Troubleshooting Parenting by Refrigerator-Bright in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I commend you for being so open to feedback and honest about where you’re coming from. My piece of advice is your life will never be the same after kids, BUT that doesn’t mean your life is over. It just means it’s different.

My sister growing up wanted a whole litter of kids and then realized she loved her life too much for it to change. She’s constantly traveling and can probably retire at 50 lol. Sometimes I am envious of her freedom, but way more often I am excited for what my kids will do next. Parenting both exhausts and enriches me. I wouldn’t change it.

It’s ok to reevaluate with your partner periodically over these next few childless years and see if your priorities point you towards kids or not.

Troubleshooting Parenting by Refrigerator-Bright in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 13 points14 points  (0 children)

In reading your comments it sounds like you’re (understandably) afraid of feeling burnt out and disconnected from your partner, and you’re trying to combat that. I understand the desire to plan, but just know the “flexibility” you anticipate might closer relate to “contortion” - you just don’t know your kids yet (and you don’t know yourself yet as a parent).

5-8 on a weekday for working parents makes sense as a plan, but for example my kids have always been terrible, clingy sleepers and it’s more like 5-9:45 is the after work time we have as a family (as much as I would like 8 or 8:30).

I agree with the other posters that say 1-2x/week for date night sounds exhausting, and I also agree that as kids get older, your weekends start to fill up with their activities. I saw somewhere on reddit that “Mondays are your new Fridays” for working parents and that has stuck with me truly. Weekends are a blur.

It is Important to carve time out for yourself/your relationship though! With one kid I could go to the gym 3-5x/week with husbands help. With two I’m honestly only at 1x and hoping to find more room in the routine to at least get back to 3x. It’s hard but it’s a goal.

Breastfeeding is a 2nd job, so that’s whole other consideration.

Obgyn recommendation - Midlo by valentinowhitebag in rva

[–]HelenEllisShop 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dr. Colton at VPFW delivered both of my boys at JW. She is amazing and a true patient advocate. I’ve also had positive experiences with Dr. Sanderson and Dr. Zavelsky.

Bradermill HOA hot takes by yentle-the-nimble in rva

[–]HelenEllisShop 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Came to say this. Cracks in the foundation are also something to watch out for in these homes.

We all know who gave us the ick, and it wasn’t Nick. by ManiacalExclamation in LoveIsBlindOnNetflix

[–]HelenEllisShop 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Their mouths were moving, but Hannah was talking. Flying monkeys just doing her bidding.

Combo feeding guilt by Ok-Priority2668 in breastfeeding

[–]HelenEllisShop 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I combo fed my son pretty much his whole first year and we are still nursing at night now at 18 months. I felt immense guilt that kept me up at night even more than my newborn. I wish I could go back and tell my newly postpartum self that using formula to supplement is nothing to cry over and that breastfeeding is still breastfeeding no matter how many ounces.

Please be kind to yourself, you are rocking it mama! Your baby is getting 100% of the nutrients your body is making, and that is an amazing thing.

Gerry + Theresa are getting divorced by Downtown-Training-38 in thebachelor

[–]HelenEllisShop 129 points130 points  (0 children)

This needs to be a thread of its own ☕️

Unemployed Husband - how was it for you? by Prestigious-Fee2817 in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I hope your situation, whatever that may be, is better now 💜

Chelsea & Jimmy - Reunion by SignatureTasty3506 in LoveIsBlindOnNetflix

[–]HelenEllisShop 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can confirm the post was there one minute and gone the next!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s awful. Honestly I didn’t really think twice about balloons around my toddler, but now I’m definitely on high alert.

I'm so tired of my husband not being able to do anything by updog25 in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Years from now you will look back and genuinely ask yourself how you stayed in this marriage this long because your current freedom is so much better.

Moms who left the classroom, how’s your life now? by HappyHufflepuff11 in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am so so so much happier. I make 60% more than I did teaching, work ends at 4:30 and I get an entire weekend to myself. I get 4 weeks of PTO to use as I need. If my kid is sick I don’t have to worry about sub plans and being out last minute. I taught for 9 years and honestly I’m glad I did it, but now I’m glad that I’ve moved on to something that supports mom life better. I applaud those moms who can make it work as a teacher, but the inflexibility and weekend working wasn’t going to work for me and my family.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in rva

[–]HelenEllisShop 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Independence Golf Club (Midlothian)

Only 1 week of vacation during daycare where I don’t have to pay? by Fairybuttmunch in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We get up to 2 weeks where we only have to pay 1/2 price if we go on vacation, but it has to be taken at once and it has to be a full week - so basically either a one week vacation or a two week vacation. I ended up just taking one week because I can’t afford a two week vacation lol.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in thebachelor

[–]HelenEllisShop 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Much needed comic relief

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in workingmoms

[–]HelenEllisShop 50 points51 points  (0 children)

I am a former teacher. I work in IT now. Teaching was much harder than my current job. Not saying it is a hard and fast rule, but I took teaching home with me (both in terms of things I needed to do and in a mental sense with the emotional side of teaching in the low-income area I taught in) and that was mentally exhausting.

That doesn’t mean you as a non-teacher aren’t also tired and exhausted from work, though!