No Dogs Allowed
My husband has wanted a dog for a few years now, and we discussed doing it after we had kids. We wanted to be able to travel a bunch and enjoy spending time with friends, without being worried about having an animal to take care of. Well, we’re two kids in, and my husband is really starting to give me a hard time about it. He really wants a dog. There is no way I can handle taking care of another breathing being right now. How am I supposed to handle this? He is going to be REALLY upset with me. I kept promising him, “Soon. I just need a little more time,” when the truth is, I’ve known for a while it just wasn’t going to happen. I just didn’t know how to tell him no. What am I supposed to do now? -Nervous Wife
Dear Nervous Wife,
These situations can be very difficult to navigate. I empathize with you. I’ve always found authenticity and honesty to be the best way to handle communication. One option is that you can tell your husband that you’re feeling really overwhelmed, and you simply can’t fathom taking care of a dog, in addition to the rest of the family right now. You can explore what your life and his feelings would look like without a dog. Another available option would be to ask your husband if he could help you more, so you have available mental and emotional space to take care of an animal.
Pregnant and Pleading
When does this toddler thing get easier? My son is 2.5, and I feel like I never get a break. I’m constantly running around. I’m currently pregnant with my second kid, and I’m starting to get worried. Sometimes I feel like I can’t do any of this mom thing well. -Toddler Mommy
Dear Toddler Mommy,
I am in the trenches with you! I’m right in the middle of the toddler phase too, and I often ask myself the same question. I have heard that three is a game changer for most kids, but I recently heard from someone else that things got harder for her family at 3 years old. Every family is different. If you feel like you’re struggling, reach out and ask for help. We’re in this motherhood thing for life, but we don’t have to do it alone 🙂. All anyone can ask of us is our best. I think most of us are fumbling along, learning as we’re going. I’d love to hear from some other moms regarding this for some input on your experience with toddlers.
Snack Time Sharing
I try to feed my kids healthy food, but whenever they go to preschool, they end up sharing unhealthy food with other kids. Like skittles. Skittles are not a legitimate snack. There is ZERO nutritional value in that, and I really don’t want my kids eating it. What do I do? Can I ask the teacher to monitor their food? -Healthy Mama
Dear Healthy Mama,
I personally think it would be very difficult for the teacher to monitor food exchanged between children, unless there is a legitimate allergy involved, but I completely understand wanting your child to eat healthy food. In my experience, habits are formed by consistent actions, and if you make healthy food a priority at home, then that is most important. Children will learn good and bad behaviors at school, and I’m not sure how much we can control. All of it is part of the learning process. If you still feel uncomfortable, maybe it would be a good idea to reach out to the the teacher, share your concerns, and ask for her input. Maybe she has some great insight and perspective you haven’t considered.
Jacqueline Pinchuk 