One of your submissions this week simply said, “I conned my kid into eating broccoli by calling them trees.” It reminded me of how my friend convinced her kid to eat tofu by calling it “sushi cheese.” What food names are winning with your kids these days?
Today we have three great stories and a reader question about middle-of-the-night wake-ups. As always, your advice is appreciated.
And now, I turn it over to you.
In Charge
—Emily
My kids (5 and 3) were getting in trouble for minor rule violations a lot, and it was affecting everyone’s mood. My husband suggested that they get to set the rules for 5 to 10 minutes every once in a while. They were thrilled (and I was wary)! We’ve now done this three times, and so far I have been told to take a bath, take a nap, and read my book. Keep it up, kids, and you’ll be in charge all the time!
Cars O’Clock
—Tired Massachusetts Mama
First-trimester mama with a toddler. I just do not have the energy to keep up right now. We went from being a household with fairly moderated screen time to watching Cars at least once a day. It’s temporary, he’s loved, but I feel selfish and guilty for it nonetheless.
WIC Win
—Mama
I had been getting notifications that I was eligible for WIC because I, my 11-month-old, and my 2-year-old are on state insurance. For many months I ignored them, because I felt like I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t want to take advantage of a system that I thought was made for people much worse off than me. I am in a happy relationship with my children’s father, and we just recently bought a home together. We are not married. He pays the mortgage, and I pay for the children’s food, clothing, activities, etc. We split the rest of the utilities 60/40 (me taking the smaller bit). I do 90% of the child care on top of working part-time. We are frugal but comfortable. When scrolling Instagram one day, I saw a post by “The Mama Attorney” that literally said: do not feel guilty about taking advantage of subsidies, as billionaires and millionaires do it all the time. I felt like it was a sign.
I had to buy my first can of formula about a month ago, as my child has started to wean himself. I pump nonstop, but it’s not enough. I was blown away by the price of formula, and it had me thinking. So I applied for WIC. I was approved immediately for myself and my children. I am incredibly relieved to be able to be eligible for this program. I feel that because of WIC, I will be able to put a little more money into other things for my family, and it will take some of the pressure off the finances. What helps me today helps my children years from now, and that’s what’s most important.
This week’s reader question
How do you deal with your kids’ middle-of-the-night wake-ups? I’ve dealt with that for 80% of my daughter’s life (she’s 20 months), and I still struggle with my own anxiety around my falling asleep and going back to sleep after her wake-ups.
—Monia
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