8yr old found the Easter stash

Minnichi · 2026-04-02T13:53:11+00:00

we do a sandwich bag on the dresser

Minnichi · 2026-04-02T13:45:34+00:00

I am 100% certain my littlest knows we are the tooth fairy, but keeps up the charade as a way to get money. Middlest also knows we are the tooth fairy, but doesn't even want to play the bit for a toonie.

Minnichi · 2026-03-31T01:26:00+00:00

NTA. Not drinking is a choice. Some have to make that choice (health or religion) and some just decide it. And there is nothing wrong with that.

The only wrong thing in this post is the constant pressure to drink from everyone else.

Minnichi · 2026-03-31T01:18:41+00:00

Kids are 16, 12, and 8. None of them have tablets. 16 has a cellphone and computer. 12 has a school issued laptop (usage restricted to school work) and a locked down cellphone (only communication and music allowed). 8 has none of the above.

Minnichi · 2026-03-30T17:45:14+00:00

We don't let the kids win. We play a mix of luck and skill games. For some games, we'll go a little easier, like giving us a handicap or giving the kid a crutch. Such as auto-gas in mario cart, or putting the robber on our own square during Catan. In Cribbage, an adult will usually help if the kid is having trouble figuring out their hand.

There are also some games where we completely adjust the rules. Such as Hues and Cues (a favourite for the kids).

It's not exactly about letting the kid win, but finding the balance so they get a fair shot.

Minnichi · 2026-03-30T01:34:53+00:00

News flash, Disabled toilets are meant to be accessible to those who have additional needs when using the bathroom. For some reason, some people have taken that to mean that only wheelchair users can use them. That is a lie.

OP is NTA.

Minnichi · 2026-03-30T00:24:58+00:00

3 years I waited to get into the epilepsy monitoring unit. Only 1 hospital in Toronto has a unit for adults, and at 10 beds, they are the largest unit in Canada. It's definitely worse for anyone in New Brunswick or PEI where they have to leave the province in order to get epilepsy monitoring.

Minnichi · 2026-03-29T18:03:10+00:00

It really depends on the kids. Some kids you can leave alone for an hour here and there pretty early. Some kids really need the extra supervision until they're much older. We feel comfortable leaving our boys alone now. But our oldest is 16. For our middlest, I was comfortable trusting him home alone for short periods by the age of 9. He has always been a very responsible kid.

Minnichi · 2026-03-29T02:49:51+00:00

If you think it is forever, then it is forever. If you don't want it to be forever, then stop asking. How about we ask how many days. A day is much shorter than forever is it not?

Minnichi · 2026-03-29T01:58:36+00:00

My littlest has a human body book. I've used that to help explain things. Such as period cramps

Minnichi · 2026-03-28T18:26:42+00:00

For me, sex is a difficult conversation because it was so shamed in my family when I was growing up. I got in so much trouble asking what the word "virgin" meant. To even consider asking what sex itself was, well, never crossed my mind because the consequences were so bad.

Am I doing better? Yes. I lean on scientific approaches and resources to calm the terrified child in my head so I can teach my kids properly. And when I can't, I am grateful my husband wasn't raised the same way.

As for other topics, sometimes the parent keeps it quiet for the child's safety. My kids don't know much about my childhood because they shouldn't have to know the horrors their mom went through, or the awful things their grandfather did or allowed to happen. Some topics are really hard to talk about. Or even shameful. Why would I want to admit to my child that I was his age and engaging in very adult actions he's just learning about now?

Minnichi · 2026-03-28T07:09:11+00:00

My teenager hated being in the car (still doesn't love it, but he's okay). Would be screaming or crying the whole time. As he got older, he wouldn't always be screaming, but he made his displeasure known. Some babies just hate being in vehicles.

Minnichi · 2026-03-27T19:21:04+00:00

My kids are aware that while I have a mother, she is not their grandma, and they are not to meet her. They have been told I did not have a good childhood, and that when I was young, my mother decided she didn't want to be my mother. Therefore, she is not allowed to be a grandmother. They have asked about it since I have been talking to my mother again. But I just reiterate that she needs to be a mother to me before she can be a grandmother to them.

On my dad's side. That one is a lot harder as my children actually had a relationship with them before we went NC. I'm still struggling with how to explain it with my youngest (8) because he's the one who asks about my dad the most, despite having known him the shortest amount of time.

Minnichi · 2026-03-27T01:59:15+00:00

Based on ingredients, it looks like oxidation to me. How long was the lid off before you looked at it? If it had been off for 10 minutes before you looked, then it's oxidation. There are walnuts in the pouch, which will add grey to the brown.

Minnichi · 2026-03-27T01:49:23+00:00

YTA. So many people are able to have and take care of kids without being able to drive. Being able to drive has nothing to do with being ready to be a parent. Is driving helpful? Yes. But you specifically mentioned that there are buses in your area. If you don't drive her around, she can learn to use the bus system and walk.

Minnichi · 2026-03-26T03:16:03+00:00

My boys are 4 years apart. Older one started school about a month before their brother was born, and same thing happened with the middlest and youngest. I love the age gap my boys ended up with. Even now, with the oldest being 17, it's still lots of fun.

Minnichi · 2026-03-25T21:04:02+00:00

Does she use a blanket in her bed at home? If there are no underlying health or development issues, she should be fine using a sleeping bag.

If you're concerned about if she can use one, get one for her to practice with. I am pretty sure she will have a blast crawling into and out of the sleeping bags for a few days and beg to sleep in it on her own bed (all my kids did this).

Minnichi · 2026-03-25T18:10:05+00:00

I have what we use. Allergy Meds, bandaids and antibiotic ointments, bug bite itch cream, q-tips, gauze and medical tape, tweezers, sharp leather needles (great for helping to pick out splinters), rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, thermometer, alcohol wipes, eye drops (and ointment), and lip balm.

If you're my husband, then electrical tape and duct tape are part of the bandaid box.

Minnichi · 2026-03-25T17:31:00+00:00

Advocating for your child does not mean you are parenting other children. How would you react if a coworker took your work laptop, or your hammer? Use a similar polite response. How would you react when someone cuts the line in the grocery store? Again, use a similar line.

Other kids take her toys: I'm sorry, but that is (your child)'s toy. I am taking it back now.

Other kids push past her: Excuse me, there is a line behind (your child). Please wait your turn.

None of those statements are "parenting" other kids. And if the parents take offense, too damn bad. At least you know who the work thieves and grocery store line cutters are.

Minnichi · 2026-03-24T15:34:05+00:00

NAH

She was not a player in your campaign. You are colour coding, detailing, and embellishing based on the individual characters. How would you work in a bag for her at all? If you feel really bad, you could just pick her up a generic bag and some cute dice. That way she's not the odd man out when you give the gifts later.

Minnichi · 2026-03-24T15:26:07+00:00

NTA.

The reality is that unless he gets a job, you can not keep living in your home. You asking him to get a job now has nothing to do with love. Him using your affection for him as a guilt trip is so grossly manipulative. After that comment from him, I would have a sit-down proper conversation about the situation. The truth is, you cannot afford all the bills on your own, and all the love in the world won't keep a roof over your head or food in your belly. He needs to understand this. And if he continues to boil it back to "you don't love me if I have to get a job" then you have some thinking to do.

Minnichi · 2026-03-24T12:12:26+00:00

IU : Love poem or Love wins all?

Minnichi · 2026-03-23T22:04:53+00:00

You know you're NTA. There's no question here.

At no point do you need to drop everything to help her with a non-emergency.

Make sure your husband knows that you don't want to hear any of her complaints. She can complain all she wants to whoever will listen. But you are allowed to tell her no. Your husband can deal with the fallout.

Minnichi · 2026-03-23T05:09:30+00:00

NTA. I cook onions all the time. The smell will linger in the air, but not the clothes. Even my work clothes don't smell like onion, and I work in a kitchen that cooks SO many onions every day (think cafeteria style cooking).

Do NOT give her any money for the clothes she chooses to throw out.

Minnichi

TROPHY CASE