Parenting Catch-all

redacted

BushPilot wrote:

This morning I asked our Google Home to "play some music I'd like" and she responded "OK, here's Grover."
I am no longer an individual distinct from my toddler, as far as Google is concerned.

I once asked for some "good music" and got the frozen soundtrack. My girls were happy. I on the other hand would love to never have to listen to "let it go" again.

Igneus wrote:
BushPilot wrote:

This morning I asked our Google Home to "play some music I'd like" and she responded "OK, here's Grover."
I am no longer an individual distinct from my toddler, as far as Google is concerned.

I once asked for some "good music" and got the frozen soundtrack. My girls were happy. I on the other hand would love to never have to listen to "let it go" again.

Hot tip. Learn the entire song and sing it at karaoke. That's how you stop it.

anyone want a digital code for trolls world tour? we got a physical copy and we don't need the digital code. obviously, many kids will want this without the parents wanting it, but if anyone would like it send me a pm. it redeems via vudu or universalredeem.com if that matters to anyone.

edit:
taken

Best actually-fun typing game?

Oldest kid is six. Today was his first day of first grade. The school gave everyone a Chromebook. He has only used iPads. Me watching him trying to type on a real keyboard is.......it's painful. What would be something like Typing of the Dead for young kids of this era? I learned fast effective typing by playing online multiplayer games before headsets were standard, and awful computer classes. The google results for "best kids typing game" look like boring educational drivel.

Keithustus wrote:

Best actually-fun typing game?

Oldest kid is six. Today was his first day of first grade. The school gave everyone a Chromebook. He has only used iPads. Me watching him trying to type on a real keyboard is.......it's painful. What would be something like Typing of the Dead for young kids of this era? I learned fast effective typing by playing online multiplayer games before headsets were standard, and awful computer classes. The google results for "best kids typing game" look like boring educational drivel.

Let me know, as I've not had much luck either.
My kid is 9 and has gotten better and I may just let him use TofD.
However, zombies will give my 6yo nightmares so I need something else for her.

My 6 year old was into the "BBC Dance Mat Typing" for a while, when her school went remote in March.

I can't vouch for age appropriateness... But Epistory seemed like fun for the thirty or so minutes I got to play before my four year old demanded the keyboard.

The Cook, Serve, Delicious series might be worth looking into, but might be a touch complex for littles.

Ok... this has been going on for awhile and 4 adults are completely at a loss for what is happening... we used to blame ants, as I get similar effects from ant bites and have he has blamed ants for bites in the past.

Basically every time he goes to his grandparents he comes back with what start out looking like mosquito bites, mildly irritated red spots (typically between 5 and 10). Over the next two days they form clear blisters somewhere near 4mm in size. These are itchy for a bit until they form this bubble. This happens whether or not he goes outside to play that day.

He used to get them at school too, but now we spray him with a mild bug spray every day before he goes and it seems to have made a difference.

Here is one much worse than normal he has which has a similar one on the other ankle.

Spoiler:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/nFpRCwV.jpg)

And here are some on his neck before bubble... the one on the scalp seems to have formed and popped...

Spoiler:

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/mIhmKHF.jpg)

Obviously ants are an ever present pest outside and pretty common inside too, but my inlaws house is not crawling with them and we have checked the bed at home and the one he uses there thoroughly for bed bugs.

Up until this weekend they have always been on his legs. Now he has them on his neck and face. Also this reaction is with benadryl, I dread the thought of how bad it would be without it.

Do they have pets? My first my guess would be fleas.

My family has sensitive skin issues, so that's where my mind goes. Though the presentation does look more like bugs than dermatitis.

I would check to see what soaps, sunscreens, or laundry detergent they use (or fabric softener). If there's anything radically different, then send your own sheets and soap with him next time. I'm not confident that's what it is, but it's something relatively simple to do to eliminate a possible source.

Good luck

Probably worth getting seen by a dermatologist, they might be better at identifying the source.

LeapingGnome wrote:

Do they have pets? My first my guess would be fleas.

Yes pets, no fleas... this has been consistent for at least 6 months before COVID hit and the dog has never had fleas.

Soap could be an issue, although it seems unlikely the way he breaks out... (fairly non uniform, probably different soaps over that time period)

I will look into a dermatologist. I was thinking allergist... but dermatologist might be a better starting point.

could be some form of fly or spider bite, does he tend to get them all over or are they usually localized. also, do the bites happen at a certain time of day? all the time when you're there?
the first pic looks quite a bit like a spider bite i got as a kid. plus, the redness around the swelling site makes me think he's getting some sort of venom reaction rather then just an bite. is it possible there's a spider nest in or around the room he stays in there?
we had bedbugs and the bites didn't look like that so i'll 2nd that you're probably safe there.

Mixolyde wrote:

Probably worth getting seen by a dermatologist, they might be better at identifying the source.

This.

Loads of skin stuff looks like loads of other skin stuff.

Tycho the Mad wrote:

could be some form of fly or spider bite, does he tend to get them all over or are they usually localized. also, do the bites happen at a certain time of day? all the time when you're there?
the first pic looks quite a bit like a spider bite i got as a kid. plus, the redness around the swelling site makes me think he's getting some sort of venom reaction rather then just an bite. is it possible there's a spider nest in or around the room he stays in there?
we had bedbugs and the bites didn't look like that so i'll 2nd that you're probably safe there.

I think some sort of bug is the culprit... but the in-laws house is cleaner than mine. The one on his ankle is new in size and looks work than the others, so it might be a spider, but that still leaves the regular ones. They are not in groups or patterns, typically just looks like he stepped on an ant hill or something. They just occur whether or not he goes outside... typically happens when he spends the day or overnight. Doesn't seem to happen in the short amount when we just do a normal visit.

manta173 wrote:
Tycho the Mad wrote:

could be some form of fly or spider bite, does he tend to get them all over or are they usually localized. also, do the bites happen at a certain time of day? all the time when you're there?
the first pic looks quite a bit like a spider bite i got as a kid. plus, the redness around the swelling site makes me think he's getting some sort of venom reaction rather then just an bite. is it possible there's a spider nest in or around the room he stays in there?
we had bedbugs and the bites didn't look like that so i'll 2nd that you're probably safe there.

I think some sort of bug is the culprit... but the in-laws house is cleaner than mine. The one on his ankle is new in size and looks work than the others, so it might be a spider, but that still leaves the regular ones. They are not in groups or patterns, typically just looks like he stepped on an ant hill or something. They just occur whether or not he goes outside... typically happens when he spends the day or overnight. Doesn't seem to happen in the short amount when we just do a normal visit.

You can rule out bugs at night by sealing him into a bugnetted environment when he goes to sleep. If they still happen, you'll at least know that it's not just happening at night.

Depends on the bug, there are plenty of critters that can evade or go through bug nets. It would help rule out most spiders, mosquitoes and flys though.

I just found out that my father in law reacts that way to chiggers... the little red mites... So that's a new lead to track down.

From my non medical experience is I would check if its your child is dinner (aka bug) or a reaction to something localised like the laundry powder used. The fact that the house is cleaner could be the culprit

My advise would be to consult a dermatologist via a teleconsult.

Baby #2 is here almost 3 weeks early! Wife did it again all natural with no drugs. 6 pounds, 15 ounces, so way bigger than our first that was 6 weeks early.

They're monitoring blood sugar and making sure she eats, but so far no NICU, which is so great.

12 weeks of paternity leave starts today. Going to love being at home with my girls.

Congrats and good luck!

Stele wrote:

12 weeks of paternity leave starts today. Going to love being at home with my girls.

Paternity leave might have been the best month of my adult life.

Many congratulations and may she sleep through the night sooner rather then later!

Congrats, Stele!

Congrats Stele!!

Jonman wrote:
Stele wrote:

12 weeks of paternity leave starts today. Going to love being at home with my girls.

Paternity leave might have been the best month of my adult life.

Not for me because we had no idea WTF we were doing and my wife struggled with postpartum depression. I do look back on it fondly with my daughter sleeping in my arms every day though.

LeapingGnome wrote:
Jonman wrote:

Paternity leave might have been the best month of my adult life.

Not for me because we had no idea WTF we were doing and my wife struggled with postpartum depression. I do look back on it fondly with my daughter sleeping in my arms every day though.

Oof yeah.

Not gonna lie, part of the reason it was so good for me is that it's the longest I've had off work since I graduated college 16 years prior (or since). By a factor of 2.

I mean, hurray for gainful employment and all but f*ck man, it's no wonder I feel burned out.

I ended up only taking a couple of weeks off for both of my kids but I have an extremely flexible schedule and understanding so ended up taking a lot of half days or coming in late with no consequences.

Congrats, Stele! Now is the time to get back to all those one handed games you can play with a baby in one arm and a mouse/controller in the other. I remember I played a ton of Wii games when my kids were babies. Oh! And Rock Band! There are many pictures of me during my paternity leave wearing a baby bjorn or moby wrap with a sleeping baby while playing a plastic guitar.