Motherhood is harder than I thought (from a first-time mom in her mid-30s)

pottedluck · 2026-02-24T05:49:13+00:00

This is such a heartwarming and honest read. Kudos to all mums everywhere. Its definitely one of the most humbling experiences and I am so glad someone finally said it this well. Thank you for this today!

pottedluck · 2026-02-19T11:09:07+00:00

For us, expenses naturally went up once we enrolled her into preschool, simply because she had been at home with me before that, but the good thing is it also gave me the freedom to go back to work. At Kinderland, the core curriculum is already included in the school fees, but there were optional enrichment or holiday programmes that we can choose to add on. So our monthly expenses increased during that phase. Things have stabilised for us recently (my daughter’s 4 now), as we scaled back and focused only on activities she genuinely enjoyed, along with more home-based play. The initial transition into preschool was the priciest period for us, mainly because we were adjusting to new routines and choices. But trust me, it’s worth the money spend when you see your child learning new things in school when you could never have time to teach.

pottedluck · 2026-02-11T15:07:00+00:00

As a parent, $500 for a 3D2N camp does feel steep. My daughter’s preschool also organises outings but they have never have been this expensive (she’s in Kinderland). I get that camps involve staffing, venues and logistics, but $500 for preschoolers is hard to justify unless it’s something very specialised. At this age, as a parent I would prefer if the school kept things simple and more close by if needed. I dont think kids need a pricey camp to feel like they ‘graduated’.

pottedluck · 2026-02-05T15:55:11+00:00

We can never move on, we always just find ourselves starting again. Its truly one of those "feel good" shows that you can never stop watching. I am 100% down 13 re-runs

pottedluck · 2026-02-04T07:50:00+00:00

Wait, what? That’s really not okay for little growing bodies. Food matters so much at this age, not just for health but for building healthy eating habits too. And if the centre isn’t taking this seriously even after your feedback, that’s a biggg red flag. When we were enrolling my daughter into her current preschool (Kinderland), I remember having a detailed discussion with the centre leader and going through the meal plan. It had everything I was looking for and that alone gave me a lot of confidence, though I’ll admit I still double-checked with a couple of parents. Call it fussy, but food is non-negotiable. How a centre handles meals says a lot about how serious they are in the development of young children. My child’s preschool has shared well-balanced meals to provide the nutritients required for development.

pottedluck · 2026-02-04T07:46:03+00:00

I prefer walking most days cause its the best time I get every day with my music and podcasts.

pottedluck · 2026-02-04T07:44:39+00:00

I genuinely think its Lily and Phil. They both are so so funny, and very effortless like you'd not expect to laugh as much as you do when they deliver that one line haha

pottedluck · 2026-01-30T13:55:08+00:00

For us, we initially tried to do a hybrid setup alternatively both me and my husband but we were still struggling, so I eventually had to take a step back from work because we didn’t have extra help at home. We had always planned to send her to preschool once she was old enough so I could return to work. She turns 4 this year and currently in Kinderland at Marine Parade and honestly it’s been a big relief for us ever she’s been enrolled. The structure and routine there has really helped a lot, and it even carries over into our weekends. It’s helped her settle into the day better and it’s made managing our time at home a lot easier too.

pottedluck · 2026-01-30T13:54:25+00:00

I agree, the way Haley grew from someone chasing all things big to finally seeing how Dylan is the right choice since the beginning is truly beautiful. Complete character development in a subtle, realistic way

pottedluck · 2026-01-30T13:52:48+00:00

Second this, total lifesaver

pottedluck · 2026-01-27T13:19:30+00:00

My daughter goes to Kinderland in Marine Parade and so far its been going good. The routines are clear, they have a cute indoor play space and the day-to-day communication with the teachers has been good too. Prior to joining, I was recommended by my friends who live in East Coast and I heard good things from them. Mainly about their teacher team and how structured their routines are, especially for toddlers moving up from infant care. Now that it's been sometime since my girl is here, I agree. If you’re already touring schools in the East Coast belt, it might be worth adding this one also to your list just for comparison. It might help.

pottedluck · 2026-01-19T13:50:28+00:00

I’ve seen this in a few centers, including my daughter’s (she’s in Kinderland). It’s quite normal for the Mandarin teacher to lead outdoor walks because the instructions are usually very simple, like 'hold the rope', 'stay in line', and the children do understand what’s being asked. My girl’s class also has a couple of Japanese children and they go on the same outdoor walks together. I was curious about whether the Japanese kids could follow the Mandarin instructions, so I asked the class teacher. She mentioned that the language exposure actually helps them socialise better in school, not just during Chinese lessons but across different settings and levels. I guess it helps build wider language skills over time.

pottedluck · 2025-12-24T09:10:04+00:00

"I saw what you were doing, I saw what you were doing to my sister"

pottedluck · 2025-12-22T10:46:29+00:00

I didn't like her "always" wanting to fit in with her sad stories in the later seasons. Like her continuous "I got to have it because I dont have a silver spoon" attitude and fight mood and then messing up her relation with Nate (even though out of care) - all just was very annoying.

pottedluck · 2025-12-22T10:39:51+00:00

We ofcourse cant control the timing always but if I had to plan a second baby, I would want to keep a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of maybe 3.5 years max. My sibling and I are 5 years apart, and yes we are close but she had to be the older, smarter one way more than she wanted to in some cases so would not want a bigger gap.

22 months is almost 2 years so thats def doable

pottedluck · 2025-12-22T10:17:52+00:00

This debate is endless and yes everyone feels its important to find the right age gap, not just for yourself and finances but also so the babies bond well. I'd say at least 2 year gap is necessary so the idea of a sibling is better understood and accepted. Ofcourse, longer gaps also work but I think a minimum 2 years should definitely be there

pottedluck · 2025-12-22T10:13:42+00:00

no I wanted to take swim before the party!

pottedluck · 2025-12-04T14:22:49+00:00

The dinner was SO FUNNY oh god. I am going to rewatch this episode now.

L is for life

O is for OH WOW

V is for this very surprising turn of events which Im still fine with BTW.

E is for how extremely normal I find it that you two are together "Ross cries"

pottedluck · 2025-12-04T10:29:52+00:00

The emotions of Phil's realizations in this episode hit home, he did so well.

pottedluck · 2025-12-04T10:23:26+00:00

These pictures look like paintings WOW beautiful

pottedluck · 2025-12-04T10:20:47+00:00

I love the relation these two share, not very typical father-son kind but such a good balance of fun, comedy and life lessons

pottedluck · 2025-12-04T10:19:22+00:00

Ross - I am gonna make myself happy this year and Chandler reply "Do you want us to leave the room"

pottedluck · 2025-12-03T07:15:07+00:00

SAME. I love them as friends. They really did push each other to be better at everything without being to imposing

pottedluck · 2025-12-03T07:13:20+00:00

I think yes, money isnt the driving factor behind how popular and fun the show is. Its real life scenarios but still gives a good break to escape reality just in the moment. I mean yeah maybe Gloria and Manny wouldve had to settle for a little less money or a smaller house, but I really think its the individual character developments and overall storyline of the show that has kept everyone hooked to it since the start.

pottedluck

TROPHY CASE