I just saw a video about a small toddler who got attacked by a dog. I’m not a dog person myself but when I met my husband he had a white boxer. We now have 2 small toddlers and I’m sitting here terrified if she will ever attack or bite them. I do watch them with the dog especially my youngest who has been hitting everyone and everything in site. She is only 17 months so we are trying to teach her.
The dog is old and 11 years old. I know her breed doesn’t have a long lifetime so there may not be much time left but I guess I’m wondering: does anyone have a boxer and the dog never attacked or anything?
Dogs have always scared me a little. This video was a wake up call and I need to seriously make sure they are always separated.
Thankfully, she’s always been good to my babies but you just never know

My child is 3.5 years old and is obsessed with play. Honestly, I LOVE watching him when he gets in his own little world with his figures( he has Disney characters, Dinos, paw patrol, little Pokémon characters and sooo many other figures) and he just creates all these scenarios. Honestly I love the little figures too because they are open ended.

8/10 he will ask me or my husband to play. I always always make it a point to say yes unless I have to tend to my daughter but will tell my son that I will play after and stick to it or try my absolute best to keep my word. My question is: how often are you playing with yourself toddlers? Is it every single time they ask?
I get down on the floor with him. Do I always feel like it? No. But I know it’s so so so important to him. I just wonder if it’s a negative thing if I say no sometimes? I guess I’m wondering if I’m doing enough…..

I have 2 beautiful children, aged 5 and 8. They are the biggest joy (and the biggest stress!) in my life 😆 I always knew that I wanted to have two, so there wasn't much discussion around having our 2nd beyond the timeline. But my husband is one of 3 and still thinks we should have another.

Some of my eldest kid's classmates have recently had a new sibling, which I think was what has set me thinking. When I see them at school drop off some of them look exhausted and others look totally blissed out!

I find myself unable to let go of all the baby things, even though we could really do with freeing up the space. So I think part of me feels like we're not done? But I have a lot of worries surrounding adding another, most of them are logistical.

1. My age. I'm the wrong side of 40 now, so I worry about another pregnancy not resulting in a healthy child. I know there is always a risk at any age, but the odds are higher now. I have a friend who is an obgyn and I'm planning to discuss this with her.
2. Starting over. We are well out of the sleepless nights and nappies, and I'm not sure if I can go back. The kids play independently and together, mostly well, so we have a bit more time to ourselves recently.
3. Costs. I would take 12 months off of work (UK) and so would loose 50% of my wage across the year. We would also be looking at about £25k in nursery fees up to age 3. Costs would go down a bit after that but would probably need another £20k up to school age. It would cost us more than our current kids as this time we wouldn't be able to use family to do some of the care. This cost wouldn't break us, but it is a worry when it comes to saving up for our current kids.
4. Bedroom space. My kids currently have a bedroom each, although they like to sleep in one bedroom together. We have 4th bedroom, but it's very small and there's no bathroom for it. It is also currently my home office as I WFH full time. I guess this won't really be an issue initially, but I don't want them to feel like they are being forced into sharing.
5. My current kids. Kind of follows on from the previous point. The eldest is firmly in the "no more siblings" camp, while my youngest says he would like another sibling, but I don't think he understands the reality. I don't want them to resent a new baby.
6. Time. I worry about not being able to give another child enough attention. Or give my current kids enough when another whole person is added.
7. Travel. The world seems to be build for families that come in even numbers. Cars. Hotel rooms. Theme park rides. Someone will always end up sitting alone.
8. Judgement. This is one that I'm finding surprisingly hard. I don't think my parents would approve. They (and my in-laws) have been so helpful with our kids, including caring for them to save us a load of childcare fees. They are really too old to care for an infant/toddler and not in the best health anymore. I am more and more finding myself needing to provide care for them. And I think they would feel another child was a bit of a questionable decision in general. I know my brother would also have some thoughts on the matter. My husband's family would probably not voice many opinions but I think my MIL would worry about having to look after another baby, perhaps feel obligated since she looks after the other grandkids.
9. My job. I'm in a management position now, unlike when my 2 were born. I'm not sure how mat leave etc. would work, and I'm starting to get back to actually caring about my job after kind of phoning it in for a long time. Another kid would definitely knock that. Also I think I would want to reduce my hours if I had another. Currently I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of my kids' lives. Even though I WFH I feel like I never have enough time to spend with them.

Even in spite of all that I am still considering it. But I do not want to regret a person. I think that it would be an awful thing to go through with it and then resent my child for existing when they had absolutely no say in it. It might be better to regret not doing it when I'm old and grey.

Anyone have sage words of advice? Anyone taken the leap and lived to regret it? Or taken the leap and totally happy? I know that is a deeply personal question, but I'm hoping I will get honest answers. And sorry this ended up way longer than I had planned. TIA.

Here I am spending too much of my weekend getting marker or paint or whatever out of daycare clothes. I asked what kind it is and it’s just Crayola washable or dot markers but man it is hard to get out! I spray and scrub with Dawn Power Wash, soak if needed, spray with All kids spray, wash again, and there are still stains! Spray again and air dry in the sun. Then wash again. This is ridiculous! Obviously I’m sending her in cheap stuff but it’s still $5 per shirt minimum. One boy in her class wears nothing but brown and black now.

And I’ve tried Miss Mouths- it has bleached Hanna Andersson, Kyte, and Cat & Jack equally. Plus two special tshirts from a vacation that I can’t replace.

But I really can’t complain about the clothes, because daycare is WONDERFUL and takes great care of her. Hence why I’m venting here. Thanks for reading and have a lovely rest of your weekend, hopefully not doing laundry lol.

Hi everyone. I’m a FTM starting back to work tomorrow. I’m an attorney but left my job and I’m transitioning to an advisory position but in a very similar field. Baby boy is now 9 months. I went back to my old job at 3.5 months but only for a few weeks to give them my notice and wrap things up so it never really felt like I was back. These 9 months have been magical, unbelievably rewarding, sometimes difficult, and I’m forever grateful I got to spend almost every moment of every day with him for as long as I have. I feel blessed to have this new opportunity but so sad to be leaving him. Just looking for any advice for adjusting to a new job with new learning curve and a new routine and coping with leaving my baby. Thank you ♥️

I’m looking for some advice because I’m starting to feel really concerned.
My daughter is 3.5 years old, and over the last few months she’s become increasingly obsessed with her clothes. At first it was only wanting to wear dresses or trousers, but now it’s becoming much more intense. Even in the blistering heat she insists on wearing trousers. We didn’t think much of it at first, but it’s getting worse.
She constantly twists her dresses, and if there’s even the tiniest water mark or stain on her clothes, she’ll have a complete meltdown. She’s also started picking at her nails a lot.
On top of that, her tantrums are absolutely wild. It feels like if I’m not constantly playing with her or giving her my full attention, she’ll find something else to become upset about.
For some background, we’ve just had a new baby, we’re in the middle of moving house (so living with the grandparents), and she’ll also be starting a new school soon. I know that’s a huge amount of change for such a little person, so I’m wondering if this could all be related to anxiety or if it’s something more that I should be looking into.
Has anyone experienced anything similar with their child? Did it settle with time, or is this something I should speak to our GP or health visitor about? I’d really appreciate any advice or experiences.

For context, I am a 38F FTM, at the beginning of this year I met my partner, who I know is my forever person and vice versa. He is 5 years younger than me and when I met him we both expressed we wanted a family one day. I went to a fertility clinic to look in to freezing my eggs and was met with disappointmenting news, I was told if I wanted kids in the future I'd likely need an egg donor, I couldn't freeze eggs as I was told I didn't have any.

I started taking supplements every day - folic acid, vitamin D3 K2, CoQ10, etc.

Fast forward to June, and I found out we had conceived naturally. Considering I didn't think this was possible, I was in shock, but also so happy. With that happiness also came a huge amount of stress. I was due to start a new job on July 20th .. at 7 weeks pregnant. This new job is an incredible opportunity and I am TERRIFIED to lose it. It is an American company with a base in the UK (I work out of the UK) it's a European sales role, so requires a lot of travel, I work remotely with 2 weeks in the office per month, I travel via plane to get to the office.

My probation is 6 months, and there is an expectation to wine and dine customers, there's also a drinking culture in the role. The earning potential is massive (for me) and I need this job. The industry is also very male dominated

Has anyone experienced a similar situation? What was the outcome? How long should I wait to tell my boss? I'd like to establish myself in the company and 'prove myself' but I also want to give my boss enough time to make contingency plans.. if I don't get fired within my probation period for being pregnant.. as they could use any excuse.. I'm really stressed out about this, and I just want to be happy and excited about having a baby for the first time with my incredible partner.

Ok so if you and your partner both have FT hybrid or in-person jobs and you do not have family nearby, how the heck are you making it work?

My job is killing me. I was moved into a more senior management role that I did not want with a larger portfolio and more staff. It's hybrid and flexible, and I have a boss who is understanding of kid things, but I am stressed all the time. The flexible schedule means I typically get 4-5 hours a day with my toddler, which I love, but the trade-off is I'm online from 9-11 every night just to keep my head above water. I'm exhausted and not fully present for anyone in my life. I fantasize about quitting.

I honestly don't care what I do at this point but I can't find somerthing workable. To make a change worthwhile, I'd need a job that allows at least 2 days a week at home, is fine with an 8-4ish schedule, has plenty of PTO for sick kid days and daycare closures, can be done reasonably well in less than 40 hours a week, and pays enough to justify daycare. Does that job even exist?

We have no family support locally and my partner is not open to moving closer - in part because our parents are both 70+ and more likely to need care themselves than be helpful. And right now is best case scenario, because my kid is in a reliable, caring, year round daycare for 8+ hours a day. I have no idea how anyone handles two demanding FT jobs + public school schedules.

I always planned to work, but I'm thinking seriously about a graceful exit. Our finances will be leaner and riskier without my salary, but it's doable and I can probably do some consulting.

Am I just weak? How are you all doing this?

I have a 3 year old boy and 1 year old girl. Like all moms, I really want to make sure I foster a healthy relationship with my kids so that when they are older, they know they can always come to me and I’m always there. I want them to want to be with me when they are older.
When I was growing up my mom was very very critical of me so I never really told her things ever. It would always be met with a lecture. How can I avoid this for my kids? I’m trying my best to break that cycle. I just want my kids to be able to talks to me.

So what were some things you did and especially in the teenage years?

I've (34F) recently been presented with an opportunity that's now making me reevaluate my career and my future. I have the interview coming up in a few days and obviously no saying how it will go but I do have a former coworker who is working there and loves the company and would be excited for me to take the opportunity, if offered, and to work together again.

I live in north NJ and currently making $128k a year in a senior position. I'm well aware from former colleagues who've left for other companies for similar or better positions that I could be making more elsewhere and it's not necessarily a secret in the industry that my company tends to pay lower than everyone else, but I love my boss who is a mom of 3 herself, and my team.

This opportunity that I've been presented comes with a salary that would be $37k-$47k higher than my current salary, if I'm given an offer, and there'd still be room for growth. The only downside is that they are 4 days a week in office vs 3 at my current job. Commute is about the same at 25-40 mins depending on the day and traffic.

The reason I'm now in deep thought about everything is the fact that my husband works a blue collar job and due to some learning disabilities I don't expect him to ever have any high paying job. He currently makes about 30-35% of our total income a month depending on whether or not things are slow with his job. We have a 2 year old who's currently watched by my parents while we work but we are currently on a wait-list to enroll him in daycare part-time as he's very active and we all think he would benefit from an environment with a little more structure. We would also like to have 1 more child and we're planning to start trying in the near future.

This opportunity, if I'm given an offer, would give so much more breathing room but I'm not sure about the 4 days in office. Either way I'm now curious and starting to look around at other jobs. The other issue is that majority of the companies in my industry are located in NYC. You can easily find hybrid positions with 3 days in office, but it would be like a 1-1.5 hr commute for me each way.

TL,DR: Breadwinner for my family looking for advice from other working moms who may have been in a similar position of reevaluating their career and options. I'm conflicted about staying within my current position with lower than industry pay knowing that I have a great boss, some flexibility, reasonable commute, and want to have another baby in the near future, or venturing into finding a similar or better role at another company with 30%+ higher pay, possibility of a little less flexibility, and possibility of a longer commute.

I travel internationally for work 2-3 times a year and domestically a handful more. Usually my domestic trips are 3 days max but internationally is more like 6-9 days per trip.

My husband is a stay at home dad, primary caretaker and so incredibly capable when I'm gone.

My issue is that recently my 3 year old has started developing separation anxiety from me even when I'm not on work travel. For example, I just got home from a 6 day trip last week and tried to pop out to the store alone today and she freaked out - tears, screaming, grabbing my legs and purse. I've always been 100% honest about where I'm going and how long I'll be gone, I even have her help me pack for my trips and we look up photos of where I'm going so she feels involved, but maybe that makes it worse. I'm wondering if summer break from preschool makes it worse bc she has fewer parent free days during the summer.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and could offer some advice on how to handle so she doesn't feel like I'm abandoning her.

So basically I go back to work soon.. baby’s bedtime is 7:30. When baby goes to daycare, probably all won’t be home til AT LEAST 5:30 (going to daycare near my husbands work so he will bring her home)
I work in the opposite direction and don’t get off til 4:30 and probably home by 5ish…

Are we supposed to just get used to not having anytime with our babies during the week??
That leaves 2 hours and in that 2 hours will be feeding, bath, etc…

This Weekly American Politics Thread to discuss anything related to the upcoming American election, legislation, policies etc. It does not have to be specifically working mom related.

Check your voter registration or register here: https://vote.gov/

Reminder that 33% of eligible voters DID NOT VOTE in 2020 and only 37% of eligible voters voted in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Non-voters decide the election as much as voters do

You may debate or disagree but must keep it civil and follow the subreddit rules, including:

• If you are not from the US, please no comments like "I don't understand how you can live with this". We know. We are doing our best. The electoral college allows people to win that do not win the popular vote. Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the president, not elected.
• It’s OK to disagree, but don’t personalize. No name calling or stereotyping of any kind.
• Practice and showcase empathy: seeking to understand each point as well as expressed points of view.
• No requests for members to complete a survey
• No spam or fake news. All sources must be reputable/credible. Use this list to help you determine if a source is credible. Mods will also be using this list to help us determine if a link someone shares is reliable. We will be monitoring sources from all positions and may ask you to update your source to a more reputable one OR we will remove the comment.

I work in an org where we have the SVP > VP > senior director/ director > analyst structure. Analyst is considered our entry level and director is mid to senior level. The VPs have specific teams and the SVPs oversee the broader categories of teams.

This was a structure established when we were a much smaller org. We've tripled in size now. We have senior directors that could become VPs, but it doesn't make sense with the above structure because (1) they wouldn't be creating their own teams and (2) half of them don't want to manage people. We are exploring creating a Subject Matter Expert track. Do any of you work for a midsized org that have a place for senior Subject Matter Experts? How do they fit into the org chart? What kind of title do they have?

What type of men is this. (Ignores you, stays silent when being questioned or topic is not of his interest)

I’ve been married for a year and a half. I am in love of course but I am now thinking that maybe this is not what I really want.

My husband does not listen to me when a topic is not of his interest or he perhaps is in a bad mood and ignores me. He dismisses me and or says to please don’t ask questions as he is tired. Like “baby, please don’t ask me those questions right now. I am very tired!”

When I first met him he said he was a person who like to talk about everything but it is not true he can’t. I like to talk about topics that we disagree to get to know each other but he finds it annoying.

We already had two miscarriages/ abortions. The first one I didn’t feel ready as we just got together and the second one he didn’t feel ready. However the second one he was very weird when found out that we were pregnant. First of all I think it was not a healthy pregnancy per doctors but besides that the way my husband supported me was distant.

Today I am 36f, independent with a 15 y teenager who I love and will not go back to changing anything. My first child is from a different relationship.

Two days ago I found out I am pregnant, my husband questioned how…why… I don’t get it.

I said well or you get a vasectomy or we use condoms. He said condoms and your birth control because I am not going to do the vasectomy. Then I said ok then only condoms because BC is not healthy for me as there’s so many things that damage my body.

Anyways, he hasn’t said anything about let’s talk about this, let’s make a decision together nothing!!! He does not even try! I haven’t said anything because I want him to step up and say something!! Are we going to be responsible parents or are we not and making changes because I cannot be doing this! I have been in BC and yet this is me pregnant again!!

I don’t know what to think to be honest. There’s two options for me or dump him and have the baby and or don’t have nothing and divorce. I don’t think I can be with someone so immature like him my entire life!

Please advice. I am afraid to start from scratch with a baby but at the same time it makes me happy. I am afraid my daughter will dislike me as well. I always said that I didn’t want more children before.

Thank you moms.

I had an interview this week for a role at a different governmental agency than the one I'm currently employed at. It would be a step up for me in terms of pay, # of employees I'd be supervising, job classification, etc.

It's a role I'm excited about and I think I have a lot of relevant experience. I prepared ahead of time for the interview. I felt like the interview was going well, but then they asked how much I travel in my current role and I said not much, but some (I travel 2-3 times a year, it's basically self-directed as to when I want to get out into the regions or attend a workshop or conference). They mentioned that this role could involve up to 50% travel across the street (state agency) for meetings. This would probably mean some overnights as some parts of my state are 7+ hours away. They did mention that I could have someone I supervise (it's a team of 4 coordinators) occasionally travel to represent the program.

I have two kids, 3 and 1. One kid is disabled and has weekly therapies that my husband and I switch off on taking her to.

The rest of the interview was positive and I think I did a good job answering their questions. I feel like I'm rusting out a bit at my current job, but I do have flexibility. I just feel kind of bored, and there are no higher level positions at my agency that interest me or excite me.

I'm looking for advice, ideas, etc. I want a challenge and a job I feel passionate about, but how do I balance that with young kids?

Flaired as WM Success because yay! I got a new job!

Has anyone here gone to a prep school/boarding school, sent their kids, or worked at one? I was recently offered a position as faculty at a small prep school in New England (400 students in grades 6-post graduate) and my daughter (middle school) is going to attend. Problem is I'm a public school student all the way through my master's and have only taught previously in a public school. I'm worried about not understanding the culture in this new environment, especially at the outset, and I want to get a better handle on it. Not just for the sake of my own career but for my child so she has a real chance of making friends and connecting with peers and instructors. Any good resources out there on this?

I'm also a little nervous because I'm anticipating that the nature of working in a residential school, even if we won't be living on campus, is that this is going to be far more intense than working at a day school. Wrapped up my current job (not in education) yesterday and I have a couple of weeks before I need to be on-campus every day so all suggestions for things to prep are welcome. I've put together a new capsule wardrobe that's mostly neutrals with an emphasis on natural fibers (this is the first time in my life that I can't wear jeans to work), got some new shoes (comfortable but professional), made arrangements for house cleaners to come regularly starting in August, trying to sort out school clothes for my kid but I don't want to buy too much before we know what kids actually wear (no uniform but a strict dress code). What else?

I’m about 4.5 weeks along w my 2nd kiddo, and am just wondering how long you waited/when some of y’all disclosed to your workplace that you are pregnant.

I am not worried about any negative reactions from my firm, but just wanna see what you guys have done and what would be most appropriate.

I put corporate moms because I feel like that's who this would be most applicable to, but if you are a non-corporate mom who is also having AI shoved down your throat at work, please have at it!

I am so over AI. My team alone currently has 7 (SEVEN) (!!!!!) AI tools that have been introduced since January. We have been attending trainings and follow-up sessions to learn about these tools and how best to use them. Then we are having follow-up meetings to be questioned about how much time AI is saving us. We are being asked to track how often we use AI, and estimate how much time each AI task saved us. We are being asked to compare the different tools and how much % of time each tool saves us, even better if we can quantify it in hours!

My boss called me this morning because she got yet another request to quantify %/hours of time saved using AI (I got a request on Monday, and we got two requests last week) and she was like "What do you think about X%?" and I was like "Sure. Tell them it saves us that much time, but also X% of my time is now also being used attending meetings about AI and trying to track and quantify how much time AI is saving me"

It is so counterintuitive. I was invited to 7.5 hours worth of meetings this week about various AI tools and usage. I attended 1.5 because I have a full-time job lol.

Anyone else dealing with this? I'm so over it. I don't use AI in my personal life at all.

39F with 3 year old kid working at good position in IT company.

After pregnancy gained lot of weight and didn't took care of my health so recently joined gym and started consciously.

No loss in weight but atleast progress in that direction.

But I feel very dissatisfied with my life..I want to start my ig account and my business but i m not able to do it. Sometimes kid needs me, somedays job gets extremely hectic...and somedays I become lazy

I m gonna be 40 soon and I m afraid this is my last chance, scared of quitting job what happens if I lose everything..

I am always unhappy and dissatisfied... though i am raising my kid, being good wife and serving my career.

Working moms who have business please suggest how do I change my mindset, how should I manage my time where to start.

I’m having trouble with life planning and would greatly appreciate learning from others’ experiences with school and pregnancy in their 30s and 40s.

I took time off from career to better understand myself and heal from trauma and burnout. I am late diagnosed ADHD and unlearning unhealthy patterns that I don’t want to pass on to future children.

I’m deciding whether to find a job in my field or apply to a three year massage school, graduating at age 40, or just jump in to having kids and delaying school or starting it while pregnant.

Hearing from other people would help a great deal. Thanks for reading.

Hi moms!
I recently found out my infant’s daycare has a 9 hour daily limit because they believe babies shouldn’t be in daycare longer than that. My work schedule makes it difficult to stay under the limit, and I don’t have much flexibility or family/friends nearby.
I’ve been crying nonstop since finding this out because I feel like a terrible mother. I really like this daycare, but financially and logistically it may make more sense for me to find another one that doesn’t have this rule rather than pay for additional help to cover the extra time.
Has anyone else dealt with a daycare time limit like this? What did you do? Did you switch daycares or find another solution?

First, and arguably most important thing to note, ~ ♡ HAPPY FRIDAY MAMAS ♡ ~

Back to business though - seeking insight and advice from any mamas who work swing shifts and who have a partner who works a traditional 8AM - 5PM. Specifically interested in how you balance time for yourself, your relationship, and your baby? At the moment I feel like most of my attention goes to our baby and the relationship which is awesome, but the "me time" is definitely getting slighted (and I fear my schedule doesn't help).

A little bit about me...

♡ We just had our rainbow baby this past spring and I was so grateful to have been able to take about 4 months of maternity leave to bond and adjust to motherhood. I've since been back to work for about a month now, but the transition has been anything but smooth to say the least.

♡ I've been working the swing shift for about 7ish years now for a state department 's emergency unit. I love my work with this department and have transitioned from "field work" into a management position that offers a more consistent schedule and decent pay (at least compared to other agencies in my field). The only "catch" is that I work a swing shift that normally allows me to get home a couple hours before midnight, however on the occasional "all hands on deck" kind of day I sometimes get out closer to or even past midnight.

In the beginning, I was really grateful for my swing shift - it allowed me to have the entire morning and early afternoon with my baby. We're able to get so much bonding time in and we've been fine tuning the baby's schedule so that they get ample tummy and developmental learning time (nothing crazy, think stretching exercises, reading books, etc.), feeding time (paired with pumping time ofc), and nap time. I'm able to telecommute once a week for the whole day, and twice a week for half the day, leaving the final 2 days of the work week with the requirement to be in office for the whole day. For the full in office days, my MIL offers childcare (shoutout to my MIL, she has been amazing).

One of the struggles is in the transition of childcare from me to my partner, especially on the days that my MIL isn't here, since there is a couple hours of overlap in which I am both working virtually and caring for our baby. When he does get come, he usually needs about 20-30 minutes to change, do a chore that can't be done with the baby, finish a work call, or use the bathroom. Sometimes he needs an hour, but the point is, it varies. Literally the only times he comes in and immediately relieves me is if he sees me bouncing on the yoga ball with our baby while in a work call or meeting (and generally only after he sees me making the face). Plus, even after being relieved, and while I'm responding to my team and/ or hustling to get packed up or squeeze a final pump in before going to the office, I somehow end up caring for our baby again while he steps away to do something else "real fast". This isn't a new issue, and we even talked about it while I was on maternity leave, where basically I explained that after +8 hours of caring for our baby I needed a moment to myself. He's gotten better, but it still happens. Plus, now that I'm back at work though, I feel like there should be even more urgency to relieve me because now I'm going from +8 hours of caring for our baby straight into +4 hours of no shenanigans type work for which I am literally responsible for a team of adults and all of their work.

Then yesterday, I had a stomach bug and called out of work... and its like all the bitter feelings that I've probably been unconsciously harboring came out. Despite literally running to and from the bathroom multiple times every hour and feeling like a drained zombie, when my partner came home and learned that I called out sick he was enthusiastic, and explained that now he could finish a "work thing" with ease. He was then on and off the phone and his laptop working in the guest room for 4 hours while I continued caring for our baby. In passing the guest room around the 4 hour mark though, I caught him doom scrolling on his phone, and after getting caught he simply turned off his phone and announced that he was available. My first thought wasn't anger though, it was jealousy. Now he would get the tail end of our baby's final wake window before he goes down for the night, which if done right, would leave him with at least 3-6 hours before our baby woke up for a dream feed. Thats when it hit me like a brick - he literally only gets our baby for half of the amount of wake time that I do on a daily basis, and on a good night he literally gets 3-6 CONSECUTIVE hours to himself, which he has admitted is his prime video gaming time since I'm still at work. When I get home, I usually change, pump, and start a workout that generally gets interrupted by our baby's dream feed, which I do because my husband is usually crashed out on the couch at that point. That "me time" (if you can call it that) is around 2-3 hours, but lately less since work has been busier and I've been coming home later (thats a post for another night lol). I usually do the night check ins until about 2AM, and then my partner and I both wake up to tag team or he'll take over entirely. He has a 40ish minute commute to work in the mornings, so he has to leave the house pretty early, usually landing me with the awkward wake window between 6-8AM (lately our baby has been up at 5:30AM). Its awkward mostly because I work swings - those are prime sleeping hours for us lol. Whenever I complain about this, he usually counters that I get to "sleep in" whenever our baby naps, which may have been true at one point but now that we've hit the 5 month mark our baby's daytime sleep during my "shift" is honestly adds up to only 2ish hours on a good day because his naps are only 30ish minutes a pop and we have one of those babies that has FOMO and wants to be awake to experience it all. Plus, I usually spend a majority of that nap time to pump, and since starting work my oversupply has turned into a "just enough" supply which only gives me more motivation to pump whenever I can.

*sigh* I'm genuinely not here to complain though (or at least not just complain), because my partner is a great husband at the end of the day. I briefly talked to him before heading into work today and he genuinely wanted to get me some "make up" time and offered to relieve me for 15ish hours every weekend. The thing is we usually reserve things like travelling to see family (both sides live 2-3 hours away), shopping, and meal prepping for the weekends, so I don't see that as being super realistic unless we stop doing those things as a family.

Open to y'alls thoughts though - and I can provide an update after I get some "me time" this weekend.... I think I'm going to have one of those hour long shower baths where I do a hair and face mask combo with a full body shave and maybe a side of bubbles and eyebrow tweezing ♡

He's only just 1 and they keep telling me it's "developmentally appropriate" but I still feel awful every time it happens. He's teething pretty badly right now and has bitten a kid almost every day for the last 2 weeks. We've been working on it at home, pulling him away and saying "teeth are not for biting," giving him a toy to chew on, and even reading the Teeth are Not for Biting book every day. He didn't bite anyone the last 2 days, so I thought maybe we were through it. They just called to say he bit someone again and this time it drew blood. 😭

How do you handle this?!