#parental advice

[jalicefanficblog]

Hush, my brave Excorcist Angel

>>I was wondering if you could do a platonic Exorcist!Vaggie & Parental Figure!Seraphim!Reader, it'll be a hurt/comfort after one of the extermination.>>

Some Parental Support for our dear Vaggie is coming right up :-)

The Spear landed on the ground with a clanging sound. 

Vaggie felt the adrenaline slowly wear off and the events of the extermination of Hell burned themselves into her memory bit by bit. Even after all the years that Vaggie has been part of Adam and Lute's team, a successful Excortizant Angel and one of the angels with a high kill count, this year's extermination had been more strenuous. 

Vaggie felt exhausted and not for the first time, doubts crept in as to whether she would make it another year. She knew that in this way she was helping Heaven... to ensure that the safety and prosperity of the heavenly place continued from now on.

And all the sinners in Hell, the Hellborns and demons who are well-deservedly slaughtered down there... are nothing more than numbers on an endless list of annoying final bosses. 

And yet Vaggie felt too tired and exhausted... maybe even a little sad to want to attend Adam's victory party. Adam held this victory party every year. For the angels who were part of the extermination team. Of course, only the exterminated angels and the seraphim were allowed to know about it.

Not only about the party but also about the annual extermination of the inhabitants of hell.

"What a... exhausting day... I feel like I've been beaten up more than the killed Sinners...", Vaggie grumbled and disappeared with her head hanging towards the bathroom to change her clothes soaked in sinners' blood. And to take a shower.

But as soon as Vaggie entered the small bathroom of her apartment and cast a weak glance in the mirror, her exhaustion and the spiral of tumultuous emotions reached a new high.

Her hands rested on the edge of the sink and her body felt like lead. Vaggie turned her gaze away from the reflection of herself in the mirror and closed her eyes.

Which was a big mistake, because immediately the panicked looks of a family of sinners appeared before her mind's eye, calling for their dead adult children and running in panic through the streets of hell. Vaggie suddenly opened her eyes again, turned her back to the bathroom mirror and sank down onto the floor, onto the small carpet in front of the sink.

She deliberately ignored the fact that her hands were touching the still-drying spots of the sinners' blood. A heavy sigh left the angel's lips and she rested her head wearily on the palms of her hands for a moment. Why had this extermination been so emotionally exhausting? She always kept her distance and this time... it was like this... oh, Vaggie couldn't quite define it either.

"Vaggie? Darling? You're not at Adam's party?" - the gentle voice of the Seraphim angel, who was a parental figure for Vaggie and with whom Vaggie had a good relationship because she really saw the Seraphim as a parent and with all her worries and hopes after all the years , in which she had received complete support from the high-ranking angel and always experienced so much care and support, penetrated through the ajar bathroom door.

"Um... no, I... don't feel so good... it... was exhausting and...", Vaggie's voice broke and a quiet, involuntary sob escaped the otherwise so confident Vaggie. Which was the reason for the angel on the other side to carefully open the bathroom door and kneel lovingly in front of Vaggie, who was crouching on the floor.

The Seraphim carefully placed a hand on the angel's shoulder, ignoring the blood.

It didn't bother the Seraphim and the angel's golden eyes sparkled with concern but also great parental love and affection. The other gently stroked Vaggie's short white hair while the Seraphim angel hummed a few quiet, soothing words from an old children's song.

Vaggie recognized the melody and closed her own golden eyes for a moment.

"Extermination is an important part of keeping Heaven safe and if you'd rather stay home, I'll keep you company. How does that sound? A nice movie night, some popcorn and the oversized pajamas from last year for your birthday?" - suggested the parental figure in Vaggie's life.

Uncertain, Vaggie opened her eyes and looked into the face of the Seraphim she trusted so much and it sounded so soothing to just let the evening end, with nothing wild or strenuous.

"I know...thank you for trying to cheer me up but...you know...there was that family that was looking for their dead adult children on the street and...", Vaggie voiced her concerns and began to tremble.

The Seraphim quickly pulled Vaggie into a protective, calming hug and also wrapped its own large wings tightly around himself and Vaggie like a fluffy blanket.

Just held the Exorcist angel and gave her the security and support that Vaggie needed at that moment.

The parental support that she was making the right decision and that she was doing a good job.

"These sinners are in hell for a good reason and you did an outstanding job, like every year. I am so incredibly proud of you Vaggie, never forget that darling? It's understandable that you are exhausted and maybe a little agitated... go take a shower and then I'll prepare everything for the film... and make you the hot chocolate that you like so much? With an extra heart cookie? There's the cautious smile that suits you so wonderfully Vaggie," - the Seraphim angel said soothingly when Vaggie's trembling had subsided and Vaggie sought eye contact and was even able to show a grateful smile.

The Seraphim's wings loosened again and a hand stroked Vaggie's cheek in a parental , way before the Seraphim sat up and turned on the shower water ,so it could warm up before the Seraphim turned around to Vaggie again and helped her to her feet with one hand.

"Thank you...that...was exactly what I needed...can you...look out for the heart cookies with the chocolate pieces?" Vaggie replied gratefully.

"Anytime, Darling. And i look, if we still have your favorite cookies? If there's anything, just call for me and I'll come faster than the wings clapping together of the postman angel!", said the parental figure and gently patted Vaggie on the shoulder, before the Seraphim made its way out of the bathroom.

"Thank you...", Vaggie said one last time and was truly grateful from the bottom of her heart , for the comfort and the comforting gestures and words of her parental figure and the hug.

Another parental smile was given to Vaggie by the Seraphim angel before the bathroom door was closed from the outside and Vaggie got rid of her partially torn and blood-stained clothes and jumped into the shower.

When the warm water hit her exhausted body and not only freed her of the blood , residue with a little shampoo and shower gel, the self-doubt and the troubled emotions were also washed away.

At least for this year's extermination.

Vaggie didn't want to think about next year.

She would slip into oversized pajamas right after her shower and take it easy for the evening, enjoying the company of the parental Seraphim angel...who had been like a parent to, her since her arrival in Heaven so many years ago, acting as a buoy of light on stormy seas.

She would always see the light, no matter how turbulent and chaotic the sea raged beneath her.

Always.

THE END

[the-theatregal]

Rules of Life

According to my parental figures

1. The golden rule

Treat others how you wish to be treated.

(Grandma’s Disclaimer! if they act nice to some then turn around and be cruel to people they perceive as “lesser” then they will get what’s coming to ‘em, probably Grandma’s wrath.)

2. Never say no to free stuff!

Use best judgement, don’t take candy or puppies from strangers in scary vans, don’t take what isn’t yours, if taking the thing would break rule 1, don’t do it. Be smart be safe, ya dumbasses

Get that pizza party your workplace threw instead of paying you a living wage? Take the pizza and continue to demand fair wage.

Friend leaves a bowl of candies on the table, take one or two (after confirming it’s okay with Friend).

And if all else fails…

“Channel your grandmother.”

[bizarrepotpourri]

As a mother you quickly learn the same about children.

[thatonenerdygirli]

Ever had a mother that told you to study. And that if you were too tired you should just drink energy at 19.35 at night. No? Well you have not felt that love.

[holisticbudo]

Divine Reliance

Our children deserveto be taught something greater thanto rely on usalthough we should be reliablethey deserve to be taughtto rely on a powergreater than human powernot even self reliancebut reliance onthat which is greater than selfyour selftheir selfall selvesit is that which preexists selfand without which there is no selfour task is to guide themtoward that which we cannot give themand no one…

[kids-worldfun]

What to Do When Your Kid Accidentally Breaks Your iPhone 12 Pro Screen

As a parent in today’s digital age, it’s not uncommon to hand over your iPhone 12 Pro to your child for entertainment or educational purposes. However, accidents can happen, and sometimes our curious little ones can unintentionally damage the device, especially the delicate screen. If you find yourself in this stressful situation, don’t worry! This guide will walk you through the steps to take…

[sheena-is-a-punk-rocker]

Figured I'd chime in with some dental advice as an RDA who works in peds (I don't have kids myself but I see teeny tiny babies all day every day)

1) babies can either get teeth earlier than six months, right around the six month mark, or after and all three are normal! Once they start getting teeth take a finger brush and swipe it five times across the upper teeth and and five times across the lower teeth. You can get front and back in one swipe

2) if you nurse your baby to sleep or can't get in with a toothbrush it is SUPER important that you take a wet washcloth and swipe it over their top teeth. Bottom teeth are protected by the tongue, top teeth aren't. We don't want those milk sugars sitting on the teeth all night. Cavities can and will start this early

3) night time brush is the most important one! If you can only get in there once a day, make it a night time brush!

4) we do recommend fluoride toothpaste even this young! What's important is the amount you're using. Tiny dry rice grain sized amount for babies and toddlers until they're spitting on their own (usually between ages 3-4). What you wanna do is rub the toothpaste into the bristles so there's no gel left it's just foam and then brush their teeth with that. That way anything they end up swallowing won't upset their tummy or cause any issues

5) you can put the finger brush in the freezer and let them chew on it to help with teething

6) canines wre objectively the worst teeth for teething. They have the longest roots and they're the sharpest. They typically come in after the first molars so if they're even fussier than usual when those teeth come in that's why!

7) do NOT use orajel or anything else marketed as a gel/ointment for teething. They can overdose on that really easily and it's just not worth it

8) short handled toothbrushes for them to play with! You can get some that are double handled and it's really good for kids who want to brush by themselves. You grab one end, they grab the other end so they feel like they have some independence but you have all the control. Longer handled toothbrushes are for parents to use only. They can puncture their palate really easily if they play with it on their own

9) lip and tongue ties are REALLY easy for pediatricians to miss! Even lactation consultants miss them all the time! If you think your baby has a lip or tongue tie you can get a second opinion from your dentist. We see babies as little as like a few days old at my office and there's almost always instant improvement once the lip and/or tongue tie is released

10) lip ties can also make brushing super uncomfortable so if your baby doesn't like brushing or is curling their lip when you brush those middle two teeth on the top, that might be why

11) lip and tongue ties are easier to treat when your child is younger vs when they're older. The tissue gets more fibrous the older they get. The tissue can either be cut with a scalpel which is what pediatric ENTs will do, or it can be treated with a laser. Not all pediatric dentists offer this but it's an option to look into! The laser procedure takes less than 2 minutes and your baby is awake the entire time and in your arms. We did four of them this morning alone at my office

12) pacifier use and thumb sucking really only becomes a problem once your child is closer to 3 or 4 so don't stress if they don't wanna give up the habit. Before age 4 those changes to the palate that are made by the thumb or pacifier will usually self correct

13) snacks that are really good for their teeth are cut up apples with the skins on, nuts, and cut up cheese. The apples and nuts will slough off all that plaque that accumulates on the teeth and the cut up cheese has a protein in it called casein that we call a forcefield for the teeth. It protects against that plaque

14) things to avoid are really sticky things like dried fruit and gummy fruit snacks. Those get stuck in the grooves of those back teeth and make them more prone to cavities. Plain chocolate and plain ice cream are things you can give them that are better for their teeth! Just have them drink some warm water afterwards to melt it off their teeth

seeing a lot of videos that are like “I didn’t know babies couldn’t have water” so here’s an incomplete list of things you need to know before having a baby

- the obvious, they can’t have water bc milk is incredibly high in water already so excess water leads to over hydration

- babies cannot have honey until 1

- if ur breastfeeding your kid and saving excess milk, make sure you label what you pumped in the morning vs at night bc your body produces different melatonin levels throughout the day and giving your baby daytime milk at night can make them more alert and fuck up their sleep schedule

- idk why ppl keep saying this but swaddling your babies or getting them those baby straight jacket things is not abuse. It chills them out cuz it reminds them of the womb

- babies have a dandruff like buildup on their head called cradle cap, and it’s very easy to deal with and remove with just some baby shampoo, a gentle scrub brush (MADE FOR BABIES!!) and a comb. It does need to be removed tho cuz it can be very painful after a while. This can also continue to happen late into toddlerhood it’s normal

- you have to clean out the creases of your baby’s skin and hands and feet they WILL collect dust😭😭

- you cannot bathe your baby until their umbilical cord naturally falls off. Use a warm damp rag until then

- tummy time is actually very important

- your baby might have a misshapen head at first (not all the time but sometimes) this will either sort itself out or they’ll need a corrective helmet ask your doctor

- I wouldn’t recommend having your baby leave the house very much until they’re at least 6 months old, especially if they’re born near cold and flu season cuz the common cold can kill a newborn

- you’re not an awful horrible person for having postpartum depression and it’s always a million times better to let your baby cry a few minutes longer than normal while you regain your composure than to freak out and give ur kid shaken baby syndrome

- you’re not an awful horrible person for giving your baby formula milk either

- don’t put shoes on your baby it’ll compromise their toe box and balance

- babies put every single thing in their mouths

- the easiest way to burp a baby is to hold them straight up (spine straight) and hold their head a bit higher

- always support their head they barely have necks

- if your baby fights away food, fights tummy time, vomits every single time you burp them, is gaining or losing an unreasonable amount of weight at a time, wheezes after eating, or goes red after eating, chances are they’re probably allergic to the type of milk they’re eating (again ask a doctor but these are just some signs it’s not just colic)

- they will wobble a lot when learning to do things but you gotta fight the urge to help them every single time cuz they gotta learn

- they’re not always spitting out baby food cuz they don’t like it they just don’t know how to eat. Like they don’t know how to push food down they only know how to stick their tongue out so be patient

- babies craniums are broken up into three parts at first that later fuse together, this is to help make birthing easier but it results in a small EXTREMELY sensitive spot in the top of their head that has no protection. This puts their brain at a high risk. Always protect their soft spot

- read to your baby!! Get cute bright colorful sensory books with sight words and read them to your baby it makes such a huge difference in their educational growth and will help them acquire a love for reading early on. And talk to them never shut up just say whatever comes to mind all the time this will strengthen their vocabulary growth also.

- babies poop like a lot. A lot. an unreasonable amount. Bring back up clothes and more diapers than you think

- no pillows or stuffies in the crib and only use a muslin blanket unless it’s especially cold to prevent suffocation

- babies kick reflexively until they’re out of their newborn scrunch (they stay womb shaped for a while) and if your baby is crying and pushing at the swaddle try letting them flail around for a minute

- consoling your baby is not spoiling them ! They need comfort and they will learn to self soothe on their own

- singing lullabies actually works, they can recognize your voice a consistent place of comfort from the womb and the cadence of lullabies is literally engineered to create a calm headspace

- for the love of god do not get boring ass beige toys. Colors are important for their neurological development

- babies are very responsive to praise from a young age so be as supportive of them as you can

- babies get constipated a lot and you have to do like tummy massages to help ease their pain the easiest way is to lay them on their backs and hold one foot in each hand, kick their feet like bicycles, scrunch up, and then stretch their legs out

- holding them on your hip too much will not cause bow legged-ness if your baby is bow legged that was always gonna happen

- they drool so so much and you have to get bibs for them so they don’t get chest eczema

- don’t use scented products on their skin cuz their skin is sooo much thinner than ours

- when your baby first starts sitting on their own never walk away from them without setting up a nest of pillows and blankets around them. Even minor head trauma can mess them up sometimes

- this one is kinda morbid and scary but sometimes babies just die out of nowhere and it’s no one’s fault or anything it’s called sudden infantile death syndrome(SIDS) and it’s about 1.3k deaths on average per year in America so not super common but still very real. 90% of these deaths happen during the first four months however edit: apparently it’s bc of an enzyme deficiency which at the very least you can take steps to try and prevent

- smoking and drinking during pregnancy WILL affect your baby and your breast milk and also might contribute to SIDS cases

- babies sometimes have a big red mark on them somewhere called a stork bite immediately after birth but typically it goes away

- babies can’t see very well for a while after birth and they’re VERY wobbly so they’ll typically bonk their head into your chest and face a lot while trying to support themselves

- female babies might have smth similar to a period the first few days after birth, this is because of the hormone transfer that happens during the birthing process and the days leading up to it

- male babies get random erections for the first few days after birth(hormone transfer again) literally do not be weird about this it’s a baby

- things like weaning your baby onto solid foods, potty training, weaning off pacifiers etc, can actually be directed by the baby and will happen naturally will minimal guidance from the parent(some guidance is still necessary) although I would do individual research into baby led weaning for food to prevent choking

- get those chewy feeding pouches to help with weaning

- the most random things will scare the hell out of your baby don’t take it personal 😭

- baby carriers are life savers (tulas are one of my favorites)

- once babies hit toddlerhood they’re tougher than you think, and a lot of their reaction is based on YOURS. they’re always going to be looking to you for how to react to a situation. Remain calm and if they’re ok they’ll calm down but if they’re genuinely hurt they’ll keep crying

- babies will most likely get ridiculously attached to an inanimate object and you have to keep this thing intact at all costs until they’re old enough to abandon it or they will throw a FIT. I got a lemur plushie from a zoo once and every single one of the kids has bonded their soul with it until about 6 years old and once a month I have to stitch him back up

- don’t compare yourself to other parents. Maybe your kid isnt getting grass fed wild caught north Atlantic cheerios but at least they’re fed. If your kid is alive and healthy and happy you’re doing a good job

- you will need 3 car seats, an infant seat, a grow with me toddler seat, and a booster seat

- getting a good diaper bag is a MUST

- the hair a baby is born with will most likely all fall out or they’ll get a bald spot on the back of their head where they sleep cuz their hair is so fragile and thin but once it grows back it grows back thick

- get like 20 muslin blankets so you always have a backup when the main ones are covered in spit up

- the babies grip IS stronger than yours (keep your hair up and keep pets away best you can)

- your best bet for your teething baby is a pacifier you can put your finger in so you can massage their gums and some chewing toys numbing cream can be dangerous and should be used sparingly

- go ahead and come to terms with the fact you’re gonna have to use a Frida Baby to manually remove snot

- babies can get hair and thread wrapped around their toes and fingers that can cut off their circulation try to make a habit of checking

- don’t hit your kid please it’s nothing but trauma and fucked up coping mechanisms from there pls empathize with your child they’re a person too

- be careful not to pull too hard on their arms and legs(like during play or holding their hand while they walk) and NEVER pick them up by their hands this will very easily cause dislocation

- they might have a little tooth like callous on their lip from their pacifier. This does not hurt them and it will go away but it may hurt during breastfeeding

- breastfeeding will make your boobs different sizes

Yeag that’s all I can think of rn but yk i Will add as I remember stuff ppl are also adding things I forgot in the tags in case you’d like to look thru that as well <3

[impalas-arsenal]

This is just a reminder to parents that when you tell your children, "you can tell me anything", that HAS to include them being able to tell you that you've upset them. And while it may hurt, you have to be receptive to listen, because you know if they can trust you with this information, then they probably feel like they can trust you with everything else.

[marsymallows]

Thought Vomit 1 | Faces on a Milk Carton

I was trying hard to fall asleep during our lunch break, but I couldn’t so I laid in my cozy bed in the dark, with my mind doing what it does best when idle—-though vomit! Just when I thought I could rest for a bit, a random thought just popped out of nowhere. It was about the news I saw last night on a 16-year-old teenage girl being forced into sex by an older guy who apparently she was in a…

[kindly-whisper-norbury]

My 11-year-old couldn't decide what flavor of ramen to make, so I told her to flip a coin. Heads for spicy chicken, tails for beef.

Taking my advice, she flipped a penny, and when it landed on tails she said "Wait! Wait! I did it wrong!"

I told her that she did it right, because the real reason for flipping a coin isn't to let fate decide for you, but because when the coin is in the air, you will suddenly realize what you wanted in the first place.

I'm sure there's a life lesson there somewhere…

But honestly, I have never known her to pass up spicy chicken.

[sewgeekmama]

My Best Piece of Parenting Advice: It Gets Better

[kyri45]

DBK might be an asshole but he got better couple therapy than these 2 gay monkies ever had in 5000 years and exactly bc he himself did it wrongly he need to make sure Wukong doesn't yell with his ex housband in front of the kids

Shadowpeach Bio Parent AU (PREV / FIRST /NEXT)

[thinkscholar]

My daughter doesn't listen to me

Explore the challenges of parenting in a world filled with contradictions. Dive into the struggles of setting the right example for children when personal actions don't align with preached values.

My daughter is pure evil, she doesn’t listen to me at all. I am teaching her about what to do and what not to do and she doesn’t follow even single instruction: Don’t eat too much at night, while I am overweight Don’t watch tv at night, while I watch movies at night Manage your time well, while I am always in hurry for office Don’t worry about marks or results just give your best, while I…

[thebean-17]

Just a little piece of advice and possibly a vent but...

Please for the love of the gods, do not yell at your children, whether they're young or adults, it doesn't fucking matter. Do not yell at your children and then later try to justify it because "they're not listening."

The reason that they may not be listening to you is because they're listening to someone yelling their fucking lungs out rather than actually getting straight to the point at hand.

Thanks.

[rafeandonlyrafe]

first moments

words: 1.5k

warnings: mom!reader, dad!rafe, established relationship, brief hospital setting, anxiety (from rafe)

“rafe, wanna do chest to chest?” you hum, eyes mostly closed, the exhaustion from labor still affecting you.

“i…” he stares at you, and then at your son, resting against your chest, maternity dress pulled open so he's against your skin, his face resembling the exact same one rafe makes when he's sleeping. “its okay, you keep holding him.”

“okay.” you say, looking down at your son. it didn't take you long to decide on a name. leon andres cameron. leon after rafes grandfather and andres after your own. a good strong family name. 

“he's so perfect.” rafe whispers, his voice cracking slightly.

“come closer.” you beckon, rafe moving his chair closer, but still keeping his distance, making you frown. “what's wrong?”

rafes mouth opens, but no words come out. you pause, hand petting over leons back.

“wait…” your mind starts to piece together, still foggy from the delivery and drugs. “you haven't held him yet.”

“i-” rafe stumbles over his words, knowing he's been caught. “i can't. he's too tiny. too perfect. i-i don't want to ruin him.”

“ruin him?” you frown. “rafe, you're his father. get over here.”

you struggle to scooch over on the hospital bed, but manage to make room for rafe to sit down next to you. he even sits carefully, gnawing at his lip as you turn leon over, keeping him asleep as you turn him face up, supporting his neck the whole time.

“just cradle your arms. it's okay, you'll get used to it.” you watch as rafe moves his arms before placing leon in them, having to cover your mouth when the sudden urge to cry hits you, leon looking even smaller being held by your husband.

“i love him.” rafe whispers, voice cracking, a few tears sliding down his cheeks. “i love him so much.”

“look how relaxed he is in your arms.” you coo. “i knew you'd be a good dad.”

--

“god, im so nervous.” rafe looks in the backseat where you’re sitting, leon buckled tight into the carseat.

“its okay.” you hum, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “just drive slow.” “yeah, of course.” rafe nods. he barely puts the car above 15 miles per hour the entire ride home. leon thankfully stays asleep, you’re not sure if you could have handled just leaving the hospital and having him crying on the way home.

“okay, here.” rafe takes a deep breath as he pulls the car into the garage.

“you got his carseat?” you ask. your body is still recovering from birth, and you’re not sure if you can lift anything up without tearing.

“yeah.” rafe undoes the carseat carefully as you get out and unlock the house, happy to be home after two days spent in the hospital.

“mmm.” you breathe in the fresh air. “my eyes are so happy after all that fluorescent light.”

“um- watch out baby.” rafe hates having to have you move out of the way so quickly, but he can hear leon beginning to fuss and needs to get him inside.

you giggle and step away, watching as rafe quickly rushes to unbuckle him. he looks to you to get him out of the carrier, but you allow rafe to scoop him up, shushing him and gently rocking him back and forth.

--

“i got it.” rafe offers.

“no, he's hungry.” you groan, already feeling your breasts swelling with milk just from hearing his cry. “i can tell.”

“im sorry, baby.” rafe sighs, staying in bed as he tries to get back to sleep. no point having both of you completely exhausted.

you manage to settle leon, feeding him in the rocking chair rafe got you before you gave birth. he almost wakes when you transfer him back to the crib, but you get him down and back to rafe, crawling into bed next to him.

“i wish i could do more.” rafe sighs. so much of you is required from leon, not just the pregnancy but now needing to feed him. rafe tries to take care of anything else you could need, but he struggles with not knowing how to do things as basic as changing diapers.

“you're learning fast, rafe. it's okay.” you move closer so rafe can hold you, snuggling into your back, his hand gently rubbing over your hip.

“i don't deserve you.” you know it's just the exhaustion talking. you grip his hand in yours, squeezing three times, saying the words without needing to speak.

“we should sleep while he's asleep.” you say, rafe nodding and pressing kisses to your shoulders and upper back until you're pulled back to sleep.

--

“shh, leon, it's okay.” rafe looks around for you, surely you must have heard leons cries. you said you'd be just a minute, running to the beauty aisle to grab your conditioner before returning to rafe shopping for groceries.

rafe pushes the brim of the carrier back, his heart breaking as his sons little face scrunches with big tears rolling down his cheeks.

rafe isn't sure what to do, so he just lets his instincts guide him as he quickly undoes the seatbelt and lifts leon into his chest, being careful to hold his head just as you instructed.

the second leon is against rafes, his cries lessen, and then all together subside as rafe bounces gently.

“is he okay?” rafe looks up to see you hustling down the aisle towards him.

“yeah, he was upset but i got him.” rafe pats leons back gently, turning his head to press a kiss against his cheek.

“okay.” you let out a sigh of relief, tossing your conditioner into the grocery cart. “want me to take him?”

“no, im good.” rafe shifts leon a little as you start to walk, pushing the carrier and loading the bottom up with more groceries, especially all the things you couldn't have while pregnant but are now safe despite still breastfeeding.

rafe doesn't miss the way you keep looking over at him with light in your eyes, excitement evident at seeing how comfortable rafe is becoming with leon held snuggly in his arms.

--

“are you sure?” you ask, frowning as your eyes flicker between leon laying on the couch cushion and rafe sitting next to him, focus on your baby as he makes silly faces at him.

“baby, i know i struggled at first, but this is one weekend. you have plenty of milk pumped. ill be fine.” rafe scoops leon into his arms as he stands, walking towards you.

“besides, if i need help i can always call your mom. even wheezie, you know she'll be happy to see leon.” rafe shifts the baby to one arm while his free hand comes to cup your cheek. “go. please, i will miss you and leon will too, but you deserve a break.”

“okay.” you nod, getting on your tip toes to press a kiss to rafes lips before also kissing leon, who lets out a familiar cooing sound.

“im gonna text my girls.” you can't hide the excitement in your voice, pulling out your phone to confirm you'll be able to go to the girls spa weekend away. 

“i want nightly face times with you though baby.” you poke leons little nose, whose cheeks stretch into a smile.

--

“oh my god, rafe, is everything okay?” you squeal, squinting at the screen as if it'll somehow make leon appear.

“yes! fine, i promise.” rafe points the camera down so you can see leon happily on his lap, already looking tired as bedtime is quickly approaching.

“why didn't you pick up the first time?” you ask, a lot calmer now that you have eyes on your baby.

“leon and i were just getting home. i took him to the park. he couldn't really do anything but be in the carrier but he liked watching the other kids play.” rafe looks down at leon, giving him a little tickle under the chin. “isn't that right buddy?”

“did you-”

“yes, i put sunscreen on him. and he wore a hat. and-” rafe stresses before you can interrupt. “i reapplied sunscreen after an hour.”

“you're the best.” you smile. “you know i never doubted you rafe, it's just-” you take a deep sigh. “i worry so much about him. and making sure he's happy.”

“and he is.” rafe assured you. “look at his little face.”

you feel tears well up in your eyes as you look at your husband and your son, snuggled together on the couch. you quickly take a screenshot while they both have smiles on their faces.

“you're such a good mama. leons lucky to have you, and so am i.”

the tears are now falling down your cheeks as you smile. “i love you.”

“i love you too. and we miss you, but go enjoy your night with the girls!”

“okay.” you nod. “you're right. ill be home tomorrow around noon.”

“got it.” rafe holds the camera closer to leon. “say bye bye to mommy, leon.”

the call ends with his smiling face looking back at yours.

sfw taglist: @bejeweledreverie @winterrrnight @ladyinbl00d @ethanthequeefqueen

[forestpixies]

no actually you’re either gentle parenting your child or you’re being emotionally and/or physically abusive to them, whether or not you’re aware of that.

because the term gentle parenting already includes discipline and teaching your kid right from wrong. gentle parenting doesn’t mean you can’t tell your kid no. it means you can tell them no when they do something they shouldn’t, but instead of punishing or yelling at them, you’re explaining and giving them reasons why they can’t do that, you are helping them learn and encouraging them to be better. gentle parenting means you’re using reasons built on mutual respect instead of anger. because yes, no matter how young your child is, they deserve respect too.

I’m sorry but most of the times when someone says they’re a strict parent, what it means is that they give their child childhood trauma that’ll last a lifetime, whether or not they’re aware of it. especially parents who brag to other people about how strict they are and how they punished their children.

and I’m sorry but saying you have a short temper is never an excuse to be emotionally and/or physically abusive towards your kid either.

“I yelled at you because I have a short temper” then why am I the one suffering? if you can’t control your anger, then get help. work on it. do better. be better.

also… your child standing up for themself against you, when you’re being abusive to them, isn’t them being disrespectful towards you. it means they are defending themself because you wouldn’t do that for them and so they had to step in and be their own protector.

if you’re a parent and can defend and stand up for yourself when you feel like you need to, but at the same time punish your kid when they stand up for themself against you, then you are the problem.

I was that child and I’m gonna make it as simple as I can for any parent out there — because no kid deserves to go through what I went through — imagine yourself owning a dog. really. you can either

a.) beat that dog whenever they do something wrong and simply take your anger out on them until they’re fully submissive and are terrified of you

or

b.) train them with love and gentleness and earn their love and loyalty in return

now imagine both A and B dogs on leashes and imagine them no longer being on leashes one day. which dog do you think will run away as far as they can and never look back, and which one do you think will stay because they love and want to be with their owner?