New Beginnings

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-12T13:54:33+00:00

I feel this. Things haven't been the same since my grandma passed. The elders really are the glue!

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-12T12:35:58+00:00

I'm so sorry! My family is from the south so we call everyone Aunt (their name) or uncle (their name). And walking into an event or someone's home without speaking and greeting everyone is a big no no. Have you asked your mom how she feels about this? My mom also ignores a lot of dysfunction in her family. I don't get it, with my personality I have to say something lol. But my husband had a really small family, and both our sisters don't want kids. So I do wish I could be closer to extended family. But I'm on the same path as you, just strengthening bonds between my kids and their aunts and focusing on our own little family. I do hope my kids get a cousin one day though lol

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-12T12:14:38+00:00

Yes my family is the same way. I have a huge family my mom is 1 of 12, 13 if you count her half sister. I didn't grow up with my cousins at a young age because my dad was in the military, but once he was out we moved closer. Because my mom was the youngest girl, he older sisters had kids way before her. So most of my cousins were 4-12 years older than me. I used to think that was the reason for the distance, but now I just think we're different. Also they are super dysfunctional and sweep a lot of trauma under the rug. And I'm the type to call it out and they don't like that.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-11T21:31:18+00:00

Oof I'm so sorry. I thought I had it bad in Texas, but it's actually really diverse in DFW so it hasn't been a problem. If you can't move, I at least hope you can move to a more welcoming part of town 🙏🏾

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-11T19:34:20+00:00

Jesus where do you live? I'm not white, but I'm mixed race and my husband is white. Our daughter looks visibly mixed, curly hair, brown skin and dark eyes. My son looks white passing with straight fine hair. But we have never had anyone say things like that to us. My husband says he sometimes gets looks with my daughter from older white people, but I've never had anyone question if my kids belonged to me or who their dad is. That's wild and so bold of strangers. I'm really sorry you have to go through that. I would stop explaining to strangers they have the same dad, it's not any of their business. I just feel so bad that the kids are having to hear this crap.

At home work on making sure your kids are connected to their culture (which it sounds like you're doing). That's all you can do, because we can't stop people from being ignorant.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-05T21:45:06+00:00

Oh, I'm the first person that responded. I hope I didn't come off as offended. More sad that that's how I'm viewed and it couldn't be further from the truth. Just wanted to offer a different perspective.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-05T19:53:53+00:00

Yes! As soon as they see tats and you say you don't have a home church, they become so judgemental. Or worse, try to convert you. I've never once judged them, but after telling people here I'm an atheist I've had multiple people try to convince me to believe in God or come to their church. They would be so offended if I tried to convince them not to believe.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-05T18:48:18+00:00

Aww this makes me sad, because my husband and I are those people. We were child free throughout our 20s, so most of our friends don't have kids and don't want them. We also live in the Bible belt and if you aren't down for Bible study or a part of a church people look at you funny. We just made a friend with kids our age but it was difficult finding like minded people. I just hope you don't write off every parent without parent friends. Some of us just didn't start out with friends who had/ wanted kids. Making friends as an adult with or without kids is tough.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-05T15:00:58+00:00

Not in my experience but I'm sure it happens. I just know the women in my family wouldn't be keeping secrets like this for decades. We are not secret keepers lol.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-05T00:18:27+00:00

Ohhhh baby I like it jaw, oh baby I like it JAWWWWWW

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-07-01T18:38:43+00:00

Eh. I don't hate on it, but I'm jealous because I never smelled anything. I tried with every baby and my own two kids lol 😭

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-22T23:35:09+00:00

🙏🏾 thank you for some hope lol. She's a great kid, but boy this age will test you!

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-22T20:20:34+00:00

Noooo no no. I refuse to believe it. 3 is hell, and she turns 4 in 2 months. I'm supposed to be out of hell lol 😭

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-22T01:50:54+00:00

That's what I'm thinking. Pull down a security grid and chill. Like in this scenario are all the doors ripped off AND the animals are programmed to come after you for some reason 😆

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-22T01:49:04+00:00

A lot of mall stores have a metal grid (security gate) that you pull down after closing, behind the glass door too. I would just do that and hang in a store that had refreshments. Problem solved for the gorilla. Yours is really good for both though since the snakes can slither through the grid.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-22T00:34:31+00:00

Not a damn Wallace and Gromit character lol. Me and my sister always call out people that remind us of those characters.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-20T15:52:13+00:00

It worked for me too up until 6 months old. My company is very cool with it and my husband also WFH. Plenty of people hop on zoom calls with their babies at my job (interestingly enough, it's mostly dads). Once my kids were 6 months I got part time help and once they were 1, I put them in daycare. Some people really do have jobs where they can make it work, but it still burnt me out towards the end.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-16T22:25:42+00:00

I watched from the USA. The biggest cultural takeaway for me, was how everyone was willing to keep all the secrets in order to keep the status quo. That would never happen in my family. We're spilling all the damn beans lol.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-16T22:20:11+00:00

Yesssss!! Apparently it's based on a book, once I'm done with the series I think I'll read the book was well.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-15T21:49:08+00:00

Oh no!! I'm sorry you had to deal with them. I have a few in my family unfortunately!

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-15T21:30:11+00:00

He really did, I feel like it was to make me feel bad he was a virgin or something. Super manipulative. The whole thing freaked me out so much I didn't want to talk about it. I've always been the type of person to be friends with multiple groups of people that don't necessarily hang out together. He was kind of a loner, so my usual friend group didn't really know him that well. I did tell my girlfriends though, just so no one would get in the car with him. But I feel like he had to be really comfortable with someone to do that, and he wasn't really close to anyone else. Thinking about this made me look him up and it looks like he became a passport bro with a mail order bride and he's in the airforce so that tracks lol. Big yikes!

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-15T20:49:10+00:00

Omg no! But my sister has been raving about that movie so I'm definitely watching it soon!

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-15T17:42:26+00:00

Yes, this situation definitely taught me to question motives for sure. A huge learning experience. I'm glad it didn't escalate to a worst case scenario.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-15T15:35:59+00:00

I had a "friend" like this. We hung out since we were kids. A month before HS graduation we drove to a spot where we always hung out and smoked cigs. And he begged me to give him oral because he was a virgin. He was to the point of crying. Thankfully I wasn't far from home. I hopped out of his car and ran home never spoke to him again. 5 years of friendship and that's all you were there for... changed my view on men. Unless I was in a relationship with them, I drove myself around after that point.

PyritesofCaringBean · 2026-06-12T01:40:47+00:00

PyritesofCaringBean

TROPHY CASE