Washable Workwear Wednesday: Ramie Popover Midi Shirt Dress

You guys, I just cannot do this working mom thing any longer. I am tired of being distracted from work by the fact that all household, child-rearing, and COVID stress is mine alone to bear. I just found out that our school district is making masks optional in defiance of state law, and my husband’s response was “welp, there’s nothing we can do about it, guess we are all getting COVID.” So here I am stewing about it instead of focusing on the one million things I need to get done at work and trying to think of a legal theory for a case against the school district in which I am the plaintiff, how to fund said lawsuit because I am not qualified to represent myself, or how to convince my husband to sell our house and leave this state of uneducated backwards a$$holes for good. I cannot do it anymore. Just let me quit my job and home-school.

Guys, my 7-year-old’s teeny tiny objects du jour are driving me insane. They are all over her room, at all times. Jewelry, erasers, doll shoes, hair accessories, you name it. Everything has a second purpose beyond what they were intended for. Inventive, yes, but the constant clutter is real. Providing little organizational baskets hasn’t done squat to curb this madness. I do not remember having this problem with my older kid (boy), but he also didn’t play with stuff in the same way as my daughter does. Help? Any ideas for getting organized? She considers them all her “treasures,” and I don’t think getting rid of them is the answer. It’s very possible that I need to be more hands-on in helping her pick stuff up, but I get too overwhelmed to deal with it without losing my patience.

Ok, this is basic adulting, but for those of you who *do not have outside help* to clean your house, how often do you actually clean? For example, I change the sheets on the beds maybe once per month, but realistically its more like every 6 weeks. (The internet tells me they could be changed weekly?? what??). I clean the toilets when they get gross, like every 3 weeks. I basically never clean the shower/tubs… until they are gross, like once a year. I am militant about the kitchen and never leave dishes in the sink overnight, wipe down all countertops and table nightly, sweep nightly, and vaccuum weekly and generally try to stay tidy. But am I way off with the sheets?

Hi All. Can folks share their favorite bean recipes with me? All kind of beans are okay, and it can be a main dish or a side. It is unlikely I’d end up using a recipe with a lot of sugar (like most baked beans for example), otherwise no other preferences/needs.

My early elementary kid tried to bite me this week (and bared her teeth another time this morning). This is not a behavior we have ever, ever seen before with this kid, although she is struggling with anger generally and has been getting more physically aggressive again. Kiddo is already starting behavioral therapy. What the heck strategies or consequences does one even do with this???? (While I wait for her next therapist appointment to ask the pros…). She doesn’t have many privileges to lose (which isn’t a natural consequence anyway) and in this case I was so mad I was unable to react in the moment – I needed to cool down so I could make a rational decision. Ended up not giving her the treat her sister was getting. At this age not finding time outs help much – use them to let her find her way back to being safe if she’s out of control generally, but they also ratchet things waaaaay up and in this case we were outside and I couldn’t leave toddler to go drag her to her room. What other strategies exist?????

What athletic sneakers are your elem girls wearing these days? My kiddo is old enough to wear tie shoes but her size (2) is mostly still those velcro straps.

I’m looking for something that isn’t too babyish, trendy, but also sporty and fun. We got my son new balance fuelcores and I guess I want something equally cool (sister loves them but doesn’t want to “match.”) Shoes that tie are fine if they come in her size!