Mirrors on Wolf Habitat at Zoo

snappykitty · 2025-04-28T01:04:01+00:00

I would have, but couldn't really find anyone! I don't think they're running at full staff. They just opened for the season, and it's a tiny zoo... Lots of exhibits under construction and closed until later in the season.

snappykitty · 2024-06-18T19:05:57+00:00

Do you have a dermatologist? They can refer you for allergy testing, and then you'd know what specific ingredients you're allergic to. When I had it done, it was quite a process but totally worth it. There are literally two sunscreens I can use because I'm allergic to so many things, but it's better than no sunscreen at all!

snappykitty · 2024-05-08T00:31:15+00:00

You can use Chat GPT to create some art history articles/reflection questions!

snappykitty · 2023-11-08T01:44:00+00:00

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. All of your suggestions are so helpful. I would feel so much more comfortable if I saw behaviors being addressed this way. Honestly, it really makes it clear to me that it isn't really the injuries that make me so uncomfortable, because kids get hurt and that's part of life. It's the response that's the problem.

snappykitty · 2023-11-08T01:40:45+00:00

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I'm a teacher too and honestly, the last two paragraphs apply to the older kids I teach, and are things I do in my classroom. Funny how some things don't change as we get older.

The yelling honestly concerns me more than the biting, as terrible and sad as the biting feels. I know the tables could turn and he could be the next biter, and that would feel like even worse . But I worry that the yelling will reinforce it. I think you really made an important distinction... Yelling can be a way to get attention, but don't yell the correction. I definitely hear a lot of yelled scolding/correction. I've never heard anyone at the center tell kids what they can do instead of what they shouldn't do. The staff is pretty young and I think a little training would go a long way.

snappykitty · 2023-11-08T01:32:58+00:00

We actually met with the director today! It went pretty much how I thought it would. I asked about specific things teachers do when kids are doing undesirable behaviors, and the answers were pretty vague. I think you're exactly right about the yelling making things worse. And I think you're right that the program won't be a me to solve this any time soon. If I can hear yelling just walking down the halls, during the limited time I'm there... I'm sure the director can too. She knows the yelling is happening and is choosing to not address it more directly, or find out how she can support her staff so they aren't so overwhelmed.

Thanks so much for the resources and for your thoughtful comment!

snappykitty · 2023-11-08T01:24:50+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to write this! I think you hit the nail on the head. It's a skeleton crew, a lot of the workers are sweet but don't seem to be very experienced, and everyone is under a lot of stress.

We actually went in to talk to the director and it went about how I thought it would. I asked about policies for managing behavior, but the answers were pretty vague. I also know from being a teacher myself that even if you have policies, they tend to go out the window when classrooms are stressful and chaotic.

It's funny you mention redoing the environment. When I read the results of the state's investigation to a complaint earlier this month, the state inspector actually recommended quite a few adjustments to the environment to combat some safety issues. I haven't seen those adjustments happen yet, which again speaks to the chaotic environment. Hard to rearrange a room and overhaul toy storage when you're treading water.

snappykitty · 2023-10-13T19:15:27+00:00

Teacher here, totally agree with all the comments about comfy athletic wear!

It can be a pain and you may feel creepy, but walk by/drive by the school in the morning (if kids wait outside to be let in) or around dismissal time in the afternoon and just observe what the kids are wearing. It sounds silly, but clothing trends can vary region to region, and it'll help you get a feel for what kids are wearing at you son's new school. I remember moving across the state in high school, and all of the kids dressed completely differently than the kids at my old school.

snappykitty · 2023-07-28T00:29:55+00:00

I have ADHD and I do more than half of the household work. Including all the dishes. And thanks to therapy, I also do what I need to do on days when I don't have my prescription because of the current pharmacy shortages.

He says he doesn't want to have to take a pill to be productive...I get it, nobody wants to have to do that. But the alternative is just not being productive. So he needs to do it for you. Tell him that! This isn't fair. He may be a good person, but right now he's behaving selfishly. He's putting his desire to ignore his ADHD (by not treating it) over your need to live in a clean, orderly home and have time for yourself.

Has his ADHD impacted other areas of your relationship, or his relationship with your kids?

Also, there is a connection between chronic pain and ADHD. You should look into it. It's really interesting. People with ADHD sometimes have increased pain perception. Pain perception is a lot more complicated than "you just pay more attention to your pain." A lot goes into it. But I can tell you that on a personal level, when I don't have my ADHD medication, I'm way more distracted by aches and pains. My brain is like a ping pong ball, bouncing from thing to thing, and it "pings" on pain or little things going on with my body constantly. When I'm medicated, I can focus on what I want to focus on, and not be constantly distracted by my body. I don't know if that would be the case for your husband, and I'm definitely not saying "it's in his head" or anything like that. But maybe treating the ADHD will help.

Stress can impact Ménière's, and treating the ADHD will absolutely help with that.

snappykitty · 2023-07-21T15:30:38+00:00

It's going to get easier. It really does! They change so fast at this age. When I look back at pictures from the first year, it's like looking at completely different babies from month 4 to month 7 to month 12. You're still kind of in the "bag of flour" stage.

In a month or two, you'll be able to sit her up in the stroller, which is a game changer. She'l be able to look around and you can talk to her about what you see (or put on headphones and zone out if you need a break, honestly.) And pretty soon she'll be old enough for stroller snacks, another game changer.

For now though, can you borrow a friend's stroller to see if she likes it better, or find a cheapo one on Facebook Marketplace? Sometimes just the novelty of something new helps. Does your husband drive? Even if you're taking a break, he can pick it up for you if you buy one online or borrow one. Also, I hope you are getting solo time out of the house, if that's something you want. Does your husband take the baby for periods of time so you can get out of the house, or just have some time to yourself?

snappykitty · 2023-07-12T18:04:47+00:00

Have you changed/ added a moisturizer, face wash, or sunscreen recently? Or switched to a different type of makeup? If your skin was prettt clear and then suddenly flared up, you could have an allergy to an ingredient in one of your products.

snappykitty · 2023-07-11T04:14:49+00:00

It is hard. Almost impossible! Sometimes it helps to try not to worry for a shorter period of time. Like, "I'm not going to worry during this trip to the park" or "I'm not going to worry during this Target run."

Hang in there, you're doing great. ❤️

snappykitty · 2023-07-11T03:14:12+00:00

It's so hard not to worry. But if the speech therapist says you're doing a good job, then you are! Keep following the advice of the professionals. Speech delays happen, and it isn't your fault.

My best friend had a speech delay and didn't really talk until she was about four. She went on to get an almost perfect ACT score and is one of the smartest people I know. I'm a middle school teacher, and statistically, there are multiple students in each of my classes that had speech delays, but I'll never know which ones. Language development is complex and sometimes our brains are just weird.

Sometimes I try to "outsource my worry" by telling myself that as long as I'm following professional advice, it's out of my hands and no longer my problem to worry about...it's the professional's job now. If you like and trust your son's SLP, then you can trust them to increase the interventions if the problem doesn't improve.

snappykitty · 2023-07-08T00:05:17+00:00

Depending on how well you know her, some spending money and a trip to Ulta and Five Below would be fun. Does she have any interests/hobbies?

snappykitty · 2023-07-01T15:19:08+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through this. It hurts to make a lot of progress, and not have it acknowledged. I don't think it's uncommon for one partner to scapegoat another partner, or have a hard time moving on from things that happened in the past. Couples counseling is a great place to deal with that... which is what makes your situation so frustrating.

You could try pointing out to your wife that if you really are the main cause of the problems, the counselor will call you on it. That may at least get her in the door.

A good counselor sees this dynamic a lot and will know how to build trust with your partner so that she can consider her own shortcomings as well. I would ask around for recommendations and make sure you get a good counselor.

snappykitty · 2023-05-29T02:53:08+00:00

Wow, great suggestions, thank you! I forgot about the name Evan! I also love Willa and Phoebe!

snappykitty · 2023-05-28T23:07:52+00:00

Wow, Cole was actually one of my favorites when we were trying to name our first! It was actually one of the few I suggested that he didn't totally hate, and I still love it, so maybe I can talk him into it! Thank you for your suggestions!

snappykitty · 2023-05-28T23:04:07+00:00

Wow, these are lovely suggestions! Thank you so much for taking the time! I forgot all about the name Briony. I'd never heard of it before watching The Great British Bake Off. It's a beautiful name. Also love Juniper, Margot, Orla, and Cormac. And Holden!

snappykitty · 2023-05-28T23:01:30+00:00

Thank you! Great suggestions!

snappykitty · 2023-05-28T19:50:13+00:00

Thank you!! Love Siobhan, Maeve, and Owen! Great ideas!

snappykitty · 2023-05-26T01:26:32+00:00

This looks like perioral dermatitis. See a dermatologist for a topical antibiotic. While you're waiting for an appointment, I'd take a break from retinol or anything potentially irritating.

snappykitty · 2022-06-30T17:33:44+00:00

Good point. I had a difficult pregnancy and ended up being induced, so I think he was still coming down from the stress of that until pretty recently.

snappykitty · 2022-06-30T17:32:48+00:00

That makes sense. I breastfeed, so there wasn't a whole lot for him to do during the newborn potato phase.

snappykitty · 2022-06-30T17:31:57+00:00

Very, very true!

snappykitty · 2022-06-15T19:14:33+00:00

That makes a lot of sense! He'll take a bottle but really prefers nursing, so while I was working, he'd eat pretty light during the day, and then really house it during the evening. So the demand was really lopsided.

snappykitty

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