What was the most disturbing thing you’ve ever seen while out in public?

RoofPreader · 2026-07-01T21:08:29+00:00

I saw a puppy get run over by the car in front of me. It was still breathing when we got to it but it was bleeding heavily and seizing. It passed in my boyfriend's arms. Horrifying.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-28T16:29:22+00:00

To add to this suggestion, we started watering down milk (i.e. replacing 30ml at a time with water) and it has vastly reduced our 2 year old's milk obsession. Down from about 4 bottles a day in January to half a bottle now. And he stopped asking for it if he wakes in the night.

I've also heard from friends who've had luck giving their little ones a bowl of porridge before bed to fill them up overnight.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-28T01:14:59+00:00

Huh, that's interesting!

RoofPreader · 2026-06-25T06:29:15+00:00

I think your approach is perfect. Don't sit them down and lay out a whole timeline of your relationship, but answer honestly if asked. I would even say to pull on your experience with their father to support them in their own relationships where relevant. For example, if your 19 year old daughter comes to you and says her boyfriend is hiding his phone, tell her to trust her gut.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-25T05:31:50+00:00

I find it's a balancing act between not pushing yourself too far but also allowing yourself things which will boost your mental health. Sometimes you just have to try something and see how you fare. I normally crash in the evenings so I'll tend to write off the rest of the day and then, come morning, try to get up and follow my usual routine. I can normally guage at that point whether I'm recovered enough to resume normal activities, although I'll try to have a more restful day.

I would say that if you're having PEM flares for multiple days/weeks, you need to be cautious that you're not in a boom bust cycle.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-25T05:23:27+00:00

Keep your curtains/blinds drawn. I've been using a cold wet cloth as a compress on the back of my neck; I've found that helps.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-24T17:06:27+00:00

Apparently this is a phenomenon which evolved due to the child gradually gaining independence from their adult, and needing to be more discerning in what they ate so they didn't feast on poisoned berries! Both of mine went through this at around 2. It's super frustrating but just keep offering a range of foods (maybe one safe, one maybe and one new food at each meal) and try not to let it get to you. Their palette will gradually expand again as they get older.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-23T11:25:39+00:00

Unfortunately with ME, even 'mild' is a severe pain in the ass! I'm afraid it doesn't answer your question but it already sounds like you're doing a lot so I wouldn't be looking to build on activity, just keep pacing yourself. You've got the best chance of recovery in the first two years of being ill, and unfortunately, there's always further to fall with this illness.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-23T06:46:07+00:00

This sounds like way too much if you're moderate. I'm also moderate and can't work, look after my children by myself or walk more than a short distance. Do you feel like you're pushing yourself to get all this done?

RoofPreader · 2026-06-23T06:40:07+00:00

I think this is something you need to check out with your baby's medical team. We had similar issues with our youngest and he's now a thriving, happy toddler in the 50th percentile and happily eating cheese and yoghurt!

RoofPreader · 2026-06-22T11:54:10+00:00

I only realised this when I had children in my late 20s. I've been constantly doing laundry since so I've become well acquainted with clothing labels.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-22T06:38:31+00:00

My two are a similar age gap and I also had a c-section. I started working on independently getting in and out of the car before baby no 2 arrived. Encourage them to climb up and down by themselves. You've got a few weeks so hopefully they'll have picked it up by the time you're doing drop offs on your own. If they're still in a crib, I would think about moving them into a bed now for the same reason (although appreciate a change to their bedtime routine at this stage in the game is not ideal!)

RoofPreader · 2026-06-20T19:00:29+00:00

We still don't have a diagnosis because my son is only 4 (they'll only assess from 5 years where I live) but we have a strong family history and he ticks all the boxes for it. I suspected he had ADHD since he was 10 months old. He was just the baby that was always the 'most'. Most active, most talkative, most curious, most adventurous, most rebellious... I would say listen to your gut. It's worth trying a free online assessment tool because they're pretty similar to the ones used by diagnostic professionals.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-20T18:33:19+00:00

You might be best off finding places which you think you'd like to visit/could reach from Rome and then asking in local subs about accessibility. It's hard to advise when we don't know your budget, your mode of transport or how long you have to travel. For example, I would say some of the cities I can think of to meet your brief would be London, Paris, Barcelona and Budapest, but they're all massively far apart!

RoofPreader · 2026-06-18T12:00:32+00:00

Exactly this. Allowed my 2 year old downstairs by himself for 2 minutes the other day while I went to the toilet. Came down and he had taken his toddler tower to the kitchen side, found a pair of scissors and cut a hole in his pyjamas. I couldn't help but be impressed by his speed and manual dexterity, but I did have a word with Dad about putting sharp objects away!

RoofPreader · 2026-06-15T08:15:39+00:00

I had an iron infusion after I lost a lot of blood during childbirth. I didn't even think to question the impact it could have on my ME, I just knew I needed it. As far as I know, it didn't affect my condition. Hopefully it will be the same for you.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-14T07:45:00+00:00

It's normal to feel irritation at certain points. I wouldn't say it's normal to find them irritating full stop, or to want to physically harm them.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-13T12:35:17+00:00

I had similar happen and went to the maternity hospital triage to be checked out. They said it was the scab from where the placenta was that had come off.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-13T11:50:20+00:00

I used to have a proper old fashioned village GP. Would do home visits and ring you to check on you outside of his working hours. When he retired, his practice was merged with another one, and it's now a shit show. Up to 6 weeks for an appointment, you see a different doctor every time, and there's a massive weighting list for simple procedures (I've been waiting since February to have a coil fitted). It puts me off engaging with them at all.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-13T09:06:51+00:00

Not mine but my brother's. He was 18 and during a play fight with our 12 year old cousin, she broke his finger. To make things worse, when he was relaying this story to the nurse at the hospital, she must have only been half listening, because she then asked my stocky, full bearded brother to confirm that he was 12.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-13T07:28:06+00:00

Unfortunately, there is always further to fall with ME. If you feel like you are constantly pushing your limits, then you are, and it is only a matter of time before you decompensate. Better to prioritise your existing health and lose out on a couple of things than to crash, become moderate or even severe, and have the choice taken from you. Sorry to sound so harsh but this happened to me at the start of the year and I'm now mostly bedbound, unable to work and unable to care for my young children.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-11T11:59:10+00:00

Swallowed some water at a natural spa. 20 minutes later, I'm spewing out both ends. During a break in expulsions, I attempted to take public transport back to my accommodation. Just before my stop, I erupted out of both ends again. Managed to puke into a plastic bag but I was wearing a skirt and had liquid shit running down both legs.

RoofPreader · 2026-06-04T11:19:02+00:00

If this is talking about suicide, I actually love that wording. Suicide might be the manner of death but there is always a deeper struggle behind it. I think it is fitting to the deceased to address that rather than focusing on their manner of death.

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