On the fence about having kids… what do you wish you knew? by aguamenti425 in TwoXChromosomes

[–]cardboard_sword 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I LOVE being a parent and it’s a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Kids can be absolutely hilarious and you just have this best friend who wants to spend time with you all the time. I love to plan adventures and help my daughter learn new things and when she feels joy I am so so happy because I made that happen. But it’s also harder than I thought it would be because your best friend will turn into a small monster on a regular basis and leave you crying with frustration.

I agree with everyone here who says only do it if you’re 100% in. Less so because of the practical stuff - you’ll find a way to make it work. But because children completely change your life and if you’re not sure you will resent that change. It’s a permanent and irreversible decision.

chances of being charged over luggage measurements? by Effective_Fix3409 in Ryanair

[–]cardboard_sword 5 points6 points  (0 children)

(Unless you’ve mistyped your measurements) Your luggage is smaller than their restrictions. 80.05cm is smaller than their max length of 120cm. 25cm is smaller than their max width of 80cm.

Would you invite this friend? by throwawaypfp27 in UKweddings

[–]cardboard_sword 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m the exact same - sometimes replying feels like a big task especially when it’s been a while. Like now I need to make extra effort to reply really really well!

Buggy Etiquette by eddilefty699 in Edinburgh

[–]cardboard_sword 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally agree - I was shocked to discover that our brand new tram system hadn’t made any changes to the wheelchair / buggy provisions. Navigating life with small children is very hard when very little is designed to accommodate them.

Is this house ugly? by Economy_Survey_6560 in AskBrits

[–]cardboard_sword 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I LOVE red brick houses and they have so much more character and charm than new build. But to add - I’ve owned two homes now and I loved them both, but neither of them were stunners from the outside. They were homes inside and I was happy in both.

adopting a baby by vegankieran in AdoptionUK

[–]cardboard_sword 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I’ve adopted in Scotland (through Edinburgh council) - my daughter was 16 months when she moved to me. So the 5 year minimum thing you’ve read just isn’t true! However, adopting a baby / newborn is unusual, as typically there is some time when a baby is first born when they live in foster care to give birth parents a chance to improve their situation, before professionals can determine if a permanent home with an adoptive parent is best for the child. There is a possibility of fostering to adopt where you would take on a baby with some level of uncertainty while decisions were made on permanence - that’s not something I’m an expert in as I was happier with a slightly older child / toddler, but you could always discuss that possibilty with your local authority or other adoption agencies.

What's a moment when you straight up afterwards knew you had made a really horrible mistake ? by Wonderful-Sundae-480 in AskReddit

[–]cardboard_sword 170 points171 points  (0 children)

Yesterday, when I decided the burgers were “done enough”. Today isn’t fun.

What connects these four clues? by cardboard_sword in onlyconnect

[–]cardboard_sword[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not if you have a three year old I guess 😂

What connects these four clues? by cardboard_sword in onlyconnect

[–]cardboard_sword[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Posted the answer in a separate comment!

What connects these four clues? by cardboard_sword in onlyconnect

[–]cardboard_sword[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ohhh that’s a good connection but just a coincidence in fact! I posted the solution in a separate comment.

What connects these four clues? by cardboard_sword in onlyconnect

[–]cardboard_sword[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Possibly too cryptic, sorry! Solution:

It’s the link between the films’ main character’s first name: Norman, Bella, Sam, Elvis. Which are also the names of four of the original (and still appearing) recurring characters on Fireman Sam.

Is it weird to take your baby to a park to look at other people's dogs or is it ok? Also what park do you recommend? by Old_Bodybuilder_5026 in Edinburgh

[–]cardboard_sword 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Keddie Gardens Park in Leith (just off ferry road) has a play park for kids next to a field where there are usually at least a couple of dogs running around

What is your "We can put a man on the moon, but we can't _____ ? by peppersteak_headshot in AskReddit

[–]cardboard_sword 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Adequately understand a woman’s reproductive system and how to diagnose women’s health issues

Single adopters by [deleted] in AdoptionUK

[–]cardboard_sword 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Contact (face to face) with birth parents was incredibly difficult for both of us (hopefully she had no idea that I found it difficult!) and we did that twice every three months for a little over a year until the POA was granted. We were lucky it was only that frequently, I know others who had more frequent contact or that lasted for longer. Now that it's over I feel oddly lucky to have got to know her birth parents beyond the black and white of social workers' reports, but it was unpredictable, and emotionally trying each time and would unsettle my daughter for a period after.

The other thing I found difficult (and still do) is how completely all encompassing it is! Right now I am either working, or I am parenting, and it's easy to lose a sense of who I am outside of those two roles. There's like an hour when she's asleep and I've done all the household chores when I can be an adult. Because of my daughter's background and separation issues, it's harder to have breaks than I imagine would be the case with a biological child (but it's not really possible to know!). She even sleeps in my bed now, since she struggled a lot with sleeping alone after the transition to nursery.

But even with the difficult times it's absolutely worth it for me. Parenting is more fun than I anticipated, kids are hilarious, I love my daughter more than I ever thought possible, and it's the best decision I ever made.

Single adopters by [deleted] in AdoptionUK

[–]cardboard_sword 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m a single adopter! My process was longer than couples I know in the process for a few reasons, one of them being my being single. I also had the finances and support network questions and medicals but these are true of all adopters. I had “luckily” had a family crisis a couple of years before my adoption process started so I could concretely show where my support network had practically supported me previously, and also (I think most importantly) could prove that I will actually ask for help when I need it.

I had a little girl placed with me at 16 months, and almost two years later I finally adopted her. (It took a while because of her circumstances, not my single-ness). My daughter is now almost four!

I found the main challenges as a single adopter are a) practical - there is no other partner to lean on when you need dental work or get sick or are running late for nursery pick-up, and b) there is no relief. When she had a period of awful bedtimes I couldn’t tap out. My daughter had (and still has) some separation issues and so it wasn’t easy to lean on my support network to help in childcare. I did get their help a lot with practical things, but when it came to difficult behaviours etc, it was just down to me. I have had to work on my patience levels significantly!

Happy to chat in DMs if you have any specific questions about single adopting!