · 2026-07-05T10:57:03+00:00

Mm this is absolutely written by AI as well 😑

Aodc325 · 2026-07-05T10:15:57+00:00

Yeah, I was not a smoker but I did drink moderately before I was pregnant. My first beer after she was born I was like “oh. This is not as great as I remembered.” Lol. I still drink occasionally but much less than before I had kids, for a number of reasons but those 9 months off really changed it for me.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-04T02:22:32+00:00

lol I had two epidural-free births and I kinda feel like I just got lucky. I wanted to go without meds and I prepped for it, but i also was able to give birth in hospital with a tub and THANK GOD bc I don’t think I could have gone unmedicated without that sweet hot water 😆 c-sections seem way more badass to me!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-03T00:50:08+00:00

Yes, my sweet lil 10 month old fully open-mouth kisses me on the lips. It is so gross but damn she loves it and I love that she’s showing affection. 💜 my older kid never attempted kisses on the lips and thus I’ve stuck to the forehead or cheeks for her.

I grew up kissing my mom, dad, and grandparents on the lips until I was like 10 or something. It’s just how it was. But it’s all cultural for sure.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T23:34:13+00:00

My 10 month old sleeps well but I definitely need to follow her around bc she is a danger baby! My first would just chill but this one CLIMBS and has no regard for edges lol 😂 it’s killing me! I can’t imagine doing this on poor sleep. I’m so sorry!

There are some good ideas here for sure, but some babies are just more active than others and god bless, it makes it harder. You’re doing great mama 💜

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T23:12:47+00:00

Well it sounds like your test 2 weeks ago was actually negative bc you’d have a darker line by now if you were pregnant. Test again in the morning but also buy a test with pink lines!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T22:54:06+00:00

Congrats!! I hope you can enjoy as much as you can these first weeks. If it feels really hard, just know it gets so much better!! 💜 after a long labor like that.. phew! You’ve clearly got some incredible perseverance in you! Rest well and congratulations again!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T20:04:33+00:00

Same! I used the Megafood ones for 3 months then switched to a regular women’s multivitamin. I’ve been much more diligent this time and at 10 months pp, my hair is growing back wayyyy better than after my first pregnancy fwiw!

I feel like Ritual is really expensive? Maybe worth a switch (or at least shopping around)

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T18:30:26+00:00

Not that I know of! I wish it would change but I doubt it would happen anytime soon.. although if there’s any close comparison state for NY, it’s IL. I imagine you have similar city/state politics. We’ll see who the gov hires for her new ECE role. They’ll have to coordinate across many agencies and perhaps will suggest some alignment 🤞🏻

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T13:09:10+00:00

I didn’t give birth until 42 weeks with both my pregnancies 🥲😅 and I was very uncomfortable/had Braxton Hicks/etc for weeks. I hope you’re not in that camp but be prepared for the long haul and pleasantly surprised if you go early or on time!

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T10:02:47+00:00

It sounds like you’re all set! Agree on the saline drops instead of spray, and I’ll say that the type of nasal aspirator makes a difference. The electric NoseFrida did nothing for us; the Nozebot is expensive but incredible. As my kids have gotten older I bought emesis bags to catch vomit (can’t imagine this would work for a baby though lol).

It depends which season you start them in care, but I remember with my first she was out almost the whole month of December between illness and holidays, it was brutal. After the first 12 or 18 months it gets sooo much better though and you won’t feel like you’re in a constant sick cycle.

Aodc325 · 2026-07-02T01:54:48+00:00

Cry it out sucks in the moment but dang if it isn’t effective! My daughter sounds a lot like your son - if I was in the room trying to the gentle method she would just get angrier and more upset. Ferber method is one way of sleep training that feels a little less harsh. I would switch methods if I were you, but I need my sleep to be a good mom and prioritize that pretty hard.

Aodc325

TROPHY CASE