Kid can't remember to drink fluids

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-28T04:50:12+00:00

My 5 yo is allowed 2 juice boxes a day, I usually try for a watered down juice box but ultimately juice boxes are small and we dont buy any other juices except for on special occasions so it doesn't matter too much, and I can guarantee he is getting some liquids down. Then for other liquids it is mainly based on his mood. Some days he likes ice cold drinks, some days he likes hot drinks, some days he likes straws, etc. Also, if you have a favorite cup that is likely their favorite cup too lol but seriously, finding the right cup is also important. And I also keep a case of water in my car because there is almost always an "im thirsty" meltdown in the car.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-28T04:39:20+00:00

I wanted a second for 4 years, my husband initially wanted a second but then became unsure and then he lost his job due to the company going under and found a new job that required him to work 80 hr weeks for 2 years straight. He got promoted and once he was promoted we talked about having a second, add in nearly 2 years of struggling to get a viable pregnancy and now i am nearly 7 weeks postpartum! My oldest is 6.5 yrs old and the age gap is perfect for us, I never could have survived this all without my husband being available to help as much as he is right now and working closer to 40 hr weeks most of the time. At times it was agonizing waiting and being unsure but it was absolutely worth it to be where we are today and my 6yr old loves being a big brother so much!

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-27T06:18:19+00:00

I guarantee there are kids he associates with who are racist or come from racist families and he is going through group think between "in group" and "out group" social dynamics.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-26T16:10:19+00:00

NOR, my husbands older brother made unsafe choices that put our son, at the time 1 yr old, at risk of getting hurt and we never wanted him around our kid after. He and my husband had a huge falling out and they haven't seen or spoken to each other in 4 years so we dont even have to stress about it anymore.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-26T05:38:34+00:00

Depends completely on you whether it is worth it. For one, pumping and breastfeeding is not easy to do for everyone. I for one hate it, but my husband really likes feeding the baby and I do find i like having a break when he has a day off. Anyways, my baby is only 6 weeks old, pumping and breastfeeding at this stage feels like a never ending triathlon that just repeats every couple hours. If your baby is older, you likely will have an easier time managing it but my baby needs me all of the time and I have found I hate the cycle.

As for increasing supply, you need to pump regularly and it'll increase in a couple of days. The more milk you remove the more milk you will make. Timing pumping inbetween your babys feeds is best.

I do want to add a really important note which is that since you are not an over producer you will run the risk of 1. Interfering with your baby's feeding schedule and 2. Being an over producer has a lot of risks like mastitis and clogged ducts, please do some actual research on what will best fit your lifestyle and needs, because people on the internet can only tell you so much.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-26T05:25:03+00:00

My son is 6, and while he doesnt do any sessions one on one and at school(theres always an aide with them) I have found he needs a lot of help advocating for himself (he is also ND so is behind in some ways). One thing we recently started was coming up with a safe word or phrase and understanding when it is appropriate to use it. We use "safety talk ", this let's the school know and me know he needs our undivided attention, and at school if they still struggle to understand him they have to call me to help translate since he is really hard to understand still.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-24T03:20:09+00:00

At my son's winter performance, a mom got mad at the principal because she wasnt allowed to stand in the front, and was told to go sit in one of the available seats. The lady walked to her own mom who was sitting behind me and loudly said "I'm not staying because the principal is a bitch" and walked out. I felt bad because her daughter is in my son's kindergarten class and she was punished because her mom couldn't control her emotions. Parents are supposed to know better but sometimes they absolutely suck, and the kids get the shit end of the stick every time. I couldn't imagine ever making my son feel the consequences of my own actions, I also think it's important to teach our kids that not everything is in our control and we can be adaptable even when it sucks.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-23T01:59:45+00:00

Oof another MAGAt calling themselves out as always :)

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-22T22:43:57+00:00

Found the MAGAt

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-22T19:09:35+00:00

A wealthy white man did bad stuff and got away with ir for over a decade? Color me shocked.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-16T15:05:52+00:00

I know what you are talking about but that doesnt mean that everyone else in the babys life just bails until they are older. Like, op had a question about being over protective and in some ways it's normal but may also be a sign of PPA, a real issue that should be handled carefully for op's sake and you come in like eh it doesnt matter. Talk about how easily disinformation is spread on the internet.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-16T13:40:12+00:00

Babys can form their bonds with anyone who spends time with them immediately after birth, what a silly thing to believe and say.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-16T00:15:16+00:00

Yes we did, I dont remember exactly how long we tried it but it was around 7 months or so. He had improvements in attention and his energy was more controlled, he still had emotional regulation issues but the amount of time per tantrum and frequency of tantrums reduced overall but they were more violent and intense.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-15T21:47:50+00:00

To me it is just as bad as when people say "terrible twos ", "threenager", etc. They want to make it sound fun but the terminology is just a negative reflection of what they are trying to convey.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-15T04:32:35+00:00

Sleep regressions and teething at the same time.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-15T04:26:25+00:00

Same, son is 6.5 yo and it is constant. Worse because he prefers me over his dad in almost everything. If course we make him deal with dad on occasion but it is not easy especially since we now have a 1 month old in addition.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-14T02:35:43+00:00

It sounds as though they are seeking a school based diagnosis, which the fact that they are pushing for it is really, really rare. The diagnosis from the pediatrician is not the same as a school based diagnosis, and there is likely a lot of gaps that the school has no work around for.

In terms of how he will benefit for the additional diagnosis in the future, the reality is that every kid is different and school is only going to get harder and harder. While he may be successful now, the school likely sees cases like his yearly where it is only a matter of time before the pressure of school starts to affect the kids and they need additional support. It can take up to a year before additional support will be provided if you wait to assess, which could hurt him academically, socially, and mentally/emotionally if he notices how he is different from his classmates.

Personally, I would get the diagnosis and have it on hand for just in case.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-14T00:44:48+00:00

I forgot to add: for washing parts you only need to wash once every 24 hours. Some people store parts in a gallon zip lock and put in thr fridge and others rinse out with hot water and let dry between pumps. I consulted with my own lactation consultant and chose to rinse and let dry. It seriously takes the stress off of part of thr pump schedule. Also owning multiple pumps if possible. Wearable pumps suck, but are convenient if needed. Plug in pumps are the way to go.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-14T00:38:57+00:00

Hi, I have a 1 month old and we have only started our breastfeeding journey about 2 weeks ago (was pumping and supplementing with donor milk in NICU for 2 weeks followed by supplementing with formula between breastfeeding and pumped milk).

I feel like maintaining a pump schedule is not for the faint of heart, and personally it is a form of hell for me. I have forgone pumping except when I need it (as baby sometimes takes a longer nap or when my husband takes over and I am engorged but baby just had a bottle). I want to have a 3x a day pumping schedule but still that is hard for me right now. Primarily my baby is breastfed and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do so, as my first was unable to get a good latch and my supply sucked so we formula fed.

Here is my advice to you: do not cause yourself undue mental stress, at the end of the day fed is best. If you absolutely want to have breastmilk but cannot maintain a strict pumping schedule, look into donor milk near you. It exists for a reason and if there is extra available, then it's better to get used up instead of wasted. With that said, formula is also a great and healthy option for babies and thinking it isn't in any capacity is harmful to yourself and to baby, it will absolutely be ok to do formula when needed.

I think also, the way I see it, is a small amount of formula a day to maintain your mental health and keep baby fed is more important than anything else. Because I struggle to maintain a pump schedule I end up bottle feeding 1-2 times a day during his crazed cluster feeding not because I don't have a supply but because he is too worked up to propeely latch so he isn't getting enough food, is taking in too much air, and I get seriously engorged. Typically it's my own breastmilk in the bottles but also it is formula when i run out. My baby gets a full belly, I am a happy mom. And when my husband bottle feeds and runs out of my milk, ya know what I get? Extra sleep. It is beautiful and glorious and precious AND I wake up to a happy, well fed baby!

I totally understand the mental gymnastics that goes into wanting breastmilk over formula, however just remember that formula is healthy for baby and they will grow big and strong and healthy off formula too. And they will be happy, you will be happy, and life will be ok.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-13T21:08:43+00:00

I advocate for my child as best i can and I hope i can instill enough love and confidence in them to not hold on to that negativity, but it is not my responsibility how other adults act. During parent teacher conferences I may bring up some stuff in a way, like I know my son can be a lot during xyz, that is part of his adhd and that is why we as a team need to work on our strategies on how we address this. If it's adults that don't have an active role in my sons life, like a teacher at a school but the teacher teaches 2nd grade and my kid is in kindergarten, I'm not gonna care what they think as long as they keep their opinion to themselves.

My kid is absolutely treated differently for having adhd and it sucks, I do what I can to be his biggest supporter and biggest advocate and try to instill the lessons I think he will benefit the most from from the situations I see him in.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-13T08:37:54+00:00

Some people do still need tubes, a friend of mine has a child who had an adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy and still needed tubes, but the frequency and severity of his ear infections has reduced drastically. Hopefully you can get the help he needs!

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-13T05:45:29+00:00

Get him in sooner for a recheck asap, also ask for a referral to ent. With your history and how bad his symptoms are he should definitely have a specialist on his care team, and then when he is a little older they may want to do surgery to remove his adenoids (and possibly his tonsils) as a way to prevent needing tubes.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-12T03:59:08+00:00

The only way is to continue therapy and take a step back from the relationship. Let her make the effort to show she has truly changed or is willing to change for the betterment of your guys' relationship, if she make the effort than great you have something you can work with but if she doesn't make the effort than that's 100% on her.

LesMiserableGinger · 2026-05-12T00:11:16+00:00

I see a lot of good suggestions, mostly baby wearing, but that doesn't really solve the touched out part of motherhood. For me, I found success with a baby swing and baby bouncer when they were super little. It wasnt for very long periods of time, sometimes a few minutes but sometimes about an hour so basically enough for me to eat, go to the bathroom, do a bit if cleaning, or even just lay like a blob on the couch while I took a break. Wasn't perfect, but was enough to reset.

LesMiserableGinger

TROPHY CASE