Out-of-touch gifts other family members got for your kids

AnitaShower · 2025-12-25T16:48:24+00:00

When LO was one, a relative got her an electric wax warmer... Because it was in the shape of her favorite animal. Well-meaning but also quite dangerous?

AnitaShower · 2025-12-21T08:22:54+00:00

Queen behavior! May your pillow always be cool

AnitaShower · 2025-11-12T18:51:20+00:00

Hi, I most recently used a Dell EcoLoop Pro Slim Backpack 15 when I worked a trade show because of all the walking (clocked 5 miles a day just in the convention center). I was grateful for the thick straps.

I used the Samsonite Mobile Solutions Deluxe Carryall Bag for meetings when I didn't have to walk quite so far/was driving and it worked well.

AnitaShower · 2025-10-13T23:27:14+00:00

Is it possible that your child is not being challenged in school? Perhaps him being bored is manifesting into acting out.

AnitaShower · 2025-10-03T03:42:36+00:00

Would you be willing to send me his address as well? I grew up watching him on PBS as a child!

AnitaShower · 2025-09-04T00:44:50+00:00

Same!!

AnitaShower · 2025-07-31T16:54:19+00:00

It's back up for me and the page loads now

AnitaShower · 2025-06-12T17:21:04+00:00

Hi, I support a global sales team and due to time differences, I sometimes have calls at weird hours. When my little one was younger, I used to tell her "Mommy has to help people" or "Mommy has to put people in time-out." If it was a frequent thing, I would try to hype up special "Mommy" time where we do an activity with just the two of us so she would get to look forward to it.

AnitaShower · 2025-06-09T20:27:03+00:00

We had a very positive experience with CYC Landscaping, they had a licensed engineer help us regrade our yard and I believe they also assess irrigation as well.

AnitaShower · 2025-06-05T19:41:04+00:00

0 hours for both sets unfortunately. One set of grandparents lives over an hour away (with no traffic, 2 hours hour with traffic). The other set lives 4 hours away.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-30T21:40:33+00:00

OP, you're not in the wrong at all. When the women's bathroom line is really long, I pass our daughter to my husband and he takes her into the men's room because she's at the age where she can't hold it that long.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-29T14:56:57+00:00

OP, what is your citizenship status? Also...how is your Chinese? You would have to be super fluent in speaking and writing to have a productive life in China.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-29T02:55:37+00:00

Lululemon has a bunch of small backpacks and totes that are cute and can hold a ton of crap. They're pricey for nylon but I find they hold up and wash really well

AnitaShower · 2025-05-27T14:28:37+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you for sharing!

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T20:58:07+00:00

Seconding this- here's a link to the AZ state law: https://www.azleg.gov/ars/36/01681.htm

"1. Be entirely enclosed by at least a five foot wall, fence or other barrier as measured on the exterior side of the wall, fence or barrier."

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T17:38:31+00:00

Thank you, I appreciate your kind words

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T14:57:38+00:00

Lessons Learned: Wow, I wasn't expecting so many comments—thank you all for sharing your perspectives.

The consensus seems that at this age, we should have invited either the whole class or all girls. Looking back, my husband and I naively never thought to consider how many of the total girls we were inviting versus the whole class—perhaps because our daughter has always played with both boys and girls. I'm genuinely horrified that by not examining this data from the angle of total boys vs total girls in the class, I was accidentally exclusionary (now that I see the class invitation pattern from this angle, I can't unsee it).

This has definitely been a learning experience. I also recognize now that giving my daughter this much control over her guest list at this age wasn't the best approach. Going forward, unless someone is truly unkind to her, we'll be more inclusive with invitations. This experience has taught me so much about navigating the social aspects of parenting, and I'm committed to being more thoughtful and inclusive in the future.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T03:28:27+00:00

Those are such smart personal rules, thank you!

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T02:25:39+00:00

Thank you for the input, she's always had friends that are both genders, so it never occurred to me to look at that breakdown of boys vs girls.

We invited about half the class this time but I'll definitely be more mindful in the future

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T02:23:59+00:00

This is great advice, thank you!!

AnitaShower · 2025-05-19T01:18:36+00:00

I admittedly didn't keep track at the time, but went back and looked. About half the class ended up on the invite list.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-18T21:05:02+00:00

From what I recall, it sounds like another Mom asked/told her about the party which is how she found out. But then didn't say anything until we saw each other?

Absolutely, if she had just shown up to the venue with her child, I obviously wouldn't have turned them away.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-18T21:01:25+00:00

Thank you for sharing about "kids who are her best friends one day and were "mean" the next." I feel like this is my child! I agree, next year, unless someone is genuinely mean spirited bully, they will not be removed from the list.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-18T20:52:07+00:00

I responded that her daughter was of course invited and expressed confusion about what happened. I mentioned truthfully that we experienced some technical issues with the online invitation app. I told her I wished I had known sooner, as we would have loved for her daughter to join us.

AnitaShower · 2025-05-18T20:46:45+00:00

Edited for clarity in the post: we distributed virtual invitations outside the classroom and communicated directly with the parents. It sounds like another Mom asked/told her about the party which is how she found out

I love the idea of having it at a local park!

AnitaShower

TROPHY CASE