We have a cleaning service coming in this morning and we’re still in the midst of potty training I don’t know what to do.

how much is this costing you?

spike, just join in the fun. let 'er rip.

I dunno, my wife set it up.

A thing happened today, and I'd like to get the other parents' take on a question I have:

Dropped 3-year-old daughter off at school. Teacher informs me she needs a bathing suit to run in the sprinklers today. Go home, grab the suit, go back to school.

When I get in the front door, there’s a straight line of sight down the hallway to daughter’s classroom. Door is open and she’s standing right there. She’s thrilled to see me so soon. “Daddyyyyy!” Gives me a big hug and kiss, is excited for her bathing suit.

There’s also a gaggle of unfamiliar adult faces in the room. Turns out one of her classmates is having a birthday and the girl’s aunts and uncles showed up to celebrate in some capacity.

The birthday party adults start filing out the doorway where my daughter is standing, and the 22-year-old-ish uncle says to my daughter “Move it or lose, pipsqueak.” He thinks he’s being funny but obviously is an idiot. I give him a look that could kill and say “Easy killer.” On cue, my daughter starts sobbing uncontrollably -- strangers are scary and she didn't like the energy of how he said what he said. She completely loses her mind for five solid minutes, won’t let me put her down and get across town for a meeting.

I finally bring her outside to cool down, and the uncle is still there, sitting in the car with his family. I knock on the window and inform him he needs to apologize to my daughter. He does; he’s very contrite, compliments her pretty clothing, her hair, says all the things he should be saying to make a 3-year old girl feel better. Off the hook as far as I’m concerned.

Take her back in, she screams bloody murder for another five minutes. I finally have to peel her off me — she’s absolutely losing her mind — and pass her off to her teacher so I can go to this meeting for which I am now late.

Dust settled, I'm fine with most of what happened except for some lingering questions:

Why are non-parents/non-admin hanging out in the classroom without prior warning to the other parents?

In the age of school shootings, what's the protocol for unannounced pop-ins?

Am I being an unreasonable helicopter parent if I raise this question with the admin?

I don’t think you’d be in the wrong for asking. It’s been years since I’ve had my guys in daycare, and if one of the kids had a birthday I can’t recall a bunch of extra family there, not that that’s bad. I do wonder if the daycare should and would notify parents of the other kids ahead of time as that sort thing can be fun and also overwhelming.

Also, fuck that uncle.

I’d inquire, yeah. Sex pests and what not.

Was the uncle attractive?

I think it would be fine to bring it up to the admin.

And while the uncle thought he was being cute and such, at least he did give a sincere apology and I would’ve been satisfied with that as well.

Perhaps she was reacting to your energy/fear which is what upset her.

Trag you could have spared us all the inconsequential part about your daughter crying and just asked our opinion about the school letting rando creep uncles into classrooms whenever they want.

You are right

This is why I will be 2023 RMOTY and you will not.

Yes but the academy will rescind the award when your views on pregnant BIPOCs receiving government subsidies are made public

3 year olds don’t go to public school, so I’m assuming this school is a private business. I imagine rules on adults allowed on the premises are far more lax. My kids went to a house for daycare. I knew the people before we had kids, but the number of adults going in and out was uncountable. You can bring up your concern tho given we live in a country that won’t ban the fucking gun.

I don’t think the uncle was out of line. Probably saw Ace Ventura and tried to quote it to be funny. I wouldn’t have demanded an apology, but you did and it sounds like he readily complied. I’d say he’s probably a decent guy (showing up for a niece’s birthday!) who ran into a kid more sensitive than he’s used to.

Just to clarify, the apology was a teachable moment for my kid, not something I needed to feel better about the world. We’re working on apologies all the time as she’s in the temper tantrum stage now; and I’m generally raising her to be someone who confronts an issue rather than be passive about it.

I don’t think he was out of line at all. As you said, just out of his element. Once he apologized then he became a fellow teacher to my kid so he’s aces now as far as I’m concerned.

Does this have anything to do with Layisha Clairendon?

After ten days, we’ve turned a corner on the potty training. Got her to pee in the toilet before going on some errands yesterday morning, and no accidents while we were away for a couple hours. Then she peed upon our return, before nap time, and had a dry three hour nap.

This morning, she proved she can stink up a bathroom.

congrats.. my kid is still stubborn as a mule with pooping on the pot

he'll even sit there for up to 20 minutes and still nothing.. reminding him all day he will get rewarded with a new toy or ice cream and he gets real excited, but still won't do it.. then later he'll go in his pants