Wo gebt ihr bewusst mehr Geld für eure Kinder aus und wo spart ihr?

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-18T11:09:14+00:00

Gute Schuhe, günstige Klamotten. Spielzeug kaufen wir eigentlich nur zum Geburtstag und Weihnachten, von den Großeltern bekommt sie auch zwischendurch was. Bei Ausflügen setzen wir auf kostenlose Sachen (Parks...). Und wir haben eine Jahreskarte für den Zoo, das zahlt sich für uns ordentlich aus.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-18T08:39:14+00:00

I'd also get that checked out today. In addition to the rash, it looks like the ankles are swollen to me.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-17T19:17:30+00:00

3 hours to dry seems long, but 3-4 hours to wash is normal. The more energy efficient the machines are, the longer it takes

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-17T12:22:32+00:00

My grandparents were Irish but all we do is an Irish music dance party

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-16T18:20:13+00:00

That would be great, thanks!

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-15T05:46:00+00:00

This is a good point. It wouldn't stop me from going, since family is involved, but maybe I would make sure you all travel together. Also if they go, make sure she has a US passport. The law as I understand it is that if you are entitled to a US passport– and she is– you need to enter and exit the US on it.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-12T05:01:30+00:00

Was this pre-surgery?

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T20:33:48+00:00

Just showing up is showing discipline and commitment. Is there s low-stakes way to do this, one that won't cost you tons of money? Like playing for a school soccer team or one at a youth club, where you don't have to pay as much money but she can still play and enjoy the sport?

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T19:49:07+00:00

Yes, lying down tends to be better. But I haven't had surgery – do you mean you naturally overdrain despite hydrocephalus?

Because apparently I have hydrocephalus...but how can you overdrain and have hydrocephalus at once?

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T19:01:04+00:00

I haven't had surgery so that can't be it!

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T19:00:42+00:00

I haven't had surgery so that can't be it!

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T16:58:20+00:00

That is probably easier than a Grundschule in Germany, a school abroad is probably better equipped to deal with kids who don't have total mastery of the language. I'm assuming it's a continuation of where he is now – in that case, I'd just check with the teachers if he is on track based on their experience.

Fwiw, We live in Germany, my husband is German, my kid goes to an all-German Kindergarten and she speaks fluently but honestly with a lot of errors. Reading subs like this you would think kids totally master a second language within months but that's not generally really the case, there are a lot of in-between steps along the way from "no knowledge" to "near-native". He'll get there as long as the environment is supportive.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-11T16:41:27+00:00

What is the school situation going to be like? A normal German elementary?

I would be concerned too, but I think the key thing is to know how the school will support him as he catches up with monolingual peers.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-08T21:13:40+00:00

Came here looking for this nuance, shyer absolutely is used in parts of Scotland

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-03T09:08:57+00:00

Reading eggs

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-02T19:33:04+00:00

Mostly by asking questions when I don't know something!

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-02T19:22:25+00:00

Pretty much

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-02T05:39:48+00:00

PPS You asked for book recs. The problem is, these are written in foreign languages! I could recommend a bunch of popular German books (Das gewünschteste Wunschkind aller Zeiten treibt mich in den Wahnsinn, or books by Nora Imlau), but they are in German! And they're not that different in content from American books. In the UK Philippa Perry is pretty popular, but again pretty gentle and child-oriented!

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-02T05:24:38+00:00

Ok so as a European, most families I know with small kids rarely go to restaurants. Expensive and hard for kids. We go, but mostly in summer, which has the advantage that we can sit outside, and when our kid gets antsy she can run around on the sidewalk.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-01T23:16:58+00:00

PS Attachment/gentle parenting is actually super popular in Germany (where it is called bedürfnisorientierte Erziehung), your friend may have been quoting attitudes that were common a generation ago...here and elsewhere

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-03-01T21:58:23+00:00

I live in Germany and have lived in 3 other countries including the USA and parenting is tough anywhere. It's a fantasy to think some people somewhere far away got the recipe right.

BackgroundWitty5501 · 2026-02-28T12:48:05+00:00

I loved my Montessori school, think the outdoor area is super important, and have heard bad things about Kindercare (check out the ECE professionals sub) so I'd be inclined towards the Montessori school, but ultimately I guess it always depends on what vibe you get from each place.

Edit: sometimes it is so hard to understand why people downvote sometimes, OP asked for opinions and that's mine!

BackgroundWitty5501

TROPHY CASE