A Parent Support Thread

[Foreverfox]

I looked around for one of these and didn't see one. This is meant to be like a "mom's support thread", but for anyone who is in the role of a parent! That means Dads, Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents...you get the idea.

All parents are welcome to share thoughts, tips, stories, struggles, successes, or just share some sympathy to those who need it.

I do want to note that this thread is to maintain Forum rules, including but not limited to those on Post Quality and Respecting Others.

Additionally, if anyone needs to vent or would like someone to talk to,but would prefer not to post publicly, my DMs are always open.

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I'll start off! As most people know, I have a 2 year old son, Nicholas, who has Spina Bifida. He has overcome so much, but lately I have to brag on his speech development. He's always been very smart, but his speech has just started BOOMING! He's all of the sudden talking full sentences, understanding context and replying in context, even emotionally. I'm just so proud of him!

 

[Alienfish]

Not a parent myself but yeah can't stress it enough that it's important to have supporting and caring parents. Had the bad luck of a mental abusive dad and a mom who obviously took leadership role too much (and still does) and no kid should grow up in that. Peace, mate.

 

[Foreverfox]

Not a parent myself but yeah can't stress it enough that it's important to have supporting and caring parents. Had the bad luck of a mental abusive dad and a mom who obviously took leadership role too much (and still does) and no kid should grow up in that. Peace, mate.

Thanks for posting! I'm sorry to hear that your parents weren't as supportive or as caring as they could've been. You are absolutely right that children should grow up with parents who are supporting and caring. To this day, I still don't believe that the words, "I'm sorry" exist in either of my parents vocabulary. At this point, the best I can do is make sure it exists in mine.

 

[Alienfish]

To this day, I still don't believe that the words, "I'm sorry" exist in either of my parents vocabulary. At this point, the best I can do is make sure it exists in mine.

Thank you ❤ And yeah I suppose I turned out alright since I had grandparents and friends/co-workers but yeah I fully agree parents should learn to say "I'm sorry" and actual do some self-care to see what they did wrong.

 

[LadyDestani]

Also not a parent, but just wanted to chime in and say that you seem like a wonderful mother and congrats to Nicholas for all of his progress! I have great respect for all of you amazing parents out there who nurture the next generation.

 

[Foreverfox]

@LadyDestani Thank you so much! That seriously means the world to me. I definitely make sure that I advocate for him in every way I can.

 

[jadetine]

I get most of my parent support from @Roxxy and another mom group, lol. I will say that I've always wanted to be a mom of 2 kids and now that I have them, I'm more than satisfied. Actually, I would love to adopt another kid later, but that definitely requires my husband to be on board, and we're still juggling this circus of 2 active children.

I would never judge anyone for wanting to stay child-free, and that applies way more now. I get it. These two munchkins get in the way of my art and tbt time, lol.

I worry so much about them, especially in this pandemic. They are not experiencing life the same way i did growing up and I hope not just for their physical safety, but their mental well being and social health as well. There's so much to consider as a parent that went above and beyond what I had to deal with as an older sibling or pet owner; I was woefully unprepared (or rather my sister and my dogs were just so much easier to understand). I'm just rambling now, but I'm stuck with a toddler snoring on my arm, so I guess this is my life until morning.

 

[Foreverfox]

I get most of my parent support from @Roxxy and another mom group, lol. I will say that I've always wanted to be a mom of 2 kids and now that I have them, I'm more than satisfied. Actually, I would love to adopt another kid later, but that definitely requires my husband to be on board, and we're still juggling this circus of 2 active children.

I would never judge anyone for wanting to stay child-free, and that applies way more now. I get it. These two munchkins get in the way of my art and tbt time, lol.

I worry so much about them, especially in this pandemic. They are not experiencing life the same way i did growing up and I hope not just for their physical safety, but their mental well being and social health as well. There's so much to consider as a parent that went above and beyond what I had to deal with as an older sibling or pet owner; I was woefully unprepared (or rather my sister and my dogs were just so much easier to understand). I'm just rambling now, but I'm stuck with a toddler snoring on my arm, so I guess this is my life until morning.

When I was little, I wanted to have 2 kids, but having fetal sugery with Nicholas and him having his own extra needs, I don't want another. Plus, he's everything I could ever ask for and more in a son. and my husband has 3 other kids in addition to our little Nicholas, so we're good! it's definitely chaos at times, but it's happy chaos. Roxxy is indeed amazing support! So are you! I always mean to reach out to you both, but then get distracted.

I worry about kids post-pandemic too. Nicholas had had mommy and Daddy home 24/7 pretty much since he was born. He doesn't know life without both of us home. He's barely been socialized, but honestly it would be hard for most people to tell. He warms up quickly and talks up a storm!

 

[Alienfish]

Also not a parent, but just wanted to chime in and say that you seem like a wonderful mother and congrats to Nicholas for all of his progress! I have great respect for all of you amazing parents out there who nurture the next generation.

This as well, all the best for all of you ❤

 

[Biyaya]

I've got a lovely little 15 month old!

I agree with the stress of the pandemic! I'm needing parent friends, and that's hard for me when I'm so anxious to go meet people. Soon, my boy is going to get to an age when he's going to want friends too.

 

[Foreverfox]

I've got a lovely little 15 month old!

I agree with the stress of the pandemic! I'm needing parent friends, and that's hard for me when I'm so anxious to go meet people. Soon, my boy is going to get to an age when he's going to want friends too.

Aww how cute!! that's what this thread is for! For all of us to find eachother and have support in one another! I definitely appreciate having parent friends, and really the only ones I have are ones I've found here!

 

[Biyaya]

Aww how cute!! that's what this thread is for! For all of us to find eachother and have support in one another! I definitely appreciate having parent friends, and really the only ones I have are ones I've found here! ❤

Ah! It's fantastic that you've made this connect thread! I always am curious who might be a parent on here.

 

[InkFox]

Not a parent here but a stepmom to an 8 years old boy, kudos to all the other steps out there, it's a hard and sometimes ungrateful job haha. But after almost four years I have somehow learned to enjoy it :- )

 

[Foreverfox]

Not a parent here but a stepmom to an 8 years old boy, kudos to all the other steps out there, it's a hard and sometimes ungrateful job haha. But after almost four years I have somehow learned to enjoy it :- )

Yes, kudos to all the step parents out there indeed! Would it be okay for me to message you sometimes? It is hard, but I know I was brought to it for a reason. Thankfully, my stepchildren love me and I love them. I had a steomom and I spent wayyyy too long harboring displaced I'll feelings towards her. She passed from a heart attack a day before my son's 1st birthday.

 

[InkFox]

Yes, kudos to all the step parents out there indeed! Would it be okay for me to message you sometimes? It is hard, but I know I was brought to it for a reason. Thankfully, my stepchildren love me and I love them. I had a steomom and I spent wayyyy too long harboring displaced I'll feelings towards her. She passed from a heart attack a day before my son's 1st birthday.

Sur, feel free to do so whenever you want/need : )
I agree that it's easier when it goes well with the stepkids, thankfully mine is well raised and well behaved, and absolutely loves me, I don't think I'd have made it otherwise, because even when it's made easier, it's still really hard to be a step' haha. At least it made me grow up somehow.
I'm sorry to hear about your stepmom, I hope she rests in peace. Being there now, I'm glad I wasn't a monster to mine, I've had my moments but we got along fine (still do).

 

[Bluelady]

Hopefully I can post here. I’m an aunt and babysitter, but I live with my oldest sibling and her kids.

The question is has anyone dealt with babies or toddlers getting COVID? My nephew is showing symptoms and we don’t know what to do.

For some background, my BIL tested positive today for COVID. He showed symptoms yesterday but tests weren’t available and we quarantined him into the master bedroom. My sis and nephew slept in the living room.

Last night, my nephew woke up vomiting and with a slight fever. We gave him some chamomile tea to sip on and Tylenol to lower the fever. After 3 hours, he fell asleep.
He woke up better this morning. He ate most of his food and drank some milk. However an hour ago he started crying again and with a fever. He’s now fallen asleep.

My sister has been trying to get a hold of their pediatrician all morning, but no one is answering. ER might be the next option but my sister is worried that they’re going to physically separate her from her baby during the duration of his stay. She doesn’t want that.

Help. Any advice, please?

 

[Foreverfox]

Hopefully I can post here. I’m an aunt and babysitter, but I live with my oldest sibling and her kids.

The question is has anyone dealt with babies or toddlers getting COVID? My nephew is showing symptoms and we don’t know what to do.

For some background, my BIL tested positive today for COVID. He showed symptoms yesterday but tests weren’t available and we quarantined him into the master bedroom. My sis and nephew slept in the living room.

Last night, my nephew woke up vomiting and with a slight fever. We gave him some chamomile tea to sip on and Tylenol to lower the fever. After 3 hours, he fell asleep.
He woke up better this morning. He ate most of his food and drank some milk. However an hour ago he started crying again and with a fever. He’s now fallen asleep.

My sister has been trying to get a hold of their pediatrician all morning, but no one is answering. ER might be the next option but my sister is worried that they’re going to physically separate her from her baby during the duration of his stay. She doesn’t want that.

Help. Any advice, please?

Hey @Bluelady! Of course you can post here! I'm so sorry to hear that your BIL tested positive. There's so much worry and stress that comes along with that, that it's hard to set it aside to focus on how to get well.

This is my own advice and advice from my 2 year old son's pediatrician after exposure (thankfully, he didnt catch it). I do want to explicitly say though, that your sister should follow her son's pediatrician's advice upon speaking with them. Plenty of water, Vitamin D (we use RX Choice Vitamin D drops), orange juice (for Vitamin C) and a fever reducer as needed. I've heard that Tylenol is preferable over Motrin specifically for Covid, but I am not a healthcare professional, so I can't confirm why that's supoosedly the case.

I hope this helps, and please keep me posted on how your nephew is doing!

 

[Bluelady]

Hey @Bluelady! Of course you can post here! I'm so sorry to hear that your BIL tested positive. There's so much worry and stress that comes along with that, that it's hard to set it aside to focus on how to get well.

This is my own advice and advice from my 2 year old son's pediatrician after exposure (thankfully, he didnt catch it). I do want to explicitly say though, that your sister should follow her son's pediatrician's advice upon speaking with them. Plenty of water, Vitamin D (we use RX Choice Vitamin D drops), orange juice (for Vitamin C) and a fever reducer as needed. I've heard that Tylenol is preferable over Motrin specifically for Covid, but I am not a healthcare professional, so I can't confirm why that's supoosedly the case.

I hope this helps, and please keep me posted on how your nephew is doing!

Thank you so much! I didn't know about Vitamin D being helpful in this. Yes, we'll keep trying to get a hold of their pediatrician.

 

[Foreverfox]

Thank you so much! I didn't know about Vitamin D being helpful in this. Yes, we'll keep trying to get a hold of their pediatrician.

You're welcome! I would make sure to get calcium in there too - vitamin D needs calcium for proper absorption. Forgot to mention that!

 

[Bluelady]

Update on my nephew

Summary: He's doing better now.

Long version:
Monday night was scary but luckily my sister was able to keep the baby's fever away. It turns out that the baby's pediatrician was helping with a nearby testing site that day. That's why they weren't picking up. My sister decided to interchange Tylenol and Motrin doses so that the medicine wouldn't all go to the same organ. For example, 1 dose of Tylenol and four hours later 1 dose of Motrin if the fever persisted. I don't know if this is true or dangerous, but....yeah...if anyone is thinking of trying this please consult a pediatrician first. We were in a desperate situation that night.

Tuesday: My nephew would still cry at random and he wouldn't eat a complete meal. He would only want to sip on formula or pedialyte; and eat small snacks like Kix, saltine crackers, Gerber Crunchies, and fruit puree. Other than that he would just sleep or want to cuddle with my sister.

Wednesday (Today): He's a lot more active. He's running all over the house again, smiling, and climbing all over his playset. However his big appetite still hasn't returned. Well, as long as the fever stays away I guess that everything will be fine.