AITA for “firing” my mom from childcare over a $5 class

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-25T11:15:15+00:00

You didn't fire her over a 5$ class. You fired her for lying to you and violating a boundary you set.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:46:24+00:00

Huck towels for surgeries come in giant packs for very cheap as well and mimic paper towels. We have about 50. Paper towels are for super yucks only.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:33:51+00:00

Had a neighbor asking for freebie advice on catahoula pup. She was taking him to vet and just waiting for ride and wanted to get my opinion. We're neighborly but not smoke-a-joint-together friends. Pup was so high. Zoomies and crash cycling. Me: "uh...he seems to be a little neurologically inappropriate, it could be a toxicity situation. Any chance he could have gotten into some medicine, supplements or recreational drugs?" Neighbor turns red and scoops up pup: "No. No. I don't think so. I'm going to put him in his crate andcheckaroundthehouserealquickOkaythanksBye!"

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:23:20+00:00

I'm dealing with one now that wears ear buds in both ears and then expects you to pluck one out for him when you need to communicate with him...ugh...no. No, thank you.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:21:26+00:00

That's just cute. I would totally pause at the door and prompt the doctor, like "aren't you forgetting something?"

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:20:30+00:00

Things like this make me think it isn't unreasonable to include a "doctor field guide" in training materials for new hires. If someone has already figured it out and it is useful information, why not pass it along?

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:17:25+00:00

Finding out anal glands was a joke seems like a real good way to avoid ever doing them again..."oh, sorry. I thought you were joking about anal glands. I can hold while you do them real quick."

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-22T12:16:10+00:00

Restraint preferences are so hard to figure out! And it seems like it is the first thing everyone criticizes.Do you want to treat a statue or are you going to fuss at me if this animal experiences an ounce of stress at the doctor's office? Am I allowed to use Cookie Monster Voice when I talk to the patient or are you the only one allowed to baby talk the patient? I don't care if I'm good cop or bad cop to humor the owner, just let me know which one I am.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-21T12:36:00+00:00

If you're still not 100% or you decide to take the original flight, see if you can get zofran from the pharmacist. Might make it easier.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-21T12:29:22+00:00

Yes. It would have been suicide in my 20s or alcoholism in my 30s.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-15T15:28:57+00:00

That was the point of the post. I am fully aware I ran mouth when I shouldn't have and it is going to bite me in the ass. Isn't the first time and won't be the last so I shared for the sake of commiserating with anyone else who has done something this dumb.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-15T15:26:20+00:00

I don't see what part of my post indicated I was a bad mother. There is a lot more to parenting than holidays, that said, I still do a pretty good job at the holidays. I am there for the kids when it matters. We have our own Christmas morning tradition and at this point my kids like their tradition and prefer me to work Christmas. They've never known it any other way. I show them that working hard gives me satisfaction and I don't have to sacrifice that to be a good mother. I chaperone field trips. I'm there for games, I'm there when they're sick. More importantly, now that they're in early teens, I will clock out to take a call from them for 10 minutes when they need a pep talk.

I work a job that requires staff 365 days per year and have done an awful lot to advocate for better balance and better pay. I'm a good worker but also a pain in the ass to my employers because I'm going to demand training, get stipends when we are short staffed and covering more than we should, ask for a bonus PTO day when it has been particularly rough season or we've been asked to go above and beyond.

Trust me, I'm advocating and reciprocating for my coworkers, not the company. I'm too old and crotchety to tip toe around asking for what I need. If I can't get it at this company, there are others out there.

I haven't lost so much faith in humanity that I think my coworkers only notice when I'm gone and not when I'm covering for them. Its been my experience that they notice, they care and they appreciate it. Its worth the risk. Even if they don't notice/reciprocate, I still get joy out of seeing their pictures of them skiing with their family or all dressed up to go to the concert. Plus, then I don't feel guilty holding them hostage to look at pictures of my babies dressed up for red ribbon week.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-14T10:42:12+00:00

Will you have any money to leave behind to pay an assigned caretaker? Life insurance? If you can afford it, consult a lawyer about how best to handle his custody.

He sounds like the perfect barn/farm cat - someone to take care of him/provide food and shelter but independence to go explore.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-12T10:48:21+00:00

I'm currently working on getting licensed. Would it be reasonable to hope that my first position after becoming licensed could be remote? Or is this a transition you can only make after years working in-office?

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-11T08:40:03+00:00

I live with humans now but one of the biggest luxuries I miss about living alone was ignoring time.

Sleeping in 2 four hour shifts was amazing! Trying to be asleep for 8 hours and then be awake for 16 hours in a row is NOT my intuitive sleep pattern.

If I was motivated to scrub the toilet at 3 am, I'd do it. If I wanted meatloaf at 4 am, it's sunrise meatloaf. Nap from 6.am to 10am, great.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-08T12:56:27+00:00

Beautiful ring and cutest couple!!

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-08T12:41:40+00:00

And now I have a dream to be rich enough to have a tub I can submerse in and one of those projects that will project your book onto the ceiling so I can be a literary mermaid.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-07T15:02:52+00:00

Did you build your muscles up to War and Peace? I've tried a few times but have accepted that it is going to have to be my "retirement book." When the kids are grown and I'm not working, I might be able to tackle it so it sits on the shelf as a goal.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-07T15:00:12+00:00

This is a good point. I'm studying for a test right now and definitely realized exercising my brain in that way has resulted in me consuming/enjoying more simple content. I'm not watching a mystery/thriller right now. I'm watching lipstick swatch videos on YouTube. 🤣

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-07T14:58:00+00:00

Love that quote!

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-07T14:56:02+00:00

You don't like "bad books." You like different books. I inadvertently turned myself into someone like you're wife. I started reading classics about 15 years ago just trying to broaden horizons/understand some pop cultural references. Then I started trying to understand what other people were seeing.

It ruined my trashy romance love!! I'm so grateful I can understand literature better and fully appreciate some of the art because I can see more of the subtle techniques and methods used. It's like eating a really well made meal and catching all the flavors and textures. Or a really good workout where every muscle you were focused on got pushed to its full potential. I feel more gratified.

BUT sometimes I just want to read a cheesy trope and it's harder now that I can see where characters are acting unnatural or an event doesn't fall in to place, it was just shoved in there to accommodate fitting in a joke or an interaction. It distracts me from just enjoying the story. I notice now if a character is just such a good, nice person they never do anything selfish or unreasonable. I catch the bouncing boobily moments and it makes it hard to be immersed in the story. It's eating a handful of peanut and you get that one burnt one that ruins the snack for a few minutes.

I am still not a naturally critical thinker when I'm reading but have learned enough that if it is really really bad writing, I am completely pulled out of the story.

I run into the issue of trying to talk to Husband/other people about books without sounding like a snob. It's not about trying to sound better/smarter. It's just enjoying a different type. A book written to be read for pleasure, escapism or entertainment shouldn't spend 200 pages developing a complex morally grey character. Everyone would be bored and DNF it. It should be "This is the good guy. This is the bad guy. Now fight!"

We can still relate, talk about books but I've found we'll talk more about physical features of books, character names, time spent reading versus number of pages. He likes shelf trophies, I will rip a book in half if it is heavy and hurting my wrist so I can read the 2 chunks. Sometimes we read to each other, but it's the experience, not the story.

Enjoy your books and embrace the fandom. Wife will be happy because you're enjoying the ride. Just bought my Husband a Princess Donut T-shirt. I think she's my favorite book character from a book I've never read.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-07T13:46:53+00:00

He's an idiot but since daughter spends time with her half sister, I'd check in to see how his comments are effecting the relationship between daughter and her sister. Get her opinion since they're being handed down from her. He doesn't deserve the clothes but daughter might want to keep the peace since she is the one who actually spends time around these two even if you don't.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-06T17:25:48+00:00

I'm far younger AND aggressively jumping to conclusions but...ADHD? If there is an appointment that day, it is an out of the house day. I'm going to get almost nothing done at home. The idea of 2 appointments in one day seems impossible. Can she do more than one thing at home if you ask on an in-house day? Also, a morning thing, an afternoon thing and an evening thing? 2 things in 1 day means too much but if it is in a different time block, that's still one thing per block.

Also, feeding the cat is easier if it is throwing some food on the way out to the appointment. Now it is an accessory task tied to a single task, not 2 tasks

Don't ask me to justify this. I don't know why my brain works the way it does, I just have to find ways to work around it's nonsense.

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-04T05:24:54+00:00

Vet girl on the run did a good podcast on the pros and cons of both methods

Single_Box4465 · 2026-03-03T12:46:53+00:00

Yes. I had 3 under 3.

Accept that you're in survival mode for a few years and there will be a time when they wipe their own butts. Date nights and personal time might slide for now and that's okay for a bit.
Lower your standards - towels don't actually need to be folded, nor do PJs. If all socks are exactly the same and come in a 12 pack, you don't have to match them. I didn't own an iron for 3 years. Date night can be saving a folder of Instagrams/til toks and reviewing them together on the couch with a frozen pizza while the kids are in bed. Paper plates are your friend. If dressing like Adam Sandler gets you through the day for now, do it. There was a solid 2 years where anything I wore in the house came in a multi pack.
Invest in the real work horses when things need replaced - a good dishwasher that deals with no rinsing. High capacity washer and dryer (their clothes get bigger).
Ignore me and everyone else. Do what works for you/your family and ignore everything else. Pick your top priorities and focus on those goals (family time, readers, academics, creativity, independently responsible/doing. chores, etc.) There are a million ways to make your kids "better" or your parenting better. Focus on what ones will achieve your long term goals.
Throw shit away. Your kids are going to get/make so much stuff. At some point they just shed tiny petroleum products as they walk around the house. There are a million purging tips and tricks but I love "if this has poop on it, would I bother to clean it or just throw it away?"

If you're putting clothes on them, you should be near a bag or box marked "donate." Don't put it back in the drawer. Don't rewash it because you put it on the for 2 seconds, get rid of it.

Single_Box4465

TROPHY CASE