After 2 years of marriage my wife (age 33) still doesn't want to have children while I (age 35) desperately want ones. Before marriage we have discussed it and she said that she would like to wait "for about a year" before trying for a baby. I agreed. Now she is saying that she isn't ready yet, and won't be ready for another 2 years. I thought that we have an agreement, but I was mistaken. Is it at all possible that she will change her mind, or postponing children for more years is just a stalling tactic on her behalf?
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posted by anonymous
on May 5, 2013 -
64 answers
My preschooler is getting just old enough to have a proper social life (playdates, birthday parties, etc.). I've got some specific questions about the parental etiquette expectations surrounding these kiddie get-togethers.
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posted by Bardolph
on Apr 5, 2013 -
24 answers
Tell me about your daily schedules, parenting logistics, etc., with a newborn
plus a toddler or older child.
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posted by Bardolph
on Mar 7, 2013 -
15 answers
I have a very easy time picturing the ways in which having children would negatively impact my life and career -- I can imagine the exhaustion and the chaos and the drudgery with crystal clarity -- but the good parts are much more hazy. What great stuff does your kids bring into your life? What do you love about having had a family? What makes all the difficulties and sacrifices worthwhile for you?
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posted by Narrative Priorities
on Jan 15, 2013 -
87 answers
How do I deal with the stress and drama caused by my emotionally manipulative live-in sister? The emotional welfare of her two young children is also at stake. Special snowflake details inside.
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posted by BrianJ
on Dec 3, 2012 -
18 answers
I have one daughter, she is 5.5. We always planned on having 3 children, but spacing turned into fertility issues turned into daughter will likely be 8 by the time we actually manage to have another offspring. Help me figure out the various pros/cons of having 2 more kids v. having 1 more kid/adopting a school age kid/ having 1 more kid/ leaving well enough alone.
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posted by dadici
on Oct 15, 2012 -
33 answers
Moving to a better school zone. Should I do it? Tough decisions concerning moving, staying put, and financial future.
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 25, 2012 -
19 answers
I have two kids. My wife wants another. I don't. How do we decide?
I have two boys. Ages 6 and 2 1/2. My wife is saying we should have another child because she wants a girl.
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posted by alshain
on Aug 13, 2012 -
34 answers
She's not into what she thinks girls her age are "supposed" to be into. How do we show her that what
she likes is what's normal, and maybe encourage her to reach out to find the other kids that like that stuff too? Is that what we
should be doing?
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posted by kostia
on Jun 11, 2012 -
97 answers
I am looking for article/s pertaining to childhood and outside adult support from a dysfunctional family.
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posted by annsunny
on May 9, 2012 -
2 answers
Happy DINK having doubts: How do you discern between real change in baby-making opinion and just temporary hormonal brooding?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 19, 2012 -
53 answers
Looking for a very specific book of yoga positions for children - it was simply written and the illustrations were black ink line drawings on white paper, usually of young people and adults doing introductory yoga positions.
My mother used the book with my brother and myself regularly in the 1970s, but looking through the various kids' yoga books on Amazon now I'm not finding it. Anyone who grew up in the same era, or who raised kids in the same era, find this familiar?
posted by luriete
on Feb 7, 2012 -
4 answers
This is not going to be pretty. I need to know if there is any way for me to maintain a life with my children if I cannot maintain one with my wife.
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 26, 2011 -
91 answers
Are there such things as Mutual Adoption Clubs as imagined in Aldous Huxley's novel,
Island? I'm looking for something like this, also similar to a Kibbutz or Co-op where a few families that are close friends live near each other (Sharing a house, being neighbors, living in the same apartment building, or maybe just in the same neighborhood). Families share child-rearing responsibilities primarily. Does anyone do this in a more-or-less structured fashion?
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posted by cman
on Nov 29, 2011 -
9 answers
Where should we go as a family next? We have just returned home (Canada) from a great European visit (Germany, Belgium, Holland and England) and are already looking towards planning and saving for our next trip.
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posted by YukonQuirm
on Sep 9, 2011 -
10 answers
I'm reading (and really enjoying)
The Glass Castle, and my wife and are about to have our first kid. What other memoirs or non-fiction books should I read that focus on parenting, raising kids in unorthodox ways, or just plain unique families?
posted by nitsuj
on Jul 14, 2011 -
20 answers
My mother-in-law just got a serious cancer diagnosis and will likely have less time with us than we thought. How can I make sure that my daughter knows her even if she isn't around?
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posted by Alison
on Jun 16, 2011 -
10 answers
This summer, my 7-year-old niece will be staying with my wife and me for two weeks while she goes to a summer school/science camp. Her classes don't start until 1p. I need ideas for short activities and things to do in or near Berkeley, before her classes, from ~9a - 12p.
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posted by mattdidthat
on May 6, 2011 -
15 answers
How can we develop the kind of family where things like race and sexuality and other big topics are discussed in an open, healthy, relaxed way?
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posted by flail
on Nov 29, 2010 -
17 answers
If you come from a religious family but are no longer religious yourself: what sort of spiritual upbringing did you have? Did any factors in your home religious life contribute to your decision to leave?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 2, 2010 -
70 answers
YNMA, obviously...
wife and I overestimated our dependent care expenses this year...by a lot. I have to come up with valid expenses, for the remainder of 2010, that we can occur to cover 3K remaining in our account. Any ideas? We did the camp thing this summer, but ended up not signing up for a few of them from our original budget. Our son is in kindergarten at a private school, so we're past the time we can pay for tuition out of this account. PLEASE HELP!!!! Thanks mefite nation!!!
posted by littleredwagon
on Aug 30, 2010 -
14 answers
What are some good board and card games for 3-4 year olds that a 6 year old might enjoy too? I'm think of Zingo and the like.
posted by Artw
on Aug 28, 2010 -
14 answers
Want to start school and get our life on track, but how? I've made some mistakes in college by not showing up an entire semester so my GPA is 1.05, even the lower university's here in TN like austin peay won't take me because my grades suck. I live a hour away from the two community colleges in my area. I also have to figure out how I'm going to give my family a place to live, I lost my job in missouri and moved down to TN with my mom.
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 26, 2010 -
37 answers
I have a lousy home situation and my work situation isn’t much better. I am really at my wit’s end and I don’t know what to do. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. (Very long description follows...sorry in advance!)
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posted by anonymous
on May 18, 2010 -
15 answers
Recently I got a dog. He's doing great, I'm doing great, it's been nearly 3 months since I got him from the shelter. Problem: He's meeting my brother and his kids, in a few weeks (family reunion weekend), and my brother has a strong fear, maybe even a phobia of dogs. What can I do to put him at ease, navigate the situation and help everyone get through this unscathed?
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posted by Elfasi
on Mar 17, 2010 -
28 answers
My baby is terrified of her grandfather. What can we do to get her to like him a bit better?
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posted by Bardolph
on Mar 2, 2010 -
19 answers
I need help sorting out if my son is behaving like a typical pre-teen or if he completely flipped the hell out. My oldest son turned 12 a couple months ago and now I have no idea who this child is. I'm at a loss to know what's normal for this age and what I should be concerned about. Books and the Internet are all over the map, so maybe the hive mind can help.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 18, 2010 -
67 answers
Help us quiet our suddenly screechy-at-bedtime 19mo daughter! Difficulty: shares room with brother.
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posted by larsks
on Oct 29, 2009 -
6 answers
It's a lovely Fall day. Where's a good place to take some young 'uns train watching in Philadelphia? The priority is on lots of trains, up close. I don't mind paying to get on a platform. Proximity to West Philly a bonus. Thank you!
posted by carter
on Oct 25, 2009 -
6 answers
My parents want to give up the teenager they adopted a few years ago. Can they do this?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 26, 2009 -
23 answers
It's been almost three years since my mother died, and my father has slowly been working himself back into seeing new people, but it's starting to cause major family drama. I'm 23 and live on my own in a different city, so this doesn't bother me much. But my 17 year old sister still lives with him, and she's really upset that this is going on. To make matters worse, the latest person he's seeing is my sister's favorite teacher from school. What can my dad do to ease this transition for my sister? What do both people deserve here?
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posted by anonymous
on Aug 1, 2009 -
34 answers
How much has where you grew up determined your personality? How important is location? Those who grew up in New Zealand, how much has its culture and limitations shaped you? Children of expats, how did having expat parents influence you? Any Americans in NZ want to tell me why they are raising their children there?
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posted by scazza
on Jun 19, 2009 -
9 answers
Trying to decide just how close to move to our kid's (very enthusiastic) grandparents. If you've experienced the childrearing-with-nearby-grands situation (as kid, grand OR parent), how did it work out? Any advice on encouraging involvement while still maintaining boundaries?
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posted by Bardolph
on Jun 4, 2009 -
21 answers
