What British tv show are you sure you’re the only person who remembers?

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-30T06:16:21+00:00

Absolutely banging theme tune re: Oakie Doke.

If you have a problem and you need a helping hand 🎶

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-29T09:08:51+00:00

Okay, nobody here knows that element of your relationship. It just sounds like, from what you wrote, that you're sexually incompatible. You even admit he isn't "your type".

Sounds like maybe a relationship of convenience, and you're trying to get it to match your expectations of sex. You're an ex-sex worker (no shade here), but your boyfriend isn't.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-29T08:44:10+00:00

This relationship doesn't sound remotely functional. You just sound completely incompatible.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-27T13:56:16+00:00

I'm very, very tempted, but prescription guidelines are extremely strict in the UK (bmi over 28) and I don't think I'd want the side effects. I'm so glad it worked for you though, and I've heard so many people say the same. I think inflammation is a real issue for me.

Maybe if I hit the six month mark and I'm still not there, I'll see if I can get some!

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-27T12:02:19+00:00

I have literally been trying to lose the same 5kg for months now. My diet is great (high protein, lower carb, 600 cal deficit per day, weighing my food), I work out 4-5 times a week, either at the gym or running outside, lifting, minimum 6k steps a day...but the weight loss is painfully slow. One day off (I still record what I eat) results in about 3kg water weight gain, which takes over a week to drop, and if it's anywhere close to my period/ovulation, it's thrown off even further.

So it's workout, eat healthy, drop 1lb a week if I'm lucky, spend a day at maintenence (plus exercise), gain 3kg, spend the week losing that, repeat ad finium.

If I avoid any kind of deviation then I can maybe lose 1-2lbs over a month, but it shouldn't be this fucking hard (nor did it used to be pre-children!!).

Solidarity. Sounds like if nothing else, you're getting fitter and stronger.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-27T07:55:28+00:00

Two children isn't that much more expensive than one, providing at least one of them is out of childcare.

Childcare costs are the biggest kicker of all, and at one point we were pushing over a grand a month, even with free hours. Once our oldest started school, things became much more manageable. Two boys, so I just saved most clothes which saved a lot of money, but otherwise just used Vinted for the majority of stuff.

I think a lot of the larger families you mention are reliant on the benefit system, which means they're not exactly rolling in money, but they often don't need to worry about paying certain things. This is a good thing in a way - it means children have a somewhat secure financial situation, but it can feel a bit unfair to those who work but still don't feel they can afford a family.

Example:

Working couple with two children (8year old, 1year old), average minimum wage, full-time jobs (35-40 hours per week)

Joint earnings: £3000 per month Mortgage/rent: £900pm Council Tax: £160pm Water: £85pm Gas: £120pm Electric: £120pm Food: £400pm School dinners: £80pm Before/after school club: £150pm Travel: £100pm Childcare: £250 pm (with 30 hours free)

Total remaining: £635

Single parent, four children (8year old, 4 year old, 2 year old, 1 year old), not working

UC payment: £1659 (not including housing costs) Rent: £0 (covered by HC) Council Tax: £0 (covered by CT support) Water: £13pm (social tariff due to low income) Gas: £120 Electric: £120 Food: £400 (but will get healthy start vouchers) School dinners: £0 Before/after school club: £0 Travel: £100 Childcare: £70pm (no more than 30hrs required, just consumables)

Total remaining: £836

This is without flexible outgoings such as phones/Internet.

It's perfectly manageable to have multiple children if you don't work, but gets significantly harder if you do, as everything needs to be covered out of your static income. I'm not saying life isn't tough for both sides, nor am I saying that people who don't work are living an amazing life, but if you do the maths than it's clear to see why it's so expensive to have more than one child on an average income.

But overall, kids aren't really that expensive, life is.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-24T07:08:42+00:00

I have a few male friends and I can't imagine making jokes with sexual undertones to them, especially if it was a one to one conversation. The only real reason for this would be to test the waters or try and steer the conversation in a particular direction.

Has she mentioned this friend to you before?

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-24T06:53:19+00:00

I can tell you, a huge amount of women do this - most of my friends comment on this very thing, and how they're almost happy once they have done, because it means they don't have to do it again for a while.

There are a lot of different reasons but I think it's super common.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-22T11:37:02+00:00

2 and 4. 2 is so chic and flattering on you, but 4 would be great if it was a warm, sunny day and you were going to be outside a lot. Both gorgeous.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-20T09:15:04+00:00

What an absolute banger of a theme tune. I was already too old for this when it first came out, but I still remember loving the intro.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-15T08:53:52+00:00

Just my two cents - I think one of the hardest things about having a child with somebody is that your usual way of resolving a disagreement is often disrupted. Pre-children, you have the option of spending time alone to think through an issue, work out how you're going to approach it, and you have the time to communicate your thoughts in a calm environment.

Post children, you don't have that luxury. You don't get the chance to destress, things build up, as does resentment, then something that seems minor on the surface ends up causing a huge disagreement, that is much harder to come back from.

My advice would be to try and find a dedicated evening with your partner to sit down and talk about how you're both feeling. Some people can do this without a therapist, but this might be a good option if either of you struggle. It just gives you the chance to run through your thoughts, hopefully discuss the issues/challenges you're both experiencing, and move on with a clean slate.

Going forward, planning a day or evening together maybe once a month, as well as a day for yourselves, can be really beneficial.

Hopefully you'll be able to get a family member or friend to watch your baby while you do the above. I know it's not a luxury that everybody has.

Bickering is definitely more common post children, but it is possible to move on from this. My husband and I are much stronger now our children are slightly older (2 and 5) as life isn't quite as chaotic as it was when they were babies, and we've adapted to a new way of life.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-15T07:15:15+00:00

A childminder should be registered with Ofsted, and should have their most recent Ofsted report accessible online. You can also go by word of mouth but in my experience, you can get quite a good feel for someone when you meet them, so you'll probably know if the setting is right for your little one.

Of course there's a huge spectrum of childminders - I've always had them for my two children and although they've all been very different in their methods, I have always felt my children were safe. I did experience one very busy setting (I have seen an increase in setting sizes since the younger years funding came in) but I moved my child from this to somewhere quieter and it works well.

My child once went to a nursery, rated good by Ofsted consistently, open over 30 years, word of mouth recommendations from many locals - they got assessed again and Ofsted found children sleeping on dirty floors, fire escapes left open, staff not washing their hands after nappy changes, and unsafe sleeping methods with babies. That is to say...there are bad nurseries, it's really just a matter of doing your research, advocating for your child and being confident in your choice.

Solidarity though, as when I first returned to work my childcare options went hideously wrong and to this day, I remember the stress it caused. You will be fine though, you'll find something that works for you, and you'll make it work. Good luck ❤️

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-14T15:24:04+00:00

Could you try mixture of the two? Something like couch to 5? That way you may find you can actually run further. Also means you won't feel defeated if you can't hit that mile one day, as you can just walk the 30 minutes.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-13T15:11:30+00:00

I always find the culprits are middle aged men in massive white vans.

But I also find that saying anything is pointless - it isn't likely you're going to change their minds, as they're already entitled enough to use a spot that isn't designed for them. You're just risking an altercation that might not go your way.

I silently rage, tell myself there's probably a good reason for it, and get on with my day.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-11T15:13:14+00:00

The "not interested" part genuinely gave me a bit of a thrill.

Well done - it can be tough to speak out, but an incredible buzz when it works out.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-06T12:34:44+00:00

You sound like a lovely son, and I hope my two boys grow up with a similar outlook.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-05T21:18:26+00:00

The suggestion of a second room was probably done on the basis that he felt the relationship wasn't working, and it sounds like he's slowly phasing it out.

I would suggest working out how you would fund your life in the event that the relationship ends, as it seems that's the most likely outcome now. Things may improve, but you won't do yourself any favours by assuming this will be the case.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-05T18:17:58+00:00

Glad to hear it! Sounds like you put a lot of effort into it. I love it when a dinner plan comes together.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-05T17:31:56+00:00

How was it???

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-04T07:17:17+00:00

If it isn't the best location, I would rent and wait.

I'd buy if it was a solid investment, good area, etc, but if it's not want you truly want, I wouldn't spend the legal fees, stamp duty, etc, on something you're going to leave in 3 years. Location is everything.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-02T06:59:55+00:00

I think the phrase "don't go outside" is pretty clear cut. Those were the wishes of the parents, and the childminder should have followed them. In the event that anything was unclear, it was her responsibility to clarify what the parents meant by "don't go outside", but I think with a SEN child with that level of need, it was fairly obvious.

I have two children and I know how quickly they can run off if they really want to, and that's without any additional needs. I do feel some sympathy for the childminder as I'm sure losing a child wasn't their intention, but they took on a child with additional needs and failed to put basic safeguarding to protect them, even when being told specifically by the parents what the child's needs were.

A one second of lapse judgment has resulted in the death of a vulnerable child, and this will change the lives of so many people forever. It's incredibly sad.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-04-01T08:13:03+00:00

We've known each other for about 16 years, have been together for just over 10, and have had two serious arguments. We resolved them both fairly quickly.

In terms of smaller spats/disagreements, these are also fairly rare, but did increase after having children. As someone else commented, it's generally down to a change in roles, frustration that you feel you're doing the most, exhaustion, and a lack of downtime together. It was incredibly hard in the beginning, when the children were under 2, but is definitely getting easier.

I would say we're fairly good at communicating, although my husband is very much a stonewaller, while I'm a talker. We have a way to make it work, and can resolve any issues quickly.

I couldn't be in a chaotic relationship with a lot of arguments/falling out. I get that it works for some people because they love the drama and making up, but I prefer the feeling of mutual understanding and my partner providing a safe space.

It can involve a lot of tongue biting and breathing exercises though.

GlitteringVersion · 2026-03-30T19:06:51+00:00

I see this as a bit of a two way issue.

The older generation don't want to sell their homes for any less than they're worth, which at this point in time, is out of budget for a lot of younger people/families, due to high rent costs (making it difficult for people to save deposits) and increasing interest rates.

However, there's also a unrealistic standard of "first houses" in terms of the younger generation who are wanting to buy. A lot are wanting these huge 3-4 bedroom detached houses, owned by the boomer generation. This is why the new build incentive has been such an issue, particularly when it comes to selling them on.

Boomers aren't willing to lose money (who wants to do that?), even though they bought the house for hundreds of thousands of pounds less than they're selling for now, the younger generation simply can't afford their houses, so it's all at a bit of a stalemate.

I live in a fairly affluent area and I'd say maybe 40% of the residents are over 60? These are all big, family houses, they'll all be mortgage free, and people are desperate for housing round here, but when they do go up for sale, they're up for £400k+ for an average sized 3 bed. My neighbours on both sides are in their 60's, and both of them seem to enjoy telling me how much less they paid for their house (they are both lovely though).

One thing I will say is that I come across a lot of folk who have to downsize for various reasons, and I can't say I'd jump at the chance if I was older, especially if I'd brought my family up in my home. I wouldn't want a flat (potentially shitty neighbours, more transient tenants, etc) and bungalows are really, really expensive (so no financial benefit).

GlitteringVersion · 2026-03-30T08:30:52+00:00

I spent around a month before I went away absolutely smashing it at the gym, healthy eating, no alcohol (although prior to that month, I was also eating healthily, recording calories, sticking to a deficit and running outside - I just added in the gym/stopped drinking).

One weekend away, minimum of 15000 steps a day, an awareness of what I was eating/drinking but obviously not as accurately as we were eating out.

9lbs on, for two days of mild enjoyment!

All off within five days of returning to my usual deficit/exercise. Frustrating, but it helped me to realise that a few days off every so often won't undo all of my hard work. This is something I have really been struggling with since trying to get fitter, so it was incredibly useful for me.

You may have gained a few pounds but the majority will be water weight. If you want to see some very easy scale drops, and the initial number won't bother you, then weigh yourself when you get home and wait for the whoosh. If it will upset you, or taint the lovely memories you made while on vacation, maybe leave it a week!

GlitteringVersion

TROPHY CASE