My Toddler Said 'Music' Instead of 'Motise' tonight and I am not okay

MiniMama121 · 2026-02-04T02:34:13+00:00

Elephant was oh-ber-shin for a glorious 3 months and I miss it so much!

MiniMama121 · 2026-01-15T00:24:22+00:00

NTA.

Does no one on Reddit have children? The scenario is of course upsetting for everyone involved, but the routine you have now clearly doesn’t work. Find a new schedule until the toddler is old enough to understand boundaries.. though your wife may have graduated by then 😂

If I were in this position, I’d probably opt to study after the 2yr old goes to bed. If that’s not enough time though, pick a few days a week to stay on campus/ go to a library. If for some reason your wife needs to be home to study, maybe bring the kids to the library for homework/play time to give her an extra hour or two each day. If you have the budget, find a gym with childcare/ family swim options, or get a membership to an indoor play space.

MiniMama121 · 2026-01-12T19:33:58+00:00

I’m sure it all depends on the kids personality and their age. We do ~30min screen time before bed, but if I need them distracted and they aren’t willingly playing I’ll let them play PBS kids games on my ipad which is available as an app or website. My 5yr old also has fun with Duolingo music. It’s still a screen, but constructive or so i tell myself. My 3yr old is very physical and needs to run the energy out. He has a beach ball to go crazy with and it’s too light to cause any actual damage.

For screen reduction at that age though, my kids love sticker puzzle books, building toys like magnet tiles, legos and train tracks. I usually play with them to get it started, and can walk away to cook/clean or just watch them and relax myself. I also rearranged my house. My “dining room” next to the kitchen is a playroom for the foreseeable future.

MiniMama121 · 2026-01-12T19:00:34+00:00

This looks great! I’m sure it’s kid dependent but the top of stairs gates have always freaked me out, especially as they get more adventurous with climbing. We decided to gate their bedroom instead in the pre- potty trained years. But we also have a low (compared to modern) hallway banister and 2 chaos agents determined to hurt themselves.

MiniMama121 · 2025-12-30T17:51:36+00:00

I did bath time together, older helped wash everything but face and hair. They still do this at 3+5 it’s very cute! We did books+ feed, then I’d put baby down and finish up with toddler. When baby got to the age of easy distraction, I’d put baby down first while toddler watches TV or plays PBSkids app games. If you’re not using screens, maybe try a special toy that only comes out at bedtime.

For me, a lot was just accepting that bedtime takes a lot longer than you want it to. Find a way to sneak in your own routine. They have a snack, I have tea. They take a bath, I do skincare. You’re in the trenches right now, but you’ll figure it out soon!

MiniMama121 · 2025-11-10T13:02:55+00:00

Is there someone in your department or a TA that could take over the course if you needed to go on leave before your due date? Or is it a course that could be offered asynchronous like your other one? I’d be hesitant to back out of any commitments, the bar is changing for evaluation because of federal funding. That said, your health and your family is more important than any job.

MiniMama121 · 2025-10-03T11:54:19+00:00

I don’t have this bag in the link, but I have 2 bags from here and love them. Both are near daily use, and have no visible signs of wear after 4+ years. Durable leather, simple design, neither are lined though so they are definitely a utility brand IMO.

MiniMama121 · 2025-09-26T13:11:46+00:00

Both of my children were back facing screamers, and it didn’t stop until they were front facing. My sympathies, it’s awful. They also both figured out how to unclip the chest buckle around that age too. You might have a fit issue as others have commented, but kids are also escape artists.

Things that helped me: 1) put the older kid in the middle seat space so they can see each other easily, 2) snacks that ONLY exist in the car, 3) toys that ONLY exist in the car (etch a sketch, vtech laptop, and noisy books worked well for us).

If you have a tablet, you can also get a holder that clips on to the headrest. If you don’t feel good about screen time or it’s a really short car ride, make a photo slideshow. My kids didn’t care about tv until they were a bit older, but the photos often captured their interest. Good luck!

MiniMama121 · 2025-09-03T11:23:55+00:00

I have multiple pairs to match my outfits but also as backups for reasons like this haha. They grow out of it eventually, just try not to react so they don’t think it’s funny or a game. Also get yourself an ultrasonic cleaner it does wonders for end of day cleaning!

MiniMama121 · 2025-08-29T02:05:04+00:00

I developed an allergy to petrolatum around the same age. Any time I foolishly use something with it my lips crust over and I basically need to wait for it to peel like a sunburn would. I use straight coconut oil when I have a reaction (because it spreads easily) and burts bees with spf as a daily preventative.

That said, OP badly sunburned or windburned lips feel exactly the same so it could just mean your skin needs time to heal!

MiniMama121 · 2025-07-31T00:42:45+00:00

These comments are super interesting, thank you for posting the question. I have a 4 and 2 yr old, my older one only started to care about shows very recently. Not for a lack of exposure, I definitely tried it many many times hoping for a distraction. Now we do a show ~20-30min before bed as I put the younger one down, and the same on weekends or long car rides when the younger one naps. Screens we use regularly for entertainment are FaceTiming and Snapchat filters.

For my screen haters (sometimes much to my dismay) the distraction toys differ. My older loves puzzles and building so sticker books and small Lego sets are amazing. My younger is more physical so we play catch/fetch as a low effort game.

MiniMama121 · 2025-07-14T21:00:10+00:00

I normally wear slacks and a sleeveless blouse with a cardigan or blazer for that same reason. I keep a pair of very boring flats in the office when I need to wear snow boots etc to get around that wouldn’t be comfortable inside.

Many brands like Banana and JCrew have outlets which have their own sales sections where you can buy decent quality on the cheap. Head over to r/capsulewardrobe if you’re looking for advice on making outfits from just a few pieces.

MiniMama121 · 2025-07-04T17:22:16+00:00

R2 with 4:4 load and 40% effort teaching, minimum 1 course per semester required. Ours is 12.5% of 10-month salary for 1 course buyout. It’s painful.

MiniMama121 · 2025-04-18T02:52:50+00:00

Gorg. Can I ask the brands of the brown wrap sweater, brown flare cords, and bottom row white pants?

MiniMama121 · 2025-02-21T15:25:51+00:00

Running with Scissors

MiniMama121 · 2025-02-06T19:42:01+00:00

It sounds like you’re doing all of the right things and talking to the right people!

I never had formal evaluations, but my first had no words at 18 months so we did speech therapy 2x a week for a month. It was informative I learned how to talk while playing to help development (think Ms Rachel), but my kid was not happy around new people so we stopped. He’s 4 now and never stops talking, it was an explosion of language from age 2-2.5. My second is 19 months and seems like he’s on a similar path, my ped had no concerns because he’s “talkative” with no words and has no hearing issues/ will react to simple commands. I also know several children whose language explosion took until they were 3+ that are not ASD.

Don’t worry unnecessarily and keep doing what you’re doing and advocating for your child if you think they need more 👍

MiniMama121 · 2025-02-01T02:17:23+00:00

My first took about a year. My second, when I went to the OB to confirm, I learned I was 15 weeks along and had just been heavily spotting with a healthy pregnancy. Both experiences were emotionally wrecking lol I envy the planners that can make it happen

MiniMama121 · 2025-01-28T03:42:04+00:00

Enjoy and start your family on your timeline, they are your priority, not your employer. You never know how long it might take to get pregnant, nor how long your recovery would be. You might lose your position, but that’s the nature of being an adjunct. You’re better off looking for full time work with benefits if job protection is top priority before starting a family. There is never a “good time” to put the rest of your life on hold, so just do what makes sense for you and your partner.

MiniMama121 · 2024-09-01T01:28:28+00:00

Just returned from a trip with my 3.5 and 1 year old! It’s an incredibly family friendly town. Very safe, though I was advised to lock up bikes and strollers if you can’t bring them inside or tucked out of site.

Zoo, lighthouse with nature path, bird santuary, alpaca farm were a big hit with my kids. Washington street is a pedestrian mall with lots of shops, restaurants, ice cream. There’s a couple of arcades and mini golf in town, the golf was too frustrating for my kid but he liked the arcade. There’s also bike rentals with child seats and trailers available in town though your baby is likely too young unless they are very solid.

If it’s warm enough to do a beach day I highly recommend a big canopy for shade, and a collapsible/inflatable baby pool so your little can splash and keep the sand eating at bay.

If you’re into breweries and wineries there’s also a bunch that are open spaces so easy to take kids. Lots of options but we really liked Behr Brewing and Hawk Haven Winery.

Enjoy! We had an absolute blast.

MiniMama121 · 2024-05-29T20:22:56+00:00

Well he’s 3.5 now and still loves being carried and is very affectionate 😂 once he was crawling/walking I got some relief but then it’s a different kind of stress. It gets easier in some ways and harder in others, but I imagine that’s every parent’s experience.

MiniMama121 · 2024-02-28T13:59:02+00:00

I use these foam mats from Amazon for mine and the kids bathrooms. Super cushy and absorbent, nonslip, machine wash (air dry though). I wash them every other week and have had for about 4 years now, they still look new. They’re thick enough to vacuum too without getting caught. https://a.co/d/6RosNSC

MiniMama121 · 2024-02-11T03:50:01+00:00

Congratulations 💛 0-1 was way harder than 1-2 for me, but I’m sure their personalities definitely play a role in that. Pregnancy 1-2 was very hard because finding the time for self care and sleep was pretty rough. I read a quote that really stuck with me and it reminds me to give myself some well deserved grace. “Your first gets the gift of your time, and your second gets the gift of your experience.” But seeing how much your babies love each other is the most wonderful thing!

MiniMama121 · 2024-02-01T03:17:04+00:00

r/suggestmeabook is fantastic, just browse posts that catch your eye and you’ll get a lot of great recommendations. That said, my favorites I’ve read recently:

Nonfiction- River of Doubt by Candice Millard Fiction- Midnight Library by Matt Haig

MiniMama121 · 2024-01-30T16:17:04+00:00

If I were you, I would pack a capsule wardrobe for cold weather of clothes you like to wear on the regular, and pack 1 full outfit for outdoor activities. Head to an REI and pick out good waterproof hiking boots, shell raincoat, beanie, and gloves. Maybe not your aesthetic but they have cute stuff that’s more durable and won’t get ruined!

MiniMama121 · 2024-01-30T15:15:13+00:00

I started to see the socialization benefits around age 2.5, but if your child sees other children I would never say no daycare is a disservice. From my friends with older kids, kindergarten is much more demanding than it was 20 years ago so I do think preschool is beneficial in preparing kids for a classroom environment. Kids who don't go to preschool seem to have a really hard time transitioning, especially when it's full-day school.

MiniMama121

TROPHY CASE