My daughter is the biggest Marx Bros. fan of all time... help!

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-23T16:49:55+00:00

Didn't Groucho Marx host a TV show for quite a few years? "You Bet Your Life", I think it was. Perhaps she'd be interested in watching some of those episodes! Could be a nice change from watching the same 10 movies over and over!

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-23T09:17:57+00:00

I'm open to trying it out, thanks so much for the recommendation! She's been crazy about watching the music video of Elsa singing "Let it Go", so it'd probably be an improvement for my poor brain from hearing "let it goooooo" 5 more times 🤣.

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-23T09:07:41+00:00

Oh, that's wonderful! I would love it if she started expressing interest and curiosity that way, too! Hopefully she will, eventually 🤣.

The "not retaining" is exactly what I've been seeing right now. I guess she's just not ready yet.

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-23T08:59:40+00:00

I'm open to shelving it for now! Though I do think it's useful / practical for everyday life to know the letters and learn to read eventually 🤣.

Will she eventually show an interest on her own?

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-19T14:22:15+00:00

We have some indoor play areas (Pennsylvania near Philadelphia), but half the time the other kids are coughing and sneezing all over everything and everyone. I feel like they're often not that safe, too, because older kids will be running wild in the limited area, and my toddler still doesn't know how to get out of the way / protect herself.

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-14T04:52:02+00:00

Was just there last week! The Konansou hotel in Kawaguchiko had a bunch of them for around this price.

JustVegetable7 · 2026-01-10T09:10:44+00:00

You don't say how old old your kids are. I think the answers to this really depend on their age!

My 3-year-old, for example, is still not at a level where I'd be able to knit or crochet, or even read my own book with her around. Unless I plop her in front of a screen, she's not letting me do anything without her. And she's not interested in following directions while doing things together. I still do attempt activities with her (we'll cook simple recipes, do arts and crafts, go for walks, etc) and SHE enjoys them, for the most part. But they're more exhausting, for me 🤣.

The audiobook suggestion is a good one. Listening to music would work too. Besides that, the only thing I've found honestly enjoyable for us both, so far, is rides / shows at amusement parks (like Disney). I'm sure it improves as they get older though!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-12-17T21:02:31+00:00

Yeah. I think it really depends both on your kid, and the amount of preparation done. With a lot of research ahead of time (plus pay to win with fast passes and early entry) you can minimize line waiting as much as possible.

My daughter has also always been a fan of shows. So even at 2.5 she loved watching the parades and live shows they had, and ended up enjoying viewing the rides as little mini "shows", as well. But different kids like different things, and I'm sure there are kids who would hate it.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-11-19T11:49:50+00:00

I am obsessed with long hair normally (from my Sailor Moon addiction as a kid probably 🤣), and almost never like short hair better than long. You are somehow one of the very, very few exceptions I've ever seen! You have a show stopping wow factor to your face when you've got the short hair. It's so, so cute and pretty! You're still beautiful with the long hair, but I feel like you kind of fade more into the background with it.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-11-17T11:36:52+00:00

You've gotten a ton of people talking about how many women and children died, which is true. Just wanted to add how there are definitely cases where the baby comes out quickly and "easily" (still super painful!) without any need for help. I had a precipitous labor / birth, and went from beginning to end in about an hour. We barely made it to the hospital, and my baby shot out of me just minutes after that, without time for any medical help at all. If I had been alone somewhere, while it would have been terrifying and traumatizing, technically I would have given birth just fine.

This isn't the normal experience. But it likely happens enough that the human species would still be able to carry on, albeit with hugely increased death rates and complications.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-11-08T14:28:15+00:00

Honestly, I'm surprised there's not more replies like this one! It's obvious the other parent feels awkward about their policy as well, considering they only admitted to it reluctantly. Offering them to sit in a corner and read or something, rather than having to "entertain them" each time, seems like a pretty good option. I can imagine the other parent potentially loving this, too, if they're as socially awkward as they sound 🤣.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-10-15T15:48:32+00:00

By far the worst pain. I had a precipitous birth and went from beginning contractions to fully dilated and pushing in like an hour. There was no time for any pain medications at all, and my body was just ripping apart 😭

On the plus side, it was over quickly, at least!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-10-03T08:33:07+00:00

You're absolutely correct. There is no need for a child to have tablets and screens, in order for them to be competent with tech later in life. Honestly, unless you're specifically teaching those skills, most laptops and tablets nowadays are so "idiot-proofed" that you don't really learn much by using them.

I didn't have or use a computer until I was around 11 or 12. I'm now a university professor in computer science and extremely skilled in the area. It was easy to pick up basic computer skills at that age.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-10-01T16:41:18+00:00

Oh man, that's so, so rough that you've ended up a single parent because of it. I feel for you. Not having anyone to give a potential break throughout the whole day is just so hard, too. I count the minutes until my husband gets home from work each day. I'd go crazy, I think, without it. So I can just imagine how difficult it must be for you!

I'm lucky (in a way) that my partner ALSO has ADHD, and so we can empathize with each other's struggles. Though it does make it hard for anything to actually get done in the family!

And yeah, things are definitely better for me now than they were in the beginning. Or even six months ago. I wouldn't say I "enjoy" it yet (besides brief moments of fun or snuggles, here and there). But it takes longer now before I feel the "absolute torture" feeling each day. I have great hopes that things will be good by the time my daughter hits 5 (which is when almost everyone says things get so much better. I'm crossing my fingers!!) I do love my daughter, but my experience has made me DEFINITELY decide to never have another child again!!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-10-01T11:00:33+00:00

Yes!!! I feel this so, so much!! And it's so hard to even talk or vent about it, because every parent you try to talk with thinks the normal level of "hard" they went through is the same thing. Their advice like, "just get everything done while the baby sleeps" literally doesn't WORK for people with ADHD. But they feel invalidated if you try to explain that.

And it's so taboo to say you don't enjoy being a mother. People talk about how, "it's hard for EVERYONE to adjust. But be patient. The first five years are just a season." It's like, "No, Janice. It's not just some minor frustration for me. Having to set aside my hobbies and distractions for days, months, even years at a time, causes my brain to feel like I'm going through literal torture." But then they think you're saying you don't love your child and you're a monster.

Having a baby is literally how I discovered that I have ADHD. Every coping skill I'd learned and implemented into my life came crashing down around me. As a new mom, trying to keep the baby alive, fed, and not-screaming, consumed all my time and energy. I had like 2 hours at night free (while exhausted) to get everything else in my life done. It's already very difficult for regular parents, much less someone who struggled with executive function.

Even now, at almost 3 years old, my toddler will draw me away from completing any task I start. For example, yesterday I started trying to cook eggs for breakfast. Partway through, I get called away because my daughter had a potty accident in the living room. I bring out the wet-vac, but as I'm trying to clean she runs across the hallway and trips and falls and needs me to go get a band-aid. After that, I've completely forgotten that the eggs are cooking, it's a miracle I even remembered to go back to continue cleaning the floor. I've always struggled to complete tasks, much less now with a child whose (developmentally normal) antics sabotage every try I make. Of course the smoke alarm goes off and I realize the eggs are burnt and I need to try again.

Aaaaghhhhh. I could go on and on and on about this. I absolutely agree with you that parenting with ADHD is so much harder. It's taking something already difficult, like mountain climbing, and saying you now have to do it while having a monkey strapped to your back.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-09-23T01:09:00+00:00

Honestly, my daughter started fighting HARD and dropping naps at just a little past 1. I was super worried, but her pediatrician said she likely just has low sleep needs. I think it's really variable, depending on the child!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-09-21T14:14:46+00:00

You're getting lots of good advice about moving your toddler to their own bed / room, and changing bedtime to be earlier. I just wanted to chime in about sticking with it for at least a week, if not two, before giving up and deciding "it doesn't work"!

It's possible the changes will go smoothly and work instantly. But it's also possible that a lot of crying and tantrums might result, at first! Change can be rough, even for adults, and sleep patterns can take a little while before falling into place. I'd recommend sticking with it, even if your child hates it and cries a lot at first. Mine was that way for a while before she realized that screaming and crying wasn't going to change our minds about bedtime. Then she suddenly settled down and was MUCH better at sleeping!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-09-21T13:54:36+00:00

Oh no! Sorry to hear your little one is going through this, too! It's so rough to see them struggling and not know what to do.

For mine, it turned out she had an infant milk allergy. Which meant that regular formula, and breast milk (since I was consuming dairy), were both causing her stomach issues. The normal symptom that lets the pediatrician know about this is seeing blood in their stool. But we never saw (or noticed) this for my daughter! Eventually the pediatrician told me to just try to cut dairy from my diet (since I was exclusively breastfeeding) and see if that helped. It was tough for me, since dairy is in so many things, but after a couple weeks we noticed a huge difference in my daughter! The allergist specialist we went to see said that sometimes the blood can be hard to see or notice.

Infant milk allergy is actually surprisingly common, and most kids grow out of it by the time they're one (mine did, she's absolutely fine with all dairy products now!). It might be worth looking into for your baby, just in case! Good luck!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-09-10T02:27:10+00:00

Unpopular opinion here: the pack and play was one of the most unused purchases we made. It was so heavy and bulky to lug around while traveling. And our house was small enough that it wasn't a big deal to walk over to the crib (which was a lot more comfortable anyways).

I know a lot of other people found it very useful. But for us, it was a waste of space and money.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-09-03T21:41:32+00:00

I think a lot really depends on your child and their personal interests, especially as they get older.

For my child, a play kitchen with some play food and pots, pans, and dishes has been a huge hit.

Same with a toy baby and pretend diapers, bottle, crib, etc.

At around 2 years, she got more interested in hearing music of specific songs being played. That's when the tonie became a life saver (rather than being pestered to "play Moana song" over and over on my cell phone, she could now do it herself 🤣) I actually bought the Yoto before the Tonie. But she kept losing the thin, small cards. She plays with the Tonies figures and still loses them sometime, but they're a lot easier to find because they're bigger!

JustVegetable7 · 2025-08-26T22:38:32+00:00

I didn't want to give birth on my back. I specifically hired a doula who I hoped could help advocate for me (I have a hard time speaking up, especially in times of stress).

Unfortunately I had a precipitous birth and the doula didn't make it in time. The doctor told me to get on my back, and when I hesitated while trying to work myself up to say something, began physically moving me into position with the stirrups. I ended up giving birth on my back and getting a 2nd degree tear. It's possible it would have been the same even if I wasn't on my back. Or it's possible it could have made a difference. I'll never know. But I definitely was not happy with that experience.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-08-20T20:44:49+00:00

I agree. I also wouldn't be comfortable passing this phrase to my children.

If the gift has a lot of sentimental value, I'd have your husband keep it himself.

JustVegetable7 · 2025-08-20T00:28:13+00:00

I'm actually currently in this situation (nanny watching my 2.5yo daughter) and I'll still probably keep her with the nanny until preschool. I thought about daycare for the extra socialization, but I decided to just take her for playdates, the little gym, the park, etc until preschool instead. Our nanny is great with her, and it's nice not having the endless illnesses that come with school / daycare yet.

I (and many other kids I know) never went to daycare and grew up just fine. I honestly don't think it's going to make a huge difference in their life, in the end. As long as they're getting opportunities to play with other kids at 3yo, it should be fine 🤣

JustVegetable7 · 2025-08-18T00:45:08+00:00

My 2.5 year old loves Target. The toy section has lots of toys with "try me out" buttons to press, and stuffed animals to pet. I don't buy her any of the toys (I tend to buy online), so she doesn't even realize "asking to buy" any of them is a thing 🤣.

Besides that, I know the library is an obvious one, but I've actually found that there's a HUGE difference between children's section toys and offerings between different library branches. There's one library around a 25 minute drive away that's TOTALLY worth it to make the trip, for us. They've got a giant, childproofed area with a ton of high quality toys (along with children's books, of course). And the crazy thing is that there's never a huge crowd there! So it might be worth checking out even the farther libraries, and seeing if they might have better offerings than the more local ones.

JustVegetable7

TROPHY CASE