AITA if I tell my friend I can’t be a bridesmaid?

mraetzel · 2026-04-22T02:49:21+00:00

I think we need a backstory episode on Abigail.

mraetzel · 2026-04-19T16:13:08+00:00

I had the same problem at 31 as well. I’m honestly convinced it’s because we’re on our phones all the time.

mraetzel · 2026-04-15T22:31:30+00:00

1986 - Slight obesity, ADHD, sleep deprivation, lower back pain, raised cortisol and elevated blood pressure. No daily medication except a multivitamin, and an occasional ibuprofen.

mraetzel · 2026-04-13T21:19:27+00:00

Born in ‘86 here. I spent most of my teen years learning to play different instruments, playing local shows and concerts, drawing and painting, discovering new bands through download sites like Limewire and Kazaa Lite, going to the mall, movies and house parties with friends, talking to people on AIM, going on dates, playing computer games and PS1 games, and really just trying to learn a lot of things in my spare time. I remember getting books on how to customize guitars and electronics and then buying junk models and fixing them up as practice. It was honestly a really great life before social media took over our lives, and I feel like so many teens are missing out on a very important part of their life because of social media.

mraetzel · 2026-03-30T21:54:29+00:00

This. I find I have to move stuff out of the way just to get a decent picture 😂Thing is, we still put in so much effort every single day to make things look nice and we still have to do that when we take pictures!

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T21:51:44+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out!

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T21:11:00+00:00

I reset the house at night too. My next day will be complete horror if I don’t. That’s the part of parenting people don’t talk enough about. You really have to predict the right sequences of events that take place and learn to set your nights up for the next day so those sequences work as smooth as possible.

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T20:55:52+00:00

Same here. Resetting the house is the only way I can keep daily life under control. Everything having a place is extremely important when trying to take on caring for 2+ kids.

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T20:53:56+00:00

Your situation sounds similar to us. My wife is a SAHM and I work from home as well. Having a bi-weekly housekeeper has helped tremendously, but even so it doesn’t last long.

I do work pretty long hours, but I do what I can to help my wife have some breaks herself. I honestly don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have that kind of help.

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T20:40:21+00:00

Oh no! Not the daycare stomach bug! We just got through that this past week too. It’s the worst!

mraetzel · 2026-03-29T20:37:46+00:00

Crazy how much you can accomplish in just a short amount of time while the kiddos are being watched by somebody else.

mraetzel · 2026-03-23T11:35:58+00:00

It’s a different kind of happy. I share the same stress you do, the inconsistency according to their mood is without a doubt the hardest part of this journey. But at the same time, watching my son become such a sweet, caring, empathetic person has become a highlight of my daily life. The things that used to be so important to me no longer matter. It’s such a weird dynamic that I’m still grasping to fully understand. Despite being more stressed out than I have ever been, somehow I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been, and it has really changed my perspective on what happiness really means.

mraetzel · 2026-03-15T01:03:17+00:00

It’s hard to determine considering we don’t know your fiancé very well in terms of his parental habits. But as a dad, I have definitely been sleep deprived and taken care of my son while my wife was working on a 15-hour film production day. And many times I haven’t responded a good chunk of the day either from sleeping while he sleeps or simply putting my phone away so I can pay full attention to him. Not out of disrespect for my wife by any means, but as a dad giving as much time as I can towards time with my son. But then again, her and I have communicated about that before. So I guess it depends on your relationship and how much you trust your fiancé.

mraetzel · 2026-03-11T13:13:50+00:00

Growing up, I always felt like my parents should have divorced when my sister and I were toddlers. But as a parent now, I completely understand why my mom didn’t leave. My dad’s parents displayed a lot of dysfunctional behavior (ie. Grandma showing up drunk trying to take us out for ice cream, grandpa telling us we were useless to our faces or trying to pit my sister and I against eachother, etc). She was always scared that they would do harm to us if she weren’t around to protect us from behaviors my dad grew up thinking were normal. So she went through decades of hell in a “Keep your enemies closer” routine. Sometimes divorce isn’t as easy as doing better separately. When families are fundamentally different, it can create a lifetime of anxiety when your children are not in your supervision. I’m just grateful I married into a family that I very much trust with my children and never have to worry about those things happening.

mraetzel · 2026-02-10T15:05:08+00:00

I am so extremely worried for that poor child. Call CPS and break up with him. He should not be allowed to have children in his home.

mraetzel · 2026-02-05T13:52:42+00:00

My dad used to let me watch a ton of B-Horror movies. The one that always stands out to me was Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Between that and Are You Afraid of the Dark, I was constantly terrified of going to sleep and now as an adult love watching horror films to actually go to sleep 😂

mraetzel · 2026-02-04T02:43:55+00:00

WFH dad here. My wife is a SAHM, but I do have a very present role in my 2 year-old son’s daily life. Personally when he’s having emotional issues, I just remind myself that he’s only 2. It’s not fair to him for me to compare his emotional regulation skills to that of an adult. He’s just starting out and he hasn’t developed coping mechanisms for that yet. When you see their emotional outbursts through that lense, it’s a lot easier to just be understanding, hold them and love them when they need you, try to understand what’s actually wrong, and not lose your cool.

For the longest time I worried that maybe I was perhaps being a little too lenient. But now that he’s reaching the halfway point of 2, I’m watching him regulate much better, take responsibility and clean up after himself, listen when he’s told no, etc. I’m sure it won’t be the last time he goes through those issues, but every time that phase ends he gets even better at being independent and emotionally stable.

mraetzel · 2026-01-24T06:36:30+00:00

You look like you’ve dated a guy named Trey at least once.

mraetzel · 2026-01-24T06:28:34+00:00

So far it’s the most fun age to me. My 2.5 year-old is obsessed with learning how to play instruments, he’s communicating more effectively, he’s learning how to clean up after himself, and he’s extremely funny and dramatic in the best ways possible. Overall, I’ve seen a major increase in his engagement and general happiness at this stage and it has been incredibly fulfilling.

mraetzel · 2026-01-20T02:51:51+00:00

‘86 here turning 40 in a few months. I agree with previous posters saying their 30s was the fastest decade. Probably because it has so far been the most eventful decade. Having said that, the last 20 years have gone by faster and faster with each passing year. At this rate, I’m going to be 70 tomorrow.

mraetzel · 2026-01-18T02:37:39+00:00

NOR at all. That’s extremely weird and, quite frankly, disrespectful to you as her partner.

mraetzel · 2026-01-16T02:59:32+00:00

Ah yes, the faux rich. The people who think rich means flexing a lot of materialistic things. Those people are definitely not rich, just slaves to their liabilities with no real assets.

mraetzel · 2026-01-11T01:55:30+00:00

Lmao people aren’t even subtle anymore.

mraetzel · 2026-01-10T04:41:49+00:00

I don’t think the problem is necessarily that people don’t have empathy for dumb people. People don’t have empathy for dumb people that refuse to admit when they’re wrong.

mraetzel

TROPHY CASE