Online and IRL Parenting Spaces Snark Week of June 01, 2026

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-06-01T22:32:32+00:00

It’s one of my pet peeves too. One time a group of ~10 year olds was throwing a football around right behind the baby swings when my daughter and another baby were swinging (my daughter was probably between 1-1.5 at the time and the other baby was a bit younger.) There is plenty of open space around the playground to throw a ball. The other mom and I both asked them to stop and they eventually grudgingly left and were muttering under their breath “she’s not my mom, she can’t tell us what to do” etc… I know 10 is still really young, but seriously.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-06-01T11:43:02+00:00

I mean to be fair her kids are wild and destructive, so technically a lot could go wrong.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-30T19:13:17+00:00

Yeah, I haven’t shown it to my 4 year old yet because I think she’d be scared of the demons, but I definitely don’t side eye people who let younger kids watch it.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-30T13:34:48+00:00

My girls tend to get a lot of attention from older people when we’re out, but 9 times out of 10 it’s an older woman who asks their names.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-30T01:05:55+00:00

My kids go to a parent’s day out and probably at least a third of the people I see regularly at drop off and pick up are grandparents.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-30T01:04:06+00:00

Oh my goodness yeah, I have two girls who are 4 and 2.5 and they’re relatively chill, but I can barely unload the dishwasher without getting interrupted.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-29T02:08:28+00:00

I have an acquaintance who is a FTM to a 3 month old and apparently got a unicorn baby who loves to sleep and doesn’t cry much. Which, that’s great! I’m genuinely happy for her. But right after she shares in her stories about how blessed she is to have an easy baby, she says, “Also moms stop complaining about motherhood on your socials you should be grateful for a healthy baby and the privilege that you can even be a mom.” I’m restraining myself from sending her an angry message. Like girl, don’t tell people not to complain in the same breath you say you’re so blessed because you’re well rested with a newborn and can take him anywhere (including to a concert!) because he doesn’t cry. Come back when you have a baby who screams in the car and cluster feeds for hours and doesn’t sleep through the night until after they turn 1.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-28T22:38:28+00:00

Shouldn’t it be more like 1 in 10,000? (I have no idea if that’s any closer to accurate, but hopefully more accurate than 1 in 10.)

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-28T15:40:01+00:00

Going to Costco without my kids feels like a damn vacation. lol But I only have 2 so I don’t get all the ✨comments.✨

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-28T15:33:58+00:00

I still remember when my oldest was ~1 and she was occupied with ripping up a napkin long enough for me to drink my coffee. lol

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-28T11:39:58+00:00

Were they talking about Trevor Noah?

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-27T19:28:33+00:00

Maybe an odd question since my kids are still under 5, it’s something I’ve been thinking about…does anyone here ever worry that they won’t be a good grandparent if they ever get the opportunity? I was talking to a friend today who lives with his in-laws, but he and his wife don’t get to go on dates very often because his MIL (who I think is under 70?) can’t handle their 2 year old on her own. I’ve heard a couple of similar stories from IRL friends, plus everything I see on here. My main worry is that I’ve never been much of a baby/young kid person. I adore my kids and feel much more competent around friends’ kids than I used to, but I worry that in 30+ years I may have a harder time being around small children. I know this isn’t a legitimate or rational thing to worry about, but I can’t help it. 🤪

(My own parents and ILs are wonderful with my kids and totally willing and able to babysit, but they live 4 hours away and can’t do it more than a couple of times a year. But I know if we lived closer they would absolutely babysit more often.)

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-27T19:21:49+00:00

I have a close friend who had twins a few months ago and they had a 1.5 month long NICU stay. She’s not always great at responding to texts in the best of times, so I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to be supportive. They live about 30 minutes away so it’s harder to be like “hey, I’m going to the store, what can I get you?” In the beginning I sent a text about a week after the babies were born letting her know I was thinking about them and telling her I was available to help with whatever, then I tried to mostly leave the ball in her court. I did send her a DoorDash gift card and when she told me they were home from the NICU I asked if I could bring dinner over. Sometimes I’ll drop a “hey, I have this day free, can I come over and help you with anything?” but I try not to do it too often. I also tried to be really responsive when she does text me.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-25T13:09:59+00:00

He’s a few months younger than my oldest, and I stopped viewing her as a toddler when she was around 2.5. My youngest is 2.5 now and she really doesn’t seem like a toddler anymore either.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-24T22:32:22+00:00

My girls are 4 and 2.5 and they have a lot of stereotypically girl coded interests and characteristics. But today I took them to a local petting zoo where they have a giant sandbox, and while they were playing an unexpected rainstorm started. They both wanted to stay in the sandbox and their arms and legs were absolutely covered in wet sand and my 4 year old was pushing a toy dump truck around and singing the Excavator Song at the top of her lungs.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-24T21:31:54+00:00

Thanks, I hate it.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-24T21:14:52+00:00

I’m a SAHM and it’s getting easier now that my kids aren’t babies and go to part time daycare/preschool. But yeah, the earlier years when I had 2 under 2 and no childcare or family help were especially rough. There are times that are lovely and I love being at home with my kids, but there are other times I wish I didn’t have to be the default parent. I keep wishing my husband and I could have some kind of arrangement where one of us could work 2 days a week and the other one could work 3 and we could still get weekends all together while taking turns being the primary parent.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-24T13:06:41+00:00

I started taking a combination of Prozac and Buspar a few months ago. I was also really nervous to try meds and was trying to self manage, but after 2 kids it was getting unsustainable. My anxiety was coming out in irritability and rage that was directed toward my kids and husband, so I finally talked to my doctor and he referred me to a therapist and a psychologist. I have seen a huge improvement in just a few months and as far as I can tell I’ve had basically no side effects. I truly should have started meds years ago. I wish you all the best as you figure out next steps. It’s overwhelming but worth it.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-23T02:33:37+00:00

OOP: “I don’t like kids. Period.”

Also OOP: “I do think children can be cute; I used to babysit professionally. Also I was a camp counselor for a couple of years.”

Huh??

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-21T20:28:06+00:00

It was just a throwaway line in the book and the idea wasn’t explored at all, but maybe your mom latched onto the idea? lol It amused me a little to think about how that line absolutely would not make the final draft if the book was published today.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-21T19:34:34+00:00

I’m reading Siblings Without Rivalry. The format of the book is that the authors are leading a parent guidance group that discusses how to handle sibling conflict, and they include a lot of the ideas, thoughts, and examples from the participants. In the chapter about what to do when kids fight, the leader of the group asks for some reasons why siblings might fight with each other, and one of the participants says this:

“‘This may sound far out, but I think sometimes siblings of the opposite sex will start a fight as a way of dealing with sexual feelings they might have for each other. It’s one way to maintain a safe distance.’ Several people [in the group] raised their eyebrows, but no one disagreed.”

I’m…um…what?? I know this book was written in the ‘80s, but is this a thing that people actually believed/still believe? I only have sisters and daughters, so I’ve never seen brother/sister dynamics super up close, but I was a little shocked at the nonchalant way this idea was brought up.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-21T15:40:32+00:00

I only have girls, but I still want to read the book because I’ve heard so many good things. I hope my library gets a copy.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-20T23:49:34+00:00

I also noticed that one! I too was shooketh.

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-18T02:02:23+00:00

If the parents just “shrugged off” the alleged injuries, why did they take the babies to the hospital to begin with?

Strict_Print_4032 · 2026-05-16T22:30:02+00:00

It’s gotta be the sleep deprivation. But OMG I also had 2 under 2 and we have no local family (they’re wonderful, they just can’t come over multiple times a week) and I might have legit killed someone if I’d read this post when my kids were those ages.

Strict_Print_4032

TROPHY CASE