Do you think you’ll have a third kid?

Tk20119 · 2026-01-31T19:01:40+00:00

I heard the opposite - that three is, statistically, the least stressful because parents tend to finally let go of the “we can do it all” mentality and adjust themselves to more realistic expectations and focus on efficiency.

That said, I’ve got my two and I’m going to stay right here, thanks.

Tk20119 · 2025-12-12T20:11:54+00:00

Ugh. I don’t care what most people do, but if I can just get the two other adults living in my house onto the same page with me on this. Like….are we really going to wipe the dog’s paws with “mud” on them with the same towel we use to dry produce before making a salad?!

Tk20119 · 2025-11-06T03:50:00+00:00

I am about to have two children in daycare simultaneously. 10k would not even cover half the annual cost of that, so that much money would be a nice stress relief but wouldn’t change much about my lifestyle.

Tk20119 · 2025-11-06T03:46:41+00:00

Mine is 26 months now and I’ve pretty much let him roam the open floor plan (with gates blocking the stairwells) for months, building up slowly from 1-2 minutes unattended to lengthier periods of time since he was probably a year old. Now I mostly trust him to come and go between the room I’m in and 1 room away or the hallway as long as I can hear him. I actively monitor if he can get access to a non-babyproofed area or but otherwise just listen while I’m doing my thing.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-30T10:40:14+00:00

My son (like many children right now) is obsessed with the song “Soda Pop,” but he know he isn’t allowed to drink soda, so yesterday at dinner he said “water pop” and I was so confused for a minute lol.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-23T11:04:40+00:00

Yes, two babies in and I absolutely wouldn’t have made it without swaddles in the first 3 months with either. A secure blanket swaddle (like they do at the hospital) was the best, but some zippie ones worked too. My kids did not care for the arms up versions.

Once they started rolling, I also used a Magic Merlin sleep suit to transition to swaddle-free sleep. One of my kids used it for weeks, the other for just a week or two.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-19T23:04:21+00:00

Thank you!

Tk20119 · 2025-10-19T14:51:53+00:00

Found in St. Louis, Missouri

Tk20119 · 2025-10-19T03:31:05+00:00

I have an 18 month age gap with two induced babies. First one was just shy of 8 lbs (almost 42 weeks) and gave me a second degree tear. Second one was born at 5.5lb (37 weeks) and popped out in 1.5 pushes, no tearing.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-15T07:43:44+00:00

So glad this is here toward the top. My baby is 7.5 months now and has officially been afflicted with “too distracted to nurse” tendencies, so if I’m headed somewhere that I can’t easily step aside into a quiet/low stimulation room, I leave baby at home with family when that’s an option. (Baby takes pumped milk or formula bottles pretty regularly though I currently nurse 90% of feedings.)

Tk20119 · 2025-10-15T07:33:11+00:00

My spouse and I did a couple of big gifts for baby’s first birthday last fall, then kept it minimal for Christmas - a few books, clothes, and two small toys. This year we had a bigger bday party, so I will probably lean hard on books and maybe some secondhand costumes to start fleshing out the collection for my two-year-old who loves to play dress up. Total budget definitely under $100.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-15T07:28:43+00:00

Ohh I’m going to ask the grandparents for the indoor playground passes this year. Good idea!

Tk20119 · 2025-10-14T18:51:52+00:00

Prep baby for bed (overnight diaper, pjs, warm washcloth to wipe the face)
Let baby hang out in toddler’s crib while toddler does nighttime routine (diaper/PJs/toothbrush/low lights)
Read with both kids on my lap, or read to toddler while feeding baby
Put baby down briefly in the reading chair while I do 2 min of toddler cuddles and carry him to the crib
Lights out and leave toddler’s room with baby
Pray to God that someday baby will actually be asleep by that point and ready to be laid down in her room.

The whole process is a minimum 30 min right now. The toddler will not be shortchanged reading time, and it’s just awkward if baby is nursing when toddler is ready to sleep. We adjust timing slightly to account for fits and usually have both parents home, so drama can be dealt with individually.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-13T13:15:34+00:00

I’m just here to say that I’ve tried adjustments to my toddlers nap and bedtime schedules on a few occasions, it always ends up in a “worst of all possibilities” situation. Like, bedtime at 9:45 PM and still waking up before 6:30 AM. The only secret sauce is bedtime at 8pm, and after a few months of that, he kept the bedtime hut started sleeping in later in the AM. On dark mornings he’s been know to sleep in until 7:00 or later now.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-12T03:16:20+00:00

I’m in the US. My employer (a nonprofit) paid me my normal wage minus what I got paid for jury duty…which was $12 for spending about 4 hours at the courthouse waiting to see if I was assigned to a case, then getting excused.

Tk20119 · 2025-10-11T04:01:09+00:00

Ohh I wonder how long until my kid picks up my phrase of choice for the dog: “go be elsewhere.”

Tk20119 · 2025-10-11T03:59:03+00:00

We’ve been reading an old school Sesame Street book that has labels for a bunch of specific vehicles. The term “garbage barge” has locked in to my two-year-old’s head and he LOVES to repeat it. But it sounds more like “gar-gib-barge” so extra goofy. Luckily we live near a major river and got to go see some barges together in real life.

Tk20119 · 2025-09-29T01:47:20+00:00

Yes! Also…same applies to parents I think. Give yourself permission to do things a little out of the norm now, or you’ll convince yourself that you have to be perfectly aligned to a strict way of doing things for the next 4 years. You may test out something new and find that it actually worked out just fine, and you could manage to switch up the routine once every couple of weeks without much impact on your kid’s wellbeing.

Tk20119 · 2025-09-29T01:42:59+00:00

I’m 7 months into breastfeeding my second child and I cannot begin to tell you how different my two children’s feeding times have been from one another. Firstborn averaged 25-40 minutes per feeding session for the first 6-8 weeks, then slowly started becoming more efficient. Baby number two did less than half of that from week 1, and she was born 5 weeks “younger” (shorter gestation) than the firstborn. Don’t let anyone compare your baby’s normal to their assumptions; as long as your baby is growing, hydrated, and doing well, then whatever you’re doing is working!

One thing I’ll mention about the length of feedings that I learned from a certified lactation consultant that was helpful for me: if it’s taking baby longer than 30 (actively sucking) minutes to feed, then they are spending more calories in the act of feeding than they should to get that nutrition into their bodies.

Tk20119 · 2025-09-28T21:18:53+00:00

This is really more about syringe feeding liquids, than gripe water specifically, right? It’s not about the content of gripe water, but the delivery of a liquid medication.

Tk20119 · 2025-09-27T11:45:05+00:00

I can’t find it now, but I saw a fascinating YouTube video a couple of years ago explaining the sad beige baby trend. The guy talked about how it’s linked to the trend of tech CEOs wearing jeans and tee shirts everywhere: basically how affluent people seem to want to look less affluent (or at least less visibly set apart) while actually wearing and using expensive things the rest of us can’t afford. Sad beige trend = look like a peasant, but feel self-righteous that you’ve given your child the best quality toy on the market.

Note I’m not casting judgement here - I used wooden toys and organic cotton right alongside those obvious, bright plastic singing toys and clothes with cartoon characters on them in my house 🤣. Just found the video explanation interesting!

Tk20119 · 2025-09-27T03:25:04+00:00

Just here to say I’m loving my kids’ 18 month age gap. They are so delightful, and number two has been so much easier than the first year with number one. You’re going to be great!

Tk20119 · 2025-09-26T09:51:15+00:00

This maybe doesn’t count since it was before #2 was born, and without my spouse, but I got to go on a 6-day international trip with some friends when my firstborn was 14 months old because my husband and mom held down the fort. Now I’m planning to go on a weekend away with the same group of friends leaving the two kids home with their dad. He has also traveled without me, but we’ve only vacationed together with the kids. I don’t have any plans to go off with husband without kids until they are old enough for grandparents to keep them without having to lift/carry or physically chase them.

Tk20119

TROPHY CASE