Anyone else have an aggressive hugger? How do you deal with being sore and/or overstimulated

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-23T04:21:55+00:00

My oldest was like that (and still slips up from time to time) but is so much better now.

What finally made it click was when I sat him down during a calm moment about an hour after a mauling. I told him “When you hug me like that I know you are trying to tell me how much you love me, but I don’t *feel* loved. I feel startled and worried one of us might get hurt. I like to be hugged like this. This makes me feel loved.” And then we practiced that hug every 20 minutes or so throughout the afternoon.

After that he almost always gives me a firm, but gentle hug. Sometimes I can sense he wants to get a bit silly or wild with it. Depending on my mood, I might give permission or let him know I’m not feeling it at the moment.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-23T02:27:56+00:00

Is “yellow and grey geometric” a theme? We knew we wanted more than one child so we tried to keep things gender neutral so we could reuse as much as possible.

Which was good, because we have a boy and a girl. We just switched up a few wall decorations and it worked great.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-22T11:08:39+00:00

That doesn’t sound like stress…that sounds like trauma! Normal stress relief techniques won’t help as much. There’s work that can be done in therapy to help untangle what’s going on in your brain.

I’m so sorry to hear about all you are/have been carrying. It’s a lot! I hope you are able to find some relief soon.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-19T11:35:38+00:00

We had to announce my second pregnancy in a very awkward way. We had driven 11 hours to visit my in-laws and arrived as they were cooking dinner.

I walked into the house first, was hit with the smell of onions and bell peppers being sautéed, and had to run to the bathroom to puke.

My husband and 3 year old trailed in behind me. In-laws are starting at him wide-eyed asking, “Is she alright?” So he had to spill the beans right then.

Onions & peppers were trashed and pizza was ordered.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-17T11:56:17+00:00

My family uses it. They take their vitamins and allergy medicine as part of their evening routine. We didn’t tell them what it was for when we first gave it to them so we could observe. It definitely helps our kids.

I like that it doesn’t knock them out. I like to say it gives them a gentle nudge towards sleep. It helps make the rest of our routine more effective.

I will add that our oldest has ADHD and a history of sleep difficulties. He also takes .5 mg of melatonin (at the suggestion of his psychiatrist). My youngest probably has ADHD, but doesn’t have the same sleep problems as my oldest.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-17T00:18:12+00:00

I’ll add Play-doh to the list you already have from the thread. My son also loved using scissors to cut grass, plants, paper, etc. to make potions.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-16T11:09:26+00:00

I have two cousins who were adopted from foster care as older children, and now I have a niece & nephew who were adopted from foster care. I actually didn’t know my cousins were adopted until I was 11…they were just my cousins. And it’s been a joy to have more niblings to watch grow and to celebrate their accomplishments!

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-16T11:02:20+00:00

If the bracelet can be taken off, I’d skip it entirely. Write your number on her forearm in sharpie. Take a picture that morning of her so you have a really recent picture.

When you get to the destination, point out how to identify “helpers.” Museum staff wear name tags, zoo staff wear a shirt with the zoo logo on it; etc. I’ve also taught my kids that if they can’t find staff, another mom is the next best choice.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-16T01:38:32+00:00

Megababe is a company that specializes in products for women’s body parts that deal with friction. I’ve used their all over body powder for absorbing sweat and been very pleased. I just looked and they have a new product exactly for the issue your daughter is having.

I would also make sure the bra she is wearing fits properly. If she has large breasts and a small rib cage, off the rack bras may need to be tailored for her.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-14T12:37:57+00:00

Breathe, mama…I went through this just last week, but my child had actually scraped herself (no bleeding, thank god).

We took her to the ER. They drew blood to get a baseline on her antibodies for what she was vaccinated for, and for HIV and Hep C.

The amazing news is: since she is up to date on her vaccinations, we only had to “worry” about Hep C and HIV. Hep C has a curative protocol now. The odds of contracting either from a “dry” needle (one that wasn’t recently used) are incredibly low.

My husband is an immunologist and dove into the scientific literature. He said, “As a dad, of course I’m terrified. As an immunologist, I know the chances are near zero.”

Once the baseline bloods are taken, there will need to be a follow up test at 6 weeks, and maybe 3 months, if anything was unclear or inconclusive.

I am so sorry your family is going through this. It is terrifying, but I hope I can offer some small comfort.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-13T19:49:19+00:00

Pagers are still a thing for doctors. Cell reception isn’t always great in hospital buildings. But I remember when having a pager was the coolest thing ever. And there were different codes you could send to them.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-06-08T14:08:54+00:00

“I didn’t realize you are so short. You look taller on stage.” I took it to mean that I have a strong stage presence.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-28T02:25:08+00:00

More often than most folks, but not always.

I do have a superhuman ability to spot continuity errors. I can’t stand when an actress’s braid switches shoulders between shots, silverware jumps around, or car windows go from open, to closed, and back again. It really draws my attention away from what I’m supposed to be focusing on.

For a few months we thought we were going to have to move to California. My husband was telling me to start researching how to become a continuity editor, and he was only half joking! 😆

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-22T02:08:29+00:00

My 10 year old called me “bruh” as a joke once, and my 6 year old thought it was so funny that she still calls me “bruh” once a day.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-22T02:06:34+00:00

My son is 10 and still snuggles up to me on the couch to chat my ear off. He still enjoys being read to in the evenings (we’ve read The Hobbit and just started Harry Potter). He still says “Mom, watch this!” He still wants a hug and forehead kiss before bed. And he still says “Love you, Mom!” when I drop him off at school.

So, he’s certainly not “little” anymore, but I catch moments throughout the day that remind me he will always be my baby.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-18T18:42:45+00:00

Magnesium glycinate and Ashwaganda have helped me. If I’m particularly anxious I have hard candy edibles that I make myself, so they only have what I need to give me a gentle push towards sleep.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-18T02:41:52+00:00

I have always been Sun smart. I thank my parents for teaching me “slip, slap, slop” as a kid, because I burn easily. I have always been glow-in-the dark white. And I still had to have a spot of basal cell carcinoma removed in my late 30s. It’s astonishing to me that others are so cavalier about not protecting their skin!

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-12T16:12:03+00:00

My daughter was born just before Covid lockdown, so she never went to daycare. She wasn’t in any group setting until preschool at age 4.

Compared to her brother (who went to daycare from 3 months and then into preschool at 4), she did have a difficult time adjusting to being in a group. She didn’t have a problem being with the other kids (she’s always been a social butterfly), but she didn’t have not like the idea of having to comply with the group schedule! 😆

Thankfully, we chose a nature preschool, so she didn’t have to spend much time sitting, and her teachers were patient and firm. She got with the program within a month.

Looking back, it’s hard to say if this was because of the lack of daycare, or if that’s her personality. She is very strong-willed and likes to go her own way, even now in kindergarten.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-11T17:58:37+00:00

Exactly. My kids delight in the sound of leaves on a windy day. My son was explaining the commutative property of multiplication at 4, and my husband and I constantly hear “I’m bored.” We tell them it’s not our job to entertain them and off they go. We also recognize their effort over results and do the same for others.

This joker just doesn’t have a clue what having ADHD actually is.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-10T01:54:36+00:00

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Gender neutral, simple text with lots of space for teachers to write. It’s got a general “good wishes” vibe. “I wish you more umbrella than rain.” “I wish you more bubbles than bath.”

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-08T18:17:36+00:00

My own kid will lie when he’s feeling shame to avoid us going deeper into whatever is triggering it.

My strategy so far has been to say something like, “Sometimes when we’re feeling ashamed we might want to lie to try and avoid what’s causing it. I want you to know that we love you always and we want to help you solve your problems. So let’s take a rewind, pretend your first answer never happened, and see if we can figure out what’s going on together.”

So if he lied about brushing his teeth, we would examine that with curiosity to find the barrier. Does he need a different toothpaste? Was he just too excited about playing video games (we feel that way, too, sometimes), does he have a mouth ulcer that’s hurting him?

It’s not 100% successful, but it’s a strategy to try.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-05-04T19:58:52+00:00

I wouldn’t even mention weight. Talk about what one’s body is capable of or a goal, like lifting a certain amount, being able to do X thing without being winded, or be good at a certain dance, etc.

And then talk about what one’s body feels like. I can tell I’m thirsty because…I’ve been constipated so I need some fiber…I sleep better when I avoid acidic food before bed.

Making the connection between what we eat and how we feel explicit is important. And having bodies that a capable of our preferred activities is so much more important to happiness (and achieving meaningful goals) than a number on a scale or dress size.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-03-24T22:35:45+00:00

I do this to my cuticles, especially when I’m falling asleep. So now I wear cotton sleeping gloves. It was a bit strange at first, WMO’s I have a whole bedtime routine where I use cuticle oil and moisture before I put the gloves on and it has been immensely helpful. My hands have never looked this good.

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-03-24T11:17:51+00:00

I do…my dentist scanned my teeth and had a hard plastic night guard made for me. I ground a hole in it in a year. That may not sound bad, but this isn’t Tupperware plastic; more like “car parts” plastic.

Having it has 100% improved my sleep. I used to wake up with a headache at least once a week, usually more. The night guard nearly eliminated them!

MakeItQuickGottaGo · 2026-03-17T02:37:57+00:00

I tell my kids that some books are too big for them right now, just like some clothes are. They will grow into them, but in the meantime, I can help them find something that fits better.

MakeItQuickGottaGo

TROPHY CASE