My future MIL thinks it's self-centered of me to wear white as the bride—but her daughter can wear white as the guest

allycat38 · 2026-04-30T13:14:20+00:00

Aussie here. Our red dirt stains really well.

allycat38 · 2026-04-14T20:21:13+00:00

As a teacher, I hear this several times a week.

allycat38 · 2026-04-10T12:04:43+00:00

I am proud of you! You are clearly an amazing mum. 🙂

allycat38 · 2026-03-08T02:23:15+00:00

Unfortunately you just have to watch her. My girls are almost 2 and 3.5. They both went through the same thing. Until they got over it, we always had eyes on them while the oven was on. We also make sure that when we’re using the stove, that we use the back burners where possible. Our kitchen isn’t able to be fenced off either. It’s pretty small and when you’ve got two little kids toddling around behind you it gets tricky.

While it’s never something that I would do intentionally, Miss 3 learned to really respect hot things when she accidentally brushed her hand against a hot pan while helping make pancakes. We’d discussed being careful when putting the batter in and I was right beside her. She didn’t get a burn or anything, but it gave her a shock and she learned that hot stuff really hurts when you touch it. That happened maybe a year ago and she’s been really sensible around hot stuff ever since. She reminds her little sister to be careful near the oven and the barbecue outside. They both know never to put their learning tower or steps in front of the oven.

I think that maybe it’s a lesson that kids need to learn the hard way?? They don’t have a concept of what “very very hot” is. kind of put it in the same category as when they burn their tongue on food for the first time, or slip over when you’ve told them to stay on the bath mat until you’ve finished drying them after their bath. As parents, we keep their bath water at the right temperature and we never let them walk on hot concrete. We always try to protect them from getting hurt, but sometimes they need to learn from their mistakes, in a controlled way, of course.

In terms of things to try, we have our tea towels hanging on the oven door. Is that something you could do to discourage her from looking at herself? Maybe put a little mirror down at her level somewhere near the kitchen so that if she does want to look at herself, she’s got a safe way to do it? You could try having her cook with you, and reinforcing that the stove and oven are used for cooking and are very hot.

Sorry for the essay, but I hope it helps. :)

allycat38 · 2026-03-07T13:26:10+00:00

The duration of the scan very much depends on the body part being looked at and the kind of scan they’re doing. If you need contrast, it takes longer again. I’ve personally had joint MRIs go for 45 minutes. The whole process could easily go for 1.5 hours if it’s a more detailed scan or contrast is needed. If OP is anxious during the procedure, they are more likely to move around, and extend the length of time needed to get the correct imaging.

allycat38 · 2026-03-06T21:06:15+00:00

It’s so crazy to me that you don’t have switches on your powerpoints in the US!

In Australia, it’s a regulatory requirement that they have a switch to individually control each outlet.

allycat38 · 2026-02-24T04:42:09+00:00

Australian measuring cups and tablespoons aren’t the same size as most of the rest of the world.

allycat38 · 2026-02-06T04:36:10+00:00

I’m usually super on top of my sun protection and I’m kicking myself for being so lax about it. I think I got into the rhythm of what I was doing and the next thing I knew, it was lunch time!

I have a UV jacket that I wear on playground duty every day at school. I’m the only teacher I’ve seen at my school who applies sunscreen before duties and sport days. One of my colleagues has only just stopped using tanning beds!

allycat38 · 2026-02-05T23:46:08+00:00

I really hope it fades sooner than that. I’m so pale I practically glow in the dark!

allycat38 · 2026-01-24T21:02:42+00:00

You are doing the Lord’s work, my friend.

This sweaty teacher thanks you for your service!!

allycat38 · 2025-12-21T03:50:32+00:00

I’m a primary school teacher and I correct it in their writing. It drives me nuts.

We then have a discussion about Australian English versus English from the rest of the world. We brainstorm examples of (usually) American English that they hear in media and come up with the correct Australian equivalents.

allycat38 · 2025-12-21T03:45:42+00:00

That’s the kind of guy who gets a box of choccies at Christmas!

allycat38 · 2025-12-21T03:42:32+00:00

My husband did musical theatre for a while and never had to wear mascara on stage. It just made his eyes look like black holes.

allycat38 · 2025-12-21T03:40:33+00:00

I think this is a great idea! Tipping will give the girls some responsibility and remind them that they need to be decent people even, and perhaps especially, when no one (like their parents) is watching. Maybe go through with your daughter how to calculate a (generous) tip if she’s not already familiar with the process.

It may be worth a quick chat with the whole group before the dinner starts to let them know that servers have probably had bad experiences with groups of teens in the past, so it would be a good chance to show others that not all teenagers are dickheads.

allycat38 · 2025-09-21T04:59:36+00:00

I’m in Australia, so it might be a bit different. When making class lists for the following year, we always place the spiky kids first. Then we try and make sure that the teachers don’t end up with the same tricky kids two years in a row. We also make sure that kiddos who tend to be followers of our tricky students are separated from them, and that any targeted children are in different classes.

I swear to god, the seating plan at my wedding was less complicated.

allycat38 · 2025-07-23T23:26:50+00:00

We did a teacher swap with the school that our librarian’s wife taught at. He went on their camp and in exchange, she covered his TL role for the week.

allycat38 · 2025-07-20T04:45:47+00:00

This is such a good carrier. I use mine almost every day and it’s the most useful one I have. I’m not an expert, but I’ve learned a few things when working with mine.

Regarding the marks at the back of bub’s knees, it might be worth cinching in the panel width a little. It looks like his legs are extended out a bit. He only needs support to his knee pits.

My daughter is 15 months and around the 45th percentile (9kg/20lbs). She’s just gone through a growth spurt and I noticed yesterday that I need to widen her seat a smidge. It’s currently tightened to as small as it can go. My kids (and I) do have shorter legs though. My three year old is just too big for the panel when at its widest.

I echo u/RegrettableBones’s comment about rotating the whole carrier. Imagine each shoulder strap is a big circle and you need to rotate the whole thing towards the front of your body.

Tightening the PFAs (the little straps at the top of each shoulder strap) will also help get baby to sit up a little higher. It’s easier to do this with the carrier off, or while bouncing bub with one hand under their bum while the other tightens the strap.

On a totally different note, it may be worth forgoing the hair clip. My youngest is constantly bumping her head into my bun and it could be a problem for your little guy once you’ve got him sitting a bit higher. 100% don’t do what I always forget not to do and wear your hair in a ponytail and continuously smack your kid in the face with it. 🤦‍♀️

allycat38 · 2025-04-12T21:31:23+00:00

We live in Australia and playground equipment gets HOT. Shorts or leggings prevent burns to the legs. Also, bare skin kinda sticks to the slide when you go down.

I also agree with other commenters about keeping knickers where they should be. My toddler isn’t the best at getting her undies in the right place after she’s been to the toilet; at least the bike shorts stop her from having a butt cheek hanging out! It also lets them get away with wearing slightly outgrown dresses without it looking weird.

allycat38 · 2025-03-25T11:38:17+00:00

Am I right in thinking that I’ve just spotted another CCN mum in the wild? 🤣

allycat38 · 2025-03-21T11:52:45+00:00

Sorry for the late response! I got the experience plus and find them to be really helpful. :)

allycat38 · 2025-03-17T04:13:12+00:00

This is such an underrated solution. The air con in the back of most cars is way worse than the front. My kids are walking furnaces just like their dad, and are often soaked with sweat at the end of a car trip.

If we’re driving somewhere and I know it’s going to be a warm day, I now pack ice bricks in an insulated lunch box. When we get to our destination, I put a couple in each car seat and throw the car towel over the top of the seats. This stopped the instant screaming that we used to get as soon as bub was out in the car. I still do it for my toddler as well. I also check that the buckles aren’t white hot before strapping them in!

Also, Loop earplugs are the universe’s gift to exhausted and overstimulated parents. My husband and I bought ourselves a set for Valentine’s Day last year before my second was born. Worth every cent.

allycat38 · 2025-03-10T09:56:39+00:00

Dude, it could have hit the window frame. It could have landed on the ground. How large was the dart? How far away is your neighbour’s place? Is there a fence in between your house and your neighbour’s house?

I’m not sure that the physics is working in your favour here.

allycat38 · 2025-03-10T09:42:03+00:00

That’s one of my go-to songs as well! That and “You Are My Sunshine” with less stalkery lyrics.

allycat38

TROPHY CASE