LovingLife

Mothers of sons, please help with this.

I have a son who is almost 21 months. At 19 months I brought him a potty. So far he knows what it's for (eg he sits on it) but he hasn't done anything yet. I know it's only early so not overly worried, but I have been told by a few mothers of sons that little boys take longer to potty train than girls. Is this true?

He knows when he has wet/dirtied his nappy (diaper) and tries to take it off. Do you think I should just wait til he's a bit older or just continue with leaving his nappy off during the day (apart from nap times) so eventually he will wee/poop on the potty?

Thanks in advance :)

So, I like the name Xander for a boy, but don't really like Alexander, which is what it's usually short for.

Do you think having a son named Xander (just Xander) would be ok, or do you think he'd constantly get asked if he's name is short for Alexander?

Note: I am not pregnant. I already have three children and not sure if I want anymore, but these are names I like and would consider using if I did have more children one day. Tell me your thoughts on them, please...

Boys:

Jasper

Noah

Phoenix

Hayden

Xander (not Alexander)

Oliver

Christian

Caspian

Phineas

Girls:

Willow

Alyssa

Laura

Isobel

Michaela

Madeleine

Caroline

Kayla

Niamh

I had been suffering really bad pain off and on for a while and was finally diagnosed with gallstones (actually pancreatitis caused by gallstones) so I had keyhole surgery to have my gallbladder removed a few days ago. I am home now and doing fine, but can't drive or lift anything for a while. I still have a sore throat from the breathing tube they put in and get shoulder pain from the trapped gases. Apart from that I am doing ok...

Anyway, is there anyone else here that has had their gallbladder removed? Did you have to change your diet at all? I was told I had to be careful of fatty foods as they could leave me on the toilet for a while.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry, I know this might sound stupid, but I've been thinking about this all day.

Scenario: Jane has always considered herself straight, she's only ever dated guys, looked at guys, felt anything for guys (I mean, on a romantic level), never had any romantic feelings for women, never dated women...you get my point..

BUT one day Jane meets Caroline. Caroline is a lesbian. The two of them become good friends. They get to know each other over time and Jane starts having romantic feelings for Caroline. Feelings she'd only have towards a man. Feelings she'd never had with another woman.

Caroline and Jane start dating.

Does this make Jane a lesbian now? OR is she simply just a straight girl who happens to be dating another person who just happens to be female?

Told you it was a stupid question ;)

My ex and I broke up Dec last year, so not long ago. We are still friends and get along most days.

We have a mutual friend (well, friends a couple with a son). The wife has always said that we'd still be friends no matter what, she even told me the other day that she still considers me a friend.

BUT she and her husband (well, I think it's more just SHE) has invited my ex over to their house at every special occasion since we've broken up. New years eve, Xmas lunch (which wasn't even on Xmas day I might add), soon Australia day (I am in Australia) and now he's there tonight because they invited him.

Now I can take the fact that maybe they just don't like me and never have, though not sure what I have done wrong, the break-up wasn't bad and as I said, we're still friends, which they know, but why can't they just stop inviting him and not me. I have told them we are still friends and if they were to invite both of us it wouldn't matter because we get along fine (actually we get along better now we've broken up). If they don't want to be my friend, why can't they just say that???

Has this ever happened to anyone else? How did you deal with it?

Please, no rude comments.

My little boy, Nathan is almost 19 months. Lots of parents of boys have told me that boys usually start later with potty training than girls, but he is my first son. I have two daughters and they started potty training at 2 years and 20 months. It is Summer here in Australia so I feel it's the perfect time, but I'm not sure. He gets annoyed if he has a dirty nappy (diaper) on and wants to take it off. Should I start now or wait?

Laura Catherine

Caroline Grace

Michaela Frances

Isobel Rose

Madeleine Jane

Thankyou :)

As the title says, I need helping getting my 3 and a half year old to sleep. She isn't going to sleep til quite late at night (9pm at the earliest) it's Summer and daylight savings here in Australia which doesn't help, but some nights she isn't getting to sleep 'til 11pm and I am exhausted. I am tired of arguing with her every night and hate that I can't just have a happy house. She wants me to sleep with her but I have things to do AND being a single mother night time (kids' bed time) is the only time I get to myself. I don't have a problem with co-sleeping, if she wants to come into my bed later on/early morning (say at 3am or whatever) that's fine, but I really want her to sleep when she goes to bed, which is 7:30pm or at least stay in her room and have some 'quiet time' reading or whatever. I have two other kids and she often goes into their room and wakes them up/keeps them awake as well, so I end up having all three awake late at night and this includes one that will be starting school next month and an 19 month old.

She has a routine/schedule every night, dinner, bath, story, I have limited her tv watching as well, spend extra time with her during the day (though this isn't easy being a single mum and having two other children to attend to as well).

Please, any suggestions???? This has been going on for a while now, maybe 2 years and I am over it. I dread bed time.

I am a female. I have always identified as straight, dated men (was even engaged to one up until we broke up recently) but for the past 6-7 months (maybe longer) I had had feelings for a woman. I have known her for 2 years and at first I thought she was nice (and pretty) but didn't think anything of it, then as I said, these past 6 or so months I have had feelings for her. Butterflies in the stomach whenever I see her, I get nervous when she talks to me etc just as I would if I had a crush on a guy.

I have never been with a woman before and don't know why I am feeling this way. I guess the heart want what it wants and love knows no gender.

What should I do? And am I a lesbian? I do have a few male friends but they're like brothers to me, I have no feelings towards them other than friendship.

Thanks.

Caroline?

And which combo do you like best?

Willow Caroline

Laura Caroline

Elise Caroline

Caroline Rose

Caroline Grace

Caroline Jade

but he says if I do he won't see the kids.

We've been together 7 years and have 3 kids, we've had some good times, but more bad times. He is verbally abusive to the kids, and a few other things and I have not been happy for a long time. He won't go to counceling either. I have stayed and tried to work on things with him and he does try for a few days/weeks but then things are back to square one. Even when we're having good days I still think 'this won't last, I want to leave anyway'

He told me that if we broke up he wouldn't want anything to do with me so therefor wouldn't see the kids. I told him he's being silly and despite our feelings for each other and despite the fact we are no longer together he is and always will be their father and they'd miss him if he didn't see them. He told me 'well, if they miss me then that's your fault for leaving' I just cannot make him see sense. A few people have told me perhaps he's just saying all this to try and make me stay. I feel trapped because if I stay I am unhappy, but at least the kids still see their dad, but if we break up then they might not see them.

What do I do? I really want to leave and have him still see the kids on weekends etc.

I no longer love my fiance, I am leaving him soon, but we're still together now (long story).

Whenever he wants to be intimate (sex, kissing etc) I don't want it. I move away from him or tell him "look, I'm sorry I don't wanna do this, maybe later" he gets in a bad mood and says "fine! I just won't touch you then" when I went and had a nap the other day because I'd been up all night with kids (we have 3 kids) he came into the bedroom and started dry humping me from behind. I told him I didn't like that and it was annoying. He got annoyed. I told him I was sorry but I am really tired and had a headache which was true, I also told him if he wants to just lay in bed with me and hug me that's fine, but not to do anything else. He got annoyed and we had an argument.

Now I do understand he was probably hurt/annoyed etc because I didn't want sex, but shouldn't my feelings count for something too? I wasn't being a ***** to him about it. I said no, but I was polite and said maybe we can do this later. Whenever this happens, its always me that has to say sorry and explain myself while he gets in a bad mood. He has never once said "ok, I'm sorry we can do this later, I still love you anyway" or whatever.

Am I wrong in feeling this way or because I'm his partner I should have sex with him whenever he wants? As I said, I am planning on leaving him soon, just trying to sort stuff out (place to go etc) and we have had problems.

Thanks

1. Your 3 year old was not doing as she/he was told eg not going to bed, and being naughty. Your husband says "Do as you're told, do you want people to hate you?" to your 3 year old

2. You had a big argument and told him you though it was best if you broke up and he got angry and said "you're better off dead"

If a man and woman live together (married or otherwise) have a few kids, he works full time but she is a stay at home mum BUT also works one or two days a week (sometimes 10 hour days) AND studies 2 days/nights a week also, do you think the man/father should help with housework and childcare when hes home? Or do you think it should be all up to the woman/mother to do it all? Keep in mind that even though she's a sahm most of the time, she also has a part time job and studies as well....

What are your thoughts??

I personally think that if one parent stays home, weather it's the mother or father, then that person should be responsible for the majority of the housework and childcare, since they're home all day anyway, but as for the person who works full time, when they are home (weekends, days off etc) they should help out as well. When the sahp works part time then the other parent should stay home and watch the children and do some housework.

What do YOU think??

your partner (also your child's father) called your child a "f@cking moron" because they were angry at the child for throwing something at them?

Alyssa

Madeleine

Laura

Isobel

Michaela

Middle name either Rose or Jade.

and now he's making me feel guilty.

We have have lots of problems over the years (too long to go into right now) and I have had enough. I have tried telling him I haven't been happy for ages and we need to see a relationship councelor but he won't go. He doesnt think there's anything wrong even though we argue all the time, he is verbally and emotionally abusive and controlling.

Anyway I told him 'I think it's best if we broke up' (which took alot of guts because I have been feeling this way for years and haven't said anything because I didn't want to hurt him) and he told me 'I think you're better off dead' and he threw the tv remote and smashed our son's toy box. He also said to our girls 'do you want Daddy to leave forever' after we were arguing and told him I wanted to break up. The girls started crying (we have three kids, 1 year old, 3 year old and almost 6 year old) all this happened in front of them including what he said to me.

Anyway, things are ok today, but I am still hurt by what he said. He has not apologised and doesn't think anything is wrong. After we had the argument he stormed out and came back an hour later (even though he told me he wasn't come back for 2 weeks) when he got home he just sat down and watched tv. I was the one that had to talk to him about how I felt etc which happens all the time. It's always ME that brings up any problems. He thinks everything is fine, but how can it be when I want to leave??

He also said that he probably wouldn't see the kids because (and I quote) "you don't want anything to do with me, so if I saw them, it'd mean you'd have to see me" he also said "if the kids miss me, that'd be your fault because you were the one that broke it off" he is trying to make me feel guilty for wanting to leave.

Any advice would be good. No rude comments!

I'm not pregnant...

Alyssa

Laura

Willow

Isobel

Michaela

Jade

Kayla

For a girl: Kayla or Michaela

For a boy: Jasper or Oliver