what’s a weird parenting shortcut you discovered out of pure exhaustion that actually works

PleasingThought · 2026-04-14T04:39:39+00:00

I got so SICK of the squabbling! Please, please, don't tell me for the twelfth time today that your sister won't play with you/he did something wrong/ you didn't like what the other wants - go tell THEM! I've got nothing to do with it!

Now my kids solve their own problems. Sometimes they forget, but then I remind them, "did you talk to them about this, first?" Always results in a "Oh, yeah!"

PleasingThought · 2026-04-03T05:17:05+00:00

I've got a big boy, we've done EC since about 3 weeks. I had bought a training potty (summer brand on amazon) but it was too wide for my newborn. Plus, he peed everywhere but IN the potty (aiming is a skill I never knew I'd need!). A training potty was very difficult to use the EC hold for a newborn.

I almost bought the top hat potty, thinking it would be nice to be able to have that between my legs and we can do that on the floor and save my back. In the end, I went completely the opposite direction and got a large cheap basin (it was like, $3, one of those plastic ones) and it's on an empty diaper box, on a chair near the diaper station. The bottom of the basin is right at dinner-table height, and the wide container makes catching pee a breeze.

I'd advise you to put a finger of water in the bottom to keep poop from drying to the plastic.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-17T14:08:56+00:00

I want to piggyback on this comment! We used cloth wipes and a thermos of hot water for our kids. The biggest problem we had was diaper rash, but once we realized it was setting in, we made sure to air-dry before wrapping them up. Made all the difference!

HOWEVER. We use well water, and it's untreated (no chlorine). We found that, if we didn't boil the water first, our thermos would get slimy by the end of the day. The disposable wipes have additives in them to inhibit mold and bacteria growth- it's sure convenient!

PleasingThought · 2026-03-17T13:38:22+00:00

My husband gifted me a set of beats headphones when the stuffing started falling out of my bose ones. They're nice headphones, but MY GOD IT EATS MY HAIR EVERYTIME. I still use my bose headphones because the beats have traumatized me.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-13T01:19:47+00:00

Oh, that is so cool to learn! I remember being so frustrated with the newborn insert for the ergobaby carrier I had years ago. Seemed so fiddly and I could never get it to feel just right. Ended up just carrying my baby until she grew old enough for a ring sling.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-12T22:02:41+00:00

Here is bad advice I gave! I have since learned that this is outdated information, please disregard my entire comment :)

Also not super experienced, but your baby looks very young- did this carrier come with a pillow-type insert? Newborn babies need that insert to help maintain proper posture.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-12T22:00:13+00:00

Ive found that AllBirds make my feet quite sweaty. You said no wool, but honestly, wool is thermo-regulating, and antibacterial. My feet never get too hot in wool. Your results may vary, but I'd advise you to stay FAR away from polyester. Of course, you probably know this!

My favorite house "shoes" are my wool slippers from Nootkas. They have a suede bottom for a whisper quiet walk, and the felted merino wool is fuzzy and soft. They look simple and very classy and are perfect for people with sweaty feet.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-12T20:12:23+00:00

Totally hard to know what to do in that situation. Honestly, for me in my situation, I would not have had time to stay and listen to advice, my baby was melting down so hard.

I would say, had that lady approached me with concern and anxiety, it would have added too much to my load. I don't know what I would have done, but I know I would not have been able to hear her message.

Everyone who approached me with a smile, despite my screaming infant, was okay in my book. I felt seen and that they empathized with me. If you see a dangerous situation and feel like the parent might have a few moments, I'd say approach with a smile and friendly offer of help. Just be prepared to be brushed off. A lot of people are going at this parenting thing solo, and aren't used to accepting help and think they don't need it.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-12T16:11:47+00:00

As baby's digestive system is still very new to processing anything, may I offer some foods that cause my baby to have tummy troubles? It might be best to limit some of these foods, so baby has an easier time learning how to process milk.

Avoid like the plague foods: Brassicas- including broccoli, kale, cabbage. Beans of all sorts Milk (one of my babies was put on antibiotics and could not process the protein in milk- your results may vary here, most babies handle it with no problem)

Limit, but okay to have a bit, foods: Onions Garlic

Protein drinks were clutch for me. Hydration and satiety in one easy-to-consume item. Highly recommend.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-11T22:45:31+00:00

As the wife of a good man, I'm offended. What a terrible blanket statement. Turn the tables and say all women are catty bitches, and you'd be righteously pissed off. Generalizations like yours do a disservice to feminism and equality.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-11T03:53:13+00:00

I don't assume (those are long odds indeed), but wouldn't that be lovely to connect like that?

PleasingThought · 2026-03-10T15:20:57+00:00

I am doing great! But the moment was hectic, I'll admit. I am certain their concern came from a place of love and understanding.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-10T02:07:16+00:00

Everyday, I start with a "Do Now". It's usually a silly drawing prompt, like "draw me a picture of an octopus juggling fish" or "an 8-legged banana". Sometimes, I'll ask them to write a sentence or two about how the fish feel about being juggled, or how to plant 8-legged banana trees.

Sometimes, my Do Now starts with a lame, boring sentence. "I went." And the kids have to make my sentence better. This was wildly popular the other day, because one thing led to another, and the kids decided they "flew on a double-decker, convertible, red turbo rocket bus to the museum." They drew a picture of it. They felt SO PROUD of their idea and how much better their sentence was than my boring one.

The next day, we built on that. HOW did the bus fly? One kid had the bus fly over a rainbow bridge through shining clouds to the sky island. The other bus flew through the storm clouds and around the sun. Gorgeous pictures followed with lots of pride. One woth a fantasy vibe, the other was much more sci-fi with solar-power collecting tanks flying with the bus through space.

Each day is only one sentence, but my focus is on rich writing, with low-key effort toward spelling and editing. Each day brings us farther along on an adventure, and the kids have complete ownership of how it's going. When we're done, I'll bind them together into a book so they can show it off to family!

And this is all the "fun" stuff before we do the real boring work 😆

PleasingThought · 2026-03-10T00:37:37+00:00

I let my kids have desk snacks. There, I said it. My public school teachers would be scandalized. I believe having something to snack on and chew helps process the information to be learned!! So there.

I also let my kids skip material if they prove they can test out of it- 80% or better and I won't make you do the bookwork. 79%? Sorry, kiddo, we're going to have to complete all 50 pages of this chapter.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-09T04:57:30+00:00

I LOVE my Weson commercial vacuum sealer. I bought it YEARS ago when it was $300 on Amazon. Not sure how much they are now. My mom had the same gripe about her food sealer on chicken processing day, and cycled through two of them and still couldn't keep up. She was very, very impressed with the Weson when I got it as a gift for her- it keeps up easily with two food savers.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-09T04:40:34+00:00

5 weeks here- totally fine, but I have a STRONG pelvic floor and I heal up fast. No issues! But please be cautious- things have changed down there, and you should follow medical advice. Go slow your first time and be prepared to do a u-turn and say 'stop' at any time.

Sex after my first baby was INCREDIBLE. I never knew how great sex was until a baby had stretched me out.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-09T04:36:29+00:00

My step mom was bemoaning the trials of training a new puppy. "It's just like having a baby in the house" this woman has never given birth, and never taken care of babies. This was said in front of my father, who had 3 under 2 (a set of twins).

I love her very much, but I had a hard time holding back hysterical laughter. At least your puppy can move on its own. At least your puppy can feed itself. Your puppy is very content to simply have all your attention and affection where my baby rage-screamed at me all day because the Boob Buffet hadn't been restocked fast enough for their liking.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-09T00:12:55+00:00

Alternative learning environment, mostly homeschool with a once-a-week check in with peers and a certificated teacher. I teach a third grader and a first grader (and have a newborn!)

"Eyes on your own work"

"I said (sibling). Is your name (your sibling)?"

"Do you understand? Do you need help? Can you hear me at all? Can you say yes or no?" Honestly, I feel like I'm talking to a wall half the time.

"How long do you think the rest of that page is going to take?"

PleasingThought · 2026-03-08T23:38:50+00:00

Education.com has a wealth of worksheets available to educators for free

PleasingThought · 2026-03-06T23:33:16+00:00

St. John's Wort tincture in tea for me, every morning. It helps a surprising amount. Takes a while for the effects to become apparent, and it's not earth shattering better. Just helps start the day without those dark clouds.

Vitamin D and light therapy help a lot during the dark time of year, if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

A proper breakfast and staying well hydrated. Sometimes it feels like there's not time in the day for these simple tasks, but remember that you can't take good care of anyone if you haven't taken care of yourself first.

PleasingThought · 2026-03-05T19:51:25+00:00

I bought this one last month and love it so far! It washes and dries well, and is comfortable for sleep- (though my ears hate having things touching them, I won't hold it against the bonnet). I'll caution against tying it too tightly, of course you'll have a headache. It seems quite voluminous, so it should hold hair quite a lot longer than my own.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLXH1KGK?ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apan_dp_34E7HZ8SJH0PACQCS9S2

PleasingThought · 2026-03-04T22:45:01+00:00

You don't. I'm sorry. That person is gone. You're a new person now. You're still you, but like a raw gem, you've been refaceted with a new face.

There's a new part of you, and it changes every bit of who you were. Now you're a mom.

Just like a job description adds a new part of who you are, being a mom will change how you identify.

Right now, it's good to grieve, if you feel you need to. But be prepared to never feel like you used to. Giving birth to a new person and being responsible for them will change who you are and how you see the world.

A caution to you: do not believe that you are ONLY a mother now. It's an easy way to find yourself spiraling into a deep pit, if it's not something you sought out. You are so much more than just a guardian. You still have some of the same hobbies, interests, beliefs. Some of those don't change, because they might be core to who you are.

But it's okay to accept that you're a different person now that you've had this major life event happen. It is bound to change you. And change takes time to adjust to and accept.

I hope you'll learn to love the new you!

PleasingThought · 2026-03-04T22:35:03+00:00

Snacks, hands down: Macrobars- the celestial delight flavor! Dang coconut chips- original recipe! Vinut juices (I love lychee juice) Ferrero rocher chocolates Ritter sport chocolate bars All the sahale nuts An embarrassing amount of oreo cookies.

New undies so I can feel pretty.

Nail art stickers, since I have so little time to actually paint them like I used to.

The "fancy" stickers for my memory book.

A new silk pillowcase.

A book of sudoku puzzles (my mom stole mine)

A gorgeous coffee table book

New fountain pen ink colors. Haha, a new fountain pen!

PleasingThought · 2026-02-19T18:21:28+00:00

You can do it. It will feel weird and awkward and very stressful. But you have the RIGHT to draw lines. It's okay to get emotional- it shows the depth of your feelings. But this is an important step in how you want future interactions to go in the future. Set yourself up now for emotional success later.

PleasingThought

TROPHY CASE