DH's cousin doesn't allow his boys to walk down the girl toy isle in stores. They get in trouble if they do. They were appalled that DS played with a doll house at my Aunt's everytime we visited. He loved it and also carried around a baby and took care of it. People raise boys to be un-nurturing and scold them if they have any affection towards having emotion for dolls and parenting them then wonder why some men grow up to be distant un-emotional asses towards their children and spouses.

My son went through it. I did everything possible to help him with it, both naturally and taking him to dermatologists for every medication and skincare product available. I swore I'd never put him on Accutane because of the scary, dangerous side effects. But that's exactly what we ended up doing because it was the last resort. And it was so painful to see what he was going through emotionally because of the way his face looked. Some days he didn't want to go to school because he was so embarrassed. Once he began taking Accutane his cystic acne cleared up quickly and he has very, very little scarring.

How many men have you ever heard of that say to the woman, we need to work on our relationship?. Never happens. That's the woman's job. So she works on it bigtime and he never gets that he's the one making it unhappy. Then he ends up divorced with kids and you get him next. It will cost you emotionally and ends up costing you financially no matter what you think at the outset.

There's a difference between putting someone you date over your kids or someone you marry over your kids. By the time you marry you should be a united front with a stable relationship dedicated to making all kids involved in the family prosper. Unfortunately most men are so emotionally involved with their kids that they can't love a woman enough to achieve that kind of union with her. They mostly just want someone to clean up, cook, and drive the kids where they want to go.

"Women pretty much always get shafted in marriages. We put in so much more work; with the kids, the house, emotionally." I would continue to stand by my original statement that any relationship that is described this way that isn't a great relationship. Just because it happens more often than it should doesn't mean that is what marriage should be or is. I know of too many healthy, happy marriages to claim that the fault lies with the institution of marriage. If one (or both!) people in the relationship feel like they are putting in most of the work - and that isn't the way they want it to be - then the relationship needs help.

Women pretty much always get shafted in marriages. We put in so much more work; with the kids, the house, emotionally. It's bullshit, it's exhausting, and I wish I could say it's unusual. It's not. There are hundreds of studies that have been done on the subject. When a woman says she doesn't want to get married again, it doesn't mean she's been in a terrible relationship, necessarily. She's probably just tired.

I can't be nice about a President who brags about sexually assaulting women, nor can I be nice about our VP, who is openly anti-lgbtq and all for passing laws that are blatantly anti-women. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Expecting people to keep their emotional responses in check in regards to these buffoons is unrealistic. I'm loving that people are putting their anger into action and fighting this administration. Sure, there's unhelpful bullshit being spewed online, from both sides, but the fights taking place irl to take these sickos down is inspiring. Maybe we need to read more Trump quotes to remind us of why people are so riled up...

DD age 6 has a best friend. Best friend's mother and I had a falling out. There is not a way to mend the bridge, not because I'm not willing, but because the best friend's mother is mentally ill and because she refuses. How do I explain to DD why she won't be seeing best friend again? I realize this sounds really unemotional. I'm not. But I left the emotion out because 1) it's not going to help get an answer and 2) even if I laid out all the ugly details, it won't change best friend's mother's mind. Right now I"m doing the slow fade. It's not that abrupt because best friend's mother has always been flaky, so flaking is unfortunately something DD has come to expect of her. DD doesn't think it's that weird that she hasn't seen best friend in awhile because of the constant flaking. But DD is asking if we can set up a play date. Or ask why they haven't been showing up to a regular event where she would see best friend. Without the adults, DD and best friend won't ever see each other.

I just believe that someone is going to repost to this pretty snarkily so I wanted to chime in. I totally get it. A lot of women in my family have had the weight loss surgery ( a lot being 4 total) and have had that look on their face of being deflated and older looking. I see it in their pictures...maybe on aunt didn't really have that problem in her face but she gained much of the weight back and then suffered from migraines. I also have the fear that I will kind of sag if I lose the weight now...I have 40lbs to lose right now and if I keep being sedentary then I am going to be in trouble. My issue is that I eat when I am bored and emotional and I just do not exercise anymore because I am so depressed. I am splitting from my husband and making a big move in a month so...meh. I am hoping to restart life then.

Having a baby is a very special and intimate event. Just because you are related to a baby doesn't mean you get to impose on said event. I wanted the birth of my child to be only for myself and my DH. Some choose others they are very close with to be there as well but it is up to the mother of the child. She is the one who carried the child and going through a very physical and emotional moment and whatever comforts her is what should be followed no matter who it upsets. If everyone was there who thought they had the right the rooms were be crowded and overwhelming for the mother and baby. This wasn't your moment it was hers. Please respect her and don't guilt her for having an intimate moment the way she wanted to experience it.