I’m checking in because I finally get it—those people who used to complain about everyone constantly badgering them with "so, when is the baby coming?" Every single day. It’s relentless. Ten different people call me daily—coworkers, friends, my parents calling four times a day—and I’m just sitting here waiting for my dad to ring me up and ask the same damn question.
My due date was April 4th, so we’re looking at ten days of this minimum.
On top of that, the contractions started Monday. They’re completely erratic—sometimes they hit every ten minutes, then they stretch to thirty, then there’s a three or four-hour gap before they strike again... They especially love showing up in the middle of the night; I’ll be lying wide awake until 6 AM just cursing everything under the sun. Every evening it’s the same thing—I'm practically pleading with my body, *come on, baby, just let this happen...* Honestly, I’m not even afraid of the actual labor anymore; I just want these contractions to stop. If it were just mild cramping, like period pains, it wouldn't be such a disaster, but occasionally they hit so hard I can't even straighten up—I end up hunched over like Quasimodo making my way to the bathroom... Then, predictably, my mom calls for the hundred and forty-seventh time to remind me that if I want to speed things up, I need to go for walks, so I grab a cap and head to the park or out for ice cream. As if! Like I’m supposed to waddle through a crowded public park looking like a hunchback while sweating through my clothes.🙏
To make matters worse, my mother-in-law is taking a week off work "to help us," despite the fact that we told her twenty times we wanted our privacy. Meanwhile, my mom subtly brings up how her colleagues at the office are baffled that she won't be staying at our place for the first few weeks to help out, implying that she had to pitifully tell them she was being "unwanted"... Then she hits me with that innocent little question about whether she'll even be allowed to see the baby.😁 Look, nobody said she couldn't visit, but wanting to visit isn't the same thing as moving into my apartment for two weeks.😁
Our teacher used to scare us half to death—it was like dealing with nervous rabbits. We’d end up going to parent-teacher conferences every single semester, plus at least two mandatory progress meetings. One time we actually missed one, and before we knew it, the term was basically over. We had to start playing hooky from work just to catch up on those updates.🤣
Look, I'm not saying these check-ins are always useless, but in our case, they really were. Not long ago, we were practically showing up at the school every single day just to hear what happened during class, when the next exams were, or how things were going. The teachers—both the main instructor and the after-school supervisor—were total chatterboxes.😁
The actual meetings would go something like this: "Well, we've told you everything already; there's nothing left to say. Everything is great, he knows his stuff, stays on top of his assignments—just look at the gradebook." Since we can see all the grades online anyway, it felt completely redundant.
Now I know we're allowed to "skirt around" them—at least, that's how my old man puts it.🤣
urbantinker8 said:Well, I guess you pretty much answered your own question there:
🙂
I suppose I should probably add one more thing to this whole mess: parents basically go through about nine months without receiving any actual, concrete feedback at all, and then, once you hit that fifth month, everything just completely falls apart and turns into a total disaster.
From what I understand, parents are required to show up for parent-teacher conferences, plus at least twice per semester for progress updates. Our teacher made it clear right out of the gate—this isn't optional. If you don't show up to check on your kid, they'll call Child Protective Services to do a wellness check. And honestly, from what I can see, parents actually show up.
So, if you’ve managed to attend, say, two conferences per semester and at least two check-ins (whether you want to or not), how on earth can you claim you haven't had concrete feedback for nine months?
Adam Evans62 said:Look, it’s obvious you don't have a kid who fits the standard mold. She’s in that top 10-15% bracket—the highly intelligent kids you barely have to push at all. Plus, she’s clearly responsible and actually motivated. With most other kids—the 70-80% majority—you have to grind at home almost every single day if you want them to be straight-A students. That’s just how it works. If you don't care about that, fine by me, but they'll just end up being average students with those grades. And honestly, kudos to her for loving books and already finishing HP. It just proves she’s lightyears ahead of her peers. Your whole argument about how working with a teacher isn't necessary if you aren't doing daily drills at home completely falls apart here, because we aren't talking about an average kid. You don't have an average kid. 😉
Well, now you've backed me into a corner—how am I supposed to say "oh, she isn't actually gifted" now?🤣 She's smart, certainly, but I can't name a single parent I know who actually sits down to study with their child every single day—I've only heard stories from my mother, who thinks that kind of thing is commendable. Personally? Not so much. But look, I'm not saying you should expect straight A's from an average kid—you need to build work habits, true—but if a kid is already learning at school and finishing their homework during after-school programs, they really shouldn't be pushed that hard; a B or a C is plenty.
This mom I knew basically turned her kid into a personal construction project just because she couldn't handle the idea that her child wasn't naturally wired for intense academic grinding.
Back in the day—we're talking about thirty years ago—she was right there with him every night helping through elementary school. Then she kept up the same pressure all through high school. This woman was a total overachiever herself throughout her entire education, but her son? He took after his dad, who was a great guy, handsome, and hardworking, but definitely didn't have the temperament for a PhD life.
She eventually decided exactly which university he had to attend, but once he hit college, she couldn't hover over his shoulder anymore. After ten, maybe even twelve, years of pure misery, a mountain of lies, hair loss, and teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown, the son finally stood up and told her, "This isn't my life."
And get this, the story doesn't end there—he ended up enrolling in some part-time program for something else entirely, so the "project" is still ongoing even though the guy is forty-one now ☕.
Honestly, I just don't wrap my head around the logic of forcing a kid down a path that clearly doesn't fit them. Because let's be real: if you're wealthy and powerful, it doesn't matter what the kid's grades look like; you can just slide them into a business school, and even if they can't finish, you can just buy them a management or PR degree and hand them a cushy corporate job that was essentially reserved for them since before they were born.
But if you aren't part of that elite crowd, what's the point of all that struggle? Where does it actually lead? To being a college student in your 40s?
I knew a guy who pulled straight A's, always. He studied for HOURS every single day through middle school, high school, and even college. He didn't go out; it was basically—if he wasn't awake, he was either in class or studying. The story goes that since he was little, both parents would take him to work. At his mom's, he'd be in a warm office, but at his dad's, he'd freeze all day in the cold, only for them to lecture him: "If you don't study, you'll end up just like your father—is that what you want?" The kid worked incredibly hard, but he just didn't have the capacity. Usually, professors would give him an A just because the poor guy tried so hard, but once he hit university... everything collapsed like a house of cards. If they had just let him be, maybe he would have chosen a less demanding major or something he actually enjoyed (instead of whatever "Mommy" does for a living), and things would have turned out differently.
Honestly, I don't even know where he is now. Maybe he struggled through and graduated, but that child had nothing—absolutely nothing—from childhood through his youth. I bet his parents were so proud of those A's. I'd be absolutely mortified if I did that to a child.
Adam Evans62 said:Okay, you seriously need a reality check. Do you live in a bubble where nobody actually has school-aged kids? Because what you're saying is wild. You really think your kid is just going to walk into first grade and handle everything solo without any help? Good grief.😵Don't take this personally since we're strangers, but I genuinely can't believe someone is this out of touch with how things work. Anyway, good luck with the start of the school year. Hope it goes well. And please, for the love of God, check back in a few months and tell us how your kid is supposedly managing every single assignment entirely by themselves.😉
I have no idea what exactly Summer said to offend you.🤔
She doesn't need to report back to you; I can tell you right now—my daughter isn't a first grader anymore, she's in third, and she’s been doing her schoolwork independently since day one. It never even crossed our minds to sit down and drill her or, heaven forbid, force her through required reading. I can't even imagine needing to do that. She had her assigned reading just like everyone else, and she read and wrote it herself—math, science, everything. She pulls maybe two or three Bs a year, one C last year, and straight As otherwise. The idea of working with a child every single day at home feels like a parallel universe to me.🙏 There's no way. If smart, capable kids need daily tutoring after school, then clearly the issue lies with the teacher's ability to explain the material. And I agree—not everyone needs an A+, and the whole class shouldn't be getting perfect scores. Bs and Cs are perfectly fine grades. Like I said before, I've never once complained about her grades, regardless of what they were.
BTW, I don't get why everyone is blowing things out of proportion regarding required reading. If a kid sees their parents reading at home most of the time, they usually just get the urge to grab a book themselves. For us, reading assignments were never an issue—she'd read them herself and write the reports; even if she was only assigned a few stories from a book, she’d end up reading the whole thing anyway. She's interested. It's been that way since first grade. Last month she finished the final Potter book; it took her about three weeks for the whole series, and for instance, part five is around 600-700 pages. She isn't some speed-reading freak; she just reads normally because she saw my husband and me reading, so she started asking to join the library. She even asks for books for her birthday. She isn't some brainwashed kid, for goodness' sake.
So, a little 100-page poetry book in first grade... I don't see how that's such a massive deal.
The bigger issue for me is that they're teaching songs by Madonna in the American language textbook.🙏 But that's a whole different conversation.
Linda Price5 said:Could you provide an example of a sentence where expecting a child to place commas correctly would be considered an unreasonable expectation?
They aren't even that difficult—honestly.🤣 Of course I can't.
I felt that same flash of frustration when my kid turned in an answer that was technically perfect, yet somehow "wrong" because it didn't follow the teacher's specific logic—I think it was back in first grade. It was a math problem, something like: "How many apples does Mary have?" The kid answered: Four. Mary has four apples. So, some guy actually sat there and tried to explain the "purpose" of a child being able to write a full sentence—as if it were some grand philosophical debate. Honestly, I’m still not buying it.😁 I don't really comment on those kinds of things when it comes to him—not his kid, either—unless someone truly goes overboard. And even then, I’m still waiting for the right moment to weigh in.😁)
I have a little something to brag about.😁 I nearly died laughing the other day.😁 I stumbled upon a massive assignment while digging through my bag on Sunday night—something that had to happen, otherwise the whole thing would have just turned into a landfill. Someone asked a question along the lines of: "America is a noun that doesn't have a plural form. Can you name any other nouns like that?" "I don't know."
I'm dead.🤣 I spent about three days straight cracking up around the house—just pure, non-stop laughter—and honestly? I’m still feeling the high.😁
I didn't tell her to fix it—just let it be. I’m actually thinking about framing it.🤣
It’s entirely possible schools are already planting seeds about what constitutes a "good" grade versus a bad one. My daughter is in third grade now, and we have never—not once—applied any pressure regarding her report card. To me, a B, a C, or even a D is perfectly fine if it’s earned fairly. I don't see the issue, and I’ve never even hinted to her that anything less than an A is a failure. As for homework and studying, we don't sit down and drill her. She’s asked for help maybe two or three times in total; even then, we don't just hand her the answers—we show her how to use Google so she can find the info herself. If she’s ever unsure (which is rare), she shows us, we double-check, and it’s always fine.
I don't know—I honestly think kids shouldn't be coddled through their schoolwork unless they're genuinely struggling. It’s much better to teach them how to troubleshoot and figure things out on their own.
Some people—my own parents included—think I'm neglecting her. 😁 Personally, I think I'm giving her something better than easy answers: I'm giving her the tools to navigate life.
The reason I mentioned school at the start is this: she usually pulls straight As, maybe a B here or there once a year, but she recently got a C. Total drama. Tears, absolute devastation—she wants to punish herself, ban herself from the computer, give up cartoons... all because of a single C. I was floored. 🤣 I mean, seriously? It’s a C. It’s a decent grade; it isn't the end of the world. But no, apparently a C is a catastrophe, she’s "ashamed," blah blah blah... I don't think she heard that at home. I don't even think her teacher said anything; it feels more like she picked it up from her friends in class. They already have those social hierarchies—the "smart kids" versus everyone else—they sort themselves out pretty quickly.
I believe we need to repeat it as many times as necessary: every grade is acceptable if it’s deserved. We have to hammer that home until it sticks. There is a reason for a failing grade, too—nobody died from getting an F. People just apply pressure where it isn't needed. We all had our share of failing grades; the difference is how our parents reacted. I used to be terrified of my parents—I'd hide my failing marks and lie through my teeth, even though I was actually a top student. I truly don't want my child hiding her grades or being afraid to tell me. If that happened, I'd feel like I failed as a parent.
It happens constantly—older guys cornering me on the subway or in grocery stores—and I honestly can't figure out their deal. They were relentless before I was pregnant, and they haven’t slowed down since. I don't even know any of these people, yet somehow, I’ve become their absolute favorite target.🤣
I’ve noticed a pattern—people tend to get significantly more obnoxious when it's summer and my arm tattoos are on full display, or when I'm wearing my lip piercing. It’s like they can't help themselves. Fast forward to winter, I take the piercing out for a routine trip to the dentist or the doctor, and suddenly everyone is perfectly polite—as if the jewelry was some sort of visual barrier to their basic manners. I also have that "perpetually youthful" look—it’s a blessing and a curse. Back when I used to pick up cigarettes regularly, convenience store clerks would constantly demand my ID. My husband actually didn't believe me about it—until he saw it for himself—and he nearly died laughing.😁 So, I guess they've decided I'm some kind of juvenile delinquent.🤣
What exactly does that justify? Is being a jerk now just a byproduct of someone having a tattoo or being a teenager? Especially with the age thing—that’s some real "punching down" logic right there.
Let me be clear—I am certainly not some pushover. I was simply mentioning that I have a nine-year-old daughter. In the grocery store, they actually had the nerve to ask if I was buying something for my sister.🤣
Man, I just thought of Grandma from a few days ago, good grief.🙏
I was taking my daughter to ballet class—the bus was packed, and we were standing right by the front doors. Thank God I’m huge right now, 36 weeks along, and while nobody offered a seat, the standing part wasn't even the main issue until the bus filled up and it became a total crush. So, there’s this lady standing right next to us. Some gentleman gets up and offers her his seat. She just stares at him like she’s lost—doesn't say yes, doesn't say no—and that seat stays empty for two stops. After those two stops, I see the woman hasn't moved an inch. I told my daughter to take the seat because there seriously wasn't any room left to even stand, and between the massive bump and trying to make sure my kid didn't wipe out in the crowd, I was struggling to keep my balance. And then, of course... The second the kid sits down, the woman lunges for the seat. Coincidentally, a seat opens up right behind us, so I move over to let her in and ask, "Ma'am, would you like to sit down?" And get this—she starts screaming like a maniac: "I WANTED THAT SEAT, BUT SINCE THE CHILD HAS TO SIT BECAUSE SHE'S HAVING A HARDER TIME, FINE! SHAME ON YOU!!!" I told her, look, ma'am, you had two whole stops to sit down and you didn't, and it's hard for me to manage my child and stay upright, but there's a seat right there behind you. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN TWO STOPS? ARE YOU CRAZY?" she yells, and then the woman actually elbows me right in the stomach!!🙏
I honestly couldn't believe it.🙏
I was in such shock I didn't even know how to react, especially when five people behind her started yelling at her—calling her out for being disgraceful, for the sheer rudeness, for fighting with a pregnant woman on a public bus, etc. People actually started standing up so I could sit.🤣 The woman bolted to the other end of the bus.🤣
What a scene... You could tell she was just standing there, hovering, waiting for someone to sit in "her" spot just so she could cause a scene—that's why she didn't take the seat earlier...
Now that I've lived through this, I feel like I can handle anything.🤣
Paul Campbell8 said:The entire American healthcare system drove me insane today. Between the sheer rudeness of some staff and the total incompetence of others, it was a disaster.
Basically, three different departments couldn't get their act together regarding when I should show up for admission—today, tomorrow, or Monday. That little bit of mismanagement cost me seven hours sitting in that damn hospital. They also couldn't decide if I needed to stay for two days or four, not to mention they couldn't even agree on whether I needed to be admitted at all in the first place.
Aside from three specific things, today has been one of the worst days of my life.
And honestly, these doctors... good grief, what an absolute joke. I feel for you.🙂
Here’s what really gets under my skin: I've been seeing a private OB-GYN since the start of my pregnancy. I tried to find an in-network doctor, but apparently, the nearest ones accepting new patients were out in Los Angeles.🙏 Naturally, I lost my mind.🤣 I finally tracked down an in-network doctor around my fourth or fifth month, but only because my private doctor referred me to a colleague of hers. He’d take me as a patient and handle all my referrals, while I’d continue managing the actual pregnancy care with the private doctor because he’s too swamped with patients to deal with everything. Fine—my doctor is great, so I'll stick with her. But here is the catch: it happens every single time. I go to my private doctor for a checkup, and she tells me I need a referral for a specific test. So, I head to the in-network doctor to get the paperwork. When I get to the lab, they tell me the results are being sent directly to the in-network doctor. I practically beg them *not* to send them there. But no—they can't do things my way; they have to send it to whoever ordered the test. Then I have to go back to the in-network doctor to pick up the results just to bring them back to the private doctor. It’s a constant, endless loop. If anyone had told me this was how it worked, I would have thought they were pulling my leg.🤣
Second scenario: I'm hit with these intense pains and cramps—my stomach is hard as a rock and won't let up for two days. I can barely get out of bed. I call my private doctor, and she tells me to just head to the ER at the local University hospital (which is very close to my place). I stumble in there, barely able to walk, doubled over in pain, and a nurse looks at me and snaps: "WHERE IS YOUR REFERRAL?! You can't just show up like this! You were supposed to see your primary doctor first to get a referral. What am I supposed to do with you now???"🙏 I'm standing there apologizing, thinking, *Are you serious? My doctor is on the other side of town, give me a break.* She gives me this incredibly cold look and says, "Fine, we'll examine you now, but don't think you can do this again. Next time, we aren't seeing you without a formal referral!" By that point, I was already losing it, so I just told her, "Fine, I'll come back when I absolutely have to, but you'll have to watch me die on your doorstep."🤣
Look, I understand why they want the paperwork, but I was only 31 weeks along—why would I need that level of bureaucracy so early? I'm not even scheduled for my next specialist appointment for another three weeks, according to my doctor.
The kicker is that my uncle, my mother, and my brother all work in healthcare, so I know it doesn't always have to be this chaotic and that not everyone is completely irrational. But based on who I've dealt with so far...🙏
I found some weird comfort in what a friend told my husband—she mentioned how much weight she gained because she was basically skin and bones just three or four months after giving birth. Now, I’m just calculating exactly how many pounds I can pack on before I hit her level.😁
If she could drop it that fast, I should be able to too... theoretically... assuming I stop baking cookies every single day.🤣
Honestly, sweets aren't usually my main obsession—I eat them occasionally and call it a day—but during pregnancy? First time or this time around, it doesn't matter; I'd happily move into a bakery if they'd let me. I don't know what takes hold of me, but I am constantly craving pastries and cakes. Even this morning, in that half-asleep state where you haven't fully woken up yet but you remember everything from your dreams... I was dreaming about making a chocolate raspberry cake. I was actually mentally drafting a grocery list of ingredients for it. I woke up and spent at least another thirty minutes just debating whether I actually wanted it or not.🕺
From now on, I’m sending my husband to the store. I won't go myself, even if someone offered to pay me—I’d just end up walking out with a mountain of chocolate.🕺
Jose Ramirez2 said: Pregnant women who complained incessantly always got on my nerves.😛 😁
That's exactly why we vent here—so we don't have to bother people in real life.😁
Look, I get it—if that setup works for you all, then fine. It’s your call. But that’s just not how we’re doing things. Honestly, we aren't even planning any big, traditional celebrations—the kind everyone expects. We’ll probably just host a nice lunch for my parents and siblings in a few weeks once we've settled in, and then maybe grab drinks with friends later on. Hosting parties at our apartment is basically out of the question right now anyway; we have neighbors who are as annoying as they come.😁 My daughter recently had a birthday party with five friends from 5 PM to 9 PM over the weekend, and this neighbor actually had the nerve to come banging on the door, screaming about us "jumping around" the apartment.🤣 Felicity was lucky she didn't hear it. My husband took one listen to her and sent her on her way—he's a calm guy, so he didn't feel the need to get into a massive argument. Though, frankly, I have no idea what I would have said to her if she'd tried to lecture me personally.😁
It’s just incredibly irritating when people start lecturing me with that "this is how it's done" or "how can you think that" attitude. It’s the same loop every single time—it happened with the wedding (since we didn't do the whole classic thing), it's happening with the baptism (since there won't be one), and so on. I don't see why anyone has an opinion on our business other than us. It’s not like we’re living in some dystopian dictatorship where everything is MANDATORY. It isn't.😁
As for the weight gain... yikes.😁 I was at the OBGYN yesterday and they put me on the scale; I nearly fell off from the sheer shock. I'm not telling anyone how much I've gained.🤣 I think when they inevitably ask (and they ask CONSTANTLY), I'll just tell them to mind their own business. They can check back in with me once I've fully developed a double chin.😁
placidtinker31 said:So, why is a single glass of beer or wine strictly off-limits during pregnancy? Or why can't you just eat whatever you're craving? 🤷
This is my third pregnancy, and honestly, I’ve never once bothered checking what's considered "forbidden"...
Look, maybe a single beer is fine. But if I have one, I'll probably want another—so it's better not to tempt fate.😁
As for raw meat, though—that’s a hard no. Same goes for unpasteurized cheeses, raw eggs, and so on. There's actually quite a bit to watch out for.
But honestly, it’s only during pregnancy that I’m realizing just how much I crave everything I’m strictly forbidden from having.😁 I’ve always been a red wine girl—beer was never really my thing, nor were white wines or hard liquor—but good grief, ever since I found out I'm pregnant, I’d kill for a beer, a glass of Chardonnay, or basically any alcohol under the sun.🙏
I want them all.🙏
And don't even get me started on raw meat!!!!!! carpaccio !!! It's the steak—served rare, where it's just barely seared on the outside but bloody and tender in the middle... My god...
placidtinker31 said:I’m definitely one of those people who thinks it’s perfectly normal 🤷 It’s not like my husband is getting wasted or anything, but look... I didn't just undergo some high-stakes brain surgery where survival is a question mark. I had a baby. A healthy, happy baby, and I feel fine. So why shouldn't we celebrate that? Besides, when a woman finally gets home with a newborn that's only a few days old, she’s certainly not going to be in the mood for playing hostess cleaning up after guests and everything. Everyone will just want to hover over her, grab the baby for a second, blah blah blah. And in two months, once she's actually recovered, there'll probably be a christening or something anyway, so there won't really be a need to throw a separate party just for the birth. Just my two cents... 😉
Well, that's completely fine too. If that works for you, why wouldn't it? Personally, I am BEYOND READY to have a beer—honestly, I'm counting down the days—and that’ll be my moment. The whole pregnancy, I was genuinely bummed that I couldn't touch a drop of alcohol. 😁 Nemajko:clap: And thank God I have the husband I do; he decided to share the struggle with me and didn't drink either, so he won't be drinking while I'm in the hospital. To me, that's incredibly sweet—after all, we made this baby together, it's a joint venture, so we both endure it. 😁 You know how pathetic it would look if we were sitting at the table and he’s knocking back his second beer while I just sit there staring sadly at his glass. 🤣
If you didn't miss it and don't feel bad about it, then great. 😁 You aren't missing out on anything. 😁
But the point is, this is your decision, not your family's. It would be the equivalent of saying you want to throw a party immediately, and your relatives act all judgmental—like, "how dare you party while you're incapacitated." 😁 That's the gist of it.
Ideally, everyone should just realize that parties, pregnancies, and life in general aren't for the sake of the neighbors or the community—they are for you, the people actually living it. I don't know why anyone would even bother questioning them. 😁
Is this really happening? Was it this much of a mess when you guys had your first kid?
When my daughter was born, we weren't together—it was just her and me—so those questions never even came up. Her father... I don't know if he celebrated, maybe he did, but he was a completely different person back then; thankfully, we weren't married. I certainly wouldn't marry someone who would celebrate without me being there.😁
That was nine years ago, so I can't recall every single detail.😁
But generally speaking, from what I gather, this is normal for some people. Just think about it while the mother is stuck in the hospital. About two years ago, a relative of ours threw a celebration like that; honestly, it felt incredibly wrong for us to attend a party while his wife was lying in a hospital bed. 😢 We told him straight up that we didn't feel like showing up, and he took offense... He basically said, "Fine, if you care so much, come along, but it won't be done our way."
It’s just tacky—everyone is partying, roasting lambs or whatever, drinking and celebrating, while the poor woman is stuck in the hospital. Then, once she's finally home, the party's already over, and she's left to deal with diapers and maybe get a few cookies in the afternoon. 🤣 It’s as if she’s an incubator rather than a parent who should be celebrating the birth of their own child. Personally, I’d feel terrible throwing a party without my husband, and he’d feel the same without me. Look, to each their own, but that’s not how we operate—they can judge us all they want.☕
Something really rubbed me the wrong way the other day—not directly related to the pregnancy, but let’s just roll with it: we were having coffee with my husband's side of the family when they brought up the whole "celebration" thing for the baby's arrival. Apparently, he’s expected to host some big get-together while I’m stuck in the hospital, because that’s just how things are done, right?
My husband and I just shared this one look.😁 He tried to explain to them that the idea was completely insane to us—that him drinking and hosting a party while I'm lying in a hospital bed is just wrong. He told them he’ll be home looking after our daughter and getting everything ready for when we finally head back from the hospital, so we can all celebrate together once I've actually recovered.
And those looks they gave him...🤣 It was like, "That's not how you do things." As if he isn't entitled to celebrate the birth of his son however he damn well pleases! Like, heaven forbid a man doesn't get wasted the second a baby is born just to show he's happy.🙏
We explained it again. No, it’s not how it works.
We explained it yet again. "Well, I guess you won't be joining us for a drink then!" they snapped.
🤣 Honestly, I'm just waiting for them to show up at our doorstep uninvited.🤣 My only regret is that I won't be there to witness the drama.🤣
Keith Barrett2 said:Around here, after-school care runs until 4:30 PM for the first through third graders—and honestly, I’m pretty sure every school in our city is on the same schedule, since nobody seems to stay open until 5:00 PM.
Plus, they start the morning drop-off at 6:30 AM.
That sounds ideal—where I live, there's zero before-school care. School starts at 7:55 AM, and that’s the end of the story.
rowdypanther12 said:You're just like ruggedbear57; he was completely clueless when she used to walk to her friend's house alone as a kid.😂 I guess I’m a little weird about this topic, especially since the people around me seem way too relaxed about it.😁
Honestly, it’s better that you guys are divided on this.
It's the same way in our house—I'm the neurotic one who wouldn't let her out of my sight if I had my way, period.😁 But then my husband is incredibly laid-back and lets her do just about anything; so we end up debating and compromising. One of us tones the other down until we land on some healthy middle ground where the kid isn't being smothered by overprotection, but isn't left to run wild either.
What would actually be a nightmare is if we were both exactly like me.😁
rowdypanther12 said:Yeah, the traffic situation is pretty rough. I've actually started letting my daughter walk to her friend's house on her own, and I’m really aiming to get her fully independent before she heads off to college, but we just don't have the kind of transit options here
Since after-school care is only available for first graders, she's basically going to have to figure out how to get there by herself eventually.😁
Ugh, having after-school care end right after first grade is brutal. Just awful—they're still so small... Around here, it lasts through third grade, and even that feels insufficient to me. Call me a worried mom, but I mean it.😁 If I weren't currently dealing with pregnancy and postpartum life, I think I'd be losing my mind worrying about being on my own from age 1 to 5 next year.
Realistically, by fourth grade they'll be ten, but in my head, she'll still be my little girl until middle school—if not longer.😁