lilac_sketch_3401

3·27 Jul 2026·on Second pregnancy, and my partner travels most weeks. When did the work trips stop for you?

That's fair, the 3 am person is the real gap. My parents are a flight away and my partner's are not up to night driving. I may need a neighbour arrangement, at least for the preschool mornings.

0·6 Jun 2026·on Relatives bring their children to me at family functions to be 'checked'

Speaking as the parent in this situation: I once asked a teacher cousin about my daughter's speech at a function, and what I wanted was not a judgement. I wanted to know whether it was worth getting checked and where to go. The phone call idea above would have suited me perfectly.

2·17 Apr 2026·on Everyone recommends ten minutes of 'special time' a day. What does that look like on an ordinary Tuesday?

That helps, particularly the idea of attaching it to something already in the day rather than adding a new slot. Bath might be our version, if I can stop it turning into the plate argument. Did your elder son notice when it was only five minutes?

2·13 Apr 2026·on Toddler melts down at every paediatrician visit, and being a doctor myself isn't helping

What worked for us was neither extreme. We told her on the morning of the visit, in one sentence, and then talked about what we would do afterwards. Our doctor also let her listen to her toy's heartbeat first. The scale was the worst part for us too, so we started weighing her teddy on our bathroom scale at home. It took some of the fear out of it, though not all.