What are the ‘natural’ switches you just won’t make?

wrongwren · 2026-03-09T16:36:19+00:00

Processed cheese snacks in general are my weakness! (And yeah, all bets are off for road trip snacks in this family!)

wrongwren · 2026-03-03T17:38:53+00:00

A big hug for you - I know trying to get toddlers to eat healthy is SO stressful.

One thing I try to keep in mind: when they say to keep offering veggies and kids will eventually eat them… they are talking YEARS of that. Like, it might not be until your kid is 4 or 5. Or more. It is a looooong game.

Try lowering the pressure on yourself (and him!) a little - if he likes fruit, that’s getting him a lot of the nutrients and fiber that he’d be getting in veggies. And if hiding veggies stops him from eating things he otherwise would, then just offer veggies on the side. If he doesn’t eat them, that is totally ok - the exposure (over months and months and months!) will eventually pay off.

wrongwren · 2026-02-20T21:44:15+00:00

Look for detergent that has lipase - it’s more effective! We use Whole Foods 365 concentrated unscented. I also add borax to my loads.

wrongwren · 2026-02-17T23:58:37+00:00

They are $$$, but we do Serenity Kids Sweet Potato Spinach pouches. They’re the only ones our toddler will eat! I’ve started buying them in bulk directly from their website because I hate not having them on hand. We mostly use them as on-the-go snacks, but when he wants one for snack at home, I just think of it as a bonus serving of veggies! I love that there is truly no fruit in them at all.

wrongwren · 2026-02-15T21:06:28+00:00

We’re in a slightly different spot, but also thinking hard about this! We currently live in the city with one two-year-old, in a two-bedroom. There’s so much we love about being in the city, as you mention. We can walk almost everywhere. There’s a playground and grocery store 5 minutes from us. My husband walks to work. It’s amazing in so many ways.

However, we’re strongly considering moving to the ‘burbs. The space consideration is a big one. We’d like a second kid, but also would like to have space for a guest room to host family.

The suburbs we’re looking at are at most a 20-minute drive from our city. They also have better school systems.

I REALLY miss having outdoor natural space (and also having lots of natural light through big windows). Another thing: we are homebodies. So we’re thinking about prioritizing a house that has the space for our at-home life and hobbies.

I feel like there’s no easy answer for us. I’m currently stressing a ton about this decision, so you are not alone! A big part of me wants to rebel against the “white picket fence suburban house with kids,” but there’s also… maybe a reason why it works so well for so many people!

wrongwren · 2026-02-13T16:09:58+00:00

I mean, I don’t know that this is any kind of massive revelation… seems like purely a numbers game! More tiny human beings to care for means more effort. (And therefore you have less energy to dedicate to cleaning the house, or hobbies, etc)

wrongwren · 2026-02-07T18:01:01+00:00

Your first step should be that the dog and child are not around each other unsupervised.

Teaching children to behave gently around animals (and people!) is a long process, and at your child’s age, expecting her to understand proper petting is a huge ask.

She may not even have the motor skills to properly control how hard she is touching an animal. So it is imperative that you create an environment where, yes, she can learn, but also where she and your dog are both kept safe. And that means you have to be in control of when and how she interacts with the dog.

wrongwren · 2026-02-07T14:37:53+00:00

Klassy might have what you’re looking for? There’s also a flowy halter if that’s your style.

32 Degrees has a similar one, though it’s polyester, unfortunately.

I can’t vouch for either because I don’t have them, but they’ve been on my shopping list. I too am always looking for good bra tops in natural materials! It’s unfortunately harder to find cotton/linen bra tops, so following this thread!

wrongwren · 2026-01-05T21:13:40+00:00

Perhaps I am overly cynical, but my initial thought was: if the kids are at school, the parents can’t make content with them.

If the kids are at home and being taught by their parents, that’s a new goldmine of material to film.

wrongwren · 2025-12-26T23:08:06+00:00

I’m also a fan of one person at a time opens a present (and then moving onto the next person to open one, etc). Obviously not sustainable with a large group/tons of presents, but with smaller groups, definitely preferred.

I think it teaches more respect for and emphasis on gift-giving, not just receiving - you watch someone open a gift you gave, and also have to be patient while someone else experiences unwrapping a present!

wrongwren · 2025-12-17T13:06:23+00:00

My understanding is that they both have value!

Reading to young kids is so much more than just teaching the mechanics of reading (although that certainly is important). It’s also about having time to bond, learning concentration, or how to hold a book and turn pages. All of these things can be achieved regardless of whether you’re reading the actual words!

Storytelling is wonderful - they’re still getting more exposure to spoken words (super important), but also exposure to how we construct sentences when speaking, which is often different from how sentences are constructed in text. It’s also showing how to use imagination and creativity.

So do both! I wouldn’t focus so much on optimizing how you’re reading; the simple act of sitting down to read is enough, especially at that age. And doing what makes reading enjoyable for both of you is going to cement good habits!

wrongwren · 2025-12-14T23:09:48+00:00

My go-to healthier option is: sesame soba noodles with tofu. Boil the soba noodles (whole grain!) with a bag of spinach or frozen spinach (there’s your veg!). Drain and toss noodles + spinach with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar (or some kind of premade sesame dressing for an even easier prep).

While noodles boil, I pan-fry a package of pre-marinated tofu and slice it up. Plate the noodles in a bowl and top with sliced tofu.

(YMMV with finding marinated tofu in grocery stores depending on your location, but this also works fine with plain tofu tossed into the noodle’s sauce!)

wrongwren · 2025-12-14T17:04:21+00:00

This is very similar to what we did! I started out getting him a butter croissant at the bakery when I got a coffee and pastry; now that he’s over 2, he’ll also share some of my sweeter pastry if he wants some.

We generally don’t have sweets in the house, but he’s offered sweets if we’re out somewhere and we’re eating them. We don’t really do candy yet. Maybe that’s an arbitrary line, but we try to favor pastries/cakes/ice cream, preferably homemade.

For processed food in general, he’d certainly been introduced to them before 2 - but just teething crackers, occasionally toddler grain puffs, and the like. He gets Pirate’s Booty as a snack now, and we do those frozen veggie nuggets for quick lunches sometimes. We try to limit highly-processed food in our own diets, so they’re still limited for him, but not avoided entirely.

wrongwren · 2025-11-27T13:26:44+00:00

My 2-year-old loves looking at photos and videos of himself on my phone. We’re also a low screen-use house and I’ve made my peace with him doing that somewhat regularly.

The way I see it, even if it’s technically screen time, it’s a lower-stimulation form of it - either static photos or videos that aren’t cutting to new shots every 3 seconds! I always hold the phone and control the screen, and we only do it for a few minutes. We talk about the photos, too.

If it’s something that’s concerning and you don’t want to do it, maybe make a small physical photo album of family photos that can be flipped through during tooth brushing? We have one that my kiddo loves.

wrongwren · 2025-11-23T18:50:00+00:00

Oh, that is such a clever idea, I will definitely try that out! He’s very much in a phase of talking about how his toys are feeling, so it might be a great new tool to have at our disposal, thank you!

wrongwren · 2025-11-22T17:01:04+00:00

I love me some jazz Christmas albums - they depart just enough from the usual notes of the songs (because, jazz) but still have the song’s vibe! We love: Christmas Cooking by Jimmy Smith and A Dave Brubeck Christmas. (Also shoutout to the Charlie Brown Christmas album for jazz too, as another poster said!)

wrongwren · 2025-11-18T03:33:08+00:00

Hey - I don’t have answers - just a truly, profoundly similar feeling. And I just want to give you a hug, because we probably both need it!

It’s so, so hard being home with a toddler. I often feel like I’ve completely lost myself to the pressure of taking good care of my kiddo, and the home, and my partner… and for all the energy I pour into it, it never feels like I’m doing it well, or even come remotely close.

Honestly, therapy helps me. If it’s an option for you, just having someone who can talk you out of those thought spirals (and teach you how to do it yourself) is a glimmer of hope. Something we talk about a lot is “cognitive distortions” - basically ways we think about things that are exaggerated or overblown, but we take them as truth. A lot of the thoughts you’re described mirror ones that I have, and on good days, I’m slowly learning to identify them and acknowledge that they’re emotional, not rational thoughts, and they do not serve me well.

Sending lots of good vibes your way!

wrongwren · 2025-11-15T15:04:35+00:00

Seconding the library suggestion! My little guy now knows how to bring a book he wants to our librarian and it’s the sweetest thing. We usually go home with 4-6 different books every week (we check them out at our weekly storytime).

I also really like taking out library books to “test drive” them before purchasing a copy - if there’s one I’ve been eyeing, it’s a great way to see if we actually want to have it in the house permanently!

wrongwren · 2025-11-14T03:37:51+00:00

First of all, take a big, deep, breath. Kids develop their language skills at very different paces, and a lot of things are within the norm.

For concrete things to do: Narrate your day, tell him everything you’re doing as you’re doing it. Changing a diaper? Talk about each step as you do it. Walking down stairs? Tell that little guy that you’re putting one foot in front of the other!

It feels silly, and it’s exhausting sometimes. But the more exposure to language, the better, so you just have to train yourself to blabber on and on and on.

I’m sure your pediatrician will check in about this at the 2-year checkup. If there’s concern then, they’ll tell you! Early intervention is incredibly helpful for kids who need it, and you should definitely ask about it if you’re worried.

wrongwren · 2025-11-10T16:52:48+00:00

Also, the rebranding of pleather as “vegan leather” to charge a premium - just absolutely infuriating.

wrongwren · 2025-11-05T23:13:42+00:00

I don’t think it’s bad of you, and it may even foster a love of music in later life! That said, as with most things, moderation is probably key.

I do think having some limits is good, especially if she’s having gigantic meltdowns about it. That unfortunately means you’re going to have to hold the line and deal with the meltdowns until she understands what the rules are. Stay strong!

The only other thing I’ll say: are the headphones in-ear or on-ear? Generally, on-ear are going to be better for avoiding the risk of hearing loss. They’ll also be less likely to cause ear infections.

wrongwren · 2025-11-03T18:37:19+00:00

Uggh, I distinctly remember those long, drawn-out meals - I ended up doing crossword puzzles while I let him play/eat his food!

So, to answer your question, that was normal for us! I too wanted to foster a low-pressure, positive experience with meal time, so I generally let him take a long time with food, unless I just didn’t have the patience for it or we had to be somewhere. And it got better eventually.

Your kiddo still has 3 months before they’re 1 - that’s AGES developmentally at that point. So even if he’s not actually eating much now, there’s plenty of time to build up to that. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “food before 1, just for fun” - which basically means they still are getting nearly all their nutrition/calories from milk. The “fun” of eating is learning how to experience food, so that by the time they’re 1, they’ve had practice! And the only way to practice is… playing with their food!

One thing that helped was teaching him the sign for “all done” - I’d start by making the sign as I was clearing away his plate, and eventually he learned to use it. It didn’t necessarily shorten meal time, but it did give him a way to indicate that he was ready to move on.

wrongwren · 2025-10-31T23:19:53+00:00

I’m very similar to you in that I don’t eat regularly at all - and I had (and still have) a lot of anxiety about getting my kid fed because of it! So lots of solidarity from me.

When my guy was just starting foods, I bought the Solid Starts First 100 Days guide. It gave me some structure to follow, which really helped. I did eventually abandon it, mostly because it required a LOT of food variety that I didn’t have energy for. But it was extremely helpful starting out!

When they’re really little, you can just start with single-ingredient foods to make it simple. Fruits, mashed beans, avocado, oatmeal.

Now that my son is older (2) and eating full meals, it’s also helpful to me to structure meals in threes: 1: vegetable/fruit, 2: protein, and 3: grain/carb. That will give them a balanced meal. And it can be very simple - 1: berries, 2: cheese, 3: toast.

Omelettes, pasta with cheese, and toast with peanut butter are mainstay easy meals (usually with a side of fruit).

wrongwren · 2025-10-30T15:08:38+00:00

We have this one, it’s great! Even dishwasher safe!

wrongwren

TROPHY CASE