Posts by Drew Ross2

Honestly, I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one who stays socially distant. 😳
I mean, on a monthly basis, I might have—what, maybe one or two outings? It’s nothing major—just a quick coffee and then I'm out.

He went too far.
Just because the topic is unpopular opinions doesn't mean there aren't limits—it doesn't give me a free pass to go in there and claim Hitler was actually a great guy or that the Holocaust was some kind of hoax. 😳
It’s the same for him—he shouldn't be suggesting that conception via rape is somehow just "conception under worse circumstances," nor should he be implying—directly or otherwise—that victims of sexual assault were actually asking for it.
Personally, I would have handed him a red card for such garbage, but I respect Ludic's decision to wrap things up by simply deleting those posts.

Honestly, what’s the point of even keeping this? 😳 Posts like these—this kind of nonsense—have no business being on the forum at all.

ironrider3 said:One just flew right into my ear—dammit... it's barely even November. When are they finally going away? Are you guys seeing this many where you are? Outskirts of New York City.

Sent from my iPhone 12 using Reddit

I suspect the Comanche folks decided to merge this year with the next—so they won't be disappearing anytime soon. 😳

Larry Walker24, I mean—what exactly are you hoping to find on an American forum for that much cash? 😁

jadeowl2 said:I think you totally misread me. I'm not out here trying to push anyone into anything, and honestly, that kind of stuff doesn't even cross my mind. People make their own calls, whatever they feel like... I don't care. I'm just pointing out what I see happening right in front of me.

Fair enough, I get it 🙂 it just sounded a bit contradictory to me—starting the sentence by saying you'd never do it, only to end by suggesting it isn't actually that big of a deal. 😁

jadeowl2 said:Same here, honestly. By 18, I had already seen and done it all 🤣.

Look, everyone misses out on something in life. It's just how it works.

And I gotta say, I don't see these 40-year-olds struggling to find people to hang out with.😳.

I’d also add that having a kid at 20 vs. 40 is a totally different ballgame, mostly because a 20-year-old isn't nearly as intense or dramatic about everything. Like one of my girlfriends put it: "I wasn't my mom's entire universe; I was just there by her side." And honestly, that’s usually better for the kid too—at least from what I see happening around me, though I haven't exactly gone down a rabbit hole studying this stuff.

Whatever, nobody could have forced me to have a baby back then. I just think the way people try to make it look like some huge tragedy isn't actually that bad.

😂
I wouldn't do it myself, but feel free to go ahead—it’s really not that big of a deal 😁

You didn't exactly convince me. 😛

electricscout15 said:But honestly, what exactly is there to "make up"? 🤔
People who have kids aren't exactly under house arrest for eighteen years straight, and besides, what's the difference between doing things at 25 versus 40? While I guess there's definitely a difference in reverse—adventures in your 40s will surely be better than they could have been at 25. Sure, I might have been in better shape back then, but intelligence, maturity, wit, money, sex... everything else just keeps getting better as the years go by.😁

The whole point of your twenties is that you don't have the maturity or the wisdom yet—that's kind of the charm, isn't it?😁

Dana Ross said:I suppose it depends on when someone actually starts going out. For me, I started around fifteen, but by the time I hit eighteen, the whole scene just lost its appeal... though it's not like I felt like I missed out on anything essential.

I don't think it's really about trying to make up for lost mischief once your kids are grown; it’s more about the fact that they aren't the center of your universe anymore, so you finally have space to be yourself again. You suddenly have the luxury of grabbing a coffee whenever you feel like it, instead of coordinating babysitters or dragging a child along... It's about realizing that if you don't feel like cooking, you don't have to, or if you want to head out for a weekend getaway, you can just go without all the massive logistical planning.

And what does "wilding out" even mean to people? Is it just getting drunk and acting reckless while you're barely aware of where you are or who is watching?
Honestly, at forty, I wouldn't dream of being in that state in public... Youth might give you a pass for certain behaviors, but the idea of dancing on a bar counter while half-drunk? God forbid. I can certainly do that in my own home with a few close friends, but that's about it. 😁

Exactly. That was my priority in my twenties—I never felt like I had to sacrifice my own peace, my time, or my routines during those years.😳

I suppose it's obvious that whoever spends their entire twenties focused solely on a child will be trying to reclaim that peace in their forties.

Dana Ross said:I suppose it depends on when someone actually starts going out. For me, I started around fifteen, but by the time I hit eighteen, the whole scene just lost its appeal... though it's not like I felt like I missed out on anything essential.

I don't think it's really about trying to make up for lost mischief once your kids are grown; it’s more about the fact that they aren't the center of your universe anymore, so you finally have space to be yourself again. You suddenly have the luxury of grabbing a coffee whenever you feel like it, instead of coordinating babysitters or dragging a child along... It's about realizing that if you don't feel like cooking, you don't have to, or if you want to head out for a weekend getaway, you can just go without all the massive logistical planning.

And what does "wilding out" even mean to people? Is it just getting drunk and acting reckless while you're barely aware of where you are or who is watching?
Honestly, at forty, I wouldn't dream of being in that state in public... Youth might give you a pass for certain behaviors, but the idea of dancing on a bar counter while half-drunk? God forbid. I can certainly do that in my own home with a few close friends, but that's about it. 😁

That goes both ways, too—whatever youth tolerates, old age certainly won't.😁

Personally, I went out until about age 21, then I just got tired of it and stopped running around. But it wasn't even about kids back then; I didn't have my first one until I was 30, and by then, my partner and I had already been together for over a decade.😳

Nicholas Cook4 said:I guess I spent my years from 13 to 25 or 26 just totally losing my mind, living life to the fullest and being pretty selfish about enjoying myself, honestly. It felt good at the time, and I think I still enjoy that freedom now.🤣
If I had been focused on settling down or having kids back then, I’d probably have them by now, right as things were finally calming down, after finishing college and getting a career started—you know, everything going according to plan.😁

Someone who only starts really living and seeing what life has to offer at 20 obviously isn't going to have it all figured out by 25; their life might not actually click into place until they're 30 or older.
Everyone has a different starting line and different opportunities, not to mention their own unique idea of what life should look like and what it actually means to go wild and enjoy yourself.

Or maybe everything is just subjective. 🐔
But I think I’ll still tell anyone who asks me:
your twenties are for you, and your thirties are for babies. 🐔

Nicholas Cook4 said:Okay, so one woman was constantly acting all miserable because she had a kid. I think she was still going on about it at 30, complaining about having another baby and having zero time for herself, and so on. Now she’s finally calm because she’s "dealt" with the kids and can finally focus on herself. 🤣

The others were pretty chill; they had kids, but they knew how to go out with their friends, head to a girls' weekend, stuff like that. It wasn't like they were whining and moaning about being stuck at home with children. 🤷

But honestly, it all comes down to someone's personality. If a person is a complainer, they’re going to be a complainer at 25, 35, or 45. If they're chill, they'll always be chill. 😁

Victim or not—it's irrelevant to the main point. 😳 The point is that you can't compare your mental state when you're only responsible for yourself to your mental state when you're responsible for the life of another (helpless) being.
Personally, I think your twenties are the ideal time to have a mindset of—well, let's just say my ego takes precedence over everyone else's. 😁

Nicholas Cook4 said:I don't think there's really a "perfect" age to get married.
To me, marriage is basically just a legally recognized partnership between two people that comes with certain administrative perks.

If you're looking at marriage as a precursor to starting a family, I guess the sweet spot would be somewhere between 25 and 30.
By 25, most people have probably gone through their wild phase and figured out what they actually care about, plus a younger parent might find it a bit easier to keep up with the chaos of kids.😁>

Looking at some folks I know, I see how much easier it is for some people to have college-aged kids by the time they hit 40👍 compared to those who are still dealing with infants or toddlers.😵

Why are they acting like it’s such a shock that the kids are already college-aged? Of course it’s easier now—it was always going to be. You really should have been paying closer attention—and asking the right questions—back when they were actually little. 😁

Nicholas King said:The reality is that managing someone else's teenage meltdown is a lot easier when you've just barely survived your own—but believing you can somehow make up for two decades spent playing nanny once you hit forty is a complete delusion.

Look, I get it, I really do. People love to say forty is the new fifteen... as if that actually means anything.

It’s irreplaceable—if you can even call it that. 😳
While everyone else your age was out making mistakes and living it up, you were stuck being the responsible kid—the one who actually had their act together. Now that you're finally ready to let loose and make up for lost time, you realize there's no one left to go with. Most of them are already busy playing suburban parents and chasing toddlers around. It’s a bit of a catch-22, I guess. 🐔

I haven't seen anything from imi18 lately. I guess we're just waiting—maybe they've finally moved on to something more interesting. [Drew Ross2] says:
I guess MOP has a point regarding the whole "early parenting" debate—honestly, 20 definitely wasn't the right age for marriage. But I’m fine with having had my first child at 21. It means that by my 40s, I’ll finally have my freedom back—kind of an empty nester situation—and I suppose that little thought is enough to keep me going. 🤣

Sometimes I find myself drifting toward that thought—thinking that if we’d just had a kid right at the start, they’d probably be an adult by now. Maybe. 😲
No, then I remember how carefree and reckless we were in our twenties—just drifting, idling, and being responsible only to ourselves. It was pure bliss, really. I suppose I’m just glad we didn't dive headfirst into diapers, baby food, and all that jazz back then. 😳

ot.
There aren't really any "best" years for marriage—or maybe there are, but I doubt it. I guess any year works, provided you actually feel ready and willing to commit.
Personally, marriage doesn't mean much to me—I’ve always prioritized substance over formalities. I did end up getting married, though, mostly because it felt like the path of least resistance when we decided to have kids. I guess it just seemed easier to handle all that paperwork while being legally wed. 🐔

Having kids is a much bigger milestone than getting married—that’s the thing that actually changes everything. I’d suggest to anyone that they aim for parenthood in their late twenties or early thirties; at least, that was the sweet spot for me. 😁
What people need to understand is that a baby shakes up any relationship—it’s just a fact. Couples who didn't have a solid foundation of emotional intelligence probably see things fall apart once the kid arrives. As for those with a strong EQ base? They might hold steady, though they’ll likely find themselves in a holding pattern—missing out on those quiet, uninterrupted moments together for a while. 🐔

And another thing—something that actually matters—you really ought to live together before diving headfirst into marriage and kids. It’s probably worth testing the waters first, I guess. 😳 Six months is fine, I suppose—but a year would be ideal.

My kids, without a doubt.
I’ll leave them my journals—the ones I’ve been keeping since I was ten—and a memory box I still hold onto myself.
And their stuffed animals... maybe fifteen of them, each one carrying its own little bit of sentiment for me. 😳

If this forum outlives me, my posts will stay here too. 🐔 I stumbled upon a thread once, started by a user named Bill. In it, he talked about passing away—expressing a wish that, when he's gone, the community would remember him.
Ever since I read that topic—which I didn't find until long after Bill had already passed—I find myself thinking of him from time to time. It's strange, I guess; his request just stuck with me, even though we never actually chatted and I never really knew him online. 😳

Jarak's got the upper hand here—probably because of that curse: may he end up reporting right to your front door. 🧐

Python or lion?

A standard manual brush is just more reliable—it works regardless of whether you have power or not, unlike those electric ones 😳

Tesla or Rivian?

Grace Anderson3 said:Hui! She’s getting so big already! Is she walking on her own yet?

So, we finally started with sweet potatoes. He spent weeks watching us eat—I guess that was my cue that he was ready. I was eating a banana while nursing him today, and he actually tried to grab it from me. 🤣

She's cruising along the furniture and walks when I hold her hands, but nothing independently just yet. 😳
Maybe soon, I suppose. 😳

Good job, little Baby, enjoying those solids. 😍

stormygardener93 said:My sister is already starting solids too. It seems like the rule used to be waiting until at least six months if they were strictly breastfeeding, but I guess those guidelines change all the time.

That first bite is a big milestone. 🙂

The official guidelines still say not before 6 months, though I doubt anything happens if you start a week or two early. 🙂

The Predator wins because he’s packing high-tech weaponry and can actually turn invisible—whereas the Alien just relies on those terrifying teeth 😳

Superman or Batman?

My Baby is getting big—almost 13 months old now.😍

It’s great that they’re taking to solids so well; we had a bit of a rough patch at the start, I guess.😳
If they're a fan of zucchini, maybe try sweet potato next—it’s easy on the digestion and has a nice sweetness to it.

👋
Grace Anderson3, I suppose all of this is just part of the learning process—figuring out how the body works. All that poking around isn't really doing much yet; just wait until the pump starts pulling and putting on the pressure 🤣

How many months old is the Baby now? Have you guys started the whole supplement adventure yet?