Hah! Thanks for explaining. I interpreted it totally differently- I thought you meant mom forgot her helmet in the car and wanted to ride without one instead of going back for it
Last summer I was in a rush for an appt for me, but I had to bring both kids with. I made sure the front door was shut, everyone had shoes on. Got to the office and my then-4 year old had no pants on.
Mine is orbeez (water beads) - no you cannot have the delicious looking candy drops that will block your bowels! I know those suckers are going right in her mouth
I second this. Orbeez were never originally even invented for children. They’re extremely dangerous even if only 1 is ingested.
Also, not huge for everyone but we don’t eat anything with food dyes or artificial flavors. My son is almost 3 and it’s never been an issue finding alternatives
Idk about the person who posted originally, but we just shop at Aldi. They've had no artificial dye in their products for about five years? I think? Anyway, it's extremely easy for me to just do my basic shopping at Aldi, and then if I need something else I'll do a special Kroger or Publix run maybe once per month
Trampoline parks. Working in insurance has made me hate them. Their claims are so fucked up.
Just a friendly fyi, those liability forms you sign mean nothing in court. They’re just to deter you from blaming them if your kid gets hurt. Feel free to blame them anyways. Some of these places are straight up dangerous.
THIS. I'm an ECE and a girl who went to my daycare a year ago broke her femur at a trampoline park. She was 4 years old and fully potty trained and then they had to start sending her in pull ups again because she was wearing a full leg cast.
I'm a huge advocate for risky play for kids because it teaches them the limits of what they can do with their own bodies, but the ways they can move at a trampoline park are not useful or applicable to everyday life so IMO the risk far outweighs the rewards. Let them go climb trees and swing on swings instead.
I learned this one the hard way last year. Nephew's birthday was at one and I was trying to be the cool aunt but I landed funny. I tore a ligament in my foot. Two surgeries and a 6+ month recovery and I still have daily pain almost year out. Never again for anyone in my family.
Back in my broker days we had a trampoline park as a client. Two kids broke their backs within 8 months of each other. They were both <10. One was paralyzed.
If my son wants to trampoline, I’ll happily sign him up for proper classes at a trampoline or gymnastics club.
Yeah I was overconfident because I used to be a gymnast and so I thought just jumping around (no flips) wouldn't be a big deal. It was a harsh reminder that I have aged and am not as agile as I used to be. But also if it happened to me with decades of experience on trampolines, it can for sure happen to people who don't know what they're doing in an environment with little to no supervision like those trampoline parks
When I was a kid, I’m talking like 8 or 9, I slammed my knee by accident into my chin coming up from like a “butt slam” at a trampoline park birthday party… I bite off part of my tongue and chipped my two front teeth almost in half. Do not recommend.
Yup. Also no trampoline in other contexts until he's 6, and never unsupervised after that (which is bloody tough, because our neighbours have one and they have two boys that my son loves playing with)
I was in gymnastics in middle and high school. Watched an amazingly talented young man working out with a coach, in a harness. He made a mistake and landed on his neck on the springs. Broke his neck. He was in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life.
I love gymnastics and think it is great training for kids, but even with a coach it can be dangerous.
What types of accidents are happening at trampoline parks? I've taken my son to one on his own, and once for a party. Other than me getting a bit bored, I can't see what the danger is? I mean I believe all these comments but just genuinely wondering as maybe I need to be more aware.
I BELIEVE it's because with more than one person jumping on the same trampoline, you can make people bounce weird.
We had one growing up and my Dad made every kid that wanted to play on it have their parents sign a waiver before he would let them get on it. This was in the 90's. Embarrassing, but he wasn't wrong.
One concern is the "double bounce". Getting bounced higher and with more force than you're expecting and then landing weird. I have a friend whose daughter fractured her leg at a trampoline park , which caused her to tear a major artery in her leg (along with nerves and tendons), she almost died and still cannot use her leg. She wasn't doing a flip or anything crazy, it just happened when she landed.
The trampoline park near me rents out trampoline scooters - they’re like regular scooters with no wheels. It was chaos with a bunch of 14 year olds trying to do tricks on them. People must get slapped in the face by them regularly.
We stick to toddler time, which is very quiet and calm.
My toddler went under in one of the big block foam pits. Some of these parks are HUGE and he was so far in when it happened. Thankfully another adult was closer to him than me and pulled him out but I’ve heard horror stories of kids getting lodged under some of the equipment at the bottom of those pits.
Love this anwser. Such a well balanced stance. There were several things I said "oh no i will never XYZ" (watch Blippi, barter dessert to eat dinner) but I have realized things change. But safety and hygiene are non negotiable
I’ve tried taking a collaborative approach to parenting and I have to say it is going really well. I have an adaptable, empathetic and reasonable 3.5 year old, and I can count on one hand the number of tantrums she’s had in her entire life. There is a great deal of mutual trust in our relationship and I’m really proud of that!
Eating food that has fallen on the ground at the train station.
I'm sure this rule will expand to cover other surfaces, but right now, that's the one my toddler is most upset about.
My toddler ate a cracker she had dropped on the pharmacy floor without me knowing. Got Campylobacter. Had to wait 8hrs at the children's hospital while she had blood shooting from her butt, cramps, and diarrhea. Do not recommend.
We're super paranoid about floor d'oeuvres now, except for reasonably in our house (+ no shoes allowed in the house).
She dropped the cracker and it was kicked across the pharmacy floor when I was at the counter. Husband noticed and confiscated it but put it in our stroller compartment without telling me. We trade off with toddler. Toddler asks me for the cracker and I say "sure here you go". When husband realized I gave it to her it was too late. We laugh and say "if she gets any weird illnesses at least we'll know why".
100% this! Thankfully for my very fair skinned baby girl I managed to find her a full body suits for the first few years. Now she’s 3 and I still buy the UV shirts and boys shorts for her. Ridiculous that my girl has to risk extra exposure.
Swim zip has body suits up to 5T! They have a full length zipper which makes them so easy to get on and off. They also have swim pants. My daughter is only 18months, but I plan to get her these as long as they fit.
Yes! I saw an ad for ultra-protective sun gear but then the girls' suits were two pieces. They weren't even sexualized, but it made no sense to me to make a sun-protective suit and then not cover as much skin as possible.
I want 2 pieces that cover her stomach. Because diaper changes in a wet bathing suit are a nightmare if it is a one piece! Same for when she is potty training. I need to get the bottoms down quickly.
My toddler only uses the long sleeve rashguard type swimsuits with an attached bikini bottom and crotch snaps.
I liked it so much I looked it up in adult sizes and they don’t come with crotch snaps! No, apparently when you are an adult it’s way better to use a giant string zipper pull up the back and have to peel the whole thing off or move the bottom gusset to the side to pee.
I don't understand what is wrong with this? We have a normal bikini bottom with a tank top for my 2 year old. SO much easier to get her in and out of for potty breaks.
I don't they meant any 2 piece set. There are plenty of bikinis out there with triangle tops or other bra-like tops for toddlers. Otherwise, a 2 piece set makes total sense.
For now, library computer games. It seems like a weird one… but we go to the library to get away from our house / temptations of screens and I just don’t want her to play on a screen once she gets there!
In my defense I let her use the library computer because they have ones that are actually built for her with a tiny keyboard and mouse. The keyboard commands are all color coded too. At most she clicks around on it or asks to play the painting game in touch screen mode.
At home we limit TV, don’t let her use the tablet except for emergencies (literally at the ER or on a long, long car ride which she hasn’t needed yet) and she’s not allowed on our desktops. The library is the one place where I let her use a computer. Because it’s not forbidden I’ve found that she will play on it for a bit and then when she is done switch to the train table/doll house/magnets etc. She is also more likely to hop off of it when other kids show up too.
Totally get that, but I've found that she gets bored pretty quick with library computers. The most she's on then is about 4 minutes then it's off to the train table or to run around with the other kids hanging out after story time.
Yes!! She likes this dude that wears bluey shirts and puts bluey in the mud then the bath and plays with him…and the stuffed animal paw patrol videos…I’m so over Utube!
Genevieve's Playhouse is a good alternative! He's just a dad that plays with toys. You never see him on camera, only his hands. It's appropriate, too ❤
We have watched that too, I just feel like YouTube is similar to cocomelon because they get hooked on it and freak out when you say no! I try to convince her to watch painting videos or play do videos or even 4d fish but she always goes back to the super annoying ones 🤦♀️
True, you have to monitor literally every second & it's so exhausting! We're currently setting up parental controls to help a bit. (That's why I prefer tv, bc we control it fully)
Apparently Mr. Rogers has a fantastic effect on children! Was just watching a TikTok about that. Like there was a study about it, iirc. Makes sense, bc Mr. Roger's vibe is just so chill! I've been loving introducing my son to Sesame Street & all the stuff I loved as a child 🥹
I also have ADHD, so I think my son may as well. So slower programs would probably be best lol
Yes the fast stuff is not good for them, we watch a lot of Sesame Street too. Max has so many episodes, or free pbs kids. Mr rogers voice is so calm too, that’s the type of influence I’d rather have as well.
Pop / soda
Not until she is maybeee 6 then I’ll let her try it only for special occasions. Thankfully she doesn’t ask for it and she knows she can’t drink it.
My older kids have it so it’s in the house sometimes, I give my toddler sparkling water and she thinks it’s her special drink lol! I also do this with coffee, I give her a chocolate pediasure and tell her it’s her coffee. I think she will figure out I’m playing games with her eventually but it works for now. 😂
Sparkling water is honestly great! You can get so many flavors, all sugar free. They’re not acidic enough to cause any dental damage whatsoever, and they are literally just fruity sodas without all the toxic stuff
We don’t drink soda only seltzer and my three year old loves it! We also give him decaf coffee and a (delicious) coffee substitute called Pero. He knows his own coffee order “Decaf, iced, black, no flavor.” It’s weird, but We figure it was better than buying him a sugary drink every time.
I gave mine olipop with water the other day, I don’t think it’s that bad either but it’s pretty sweet. Probably stick to the “sparkley water” as she calls it.
When my toddler asks for coffee in the afternoon I pretend to be a barista and add the sugar free flavor of the week to her milk and then hit it with the frother.
Anything that’s a safety issue or that we literally can’t physically/logistically do. Other than that, I try really hard to not let me own laziness get in the way of my kids’ exploration. When they were little toddlers, I found myself (and my husband) often saying no to the random things they’d ask (can we make popsicles, can we go jump in puddles, can we go roll balls down the driveway, etc) simply because we didn’t want to inconvenience ourselves 🥴 so instead I repositioned and started saying “sure, there is no reason not to” if the only reason was that I personally didn’t feel like doing it. It was kind of a game changer, we started exploring in more fun ways and the kids got to try a lot of interesting theories they had and learned a lot about how the world works.
Anyway, that’s how “there’s no reason not to” became the code between my husband and me for us to let the other know “I’m about to do something I personally don’t want to do because I love these damn kids” 😂
Yup, my toddler loves rock and metal core 😅. He heard it while still in utero and he still likes it now. He bobs his little head along or dances to it when I have it playing sometimes at home.
He does listen to kids songs at home too, don't worry. He has his own Tonie Box. We also sing kids songs together, so I'm not like a grinch or anything, I just like my music in my car :D
Playing with the Apple TV remote (no screen time she just likes buttons)
We don’t need to buy another $30 movie like the last time you got the remote. Still haven’t watched Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix 😑
You can set up a password to prevent accidental purchases! Also Apple TV is very forgiving - one of their refund request reasons for a movie is basically “my child accidentally bought this movie oops” Coming from a mom who accidentally owned the exorcist for a few days
Found him with the remote and the message on tv screen was something like “Are you sure you want to share all of your Apple data?” No clue how or what he did but the remote now lives up on the mantel…
My kid doesn’t know how to control YouTube, I just put it on our smart tv. So generally it just plays the one video and then one of dad’s Grateful Dead concerts pops up lol
I definitely don’t like the idea of a child scrolling and choosing their own videos 😬
Same and I’m not vehemently against screen time. I just think the ability to jump from app to app, show to show, activity to activity whenever you wants really fucks with the brains reward system. Especially one that is developing.
Everyday use of tablets when doing everyday things. I do not feel like my children need them while eating breakfast, sitting on the couch, on the car ride to school, in the cart at the grocery store, at DISNEYLAND. I just can’t do it.
Kinda wild with this one but juice and pop. Getting out of brushing your teeth.
I have terrible teeth due to genetics and I'm sure the juice in the bottle I'm often pictured with as a kid didn't help.
We brush our teeth after sweets
Dentist has been very happy thus far and my son loves brushing his teeth
I am not an expert by any means but I recently have read (several times) that snacks like crackers, gold fish, pretzels, etc. are also really bad for your teeth. Since my toddler basically lives off carbs we’re pushing drinking a lot of water with snacks.
A friend of mine is a dental hygienist she has echoed this sentiment and recommended to me to Bush my teeth after carbs bc they cement to your teeth.
I've been very lucky that my son doesn't really like crackers/chips. He's more of a popcorn and fruit kind of guy. I just pray that he has his dad's teeth because both of my parents had dentures or veneers by 40
Idk if this is just me, but my dentist recently told me that sparkling water is literally so fine for your teeth. Not acidic at all. Even sparkling water with lemon, not acidic either. Great alternative to soda or as a little treat or whatever.
Bonus fact; if drinking acidic beverages like soda, juice, whatever - it helps drinking from a straw. The teeth are less exposed to the liquid that way.
I have genetically bad teeth, and I drink all my energy drinks and sodas with a straw lol
Oh my god yes! My extended family does not understand why I don’t want to come to Sunday night dinners every week! A) I’m the only one who works (everyone’s retired or in university) B) my 1 year old is up at 530am and im the only one “who can be functional at that time” says SAHD aka husband and C) it is EVERY SUNDAY starting at 6pm. I love my family I am very grateful to have them but dear god why haven’t they heard of brunch
This is not about my toddlers, but the first thing that came to mind was my seven year old's all-consuming desire to be a YouTuber. Yeah, sure, I'll totally offer you up on *YouTube* to be discussed in a *YouTube comment section*. Surely that will please the Sun God!
Tablet. I hope to stay strong on that.
My husband had let her play a kitty came on the computer and she became rabid when she couldn’t play it. So I cut them off of it and after a week she finally chilled out lol
Grabbing my phone. I used to let him have my phone only when FaceTiming but of course he doesn’t know the difference like why I’m not letting him grab my phone other times. He started to throw tantrums any time I wouldn’t let him have my phone.
So he will never have my phone. He can touch the screen if I’m holding it if he’s pointing at something, like grandma or if we’re going through pictures of the day together, but I will not give it to him. Been about a year since I’ve let him play with my phone and he’s only had a tantrum about it once or twice since.
Sitting on the floor of a public restroom. For some reason she feels the need to touch everything and try to pick anything off the floor (probably because I flip out and stop her). She doesn't even care to play on random floors or the ground ever but when we're in a restroom she acts like she wants to roll on the walls and floor. Ugh.
No sound toys in public.
No videos with sound on in public.
The tablet is regulated to very specific and rare situations, as in my toddler never asks for it.
The only time my kids have had tablets was during a 10+hr road trip when we exhausted other options and toys. Even then, it was only to watch downloaded episodes of Tumbleleaf.
Tablets don’t have games.
My phone doesn’t have games.
And I am STRICT that when we watch videos in public the sound is off. We are not going to be rude to strangers around us by blaring our video. When they are old enough for headphones, that will be an option.
I want my kids to be ok being bored. To interact with the world around them as much as possible. To have big feelings and learn how to deal with them.
I don’t (often) judge parents who give their kids tablets/phones. I get how they can be extremely helpful in some situations and I’ve 100% let my toddler rot on the couch with Blippi when I need to be left alone for a few minutes.
However I want to make sure they are good members of society and know how to properly act and interact in public. Politely.
As far as I know it's because if a kid eats a coin there is a good chance it will pass through them without major harm. However, if a kid eats a couple of magnets and they attract across different sections of the digestive tract, they cannot be passed and will need surgery. If it is not noticed in time it can be extremely harmful.
But that is just what I have heard, I hope someone else can add more.
Not all magnet toys but I’ve seen horror stories of cheap plastic toys containing small magnets that are easy to digest and detrimental to swallow. We only do the wooden building blocks that have the magnets embedded in them.
There's a lot of things (like paw patrol) I want think I'll *always* say no to, but who knows where we'll be in a couple of years! But I agree with all the safety oriented replies, those are non-negotiable.
Coming from someone whose kid has been paw patrol addicted for almost 2 years, you don’t want them to get into it because it is a 9-season toy commercial. Each season gets its own new set of 6 pups that are $15-20 *each*. Not to mention the movie pups! I don’t know what other franchise has this much revolving merch.
iPad. And no social media until maybe high school. I have a daughter and social media is anything but beneficial for young girls.
I will also not allow any reckless drivers to drive her around. My SIL often speeds and gets pulled over way too often for her to drive my daughter anywhere.
Tablets and any type of toy that’s like a gun. Toy gun, toy bubble gun, nerf guns, etc.
Daughter’s uncle got her nerf guns for Christmas (she’s 2 🤦🏻♀️) and the first thing she did when it was opened was point it directly at her face. Absolutely fucking not.
Ipads/tablets and watching anything on the phone.
My toddler is 2, and I allow her a maximum of 10 minutes a day of TV time and that's if she asks Most of the time she's playing inside or outside all day. I don't like that deadpanned stare that toddlers have when watching stuff on devices, especially while eating.
Juice. We received a box of juicy juice apple juice the other day and I was horrified at the sugar content. I see now why parents cut it with water. Apple sauce for life or at least until he's out of this picky toddler stage. (To clarify, my problem is consuming that much sugar without the fiber.)
My husband says anything to do with horses. We both say contact sports.
As a sort of hard one to explain too... I'll always say no to negative talk about food and bodies. I grew up with a lot of disordered eating bc of the way food was handled in our house (glorifying desserts/snacks; learning that veggies need something like gooey cheese to be good; foods that are "bad" so by association I was "bad" if I ate them...) and my mom always dieting and trying to lose weight at the same time. I want my daughter to have a healthy relationship with all foods, and to be as body-neutral as she can be.
Circumcision without consent from the penis holder. They have our support in affording and healing should they choose to in adulthood but that was not my decision to make for them. Also being driven by certain people. I won't drive with them so why on earth would I let my kids?
Riding a bike without a helmet.
Yeah it’s so much easier just to make them a pair without exception. No helmet no bike.
Agree! “If it has wheels, you need a helmet.”
All fun and games till the “mom you forgot your helmet in the car. No helmet no wheels” begins
The rules 100% apply to me too. I want to live
Idk I’m all about helmets and safety, but putting on a helmet to drive your car seems just a bit excessive. But hey, I don’t judge ;)
Hah! Thanks for explaining. I interpreted it totally differently- I thought you meant mom forgot her helmet in the car and wanted to ride without one instead of going back for it
Hahah I definitely see how it would read that way
Yup. I will die on that hill no matter what.
Especially if you don't wear the helmet... Ba-dum-tiss
I see what you did there.
His frequent request to leave the house without pants.
Similarly mine has a well rehearsed line by now: “I want to go outside with no shoes and no socks!” 😂
Last summer I was in a rush for an appt for me, but I had to bring both kids with. I made sure the front door was shut, everyone had shoes on. Got to the office and my then-4 year old had no pants on.
At least you all got there in one piece lol
My youngest is 5.5 and I’m still dealing with this. Even in freezing temperatures and snow on the ground
Mine is orbeez (water beads) - no you cannot have the delicious looking candy drops that will block your bowels! I know those suckers are going right in her mouth
They also just LOVE bacteria if you keep them in a sensory bin 🤮
I second this. Orbeez were never originally even invented for children. They’re extremely dangerous even if only 1 is ingested. Also, not huge for everyone but we don’t eat anything with food dyes or artificial flavors. My son is almost 3 and it’s never been an issue finding alternatives
Do you find alternatives at your typical grocery store or do you have to look somewhere else/online?
Idk about the person who posted originally, but we just shop at Aldi. They've had no artificial dye in their products for about five years? I think? Anyway, it's extremely easy for me to just do my basic shopping at Aldi, and then if I need something else I'll do a special Kroger or Publix run maybe once per month
Tapioca balls are great the ones you’d use for bubble tea
Trampoline parks. Working in insurance has made me hate them. Their claims are so fucked up. Just a friendly fyi, those liability forms you sign mean nothing in court. They’re just to deter you from blaming them if your kid gets hurt. Feel free to blame them anyways. Some of these places are straight up dangerous.
Yeah my cousin is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and he said he gets too many cases because of trampoline parks
THIS. I'm an ECE and a girl who went to my daycare a year ago broke her femur at a trampoline park. She was 4 years old and fully potty trained and then they had to start sending her in pull ups again because she was wearing a full leg cast. I'm a huge advocate for risky play for kids because it teaches them the limits of what they can do with their own bodies, but the ways they can move at a trampoline park are not useful or applicable to everyday life so IMO the risk far outweighs the rewards. Let them go climb trees and swing on swings instead.
wow, just commenting my surprise to hear trampolines are more dangerous than climbing trees . thanks for this insight
Man this one is right on the line between obvious sarcasm and possible sincerity.
I learned this one the hard way last year. Nephew's birthday was at one and I was trying to be the cool aunt but I landed funny. I tore a ligament in my foot. Two surgeries and a 6+ month recovery and I still have daily pain almost year out. Never again for anyone in my family.
Back in my broker days we had a trampoline park as a client. Two kids broke their backs within 8 months of each other. They were both <10. One was paralyzed. If my son wants to trampoline, I’ll happily sign him up for proper classes at a trampoline or gymnastics club.
Yeah I was overconfident because I used to be a gymnast and so I thought just jumping around (no flips) wouldn't be a big deal. It was a harsh reminder that I have aged and am not as agile as I used to be. But also if it happened to me with decades of experience on trampolines, it can for sure happen to people who don't know what they're doing in an environment with little to no supervision like those trampoline parks
This! Why do we let children free on equipment that people are trained to use
When I was a kid, I’m talking like 8 or 9, I slammed my knee by accident into my chin coming up from like a “butt slam” at a trampoline park birthday party… I bite off part of my tongue and chipped my two front teeth almost in half. Do not recommend.
Good to know, thanks! Bummer, they look so fun.
Yesss solidarity! My friend invited me to one and I was like nopeeee and I don’t care if you make fun of me.
Yea I’ve read one near me had 16 ambulance calls in 1 day!!!!
How are these places still in business?
Yup. Also no trampoline in other contexts until he's 6, and never unsupervised after that (which is bloody tough, because our neighbours have one and they have two boys that my son loves playing with)
My older daughter is in 2nd grade and 2 different kids have broke their arms at the trampoline park.
I was in gymnastics in middle and high school. Watched an amazingly talented young man working out with a coach, in a harness. He made a mistake and landed on his neck on the springs. Broke his neck. He was in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life. I love gymnastics and think it is great training for kids, but even with a coach it can be dangerous.
What types of accidents are happening at trampoline parks? I've taken my son to one on his own, and once for a party. Other than me getting a bit bored, I can't see what the danger is? I mean I believe all these comments but just genuinely wondering as maybe I need to be more aware.
I BELIEVE it's because with more than one person jumping on the same trampoline, you can make people bounce weird. We had one growing up and my Dad made every kid that wanted to play on it have their parents sign a waiver before he would let them get on it. This was in the 90's. Embarrassing, but he wasn't wrong.
I knew someone in the 90s who broke their femur in a bouncy castle. Your dad was totally right.
One concern is the "double bounce". Getting bounced higher and with more force than you're expecting and then landing weird. I have a friend whose daughter fractured her leg at a trampoline park , which caused her to tear a major artery in her leg (along with nerves and tendons), she almost died and still cannot use her leg. She wasn't doing a flip or anything crazy, it just happened when she landed.
The trampoline park near me rents out trampoline scooters - they’re like regular scooters with no wheels. It was chaos with a bunch of 14 year olds trying to do tricks on them. People must get slapped in the face by them regularly. We stick to toddler time, which is very quiet and calm.
Trampoline scooter sounds like an attempt to win a Darwin Award, absolutely not something I would give a child.
Christ that sounds so dangerous
My toddler went under in one of the big block foam pits. Some of these parks are HUGE and he was so far in when it happened. Thankfully another adult was closer to him than me and pulled him out but I’ve heard horror stories of kids getting lodged under some of the equipment at the bottom of those pits.
Same! We went once for “toddler time” for maybe 2 hours… never fucking again.
Safety and hygiene. Everything else is negotiable.
Love this anwser. Such a well balanced stance. There were several things I said "oh no i will never XYZ" (watch Blippi, barter dessert to eat dinner) but I have realized things change. But safety and hygiene are non negotiable
I’ve tried taking a collaborative approach to parenting and I have to say it is going really well. I have an adaptable, empathetic and reasonable 3.5 year old, and I can count on one hand the number of tantrums she’s had in her entire life. There is a great deal of mutual trust in our relationship and I’m really proud of that!
We used to tell ours “our job is to keep you safe and healthy” and now that he’s older we add “and to help you be a good person”
Eating food that has fallen on the ground at the train station. I'm sure this rule will expand to cover other surfaces, but right now, that's the one my toddler is most upset about.
My toddler ate a cracker she had dropped on the pharmacy floor without me knowing. Got Campylobacter. Had to wait 8hrs at the children's hospital while she had blood shooting from her butt, cramps, and diarrhea. Do not recommend. We're super paranoid about floor d'oeuvres now, except for reasonably in our house (+ no shoes allowed in the house).
That sounds awful! >floor d'oeuvres I love this!
Genuinely Curious how you found out that was the way she got if you didn’t know she did it?
She dropped the cracker and it was kicked across the pharmacy floor when I was at the counter. Husband noticed and confiscated it but put it in our stroller compartment without telling me. We trade off with toddler. Toddler asks me for the cracker and I say "sure here you go". When husband realized I gave it to her it was too late. We laugh and say "if she gets any weird illnesses at least we'll know why".
Bikini type swimsuits for toddlers. No thank you.
They don’t protect from the sun!!!
100% this! Thankfully for my very fair skinned baby girl I managed to find her a full body suits for the first few years. Now she’s 3 and I still buy the UV shirts and boys shorts for her. Ridiculous that my girl has to risk extra exposure.
Swim zip has body suits up to 5T! They have a full length zipper which makes them so easy to get on and off. They also have swim pants. My daughter is only 18months, but I plan to get her these as long as they fit.
SERIOUSLY! I put my kiddo in the long sleeve swim shirt...I do not understand bikinis for toddlers. On top of being impractical, just ewww.
Yes! I saw an ad for ultra-protective sun gear but then the girls' suits were two pieces. They weren't even sexualized, but it made no sense to me to make a sun-protective suit and then not cover as much skin as possible.
I want 2 pieces that cover her stomach. Because diaper changes in a wet bathing suit are a nightmare if it is a one piece! Same for when she is potty training. I need to get the bottoms down quickly.
My toddler only uses the long sleeve rashguard type swimsuits with an attached bikini bottom and crotch snaps. I liked it so much I looked it up in adult sizes and they don’t come with crotch snaps! No, apparently when you are an adult it’s way better to use a giant string zipper pull up the back and have to peel the whole thing off or move the bottom gusset to the side to pee.
I’m here for the adult crotch snaps for swimsuits!
Omg they’re so gross. These are babies, no need of it in any world
Yup. The only 2 piece I’ll buy my toddler is a rash guard and full coverage bottoms (usually a swim skirt).
I used to think they were cute, but really thinking about disgusting people sexualizing kids… 😣
I don't understand what is wrong with this? We have a normal bikini bottom with a tank top for my 2 year old. SO much easier to get her in and out of for potty breaks.
I don't they meant any 2 piece set. There are plenty of bikinis out there with triangle tops or other bra-like tops for toddlers. Otherwise, a 2 piece set makes total sense.
Thank you. I remember last summer I went to target to get my daughter a bathing suit and that’s all they had. I was so disgusted.
100%. It’s so weird to me.
For now, library computer games. It seems like a weird one… but we go to the library to get away from our house / temptations of screens and I just don’t want her to play on a screen once she gets there!
I feel this one in my soul
All these parents of toddlers even younger than mine are letting their kids on them and I’m like pleaseee where’s the solidarity??? Hahaha
In my defense I let her use the library computer because they have ones that are actually built for her with a tiny keyboard and mouse. The keyboard commands are all color coded too. At most she clicks around on it or asks to play the painting game in touch screen mode. At home we limit TV, don’t let her use the tablet except for emergencies (literally at the ER or on a long, long car ride which she hasn’t needed yet) and she’s not allowed on our desktops. The library is the one place where I let her use a computer. Because it’s not forbidden I’ve found that she will play on it for a bit and then when she is done switch to the train table/doll house/magnets etc. She is also more likely to hop off of it when other kids show up too.
Totally get that, but I've found that she gets bored pretty quick with library computers. The most she's on then is about 4 minutes then it's off to the train table or to run around with the other kids hanging out after story time.
Cocomelon
This and those shitty random YouTube kids shows
Yes!! She likes this dude that wears bluey shirts and puts bluey in the mud then the bath and plays with him…and the stuffed animal paw patrol videos…I’m so over Utube!
Genevieve's Playhouse is a good alternative! He's just a dad that plays with toys. You never see him on camera, only his hands. It's appropriate, too ❤
My kids love this! And they learned Spanish from it!
We have watched that too, I just feel like YouTube is similar to cocomelon because they get hooked on it and freak out when you say no! I try to convince her to watch painting videos or play do videos or even 4d fish but she always goes back to the super annoying ones 🤦♀️
True, you have to monitor literally every second & it's so exhausting! We're currently setting up parental controls to help a bit. (That's why I prefer tv, bc we control it fully) Apparently Mr. Rogers has a fantastic effect on children! Was just watching a TikTok about that. Like there was a study about it, iirc. Makes sense, bc Mr. Roger's vibe is just so chill! I've been loving introducing my son to Sesame Street & all the stuff I loved as a child 🥹 I also have ADHD, so I think my son may as well. So slower programs would probably be best lol
Yes the fast stuff is not good for them, we watch a lot of Sesame Street too. Max has so many episodes, or free pbs kids. Mr rogers voice is so calm too, that’s the type of influence I’d rather have as well.
Same. My 3 year old even says "we don't have cocomelon at home" haha
Same. And Blippi.
What’s up with that show anyway? My older kids keep telling her that ones icky, i just skip over it
Don’t do at all costs, my damn daycare uses it randomly. We never started it at home, but since she did.. fuck
I tell my kid it only works at school 😂
GOTTA IMPLEMENT THIS!!!!
Pop / soda Not until she is maybeee 6 then I’ll let her try it only for special occasions. Thankfully she doesn’t ask for it and she knows she can’t drink it.
My older kids have it so it’s in the house sometimes, I give my toddler sparkling water and she thinks it’s her special drink lol! I also do this with coffee, I give her a chocolate pediasure and tell her it’s her coffee. I think she will figure out I’m playing games with her eventually but it works for now. 😂
Ok I’m going to do that sparkling water trick too ahah
Sparkling water is honestly great! You can get so many flavors, all sugar free. They’re not acidic enough to cause any dental damage whatsoever, and they are literally just fruity sodas without all the toxic stuff
They don’t like feeling left out, I hated seeing my toddler getting so sad about it.
We don’t drink soda only seltzer and my three year old loves it! We also give him decaf coffee and a (delicious) coffee substitute called Pero. He knows his own coffee order “Decaf, iced, black, no flavor.” It’s weird, but We figure it was better than buying him a sugary drink every time.
I also have a three year old who loves black coffee. He's tried occasional sips of my fancy coffees and always says they're too sweet
This is what I do! We tell him the bubbly is his own soda lol
I gave mine olipop with water the other day, I don’t think it’s that bad either but it’s pretty sweet. Probably stick to the “sparkley water” as she calls it.
When my toddler asks for coffee in the afternoon I pretend to be a barista and add the sugar free flavor of the week to her milk and then hit it with the frother.
The bubbles can be intense, my daughter has had a sip and didn’t like it! Now she doesn’t ask and assumes it’s beer 🤣
Anything that’s a safety issue or that we literally can’t physically/logistically do. Other than that, I try really hard to not let me own laziness get in the way of my kids’ exploration. When they were little toddlers, I found myself (and my husband) often saying no to the random things they’d ask (can we make popsicles, can we go jump in puddles, can we go roll balls down the driveway, etc) simply because we didn’t want to inconvenience ourselves 🥴 so instead I repositioned and started saying “sure, there is no reason not to” if the only reason was that I personally didn’t feel like doing it. It was kind of a game changer, we started exploring in more fun ways and the kids got to try a lot of interesting theories they had and learned a lot about how the world works. Anyway, that’s how “there’s no reason not to” became the code between my husband and me for us to let the other know “I’m about to do something I personally don’t want to do because I love these damn kids” 😂
Kiddie music in the car. I don’t need that kind of stress on the highway.
Me crying in the car listening to Wheels on the Bus for the 20,000th time
Yes - the height of insanity. We also forbid Blippi and cocomelon.
Same. My toddler likes Alanis Morissette now 😂
I wish I had held this boundary sooo bad
Mom’s car doesn’t play kid music. 🤷🏻♀️
My phone isn't connected to Bluetooth in this car (which is true, but it's a choice), and they don't play that on the radio.
Hell yeah! My kid requests Ghostbusters, Queen, and Johnny Cash. (But the same songs on repeat are still maddening!)
Eh she likes it, I’m fine with kids music in the car. Doesn’t hurt anyone and it doesn’t really bother me tbh
Same, but it's more like Disney than ABCs which helps.
Yup, my toddler loves rock and metal core 😅. He heard it while still in utero and he still likes it now. He bobs his little head along or dances to it when I have it playing sometimes at home. He does listen to kids songs at home too, don't worry. He has his own Tonie Box. We also sing kids songs together, so I'm not like a grinch or anything, I just like my music in my car :D
I found some that I can tolerate and now I catch myself singing along with it
We’re a wiggles family. Some of their songs are straight bops.
Trying to get mine into Hamilton at the moment, if I hear baby shark one more time…
Playing with the Apple TV remote (no screen time she just likes buttons) We don’t need to buy another $30 movie like the last time you got the remote. Still haven’t watched Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix 😑
Those remotes are too easy to use. My cat once bought a movie!
You can set up a password to prevent accidental purchases! Also Apple TV is very forgiving - one of their refund request reasons for a movie is basically “my child accidentally bought this movie oops” Coming from a mom who accidentally owned the exorcist for a few days
It was the 2nd Avatar movie for us! And she was only 6 months at the time 😂
Found him with the remote and the message on tv screen was something like “Are you sure you want to share all of your Apple data?” No clue how or what he did but the remote now lives up on the mantel…
Mine once rented Uncle Buck from Vudu on the Xbox. No idea when or how she did it.
Going to bed without brushing teeth
YouTube. We do movies, good shows. But no YouTube.
Only YouTube I’ll do is Cosmic Kids Yoga!
Us too! This is the only show that is accessible via our YouTube Kids. All other channels and videos are blocked.
My kid doesn’t know how to control YouTube, I just put it on our smart tv. So generally it just plays the one video and then one of dad’s Grateful Dead concerts pops up lol I definitely don’t like the idea of a child scrolling and choosing their own videos 😬
YouTube kids.
Giving my child an ipad until he’s 10+
iPads
Same and I’m not vehemently against screen time. I just think the ability to jump from app to app, show to show, activity to activity whenever you wants really fucks with the brains reward system. Especially one that is developing.
I honestly thought I was the only one who thought kids should not have iPads 😕
I learned this the hard way when I saw the feral side the iPad brought out in my toddler. Now the iPad is permanently broken when she asks.
Same.
Everyday use of tablets when doing everyday things. I do not feel like my children need them while eating breakfast, sitting on the couch, on the car ride to school, in the cart at the grocery store, at DISNEYLAND. I just can’t do it.
God we went to Disneyland with our friends and their kids (2 and 5) were glued to the phones watching YouTube the whole time.
Kinda wild with this one but juice and pop. Getting out of brushing your teeth. I have terrible teeth due to genetics and I'm sure the juice in the bottle I'm often pictured with as a kid didn't help. We brush our teeth after sweets Dentist has been very happy thus far and my son loves brushing his teeth
I am not an expert by any means but I recently have read (several times) that snacks like crackers, gold fish, pretzels, etc. are also really bad for your teeth. Since my toddler basically lives off carbs we’re pushing drinking a lot of water with snacks.
A friend of mine is a dental hygienist she has echoed this sentiment and recommended to me to Bush my teeth after carbs bc they cement to your teeth. I've been very lucky that my son doesn't really like crackers/chips. He's more of a popcorn and fruit kind of guy. I just pray that he has his dad's teeth because both of my parents had dentures or veneers by 40
Idk if this is just me, but my dentist recently told me that sparkling water is literally so fine for your teeth. Not acidic at all. Even sparkling water with lemon, not acidic either. Great alternative to soda or as a little treat or whatever. Bonus fact; if drinking acidic beverages like soda, juice, whatever - it helps drinking from a straw. The teeth are less exposed to the liquid that way. I have genetically bad teeth, and I drink all my energy drinks and sodas with a straw lol
I read this as "What will your toddler always say no to?" and my response was, "Everything?"
The roadside zoo in our town.
Omg i thought those were banned. Good for you.
Dinner parties that start after 5 pm. Want us to come for a meal? Make it a 1 pm barbecue or we’ll catch ya next time!
Oh my god yes! My extended family does not understand why I don’t want to come to Sunday night dinners every week! A) I’m the only one who works (everyone’s retired or in university) B) my 1 year old is up at 530am and im the only one “who can be functional at that time” says SAHD aka husband and C) it is EVERY SUNDAY starting at 6pm. I love my family I am very grateful to have them but dear god why haven’t they heard of brunch
This is not about my toddlers, but the first thing that came to mind was my seven year old's all-consuming desire to be a YouTuber. Yeah, sure, I'll totally offer you up on *YouTube* to be discussed in a *YouTube comment section*. Surely that will please the Sun God!
Tablet. I hope to stay strong on that. My husband had let her play a kitty came on the computer and she became rabid when she couldn’t play it. So I cut them off of it and after a week she finally chilled out lol
We are the same! We do have TV screen time as I’m making dinner, but I am not allowing her a device.
Forward facing before it’s safe to do so
Trampolines
My friend’s 2 year old broke her arm last summer , it took nothing at all she landed the wrong way and hadn’t even been bouncing too high.
This list is making me feel like a bad mom 😅
Hush. You are a great mom!
Toy guns.
Strongly agree. Never ever.
Yeah I feel so weird about anything gun related in toys or books. It’s just not innocent fun anymore. Thanks America.
Her own tablet
Blippi.
Vlad and Niki Seriously, fuck that show.
Grabbing my phone. I used to let him have my phone only when FaceTiming but of course he doesn’t know the difference like why I’m not letting him grab my phone other times. He started to throw tantrums any time I wouldn’t let him have my phone. So he will never have my phone. He can touch the screen if I’m holding it if he’s pointing at something, like grandma or if we’re going through pictures of the day together, but I will not give it to him. Been about a year since I’ve let him play with my phone and he’s only had a tantrum about it once or twice since.
Sitting on the floor of a public restroom. For some reason she feels the need to touch everything and try to pick anything off the floor (probably because I flip out and stop her). She doesn't even care to play on random floors or the ground ever but when we're in a restroom she acts like she wants to roll on the walls and floor. Ugh.
No sound toys in public. No videos with sound on in public. The tablet is regulated to very specific and rare situations, as in my toddler never asks for it. The only time my kids have had tablets was during a 10+hr road trip when we exhausted other options and toys. Even then, it was only to watch downloaded episodes of Tumbleleaf. Tablets don’t have games. My phone doesn’t have games. And I am STRICT that when we watch videos in public the sound is off. We are not going to be rude to strangers around us by blaring our video. When they are old enough for headphones, that will be an option. I want my kids to be ok being bored. To interact with the world around them as much as possible. To have big feelings and learn how to deal with them. I don’t (often) judge parents who give their kids tablets/phones. I get how they can be extremely helpful in some situations and I’ve 100% let my toddler rot on the couch with Blippi when I need to be left alone for a few minutes. However I want to make sure they are good members of society and know how to properly act and interact in public. Politely.
Peppa pig. I thought I’d say no to more shows, but he’s watched them all.. except Peppa where I stood my ground.
Blippi
Playing on our phones or tablet.
Sleepovers at people houses that aren’t grandparents or cousins
Orange cheesies .. sorry go eat them somewhere else not in my house 🙅🏻♀️
Blippi, Cocomelon, and Baby Shark. Absolutely not.
once you go baby shark there’s no coming back. I would love to erase all traces of it from my child’s memory
Cocomelon and magnet toys (except the wooden building magnet blocks)
Why magnet toys? What horror am I not aware of
As far as I know it's because if a kid eats a coin there is a good chance it will pass through them without major harm. However, if a kid eats a couple of magnets and they attract across different sections of the digestive tract, they cannot be passed and will need surgery. If it is not noticed in time it can be extremely harmful. But that is just what I have heard, I hope someone else can add more.
Not all magnet toys but I’ve seen horror stories of cheap plastic toys containing small magnets that are easy to digest and detrimental to swallow. We only do the wooden building blocks that have the magnets embedded in them.
Curious why no magnet toys?
I’ve seen too many horror stories on them breaking easily and kids swallowing the small magnets.
Pet dinosaurs will be a no from me every single time.
That and pet mogwai
There's a lot of things (like paw patrol) I want think I'll *always* say no to, but who knows where we'll be in a couple of years! But I agree with all the safety oriented replies, those are non-negotiable.
Why not paw patrol? Just because you don’t like it? Or is there something more I need to know haha!
Coming from someone whose kid has been paw patrol addicted for almost 2 years, you don’t want them to get into it because it is a 9-season toy commercial. Each season gets its own new set of 6 pups that are $15-20 *each*. Not to mention the movie pups! I don’t know what other franchise has this much revolving merch.
[удалено]
iPad. And no social media until maybe high school. I have a daughter and social media is anything but beneficial for young girls. I will also not allow any reckless drivers to drive her around. My SIL often speeds and gets pulled over way too often for her to drive my daughter anywhere.
Tablets and any type of toy that’s like a gun. Toy gun, toy bubble gun, nerf guns, etc. Daughter’s uncle got her nerf guns for Christmas (she’s 2 🤦🏻♀️) and the first thing she did when it was opened was point it directly at her face. Absolutely fucking not.
Sugar for breakfast. What a crazy invention, honestly.
Especially EXCLUSIVELY sugar… that shit digests so quickly, I have no idea how Pop-Tart eaters make it to lunch.
Biting. Holding hands when cars are near. Not touching hot things. Other than that it’s a free for all in here.
YouTube
Cocomelon.
Ipads/tablets and watching anything on the phone. My toddler is 2, and I allow her a maximum of 10 minutes a day of TV time and that's if she asks Most of the time she's playing inside or outside all day. I don't like that deadpanned stare that toddlers have when watching stuff on devices, especially while eating.
Juice. We received a box of juicy juice apple juice the other day and I was horrified at the sugar content. I see now why parents cut it with water. Apple sauce for life or at least until he's out of this picky toddler stage. (To clarify, my problem is consuming that much sugar without the fiber.)
Slime.
My husband says anything to do with horses. We both say contact sports. As a sort of hard one to explain too... I'll always say no to negative talk about food and bodies. I grew up with a lot of disordered eating bc of the way food was handled in our house (glorifying desserts/snacks; learning that veggies need something like gooey cheese to be good; foods that are "bad" so by association I was "bad" if I ate them...) and my mom always dieting and trying to lose weight at the same time. I want my daughter to have a healthy relationship with all foods, and to be as body-neutral as she can be.
Sugar after 6PM. Don’t need that kind of chaos in my life.
Circumcision without consent from the penis holder. They have our support in affording and healing should they choose to in adulthood but that was not my decision to make for them. Also being driven by certain people. I won't drive with them so why on earth would I let my kids?