This week is all wins! No woes. Because so many of you submitted them this week, and how often as parents do we get to see that? So we’re all about the ups and the positives today, with a few extra stories to really soak up those good vibes.
We also have a reader question about bullying and what to do when your kid is the bully in the playground.
As always, please be kind and leave a comment if you have advice or a message for any of our parents today.
XOXO
—Boy Mom
For the first time tonight (unprompted), my 2.5-year-old son said, “I love you” as I was putting him down to bed. Then, as if that wasn’t heart-melting enough, as we were talking about his day a few minutes later, he said, “I missed you.” Total heart melt followed by lots of snuggles!
Pick-Me-Up
—Optimistic Broccoli
I have always been (and continue to be) an incredibly picky eater. When I had my daughter, I was very worried about passing my bad eating habits on to her, so I’ve made a real effort to bring new foods into the house and keep her diet as balanced as can be (given the waywardness of a 16-month-old’s palate). The other night, I served boxed mac & cheese and broccoli for dinner. My kid ate a TON of broccoli and kept asking for more, more, more. She had only one bite of mac & cheese and made a face like this delicacy from my childhood was absolutely revolting. Guess I’m doing something right (and double win, I got to finish off the mac & cheese)!
It Gets Better
—Melanie in Tucson
My 4-year-old is so much fun. I recently took him out to lunch, and we had the best time talking, saying hi to the people around us, and eating like normal people. Gone are the days of throwing food, major spills, high chairs, and (most) meltdowns. To parents of littler kids: it gets easier and it gets better!
Thriving Abroad
—Kimmy
Can I share about parenting teenagers? My son graduated from high school in 2020 and started college (such as it was) in fall of 2020, then wound up doing remote college from home in spring of 2021. It was pretty devastating, and I say this as a college professor myself. He’s studying abroad this semester in a really remote location that I won’t reveal because it is so remote it could violate his privacy — but he is thriving in a very small group environment in the middle of some mountains that are really, really far away. He is conquering so many anxieties. I am having happy tears every day watching him thrive after so many really hard and sad semesters.
Future Scientist
—EEG-researching Mama
As a child-development researcher, I have spent over a decade looking at babies’ brains using a funny hat called EEG. With the over 1,000 kids I have tested, I have seen it all — babies who love it, babies who hate it, babies who will calm down with their mom, and babies who won’t. I just had my first baby, and she had her first capping last week. I was honestly so nervous to see what her reaction would be (almost like an academic horoscope). Turns out, she was a delightfully chill baby who cuddled with me the whole time. Melted my heart and felt like a real scientific win. It also felt so surreal to be on the other side of the chair with my own little one. A huge win all around and a moment I will never forget.
This week’s reader question
My son is 2.5, and he has been the playground bully lately! Hitting, pushing, and throwing his toys at other kids. It’s so embarrassing, and no other kids act like this. He does it at home too. We enrolled him in an outdoor preschool so he could be around other kids his age and learn some social skills, but he’s had to be picked up early almost every day for hitting or throwing. What do I do? He used to be the sweetest tender heart.
—Jaffrey
