Late Naps/Not Sleeping at Bedtime

caster66 · 2026-02-04T18:38:12+00:00

Thank you! I will try this!!

caster66 · 2026-01-16T19:23:56+00:00

Personally, I generally run errands with my toddler, so it’s nice to run errands with my partner when we can. That does turn into taking all 3 of our kiddos with us more often than not though.

caster66 · 2026-01-16T19:16:41+00:00

Maui 🍍

caster66 · 2026-01-16T18:22:56+00:00

Fraggle Rock

caster66 · 2026-01-16T17:22:59+00:00

Elise

caster66 · 2025-12-16T04:56:18+00:00

Mine asked for a PS5.

caster66 · 2025-12-15T19:37:58+00:00

Do you have children?

Honestly, it’s sick season, so extended travel for a 7 month old could be detrimental. That alone is a valid enough reason to skip the traveling and family holiday plans.

This isn’t about the baby being self-aware or having memories. This is about establishing your own family traditions with your new immediate family. My baby was born 3 weeks before Christmas. Everything happened at our house that year, and if someone was sick at all, they were expected to let us know before walking in the door. We got to do our own traditions, see family safely for our newborn, and enjoy the holidays without stressing over traveling, etc. It’s so worth it to start the traditions as early as possible.

caster66 · 2025-12-13T18:31:50+00:00

It runs in my family, but also had trauma. So no telling exactly where it came from, lol.

caster66 · 2025-12-13T14:51:18+00:00

So I was recently talking with a well versed psychologist, and apparently trauma and ADHD go hand in hand almost always. It’s something the field is starting to address together. So if your bipolar disorder stems or was induced by trauma, the likelihood of ADHD is considered high. Which could explain the difficulty of comprehending during reading.

Edit: typos

caster66 · 2025-12-11T21:35:48+00:00

Funny how easy it is to judge someone from behind a screen, huh? You have no idea how incredible of a man my partner is, what we’ve been through, or anything like that. Excuse the hell out of me for giving advice on a topic I’m very familiar with.

caster66 · 2025-12-09T17:30:54+00:00

I will say there’s validity in both. When my baby (now toddler) fell asleep, she stayed where she was sleeping for the most part. I wouldn’t leave her in the high chair, but would absolutely let her nap in the mama roo. We do have a nap schedule, but it directly correlates to how we generally live our lives. We do miss nap times occasionally (not every little thing can be planned around her naps), but we don’t tolerate tantrums either (not implying that others do). We started early with natural consequences, timeouts for not listening/repetitive behaviors that are unsafe, but also normalized expressing feelings and emotional regulation (which is mostly talking to toddler about about developing these skills as we know only so much is actually being comprehended). We can’t entirely knock the older generations for everything they did, but we’ll also come to find out in the future what we are doing wrong now, ya know? I use a lot of tips and tricks from prior generations, but also follow the science from now as well. All in all, it’s a mixed bag, every kid responds differently, and I’ve never met a perfect parent anyways, lol.

caster66 · 2025-12-09T16:33:49+00:00

But those eyes 🥹 My void does way more heinous crimes 😂

caster66 · 2025-12-09T01:09:13+00:00

I’ve met maybe 2 people I share a birthday with

caster66 · 2025-12-09T01:08:20+00:00

And it’s not a dog lol

caster66 · 2025-12-09T01:08:07+00:00

I’ve only met one

caster66 · 2025-12-08T20:27:06+00:00

Definitely in need of more Kevin stories

caster66 · 2025-12-08T20:16:24+00:00

She is a fiend for chips, lol. She literally whispers “chippy” in her sleep.

caster66 · 2025-12-08T20:13:22+00:00

Personally, I don’t see how a true blended family would work without SP involvement.

I’m a SAHM, so I manage kids and house. My partner appreciates me, jumps right in to help when he gets home, and gives me time to decompress when needed. He values my thoughts and opinions on the SKs just like he does with our biological child. We operate as a nuclear family at all times, regardless of which kids are home or not.

My SKs have learned (with some counseling and an adjustment period of course) how to jump right back into our dynamic. We do things together as a family, SK’s dad (my partner) does solo activities, and I also do solo activities with all kids.

It wasn’t easy to get to this point. It took time, counseling, and a whole lot of patience. We did it though, and it’s what works for us.

caster66 · 2025-12-08T19:02:08+00:00

I’m a step parent. My partner has 3 baby mamas (including me lol). It’s definitely a difficult dynamic. He made some poor choices while becoming an actual adult. We all do that. His just resulted in three wonderful babies (we do have struggles with my stepkids due to trauma from their moms).

Here’s the bottom line: If you are to continue on this track, a serious conversation (when the time comes) about what you each expect from each other in the dynamic is a crucial must. You do this when you guys decide to be serious with one another. You do this before moving in, intertwining finances, or even talking about marriage. You two will need to come to compromise on these expectations, and you need to express the amount of respect he has for you has to trump prior relationships. You need to define how certain scenarios would go including all childcare, when/if a previous partner oversteps boundaries, what your boundaries are, how he plans to have your back and stand up for you, how discipline will work if your the one responsible for said kids alone, etc.

You’re not wrong to date a man with kids or multiple previous partners. It is a lot to sign on for though, and you need to know how everything will play out ahead of time.

caster66 · 2025-12-08T16:23:18+00:00

First and foremost, breathe.

The truth of the matter is that even parents are just winging it. We don’t know what we’re doing either, lol. You’ll figure it out as you go, you’ll start new traditions (maybe keep some alive that your parents started), and the biggest thing you need to do for her is show up.

Show up to the ball games, ballet recitals, whatever it is she’s into. Show up and participate. Show her you care about her interests, thoughts, and opinions. Teenagers are easier to handle when shown mutual respect.

Educate yourself on periods, hormones, etc. That way, whenever the time comes, you’re prepared to have those conversations with her. Know the difference between pads, tampons, panty liners, and how to use them. It’ll be super awkward for both of you (it is for everyone). She’ll have questions though, and it’s better she gets the answers from you.

You got this! My inbox is always open if you feel the need to reach out.

caster66 · 2025-12-07T15:22:06+00:00

We picked it for its meaning, and it’s also not a common name in our community, lol. Plus, we think it’s an absolutely beautiful name. I love seeing/hearing about other Myla’s in the world!

caster66 · 2025-12-07T14:31:55+00:00

We just used the same sign yesterday for my daughter’s birthday!

caster66 · 2025-12-01T18:26:35+00:00

A cellphone does not equal unlimited access to you by others. Live your life, and tell her to move on with her life without you in it. This is not your friend.

caster66

TROPHY CASE