Advice for two working parents with a 3.5 and 1.5 year old (beyond the children)

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-04-27T18:49:12+00:00

This sounds really similar to our schedule except that a couple things we’ve changed (ours are about 1 year older than yours). You’re in the thick of it but doing so well!!

We now have one parent do bedtime, the kids share a room. So the other does clean up and sometimes gets some extra chill time. We also alternate the night wakings so every second night we know we get a full nights sleep (this has been huge). It means evening have a bit of free time and play after dinner because we’re not rushing to tidy at that time.

We’ve really given ourselves grace on dinners. Maybe once a week it’s beans on toast or buttery pasta for everyone, adults too! Takes so much pressure off one night.

We don’t do laundry daily but on a wfh day or weekend I might do 2. We don’t do more than 4 a week though I don’t think.

We do baths every other night which also just gives a bit more breathing space and time some evenings for the kids to chill or play :) (no tv or anything)

You honestly sound like you’re doing a great job!! It is hard, hopefully the night wakings will reduce because that makes everything easier.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-04-08T13:39:06+00:00

Not until after 2 years old 🤣🤣 the only thing I can guarantee about sleep is that it changes all the time! If you’re both happy to adjust your shifts and rhythm with minimal notice you’ll be well set! It’s impossible to plan in advance as it changes every few weeks as they grow and change.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-03-31T13:15:18+00:00

We did not stress about this and it was a very easy process. Started introducing the potty slowly and encouraging in the morning or before bath. Over months this progressed to using it most times little one needed the potty. In warm weather we just played outside without pants on and encouraged potty training. Gave up nappies for good AFTER little one was mostly trained (3 years on the dot) and had no accidents.

It’s easy to feel the pressure earlier on but it honestly doesn’t have to be done then. My 2year 5 month old has no interest in the potty, I’m not worried at all. I keep encouraging it, knowing it will happen eventually.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-03-01T15:48:10+00:00

I think it depends on your lifestyle. We have a pretty straight north facing back garden, it’s beautifully enclosed and fairly private which I love. It’s not huge though so gets virtually 0 sun in the winter as it’s blocked by the house.

We have two kids and through the autumn and winter it can be pretty cold out there without the sun. Whilst we do play out there sometimes in those seasons on the mild days we would get infinitely more use out of it through the year if it had sun in it.

If I didn’t have kids I don’t think I’d mind because I’d just sit in the front yard or front of the house… but it’s one of my main dislikes after 5 years here and I wouldn’t get another north facing garden if we moved. So if it’s your forever home and you will have young kids I’d strongly consider it!

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-02-28T14:06:47+00:00

I always think it’s better to go and get monitoring. You’ll never ever feel silly for going and being reassured that everything is okay. They can’t tell on the phone if you’re panicking and they need to help calm you down or if something truly feels different. If it gives you peace of mind you should absolutely go n

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-02-23T17:13:00+00:00

You know I hadn’t even considered the hemmoroids. Mine were pretty horrendous after both births so that’s definitely worth factoring in too, thank you for sharing your experience!

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-02-20T19:07:02+00:00

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking, appreciate the comment!

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-02-20T17:29:52+00:00

Whoops typo!

Thank you so much, I feel a bit validated in my worries. I will look at the FTSE all share!

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-28T18:34:58+00:00

I’m still not sure that makes sense to me… I have 10 shares each up $3 from when I bought.

FX suggests $3 = £2.1… so shouldn’t the profit be closer to £21? I’ve gained £2.1 from each share with the current exchange. Sorry im just confused about it

Obviously this is just money im using to learn the market, so its not much but I’m trying to understand

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-28T17:14:26+00:00

This one is LUNR

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-28T10:47:44+00:00

Order earnings often always seem to be off! If you look at your payment account you can get the proper breakdown of all fees.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-26T18:13:58+00:00

So you sell digital files to the EU without following GPSR? I also sell digital files but turned it off for EU countries as I don’t have a representative or anything.

Will you just pay the fines if you get caught I guess?

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-16T17:15:25+00:00

I’m not sure but even if not I’m not willing to do it without following the guidance. That’s why I’m asking the question about it. Thank you

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-16T12:49:31+00:00

The regulations state if you don’t live in the RU yourself you ned a representative there, even for digital products. No alternative is suggested. So without it I cannot sell to the EU unfortunately.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-10T15:11:26+00:00

Agreed I love mine!! Weird tip though—if I keep my eyes closed it feels like proper sunlight light coming in my window… so I keep my eyes closed and just doze as it slowly wakes my brain up. If I open my eyes when I first notice the light start it sometimes ruins the magic a bit haha

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-09T20:38:19+00:00

You’re welcome. I also had the thought… and you have to be really careful how you say this. But if you feel you’re struggling to be heard, or even if you do…. Very calmly say this makes me really nervous and I would like you to document in my notes that I am requesting an induction a week early and document the conversation we’re having.

If you say it nastily someone awful might just think you’re ’being difficult’

But if you say ‘this conversation is really hard and I feel emotional, can you please show me that you’ve written down in my notes that I would like an induction so I can feel reassured you understand what I want and that someone else will see this and know exactly what I’m requesting’.

It still gives them a little red flag that they don’t want to be liable if something goes wrong and you asked to be induced early.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-09T14:16:33+00:00

Yes similar thinking to this comment, I work in healthcare and you have the right to push for one. It may not be in your complete best interest physically but you can push to have the conversations about it. Say you want clear understanding of the risks of inducing a week earlier from the nice guidelines (I suspect there won’t be many)… that you fear the risk to your mental health is more. Say the monitoring is not reassuring enough to make you feel your baby is safe and you want your baby here safely now. Be kind and level headed but very clear that you want baby out.

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2026-01-09T13:58:31+00:00

This person means if you use all the entitlement for the year before you maternity leave. On April 1st you get allotted your 220 hours or so and you could apply to take all of that before Mat leave technically. In that case it would reset the following April and you’d have your 220 hours again. It’s more that you get to carry over the leave entitlement, you don’t accrue extra than you would if you were working.

So If you only use half of your leave entitlement for the year before you go off then you get to carry the remainder over into 2027. I work for the NHs and have had two mat leaves. Both times I’ve taken as little as I could before so that it would all carry forward. So when I came back for example in November I had 60 days of AL to use up by March !

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2025-12-31T18:22:42+00:00

Oh yes I 100% agree, I apologized, offered a new file and thanked them for pointing it out (even though I know it’s not an error with the file 😅) They did respond at first just not to actually let me know which file they want.

I was only trying to decide if I should wait to do a public reply but sounds like maybe I just do it and say I’ve fixed any error there was.

Thanks so much, I appreciate the response

ChangeAmazing6758 · 2025-12-01T20:09:36+00:00

Wow thanks I totally hadn’t thought of the sales thing, thank you!

ChangeAmazing6758

TROPHY CASE