Oh my. Every time I read these with people who have children I just AMAZED at the coordination, the emotional energy, everything! It’s a lot! Kudos to these two for all they do to take care of themselves and their kids.
RIGHT! I am childfree and their lifestyle is very opposite of mine but the snack bargaining and overall child negotiations were riveting and honestly refreshing! I honestly feel like a great representation of your children growing and becoming autonomous and how to make their own desires of fully realized beings fit into a schedule and routine that is necessary for their wellbeing.
This also confirmed my childfree status because if I had children, my kitchen would become unusable within 6-12 months because the DEDICATION to keeping their kitchen clean is admirable! My kitchen is a disaster 50% of the time and it’s just me!
Wow, this really brought back memories of wrangling our blended household of three daughters, one with special needs, while my husband and I both had full-time jobs. I'd forgotten how much work that was! (Our daughters are now young adults.) Warren and Rebecca are great examples of "let's figure this out." Sometimes it doesn't make sense to mandate full family participation in dinner; sometimes screens are peacemakers we all need; sometimes we don't get work done. Flexibility is so important to the contentment in a family. Keep up the strong work.
Flexibility is everything, I agree. I never described childcare that way but you’re absolutely right! We are two full time working parents with three kids and we plan to the minute as well, though allow for change of plans and spontaneity when we can. Case in point: I cook all the meals while my husband cleans/does laundry, but today I had to lay on the couch for a hot second out of sheer end of the week exhaustion! The smell of garlic bread and meatballs was a wonderful reason to get off the couch! ☺️
This was so good, so relatable! We “only” have 2 kids but my husband and I are on an ongoing journey to develop routines that work for each of them, and it’s no small feat. I appreciate the honesty about giving kids treats, taking time to read with a messy kitchen, and how much time during the workday is spent orchestrating kid things. It’s clear these people are raising great humans!
On a separate note, I too am from Cincinnati and about the same age as you, Lindsey and Rebecca. It’s fun to hear about your high school days and wonder if we ever crossed paths!
I'm speaking as a mother with multiple children on IEPs. If you don't already have one, hiring, a special education advocate made a huge difference in our experience and the services we were able to negotiate for our children.
I TOTALLY agree. We had hired someone during the initial IEP process and we have consulted with her over time. This was a more routine meeting so we didn't need to bring in the expert. But could not agree more - it's very hard to understand the IEP process without having some professional knowledge on how it works and what might be the best educational setting for your kid.
I would also recommend Vanderbilt's volunteer advocacy project to parents with special needs children. It's free aside from a modest materials fee and they will train you in special education advocacy. Everything is virtual and you can do it from anywhere. It was one of the best things I ever did.
Great read. Really appreciate how Warren understands how he needs certain things to take care of his mental health. Even though it’s small, it makes a big difference for him - especially with dealing with a child that needs a lot of support.
Hallelujah! I have two kids and I live in the burbs while working in D.C. It is a grind! The part about not forcing your kid to eat dinner with the family have me so much confidence in my parenting. I do the same thing. I also liberally use sprinkles as a method to encourage oatmeal and other foods. I am also in a marriage where one income/career is prioritized over the other out of financial necessity. And we both constantly clean and yet the house is never clean! lol. I could on. Thank you for your honesty. I think we are all trying to enjoy the ride and focus on all the love we are building throigh the chaos.
Ah, this brought back a memory for me. Specifically, when I would walk up the stairs to my office I would hear a boxing bell and say “ding! round two”, walking down, “ding! Round three!” These two sound awesome, and exhausted.
I loved reading this too, and not just because I am a fellow red line commuter. The mention of Didi Gregorious made me smile as that was an inside joke at my house when my kids were young. (Married to a baseball nerd).There’s a lot of wisdom in this diary. Thank you.
This was a great issue! It is fascinating reading the day-to-day of another mom's life, especially the mundane moments/logistics that go into raising kids.
I am curious how much they pay the babysitter! Thanks for sharing so much insight into your day Rebecca + Warren. I am a mom of two little guys (5 + 2) and I too was exhausted reading this! kids are amazing, kids are a lot.
I related to this Division of Labor so much. We have three kids as well, although older (10, 14, 17), and the constant decision-making/juggling/negotiating/logistics is relentless. Our middle son also requires a very different kind of parenting than our other two so it was refreshing to read about another family in a similar type of situation. He sometimes doesn't eat with us and is always the last to go to bed! It's when he has his "solo time," does his homework, makes himself food, and gets himself organized - as long as he still gets up for school, we've learned that's just what's best for him. But it can be hard to make those decisions and do the self-reflection that allows you to know that while certain parenting choices might be unconventional, they are what's best for your kid.
I loved reading this so much. Just one day of working/parenting like this would have me knocked out with exhaustion for a week. Utterly, endlessly amazed by all the working parents out there.
Sound like amazing an amazing family that works hard to balance a lot! Thanks for sharing! It also sounds like they have a lovely cat who gets lots of attention and food :)
Oh my. Every time I read these with people who have children I just AMAZED at the coordination, the emotional energy, everything! It’s a lot! Kudos to these two for all they do to take care of themselves and their kids.
OMG. As someone without kids, the level of energy that these adults have and everything that they remember to do blows me away.
RIGHT! I am childfree and their lifestyle is very opposite of mine but the snack bargaining and overall child negotiations were riveting and honestly refreshing! I honestly feel like a great representation of your children growing and becoming autonomous and how to make their own desires of fully realized beings fit into a schedule and routine that is necessary for their wellbeing.
This also confirmed my childfree status because if I had children, my kitchen would become unusable within 6-12 months because the DEDICATION to keeping their kitchen clean is admirable! My kitchen is a disaster 50% of the time and it’s just me!
Really I’m like … WHAT??? I do want kids but it’s making me appreciate my lifestyle as it is now.
Wow, this really brought back memories of wrangling our blended household of three daughters, one with special needs, while my husband and I both had full-time jobs. I'd forgotten how much work that was! (Our daughters are now young adults.) Warren and Rebecca are great examples of "let's figure this out." Sometimes it doesn't make sense to mandate full family participation in dinner; sometimes screens are peacemakers we all need; sometimes we don't get work done. Flexibility is so important to the contentment in a family. Keep up the strong work.
Flexibility is everything, I agree. I never described childcare that way but you’re absolutely right! We are two full time working parents with three kids and we plan to the minute as well, though allow for change of plans and spontaneity when we can. Case in point: I cook all the meals while my husband cleans/does laundry, but today I had to lay on the couch for a hot second out of sheer end of the week exhaustion! The smell of garlic bread and meatballs was a wonderful reason to get off the couch! ☺️
This was so good, so relatable! We “only” have 2 kids but my husband and I are on an ongoing journey to develop routines that work for each of them, and it’s no small feat. I appreciate the honesty about giving kids treats, taking time to read with a messy kitchen, and how much time during the workday is spent orchestrating kid things. It’s clear these people are raising great humans!
On a separate note, I too am from Cincinnati and about the same age as you, Lindsey and Rebecca. It’s fun to hear about your high school days and wonder if we ever crossed paths!
Ha, that's so funny, Annie! We probably did!
I'm speaking as a mother with multiple children on IEPs. If you don't already have one, hiring, a special education advocate made a huge difference in our experience and the services we were able to negotiate for our children.
I TOTALLY agree. We had hired someone during the initial IEP process and we have consulted with her over time. This was a more routine meeting so we didn't need to bring in the expert. But could not agree more - it's very hard to understand the IEP process without having some professional knowledge on how it works and what might be the best educational setting for your kid.
I would also recommend Vanderbilt's volunteer advocacy project to parents with special needs children. It's free aside from a modest materials fee and they will train you in special education advocacy. Everything is virtual and you can do it from anywhere. It was one of the best things I ever did.
Great read. Really appreciate how Warren understands how he needs certain things to take care of his mental health. Even though it’s small, it makes a big difference for him - especially with dealing with a child that needs a lot of support.
Thanks, Marc! I agree!
I absolutely loved reading this!
Hallelujah! I have two kids and I live in the burbs while working in D.C. It is a grind! The part about not forcing your kid to eat dinner with the family have me so much confidence in my parenting. I do the same thing. I also liberally use sprinkles as a method to encourage oatmeal and other foods. I am also in a marriage where one income/career is prioritized over the other out of financial necessity. And we both constantly clean and yet the house is never clean! lol. I could on. Thank you for your honesty. I think we are all trying to enjoy the ride and focus on all the love we are building throigh the chaos.
Ah, this brought back a memory for me. Specifically, when I would walk up the stairs to my office I would hear a boxing bell and say “ding! round two”, walking down, “ding! Round three!” These two sound awesome, and exhausted.
Ha, I love that! When I used to work in the office full-time, I would tell people I was going home to my "second job."
I loved reading this too, and not just because I am a fellow red line commuter. The mention of Didi Gregorious made me smile as that was an inside joke at my house when my kids were young. (Married to a baseball nerd).There’s a lot of wisdom in this diary. Thank you.
Ha, love that!
This was a great issue! It is fascinating reading the day-to-day of another mom's life, especially the mundane moments/logistics that go into raising kids.
I am curious how much they pay the babysitter! Thanks for sharing so much insight into your day Rebecca + Warren. I am a mom of two little guys (5 + 2) and I too was exhausted reading this! kids are amazing, kids are a lot.
Thank you so much for sharing this! No easy task to live it everyday… but also to write it down and share here, too!
I related to this Division of Labor so much. We have three kids as well, although older (10, 14, 17), and the constant decision-making/juggling/negotiating/logistics is relentless. Our middle son also requires a very different kind of parenting than our other two so it was refreshing to read about another family in a similar type of situation. He sometimes doesn't eat with us and is always the last to go to bed! It's when he has his "solo time," does his homework, makes himself food, and gets himself organized - as long as he still gets up for school, we've learned that's just what's best for him. But it can be hard to make those decisions and do the self-reflection that allows you to know that while certain parenting choices might be unconventional, they are what's best for your kid.
I loved reading this so much. Just one day of working/parenting like this would have me knocked out with exhaustion for a week. Utterly, endlessly amazed by all the working parents out there.
Sound like amazing an amazing family that works hard to balance a lot! Thanks for sharing! It also sounds like they have a lovely cat who gets lots of attention and food :)
😻😻 she does!!