Parenting Challenges and Triumphs

[koala]

Share your most difficult moments, your proudest achievements, and everything in between here. We're all in this together!

What has been your biggest struggle and how did you overcome it? Alternatively, what's something you're especially proud of as a special needs parent, no matter how small or large the victory?

I'll go first! One of my hardest moments was during sensory playtime with my child. Their sensitivity to touch and texture has made it really challenging for them to enjoy the experience. They used to become extremely upset when the feeling of the materials was unpleasant and would refuse to continue, which broke my heart. But over time, we've been able to expose them slowly to various textures and now they're much more open to different sensory experiences and even seek them out sometimes! It's a huge win in our book. Can't wait to hear everyone else's stories too.

 

[sunflower]

Share your most difficult moments, your proudest achievements, and everything in between here. We're all in this together!

What has been your biggest struggle and how did you overcome it? Alternatively, what's something you're especially proud of as a special needs parent, no matter how small or large the victory?

I'll go first! One of my hardest moments was during sensory playtime with my child. Their sensitivity to touch and texture has made it really challenging for them to enjoy the experience. They used to become extremely upset when the feeling of the materials was unpleasant and would refuse to continue, which broke my heart. But over time, we've been able to expose them slowly to various textures and now they're much more open to different sensory experiences and even seek them out sometimes! It's a huge win in our book. Can't wait to hear everyone else's stories too.

My most challenging moment probably was when my daughter went through her terrible twos. She had frequent tantrums, which were exhausting and stressful, especially since I couldn't pin down the reason most of the time. They say it's a normal part of their development, but that didn't make it any easier! I just had to ride it out, staying consistent with my parenting and distraction techniques - which eventually worked!

My proudest moment... gosh, there are so many little victories! But one that stands out is when my child started to understand basic Sign Language. She began picking up signs as a baby, and could communicate her needs to me even before she could speak. This reduced her frustration and my guessing work! I'm just so glad I decided to learn Sign together with her. It's such a heartwarming moment whenever she signs something correctly!

 

[sportytina]

My most challenging moment probably was when my daughter went through her terrible twos. She had frequent tantrums, which were exhausting and stressful, especially since I couldn't pin down the reason most of the time. They say it's a normal part of their development, but that didn't make it any easier! I just had to ride it out, staying consistent with my parenting and distraction techniques - which eventually worked!

My proudest moment... gosh, there are so many little victories! But one that stands out is when my child started to understand basic Sign Language. She began picking up signs as a baby, and could communicate her needs to me even before she could speak. This reduced her frustration and my guessing work! I'm just so glad I decided to learn Sign together with her. It's such a heartwarming moment whenever she signs something correctly!

It's tough navigating the tantrum years; consistency certainly helps in keeping those challenges at bay. Well done for enduring that difficult phase!

That's awesome about your child picking up sign language! Communication is so important, and I'm sure that skill will continue to serve them well as they grow up. It's a great alternative form of expression, isn't it?

 

[nature]

It's tough navigating the tantrum years; consistency certainly helps in keeping those challenges at bay. Well done for enduring that difficult phase!

That's awesome about your child picking up sign language! Communication is so important, and I'm sure that skill will continue to serve them well as they grow up. It's a great alternative form of expression, isn't it?

Yes, tantrums are probably one of the most trying phases for young children and their caregivers! Consistency certainly requires lots of patience - not an easy feat!

Sign language is an amazing skill to learn, and it's beneficial for hearing individuals too, as it encourages visual focus and can enhance speech clarity. Well done to you both for sticking with it! These small wins are heartwarming.

 

[wellness]

Yes, tantrums are probably one of the most trying phases for young children and their caregivers! Consistency certainly requires lots of patience - not an easy feat!

Sign language is an amazing skill to learn, and it's beneficial for hearing individuals too, as it encourages visual focus and can enhance speech clarity. Well done to you both for sticking with it! These small wins are heartwarming.

a great feeling isn't it, when all your patience and persistence pays off? Little victories like these make me feel that all the hard work is so worth it, even if no one else might see it.

On another note, has anyone here experienced managing a picky eater? My child seems to have entered this phase recently, and it's proving to be quite a challenge!

 

[bananarama]

a great feeling isn't it, when all your patience and persistence pays off? Little victories like these make me feel that all the hard work is so worth it, even if no one else might see it.

On another note, has anyone here experienced managing a picky eater? My child seems to have entered this phase recently, and it's proving to be quite a challenge!

I've certainly had my fair share of struggles getting my kiddo to eat anything that's not a staple food. It's an ongoing battle, really - one day they love carrots, the next day they won't touch them. And don't even remind me of the mess that comes with feeding Toddlers! I've had to get creative with meals and snacks, and learn to embrace the chaos a little haha. I guess it's just another phase we have to endure, but I feel you - it is exhausting!

I'm sure other parents will have some fun stories and tips on this too! It'd be nice to hear their strategies.

 

[luciana]

I've certainly had my fair share of struggles getting my kiddo to eat anything that's not a staple food. It's an ongoing battle, really - one day they love carrots, the next day they won't touch them. And don't even remind me of the mess that comes with feeding Toddlers! I've had to get creative with meals and snacks, and learn to embrace the chaos a little haha. I guess it's just another phase we have to endure, but I feel you - it is exhausting!

I'm sure other parents will have some fun stories and tips on this too! It'd be nice to hear their strategies.

Picky eaters... ugh! Yes, an extremely familiar and frustrating issue that I've had to navigate with my children as well. Mealtimes turned into battles that left me stressed and my kids frusterated. What worked for us was introducing the concept of "three bites". It's a compromise where everyone wins - they get to maintain their food preferences while still expanding their palate, and I get peace of mind that they're not surviving on an all-white diet.

Basically, we settle on three bites of any new or previously rejected food, just to taste. If they still don't like it after, that's fine; but most times, my kids are surprised to find that they actually enjoy the new food! We've discovered so many new foods this way and it's become a fun adventure for both me and them. Of course, this method may not work for everyone, but it's helped us immensely.

 

[sunflower]

Picky eaters... ugh! Yes, an extremely familiar and frustrating issue that I've had to navigate with my children as well. Mealtimes turned into battles that left me stressed and my kids frusterated. What worked for us was introducing the concept of "three bites". It's a compromise where everyone wins - they get to maintain their food preferences while still expanding their palate, and I get peace of mind that they're not surviving on an all-white diet.

Basically, we settle on three bites of any new or previously rejected food, just to taste. If they still don't like it after, that's fine; but most times, my kids are surprised to find that they actually enjoy the new food! We've discovered so many new foods this way and it's become a fun adventure for both me and them. Of course, this method may not work for everyone, but it's helped us immensely.

I love the three bites rule! That's a great strategy to encourage them to try new foods. I've been lucky so far with my little one enjoying most foods, but I'm prepared for the picky eater phase which seems inevitable. Great to have this tip up my sleeve!

What other strategies do you folks use? Any unusual but successful tactics?

 

[wellness]

I love the three bites rule! That's a great strategy to encourage them to try new foods. I've been lucky so far with my little one enjoying most foods, but I'm prepared for the picky eater phase which seems inevitable. Great to have this tip up my sleeve!

What other strategies do you folks use? Any unusual but successful tactics?

There are many challenges that parents face, and it's always interesting to hear of others' experiences. I've been pretty lucky with my kid in the eating department too, though I know many others who aren't so fortunate! Besides the three bites rule, which is quite a clever strategy actually, I've heard some parents successfully incentivize their children with rewards charts for eating. seems like an interesting idea to me, but I'm not too sure about introducing the concept of rewards at such a young age.

Another trick I've stumbled upon is presenting the same food in different ways. Sometimes, our sensory perceptions can be fickle, and this may help bypass some psychological barrier haha. For instance, presenting mashed carrots as "carrot mousse" or serving fruit in fun shapes - seems silly but it works sometimes! Also, letting my child pick and grow their own vegetables made them more inclined to try them. A friend swore by letting her kid cook (with supervision!) and season the veggies themselves, which is quite an interesting strategy.

I suppose every child is different, and we can never really know what works until we try!

 

[koala]

There are many challenges that parents face, and it's always interesting to hear of others' experiences. I've been pretty lucky with my kid in the eating department too, though I know many others who aren't so fortunate! Besides the three bites rule, which is quite a clever strategy actually, I've heard some parents successfully incentivize their children with rewards charts for eating. seems like an interesting idea to me, but I'm not too sure about introducing the concept of rewards at such a young age.

Another trick I've stumbled upon is presenting the same food in different ways. Sometimes, our sensory perceptions can be fickle, and this may help bypass some psychological barrier haha. For instance, presenting mashed carrots as "carrot mousse" or serving fruit in fun shapes - seems silly but it works sometimes! Also, letting my child pick and grow their own vegetables made them more inclined to try them. A friend swore by letting her kid cook (with supervision!) and season the veggies themselves, which is quite an interesting strategy.

I suppose every child is different, and we can never really know what works until we try!

The joy of discovery certainly helps with getting kids to try new foods. I like the idea of changing food presentation - that's a quirky tactic which might just work for those sensitive to visual cues. rewards charts are worth a shot too, especially when introduced creatively and healthfully!

Are there any other challenges that parents here have faced and overcome? Any humorous stories to lighten the mood?

 

[stargazer]

The joy of discovery certainly helps with getting kids to try new foods. I like the idea of changing food presentation - that's a quirky tactic which might just work for those sensitive to visual cues. rewards charts are worth a shot too, especially when introduced creatively and healthfully!

Are there any other challenges that parents here have faced and overcome? Any humorous stories to lighten the mood?

As many parenting books and experienced elders would say, every child is different and what works for one may not work for another. In addition to the challenging phase of dealing with picky eaters, I think one of the most common issues that many parents face is getting their children to cooperate on anything, especially during the terrible twos!

Both of my kids went through a phase where they simply would NOT cooperate when it came to brushing their teeth. It was a daily battle that left both parties in tears - definitely not a fun experience for anyone involved! What finally worked was turning it into a game of competition - somehow the idea of "racing" against mom or dad (or even better, an imaginary friend!) to see who could brush their teeth quicker encouraged them to cooperate. Of course, it's not a forever solution and we had to keep innovating new games and challenges but it got us through that phase!

I'm sure many parents reading this have much more experience and creative solutions for such common issues - it would be great to hear them! And any hilarious stories are more than welcome too!

 

[wisdom]

As many parenting books and experienced elders would say, every child is different and what works for one may not work for another. In addition to the challenging phase of dealing with picky eaters, I think one of the most common issues that many parents face is getting their children to cooperate on anything, especially during the terrible twos!

Both of my kids went through a phase where they simply would NOT cooperate when it came to brushing their teeth. It was a daily battle that left both parties in tears - definitely not a fun experience for anyone involved! What finally worked was turning it into a game of competition - somehow the idea of "racing" against mom or dad (or even better, an imaginary friend!) to see who could brush their teeth quicker encouraged them to cooperate. Of course, it's not a forever solution and we had to keep innovating new games and challenges but it got us through that phase!

I'm sure many parents reading this have much more experience and creative solutions for such common issues - it would be great to hear them! And any hilarious stories are more than welcome too!

As a parent, I can certainly relate to the struggles you've described! Children can be extremely unpredictable, and parenting definitely requires ample creativity! It's interesting how you turned teeth-brushing into a competition; a very inventive idea!

My son was always fairly cooperative, thankfully, but I do have a funny story regarding food. He went through a phase of only wanting to eat yellow foods - bananas, lemons, corn and even attempted to smear custard on his toast! It was a bizarre few weeks, and eating out was particularly interesting as he'd pointlessly attempt to negotiate the menu for something yellow! That said, it did help him try some new (yellow) foods, so I shouldn't complain!

 

[bookworm]

As a parent, I can certainly relate to the struggles you've described! Children can be extremely unpredictable, and parenting definitely requires ample creativity! It's interesting how you turned teeth-brushing into a competition; a very inventive idea!

My son was always fairly cooperative, thankfully, but I do have a funny story regarding food. He went through a phase of only wanting to eat yellow foods - bananas, lemons, corn and even attempted to smear custard on his toast! It was a bizarre few weeks, and eating out was particularly interesting as he'd pointlessly attempt to negotiate the menu for something yellow! That said, it did help him try some new (yellow) foods, so I shouldn't complain!

It's fascinating how these little phases come and go. And your story reminds me of a friend whose daughter would only eat purple foods for a stretch of time. Some interesting purple creations out there, it seems! Parenting keeps us on our toes.

 

[stargazer]

It's fascinating how these little phases come and go. And your story reminds me of a friend whose daughter would only eat purple foods for a stretch of time. Some interesting purple creations out there, it seems! Parenting keeps us on our toes.

Yes the unpredictability can be quite something! Purple foods.. that's a new one haha. I'm curious what the little ones would think of blue or green foods! Perhaps a sensory exploration to venture into.

On another note, sleep-related issues are another common challenge many parents face. My little one went through a phase of sleep regression which left us both exhausted. Any tips for getting little ones to sleep train would be greatly appreciated!

 

[wellness]

Yes the unpredictability can be quite something! Purple foods.. that's a new one haha. I'm curious what the little ones would think of blue or green foods! Perhaps a sensory exploration to venture into.

On another note, sleep-related issues are another common challenge many parents face. My little one went through a phase of sleep regression which left us both exhausted. Any tips for getting little ones to sleep train would be greatly appreciated!

Sleep issues are definitely a huge challenge that often leave parents feeling tired and frustrated. I can share what worked for my child, but every kid is different, so it might be a case of trying different tactics until something works.

My son had difficulty getting used to his new toddler bed. For several nights, sleep was elusive as he kept crawling out of bed and entering our bedroom. What helped this situation was creating a little fort using his favourite superhero costumes and a couple of comfy pillows. Somehow the novelty of it made the transition smoother, and he was asleep within minutes each night!

I also hear that white noise or some form of soothing background sound can help too. Some parents I know even create a sleep playlist, gradually lowering the volume as the evenings progress. I hope these suggestions are somewhat helpful!

 

[koala]

Sleep issues are definitely a huge challenge that often leave parents feeling tired and frustrated. I can share what worked for my child, but every kid is different, so it might be a case of trying different tactics until something works.

My son had difficulty getting used to his new toddler bed. For several nights, sleep was elusive as he kept crawling out of bed and entering our bedroom. What helped this situation was creating a little fort using his favourite superhero costumes and a couple of comfy pillows. Somehow the novelty of it made the transition smoother, and he was asleep within minutes each night!

I also hear that white noise or some form of soothing background sound can help too. Some parents I know even create a sleep playlist, gradually lowering the volume as the evenings progress. I hope these suggestions are somewhat helpful!

You're right about how different children can be - my kids never went through sleep regression despite numerous attempts to crawl into our bed, haha. Your fort idea sounds adorable and creative!

I faced a similar challenge getting my kids to drink sufficient water during the day - any fun suggestions on how I can encourage them, apart from offering tasty homemade infused waters?

 

[sunnybunny]

You're right about how different children can be - my kids never went through sleep regression despite numerous attempts to crawl into our bed, haha. Your fort idea sounds adorable and creative!

I faced a similar challenge getting my kids to drink sufficient water during the day - any fun suggestions on how I can encourage them, apart from offering tasty homemade infused waters?

Hmm, maybe create a cute little 'drink station' with their help? Let them decorate a little table with their favourite stickers or drawings and keep a cute jug of ice water, some colorful straws, and fun cups at the station. You could also make a little ritual out of it by letting them choose a special cup for the day and perhaps making an exciting toast before kicking off the day! Making it a special part of their routine might encourage them to hydrate more.

You could also go on a fun family hike or visit a waterfall or spring together and have a little 'nature lesson' about how important drinking water is - something I did with my son that worked quite well!

 

[bookworm]

Hmm, maybe create a cute little 'drink station' with their help? Let them decorate a little table with their favourite stickers or drawings and keep a cute jug of ice water, some colorful straws, and fun cups at the station. You could also make a little ritual out of it by letting them choose a special cup for the day and perhaps making an exciting toast before kicking off the day! Making it a special part of their routine might encourage them to hydrate more.

You could also go on a fun family hike or visit a waterfall or spring together and have a little 'nature lesson' about how important drinking water is - something I did with my son that worked quite well!

Making the experience a memorable one, especially in nature, is a great idea! The drink station sounds like something kids would enjoy setting up and adding their personal touch to. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[queenie]

Making the experience a memorable one, especially in nature, is a great idea! The drink station sounds like something kids would enjoy setting up and adding their personal touch to. Thanks for the suggestion!

The little victories along this parenting journey often make all the difference, don't they? When our children's quirky phases or difficult periods become fond memories. I hope you'll look back on these sleep struggles with fondness one day too, queenie.

 

[mamamia]

The little victories along this parenting journey often make all the difference, don't they? When our children's quirky phases or difficult periods become fond memories. I hope you'll look back on these sleep struggles with fondness one day too, queenie.

They certainly do! And you're right - looking back at these moments from a different, future perspective brings a smile to our faces, knowing that we've overcome them and, more often than not, with our sense of humour intact .