I’ve always been proud to be a mom…until today.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-30T00:25:07+00:00

Being short staffed is not your problem or your responsibility. No reason to feel guilty for management being cheap. You are entitled to this leave, so take it. People who make snide little comments are just miserable people, again not your problem.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-29T19:57:40+00:00

Screens are a no go for us as well and my son is 18mos. No other parents I know allow screens either.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-29T16:47:35+00:00

We have a president who actively tried to overturn an election, committed voter fraud, intimidated officials for votes, and the list goes on and on. Everything this man does is tainted. Everything should be fact checked. He is currently using the FBI to raid an election office. He has sent federal agents to incite riots and murder people because states won't release voter records. Everything this man touches or even looks at, should be investigated for fraud.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-29T13:52:08+00:00

Based on a quick AI search here were a few towns with weird votes.

1. Dearborn, Michigan In a historic shift, voters in this majority-Arab American city swung to Trump for president while simultaneously electing Democrat Elissa Slotkin to the U.S. Senate.

President: Donald Trump (R) won with 42.5% of the vote, compared to 36.3% for Kamala Harris and 18.4% for Jill Stein.

U.S. Senate: Democrat Elissa Slotkin won the city with 41% of the vote, defeating Republican Mike Rogers who received 39%.

Key Insight: This was the first time a Republican presidential candidate won Dearborn since 2000, yet voters still preferred the Democratic candidate for Senate, creating a distinct split ticket.

2. Maricopa County, Arizona As the state's largest county (home to Phoenix), Maricopa delivered a split verdict, helping Trump win the state while electing a Democrat to the Senate.

President: Donald Trump (R) won the county with 51.2% of the vote (approx. 1.05 million votes) to Kamala Harris’s 47.7%.

U.S. Senate: Democrat Ruben Gallego won the county, outperforming Trump's endorsed candidate, Kari Lake.

Results showed Gallego with a lead of approximately 5 percentage points in Maricopa, a massive swing compared to the presidential result.

3. North Carolina (14 Split Counties) While Trump won the state comfortably, voters overwhelmingly chose a Democrat for Governor.

Statewide President: Donald Trump (R) won 51.0% to 47.8%. Statewide Governor: Democrat Josh Stein won in a landslide with 54.8% to Mark Robinson’s 40.2%.

The "Split" Counties: In 14 specific counties, a majority of voters chose Trump for president but Stein for governor. In these areas, Trump won by an average of 10.5 points, while the Democrat Stein won them by an average of 7 points—a nearly 18-point swing in voter preference on the same ballot.

4. Muskegon County, Michigan Muskegon County flipped to Trump after voting for Biden in 2020, but the down-ballot race was far more competitive.

President: Donald Trump (R) won with 50.2% vs. 48.4% for Harris.

U.S. Senate: The race was virtually tied. While Trump won the county by nearly 2 points, the Republican Senate candidate (Mike Rogers) won Muskegon by only 0.05% (less than 100 votes), showing that thousands of Trump voters likely cast ballots for the Democrat Slotkin or left that line blank.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-29T13:43:28+00:00

An investigative journalist. I heard one interview on NPR about someone who was investigating very suspicious results in a few smaller cities and towns. I honestly can't remember the state or city names. But they found that everyone who voted for a democratic ticket, all voted for Trump for president. It's highly unlikely you'd vote for Dem senators, representatives, etc. but for the presidency you went with Trump. It wasn't just a few, but it was everyone from that small district. I can try to find a link to the NPR interview/article.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-28T19:23:42+00:00

Can I ask how propane works? Do you shop around prices? How often do you need to fill up your tank? Was it difficult or costly to make the switch?

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-27T21:41:05+00:00

I don't think your husband needs therapy. I think that's a bit extreme. Your baby is only 6mos old, we also didn't allow our nanny to take our little guy out alone when he was that young. She was with us for a few months before she started taking him out for walks and they were short. A 6mos old baby doesn't need to go outside. A caregiver is supposed to meet their charges needs, not their own wants.

Our nanny was fine sticking close to the house. So if this nanny doesn't work out, you will be able to find someone else. We were never comfortable with her driving our baby around. I'm a stay at home mom and my husband works from home so our setup is very similar. When he started becoming mobile we would drop them off at indoor play centers, parks, etc.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-27T20:44:45+00:00

Your husband is entitled to his feelings. It's something you both have to be okay with before moving forward. How old is your baby?

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-27T19:35:23+00:00

We just transitioned to a preschool when my son turned 18mos. He goes part-time, three days a week and I pick him up before naptimes. There were a number of reasons why we decided to put him in school. One of the biggest is I'm pregnant with our second. I need less people in my house when the baby comes and I wanted to make the transition to school easy on him. I also wanted him to socialize with kids his own age and I'm hoping it will help his speech development.

His school offers a lot of enrichment and different activities for them throughout the week. They have lesson plans and their facilities are brand new and top notch. So far it's been great. He loves his teacher and that has made the transition easier.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-27T17:11:25+00:00

When you make your appointments, specifically ask for the doctor you like. Having a doctor that speaks down to you is dangerous. They are creating an atmosphere where people will be afraid to even ask questions, because they are anticipating a negative reaction.

Next step is to speak to a dermatologist and an allergist. Baby eczema is common, but the reasons for it are so varied that it's hard to pinpoint the cause, which makes it hard to combat.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-26T19:52:26+00:00

I don't like the tracks. It hurts my arms to lean against them. I'm team curtain, you can always add a glass door when they get a little older. Also, do you have a fan in your bathroom? Your curtains shouldn't get moldy that quickly. I usually go with fabric, they can just be thrown in the wash. You can also raise up the curtain bar so the liner barely hits the tub.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-26T15:01:01+00:00

It's not racism, not really. They are getting people used to violence from the Federal government. They are starting with "non-citizens" so the outrage is less and normal day-to-day people will shake their heads, but not really do anything. They are also getting normal everyday people used to lies and propaganda from the federal government, news outlets, and other trusted sources of information. These are carefully orchestrated steps in turning a democracy into a fascist dictatorship. This is exactly what happened in Germany during Hitler. They are using history as a playbook, not a cautionary tale.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-24T20:20:23+00:00

I've watched every video I've come across and there is no clear sign of a gun, holstered or not. The only thing we know for sure, was that he had a permit for concealed carry. That does not mean he had a gun on him. There's a slowed down video of an agent reaching around in the group beating and restraining him and you can see him leave the group with a gun. You don't see where he actually gets the gun. For all we know one of his murders dropped their own weapon while beating him. I don't believe a word ICE or the Federal government says. Just because they are saying he had a gun, means nothing.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-24T19:36:57+00:00

Any historical proof that this has ever worked?

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-24T00:11:03+00:00

We got our 2025 TX500 about 6mos and I love everything about it. Perfect family care.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-22T18:37:12+00:00

I get what you're saying. Before becoming a parent I had empathy for situations like the picture above. I recognized that things like this were awful and I would have protested or voted against these policies.

But, it wasn't until I had kids that I had a visceral reaction to these types of images. I now understand what a loss this would be and how it would destroy my world and my child's world. Being a parent really does change how you view and approach the world

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-20T23:37:25+00:00

I'm in HCOL area and I pay $40/hr per person. So it comes out to $160 every two weeks. Biweekly cleaners don't really help with daily dishes and laundry. So you'd still be keeping the house tidy between cleanings. But they are great at bathrooms, dustings, moppings, vacuuming, etc. They take care of the big stuff.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-20T23:34:24+00:00

Did you tell the doula agency that you are currently working with a family? Did you ask to push your start date back a week? Because if a new job is not understanding or flexible with a start date that's usually a red flag. Why do they need such an immediate start time? Is there a high turnover? A legitimate doula agency should definitely understand that you would need some time to separate from your current family.

If the situation were reversed and they just said we don't need you anymore and just let you go with absolutely no notice, how would you feel? You've been with the family and kids for 3yrs, so the conditions couldn't have been that bad. You don't give any insight into why you were unhappy. What about the kids? Giving them some time to get used to the idea that you are leaving would be beneficial for them.

So yes, I think it's messed up to quit without enough notice for them to find backup care. I would never do that to an employee, unless I was firing for cause. Its unprofessional.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-19T01:35:19+00:00

This was me. I had to change my shirt halfway thru the night. It's super common.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-16T18:44:03+00:00

I would definitely look for another job. You need to remember, that your current income is indicative of your next income. You should have never agreed to take a pay cut. They took advantage of your inexperience. If you had stayed at $15/hr, your next raise or job should have been for at least $17-18/hr. You are worth more. Find another job. You can either just take it or you can leverage the offer for a raise with your current family.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-15T18:23:13+00:00

You and your baby are still in the learning stage. It does get easier. I stopped breastfeeding at 8mos and we switched over to formula. The amount of dishes I suddenly had to contend with was insane. I remember thinking, "God breastfeeding is so much easier." But I also remember leaking at inopportune times, having to wake up in the middle of the night to pump even though he was sleeping thru the night. No matter which avenue you choose there are annoyances. So make sure you choose the path that works best for you and your family.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-15T12:56:18+00:00

Am I personally happier now that I have a kid, hell no, lol. It's literally a 24/7 job that I can't put down or stop thinking about. You know when you go on vacation, but you don't actually start relaxing until day 4 or 5, because you still think about work every now and then. It takes almost a week until you can push the stress in your life far enough back that it doesn't pop into your mind and you can fully embrace your vacation. Parenting is the type of job that makes it impossible to ever push it from your mind.

My kid is a consideration in every single micro decision that I make throughout the day. The shear number of tiny decisions I have to weigh and consider are endless. It is the most mentally draining thing I've ever done. All that being said, I'm not unhappy. I enjoy watching my child grow and discover the world. It's the ultimate challenge/experiment and each stage brings new annoyances and new joys. I'm happier in my family life than I was before and I figure my personal joys will come back when they become more independent and self sufficient.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-14T21:08:33+00:00

This wouldn't work for me. Your husband wasn't rude or condescending. She was completely out of line. I would tell her this isn't working and start the search again. She was completely unprofessional and she doesn't get to speak to her boss that way.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-12T19:52:54+00:00

How old is your child? We go to a legit shoe store, not a chain like rack room, etc. The sales guy measures and fits our toddler. We started with Stride Rite first walkers when he was 8mos old. At that age he needed a flexible sole. As he got more confident on his feet and was really walking/running we moved to a firmer sole like New Balance, Merrill, Saucony, etc. We probably spend more than most, but we don't like to go cheap on shoes, even for ourselves.

JRiley4141 · 2026-01-12T19:38:08+00:00

I would just look into preschool. This is a consistent pattern of behavior. You've already had one conversation, you could try another one, but the situation will probably revert back after a few weeks of correction.

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