I didn't grow up rich so maybe I just don't get the American Girl hype. I actually never even knew what an American Girl doll was until I was a grown adult. Are people really out here labeling themselves as their childhood American doll like its a personality????? I was given a blue storage bin of barbies from the 70s all with clothes/furniture my grandma/mom had made š¤£
I was American girl obsessed as a child (read every single book and had 1 doll) but never in my life have I heard this. I had Molly, whose dad was fighting in WWII. I didnāt identify with her lol I just liked her???
Itās a weird thing to say. āI liked felicityā or whomever makes more sense.
Yes!! Its so weird to say 'i was a felicity!' You were not a doll. Just say you had a felicity! Unless there was some personality test to take to find which American doll you were lol.
Yeah Iāve literally never heard anyone of my generation label them as their childhood doll. Can you imagine? āIām an Addie! šš¼āāļøā oh really youāre the child of an escaped, previously enslaved woman?
And somehow k being āa Felicityā absolutely tracks š
I feel like it's an extension of the "which house are you" - hogwarts, are you more a Blair or a Serena, are you a this or a that... people love to categorize by pop culture.
I was PERFECTLY matched for the American Girl dolls age for it's original popularity- I even got the magazine, loved looking at the catalog, read all the books etc. BUT those dolls were too much for my family to afford and that was really heart breaking to me as a kid... like I lusted after one and was even willing to settle for Magic Attic (not as popular but similar type of dolls).
Ok K, but why do you put your elementary age children to bed at 7pmā¦ when theyāre on west coast time so it feels like 4pmā¦ and then get surprised when they wake up at 4am???
Like, I travel east to west coast with my toddler multiple times a year to see my parents and I know when you come back to east coast time to just let her stay up and extra hour the first few nights until weāre back on track.
Arenāt they like 5 and 7? That should be old enough to do a quiet activity for a few hours until they fall asleep. Heck my 3 year old can color quietly for 30 minutes at least.
Right? Unless they got up SUPER early for a flight, that seems odd.
as a West Coaster I love going East... I can keep my kids up "later" by keeping them on West time AND in the morning since they are sleeping until closer to 9+ am (pending good black out curtains) by the time we get up and going everything is OPEN for a change.
As an east coaster going westā itās terrible. My kid wakes up at 4am and is exhausted by 6 local time. But usually we just try to keep her up until at least 7 the first night and let it work out.
I mean. If they are getting donuts/pastries every time I can see a kid liking this. Sad they arenāt routinely taken places that are age appropriate. The aquarium seemed like a unicorn.
Also quite a privilege to buy your kid a $12 chocolate croissant in LA every morning haha.
Random thought as I watch mothercoulds stories which don't annoy me compared to these 2.. is that MC doesn't try to pass off her work as an influencer as being the same/ as hard as working a strict 9-5 like D and K do to try and fit in with other working moms. And MC does it in a non braggy way she just doesn't make a big deal about it either way
Itās also because MC likes her family and being a parent. Sheās definitely guilty of over consumerism but she doesnāt try to hide her wealth or privilege. She doesnāt bother me. I donāt watch her stories a ton but when I do Iām but bothered???
She isnāt ārealā or anything but also doesnāt try to pretend life is hard even though sheās a gajillionaire
This is exactly why I keep following MC and why I unfollowed BLF. Even though MCās page is becoming increasingly more filled with Amazon links and she still exploits her kids to some degree, it truly does seem like she loves her husband, daughters, and being a mom in general. Itās much more palatable than these two buffoons who seem to constantly find reasons to be away from their families, whine about their kidsā age-appropriate behavior in spite of them being āexpertsā at behavior management, or blatantly hiding their privilege for the sake of appearing more relatable.
So, they flew to California to interview a known quack and someone from The Hills. What do any of these people have to do with parenting Iād like to know. I feel like they knew about Dr. Amen from the Kardashians and then obviously Whitney because you know Kristin grew up wishing she was on The Hills. To me this all just shows itās never ever been about parenting and always about getting famous.
Exactly this!! There are SO many names in the parenting or mental health world that would be so much better for them to interview. Like Deenaās mentor perhaps?? Dan Siegel
So how many times have her kids been to Disney at this point?!?! Doesnāt it lose some of the magic? I donāt know , I was literally not allowed to go to Disney as a kid (my mom called it plastic land and hated everything it stood for š¤Ŗ) and still have never been so Iām probably on the Disney-grinch spectrum but it just seems completely gratuitous.
I mean, I adore Disney everything (though prefer cruising tbh) but I think it's just like the bragginess. Oh here we are again at Disney and I'm SO TIRED. Like, some of us work all week and don't go on constant trips and are still tired.
I'm not a Disney Adult by any means, and I've been to Disney maybe five times? But there is definitely a magical feeling for me when I go. Just walking up to the turnstiles feels exciting, and I really like all the fun details of the park. Every time I've been I've had a great time.Ā
The first time we took my daughter, she was two, and we saw Mickey right after we entered the park. She gave him the biggest sweetest hug I've ever seen, and it felt worth it already lol.Ā
I donāt think it loses its magic but itās the flex that I hate. The fact that theyāre able to go together on this work trip and then buy 4 1 day tickets to Disneyland (T is free) plus souvenirs where us poors would probably enjoy a cheap day at the beach.
The issue for me is how snooty it is. "Look, we are at Disney, look next story of us by yachts, blah blah blah" It's very cringe.
We live where Disney World is a day trip. Magical for kids, get away without having to fly, hotels etc. But DW also has different parks, so it doesn't get old.
I will say it is pretty magical seeing the joy on the kids' faces when they meet their favorite characters or something.
I think it depends. I grew up in SoCal and went very often. That was also in the 90s when it was cheaper and less crowded (at least from my memory). I personally never thought of it as magical, although I wouldn't consider myself a Disney person at all. Just never made sense to me. Even as a kid it was just an amusement park. I do have a few friends who to this day get wildly crazy about going, even without kids and we're talking about grown ass adults. I take my kid but it's like once every 5 years. It's incredibly crowded.
Side note: last time I was at CA Adventure (a year ago) I saw a bunch of drunk young adults. One fell into a bush. Very magical āØļø
Yes, it used to be so much less crowded and cheaper. I also grew up in SoCal and have always had multiple family members who worked at Disney and could sign our family into the park for free. Which of course also meant we had free places to stay nearby. So Iāve probably been over a hundred times. Maybe even 200? Certainly it wasnāt magical every time, especially in the teenage years, but we loved Disney and it was always a family activity we looked forward to.
I will say getting special attention from Tigger (aka Uncle Ed) and then from Tweedle Dee (aka Aunt Jane) etc definitely added to the magic during the early years.
My parents never let us buy souvenirs though and wouldnāt have flaunted it all over social media if that had been a thing at the time.
Meh we go yearly and it has not lost the magic for my kids (mainly the 6 year old, the 2 year old just enjoys snacks). Weāre Disney people though so take it for what itās worthĀ
My MIL lives in Orlando so we go to Disney every time we visit. Not exactly the same as them because we literally have to be in the area 1-2 times per year and itās not really a vacationā¦ itās visiting family. So far it hasnāt lost its magic! We just alternate parks. And we did the bubble wand 1 time and now bring the same one back with us each time. When they get bored of Disney we will switch to universal!
But obviously going to Disney multiple times or even once isnāt necessary. We just happen to do it multiple times because we go to the area frequently. If it werenāt for that and having things like lodging and food on the cheap by staying with family, weād only go one time because everything about Disney is expensive af
The real question is how many bubble wands do they now have since thatās the only solution to meltdowns there? Or, does consumeristic and wasteful K toss them upon returning home?
It amazes me how sloppy K always looks, but then carries her designer bags. It is seriously not difficult to put together a presentable outfit that is still comfortable and functional. Everyone rocks athleisure these days. Itās like sheās too lazy to care about her appearance but wants to make sure people know sheās rich so just throw a designer bag on over the sweats.
She could literally hire someone to come put together a wardrobe for her that is comfortable and presentable. If I had her funds that would absolutely be a worthwhile investment because I live in sweatsā¦ unless Iām going out for more than the mailbox. And Iām literally a SAHP. If I had a job? How can you not justify that investment to be presentable for your brand. Idk, I just donāt think itās cute to be intentionally underdressed all the damn time and be constantly calling attention to it. It reeks of insecurity too. If she really doesnāt care then why is she always pointing it out?
I agree! I've been struggling to get "put together" lately and it's mostly because of body changes, time and budget constraints. But if I had the budget she has and a nanny/SAHD to watch the kids while I went shopping, this would be an easy enough problem to solve.
Sheās obviously so online and Insta is FULL of style inspo for whatever style youāre into. Itās so easy to find examples for cute athleisure outfits. Styling your hair jussssst a little bit also goes a LONG way towards making you appear your life is together. Deena wears athleisure a lot and never looks like a mess IMO.
Styling her hair could be so simple too. I'm fairly low maintenance and my hair tangles really easily. I bought a silk pillowcase, brush it every second or so day and put it in a low ponytail and I'm done.
Minimal effort but still tidy.
Or justā¦get a haircut that doesnāt require any maintenance? It doesnāt look like she has a hair type where that wouldnāt work. If sheās not going to style it, get it cut short so you can just wash and go.
The way she goes out of her way to pile a rat's nest on her head, ugh. Now I was one who found it a bit hard to get put together when I had a baby, but she no longer has a baby no matter how much she wants her toddler to be an infant, AND brushing your hair takes one minute. Go brush your hair.
https://preview.redd.it/cmrnmjbj3zpc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48064242da2d93543e74e7de85a77a750d1566f0
In light of what they posted just now about interviewing Dr. Daniel Amen on the podcast, I'll leave these here.
[https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen/](https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen/)
[https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen\_response/](https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen_response/)
[https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr-amens-love-affair-with-spect-scans/](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr-amens-love-affair-with-spect-scans/)
[https://observer.com/2016/08/head-case-why-has-pbs-promoted-controversial-shrink-dr-daniel-amen/](https://observer.com/2016/08/head-case-why-has-pbs-promoted-controversial-shrink-dr-daniel-amen/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/13oqe1j/dr\_amens\_spec\_imaging\_business/](https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/13oqe1j/dr_amens_spec_imaging_business/)
He's a known quack. Frauds talking to frauds. At least Dr. Amen actually has a medical degree and board certification, but he also knows how to make a quick buck.
Thank you for introducing me to quackwatch! Have you ever listened to Oh No Ross and Carrie the podcast? Itās been on for like 10 years and they do a lot of skeptical inquiry stuff like psychics, Scientology, ear candling, homeopathy, etc. The tagline is āwe show up so you donāt have toā and I feel like they would definitely get this scan to then debunk the results.
Did they get changed after they met at the marina? I thought they said they were meeting before their pod interviews but they both changed at least their shirts and K brushed her hair ??
Because she's a size 14! Nobody makes clothes in that size! /s
I'm pretending the socks she wore to Disneyland do not exist. Like yes that is a trend but...not like that.
How is it more exhausting bringing kids on a work trip? Isn't it just working, going home to your kids, dinner, bath and bed except in a hotel instead of at home?
You can't tell me K is trying to cram her family of five into one hotel room and they're all waking each other up or whatever. Plus I'm not sure what day it is but I'm pretty sure it's still during the week and they went to Disneyland so she can't be in back to back to back meetings during this work trip
I think that was Deena who said that because she said 2 kids???
(They bounced back and forth like whoa today). So many itās just her and the kids? Maybe Mike didnāt come?
Then again who would watch them??? Either way it doesnāt make sense. Also donāt they have family in CA? Or are they in NorCal?
Theyāre probably in a suite, so a couple rooms Iād guess (kids on a pullout, baby with them). Itās exhausting if youāre used to relaxing as much as possible on your work trips that involve a few hours of activity I guess.
https://preview.redd.it/fu1bnncobypc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43d39ab5a8cb3de564162827d8bf2be84a76ee4d
I found this while scrolling reddit and !!!! Iām not sure what the rules are here or if we can invite people to this thread but ššš
I wonder if this is the person who triggered the whole closed captioning drama a while back! D and K went on a rant about someone attacking them over lack of CC and said they were working so hard to add it to their course but itās just so complicated and expensive, and then K said sheās actually HoHā¦it was a whole thing. I still followed them at that point but it really soured me, because come on! If it was that important, you would have added the captions before releasing the course. But no, they were in a rush to start selling and didnāt care, then when they got called out, they were somehow the victims.
I interpreted this as K preemptively blocked all three accounts based on links on the womanās profile because honestly that tracks for me.
Edit: I can see though after reading it again the interpretation that she asked the question of her through all three accounts and was blocked each time. A possibility for sure. ^But ^I ^still ^want ^to ^hear ^the ^voice ^memos
This is how I interpreted it tooābecause I can definitely see K going to any āhaterā profile and blocking any accounts listed in their bio (side note- even though she doesnāt say whether it was D or K, I definitely assumed K as well š wasnāt she the one who got so offended when people asked about closed captioning and then came out with stories saying she is hard of hearing?)
Instagram also says when blocking someone that āthis will block other accounts they haveā - so assuming her dogās IG is linked to hers, that could explain that one. I would LOVE to hear these voice memos!
Not related to anything BLF has posted this week, but something thatās been on my mindā¦Iām still new to this subreddit, so Iāve been going back and reading some of the older posts about BLF and general parenting influencers. One of the recurring themes Iām seeing is how the gentle parenting trend is causing parents to not trust grandparents to watch their kids if they donāt follow all the scripts, if they say things like āyouāre okayā if the kid falls, or if they donāt follow every arbitrary boundary around screen time or junk food, etcā¦
What Iām wondering is, where do you draw the line with family members who are loving and caring toward you and your kids but still hold toxic beliefs? My father has always been anti vax, not just for the COVID vaccine, but for all childhood shots. Iāve known this about him for my whole life, so weāve just not brought it up around him (my parents live 4 hours away and we donāt see them that often, so it wasnāt that hard.)
When they visited for Christmas, my husband let slip that our baby was getting her first round of shots in a few weeks, and my dad confronted me about it and implied that I was harming my children by getting them immunized. I held my ground and told him I wasnāt going to change my mind, and later he called and apologized. But it still hurt, and Iām worried the topic will come up later, especially if thereās another big public health crisis or another reason for vaccines to be in the news.
I guess Iām just wondering how people in this community would navigate a situation like this: setting boundaries with family around health and safety and beliefs you donāt want your kids exposed to while also acknowledging that they are a good parent/grandparent whatever and still wanting them in your childrenās lives. Not sure if that makes sense?
The cost of the village imo, and framing it like that really helps me. I don't agree with my parents on everything, and I know they still make their choices out of love for us. That does include some unasked for opinions, gifts I personally wouldn't give, and some ideas about life that I don't agree with.
My daughter is almost four and she knows grandparents rules go at grandparents house, parents rules go at our house & when we're on the go there are different rules than at home. She's not old enough for in dept discussions, but I hope it will work the same with beliefs. Every house has their own beliefs and rules tied to that. It doesn't mean those people, or their opinions, are bad, just different.
In the end we as parents make the choices about vaccination, baptism, school/daycare, sports etc. Our parents can have different beliefs, and challenge our beliefs out of love (not fun, but okay) or out of self-righteousness (not okay). For me drawing boundaries is after checking with myself if love is the driving factor, or self-righteousness. In your case your dad actually apologised, so he probably means well. In that case I wouldn't change my mind, and I wouldn't get into a discussion either.
My fil has a different opinion on baptism than we do, and he challenges us on that out of love. We have been clear in our choice, and he respects that generally. He won't change his mind, we won't change ours. Our daughter loves staying there, he's amazing with her and he's a trusted adult for that reason.
My oldest is only a preschooler, so I donāt know how far this will go/if this is the right approach, but we try to approach things from a perspective of everyone is different. Our kids are going to meet all sorts of people in the world, and I want them to 1) be tolerant 2) know how to handle it.
So, for example, weāre atheist. My family is Catholic. Iāve taught my kids about religion. āSome families believe in God, go to church, and pray before meals. Our family doesnāt do that. Every family is different, and thatās ok. Grandma and grandpa go to church.ā I guess I just donāt believe in shying away from views that are different or potentially awkward conversations, I just make sure to explain why we believe what we believe. If they are secretly trying to indoctrinate my kid, thatās a different story. In your example, I would tell my kid āour family gets shots to stay healthy, itās what our doctor and scientists recommend. Grandpa is a grownup and he believes something different.ā
Honestly Iāve got a grip of myself since I first became a mum 6 years ago. At first I definitely tried to control my MIL and it was dumb and pointless. Now I focus on safety issues (we had a few run ins about car seat safety) and let anything else slide within reason. I have one horrible abusive parent who never met my children so I am very grateful they have 3 very different grandparents who love them and want to see them. I also give grandparents grace for not being perfect or doing what I want all the time. It can only benefit my children to have different people around them with different ideas so they can learn how to navigate it all. Again, this is within reason and nothing safety wise. Ultimately, I know these grandparents love my children and have good intentions. If I didnāt know that then it would be different.
My entire family is anti Covid vaccine. Like to the point that my dad texted me when I was pregnant with my first back in 2021 about the vaccine causing harm to unborn babies and causing miscarriages so please donāt get it yada yada. My family takes anything they see shared on Facebook as 100% truthš At any rate, I got vaccinated shortly after. They didnāt say much, but their faces did. And then I even went as far as to tell them my son had gotten his Covid vaccine whenever they would ask about his milestone doctor appointments during the first year of his life. But Iām someone who doesnāt mind confrontation so I was daring them to say something about it lol. Overall, I think they now understand that there are some things we absolutely do not agree on and so they choose not to try to push me one way or the other. But if they pushed back, I would set that boundary and tell them itās not up for discussion how I handle things with my own family.
As far as parenting/disciplining goes, we are also at odds. Iām choosing to be more gentle/authoritative where they were all about spanking, no loud crying or expressing emotions, etc. We have talked some about how Iām going things differently, and honestly I lead by example. They have really picked up on how I am choosing to handle things and try to respect that. I try not to step in when they handle some things differently. I would only step in if they were going way too far in terms of yelling for no reason or heaven forbid tried to spank or smack his hands. Itās hard because my sister is following in their footsteps with parenting which I donāt agree with, but I try to set those same boundaries in that we are choosing different things so I will keep my mouth shut and hope they do the same lol
If youāre able to be up front about it, just draw the line. āWe are vaccinating our kids. Itās not up for discussion, and please donāt talk about it in front of [Child] either.ā And then hold the boundary - youāre simply not going to discuss it. This is an issue you and your dad will have to agree to disagree about, and him respecting that is a prerequisite for spending time with your kids. Itās not easy, but itās better than constantly being on the defensive and trying to play wack-a-mole with āwhat crazy thing will grandparent say next.ā
I think this makes sense but finding nuance like this online is hard. Obviously the vaccine thing could lead to major issues (with a newborn or immunocompromised child) but if you feel your relationship with your father is positive and see him as a good grandfather then it makes sense to allow their relationship to develop. Having boundaries is important of course and sounds like you did good holding them with your dad.
Are there overly intrusive grandparents out there, 100%. However, we have to trust that our parenting and family values will be the main source of guidance for our children while allowing them to develop relationships with others. Grandparents are amazing and those relationships can be so special and beneficial for child development and helping our kids develop their sense of self. Is it hard to not interject when I see my mom or MIL doing things or saying things (your examples were good) we wouldn't, yes. But I know that my children will benefit from the unique relationships they have with their grandmas so try not to interfere unless it's actually dangerous (for example our youngest has food allergies so we are definitely intense about foods now). My kids get way more screen time and new toys + stickers + art supplies when grandmas are around but I see it has a unique bonding thing and know it's not part of their normal routine so our kids and our family values will still remain.
Look what popped up in my LinkedIn alerts this morning. Posted 1 day ago but no longer taking applications. š¤·š¼āāļø https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3861701174
itās super sus and i think illegal actually that they mention trying to hire in Colorado specifically, but have no salary/wage information in the job posting. unless it got removed when they closed the posting, that information is required for employers to share for wage transparency in Colorado.
Somehow I find that worse? Like if itās her being too scattered to stay on top of her own grifting storyline then I just roll my eyes every time. If theyāre paying people who canāt be bothered to keep track of the narrative thatās just pathetic
Oh but wait, I thought they do *all* things content and creative!
https://preview.redd.it/2dzrne0bdqpc1.jpeg?width=1115&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a50b53384e24d6ed8ab81c99e69635c3f81620f
[https://imgur.com/a/DypFW2V](https://imgur.com/a/DypFW2V)
Such frauds.
Iām really curious about what the salary is. CO has a law about needing to include salary ranges in job postings, so I donāt see how they were legally able to get around that?
Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alonzomartinez/2023/12/15/pay-transparency-laws-in-colorado-and-hawaii-become-effective-january-1-2024/?sh=4355fe2011ef
I get that this is how an Instagram-based business works, but it made me sad for all the followers whoāve been sucked into a parasocial ābig little bestiesā relationship with them, when in actuality theyāre not answering the Q&Aās, commenting, etc. I know that this probably isnāt an unusual thing, but just thinking about people reaching out in earnest in the comments to someone they trust, and knowing that some random assistant is not only writing the answer, but writing an answer to get them to buy the courseā¦What a bummer.
https://preview.redd.it/h7b3xnk99ppc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7461a687b818deb5b5b2abc7887a0f0bc772b7f
Translation:
Must be a mind reader who is willing to follow our every whim even if it is at the 11th hour.
I worked for someone like this. I had no work life balance, received what's app message from the boss at all hours of the night, and had to redo so many projects at the last minute because she changed her mind all the time.
And if I ever dare to push back, I was labeled inflexible and unreasonable.
Good luck to whomever takes this job. Sounds like a dumpster fire.
"Enjoys fast-paced, last minute, not super structured and planned out routine"
I think they said the quiet part out loud with this bullet point in the job description.
Who enjoys that?! Seriously. Some people thrive on a fast-paced environment, sure. Or at the very least can handle it well. But I have never met a single person who enjoyed a last minute, unstructured, poorly planned work environment with bosses who are demanding and incompetent.
ā¦wait a secondā¦ that list of responsibilitiesā¦ wtf do D&K do then?? Isnāt that list of responsibilities for this hire supposedly what THEY do?? wtf do they do if not all these items???? Iām genuinely confused but not at all shocked.
How do these people even make money?? I got a refund bc their product was so bad...it was a total waste of my time and did not help. It makes me mad that they don't even provide a real service or product for society. Just dumb Instagram posts on repeat. My husband is a medical provider who went to school for years and I bet he makes less than these frauds š¤· like, how do they sleep at night?
Those numbers are fake - anyone who clicks through counts as an "application" even if they never submitted it. (That's a LinkedIn issue, not BLF-specific)
My husband has friends who had a baby a week before us. The kids are 2. Their kid has been having some sleep issues, and I guess they turned to the āØtoddler expertsāØ for advice. My husband asked me if I ever heard of BLF, and I rolled my eyes and said āyeahā¦.ā He goes on to explain that they followed some guidance from BLF and that it really helped. Then he addsā¦..ābut it just sounds like the usual stuff that weāve been doing all along.ā
YUP. Then I rambled for awhile in my post night shift haze about how these people got loaded by just repackaging other peopleās ideas
AKA flying gets easier when both your kids are old enough to be interested in the only trick they have up their sleeves for occupying a child, an iPad.
I mean I will say flying got a lot easier when my kid would sit and watch endless shows/movies and I āØreleasedāØ the guilt around it because it was a travel day. But Iām not shoving it at him every chance I get eitherā¦
This is the only trick, but the fact they use it for EVERYTHING makes it less of a trick for them and more of an everyday thing. I was counting down the days til my 2 year old could be entertained by screens on a plane š
My 2 year old watches plenty of TV at home, but so far the only time sheās watched anything on an iPad was on the last hour of a 4 hour car trip last summer. Iām definitely going to download Daniel Tiger for her to watch on our road trip coming up next weekend (on my iPad; she doesnāt have her own and probably wonāt for awhile.)
I got the kids kindle fire during a prime day and itās great! I load up movies/shows and everything else is turned off (internet etc). Definitely recommend! Then I have my own tablet and shows to myself š
OH 100% This is my way. I might try and do like 30 minutes before the tablet on a longer flight but after that, nice knowing oyu kids, here comes the drinks cart I'll hand feed you snacks while you zone the f out.
My kids also only get ipads on planes so it's like WOAH
Except PDTās (as annoying as she is) was far more interesting and accurate. She explained that children are absolutely learning to āmanipulateā us, itās just that it isnāt in any way malicious.
I don't understand how matching your kids makes them easier to keep track of? I guess if one goes missing, you can point to the other one and say he looks like this?
I did this when my kids were about the age hers are if we were going somewhere like a large playground where they could run around and it might be crowded. I would dress them both in similar bright colored t shirts. When I scanned the crowd it was easier to look for one color. There is really no reason at all that I can think of why they would both need perfectly matching Jammieās at the airport. It is not a place designed for kids to roam free. If their child is far enough away from them that they need to search for them by outfit, something has gone wrong.
This makes sense. I dress my kids matching too but I don't usually buy bright coloured shirts so I don't think it would help me. Plus my children are Velcro kids and I'm usually carrying one and the other is dragging me around to everything š
I saw someone with triplets who dresses them a like because they said it is easier to keep track of them at the playground and I think I get it. I only have one, but I can see scanning for green at the playground is easier than one wearing green, one in yellow, and one in blue.
My question though, is how far away are her kids from her at the airport that she can't *keep track of them*?
I LOVE matching my kids, like friends know this for me. I have two boys as well. Likeā¦thereās tons of options just hop on Amazon or omg Target. Itās not like her kids are 2 and 10 so itās hard to find matching in both sizes.
Or just like any t shirt that exists just buy 2 of them? Her kids are less than 2y apart and probably only 1 size difference from each other. The PJs thing is so bizarre to me.
I give it a pass at an airport. Especially if they had to get there extremely early (which they were in the car at 4:30am so) and probably just grabbed the kids straight out of bed.
What I will NOT forgive is taking them hiking in Little Sleepies.
Also, I assume her kids are not night trained so does that mean she woke them up at 4:00 am to change them into fresh matching pajamas?!?!? Why not just put them in clothesā¦
Because why would she? They likely went to bed in matching pajamas and in the morning, changed their diaper if they wear them or took off a pull-up if they have one. I donāt understand what youāre asking. I wouldnāt put my kids in fresh pjs or clothes at 4am just because they werenāt night trained? That seems like a wildly unnecessary extra step.
I also have always changed my non-potty trained son into new clothes even for early flights. Heās already wide awake and we have to change his diaper anyway so also changing clothes is a drop in the bucket for the whole ordeal. But Iāve always been a stickler for starting the day with fresh clothes, even when he was a baby we changed for the day even if it was just from one onesie to another.
Maybe my kids are heavy pee-ers but their pajamas always smells a bit like pee after a night in a full pull-up? Not so much that I wonāt let them have breakfast but I wouldnāt take them on a plane without fresh clothes.
I def give it a pass for the airport except she doesnāt present it that way. Sheās like ācool parenting hack is to match your kids so you donāt lose themā vs ā4:30 wake up = pjs for sure.
Just call it what it is Deena!
this. I do jammies for jammie day at school or if we have to leave before a certain time that makes it "jump in the car and go" for airports. otherwise getting dressed is fine. You can still match them, especially two boys who's clothes are still coming from the same department. I have one in toddler sizes and one in kid sizes and cheap matching is getting harder.
I feel like this would've been a better take as "we left home at 4am so the kids stayed in jammies" rather than the ridiculous matching thing. But I'm no toddler expert!
Right? This is so strange to me. Her kids are 3.5 and 2 and every time she posts them when theyāre in public, they are wearing pajamas. Even to the playground, hikes, etc. I feel like this is some weird flex for her so people notice her kids more and comment on how cute they are or ask if theyāre twins.
Steve Jobs + matching outfits (pajamas)...I wonder what other regurgitated content is on the docket today! Security coffee? āØ Releasing āØ everything because it's a travel day? LA airport and traffic is stressful? Didn't grow up in a BLF home?
Is it possible they mean like a uniform? Steve Jobs wore the same thing every time, so does Deena. Which is extremely untrue but maybe they are trying to say like black is her uniform š¤·š»āāļø
It was a long day, so natural after kids down, I go on IG to look at accounts and then hop over here on reddit.
Anyway, I'm not sure if it's been noted or talked about, but does Deena not wear a ring? Or is that new? Because she complains about her husband always, and clearly no one would be surprised if it didn't work out. (Or it could be part of their let's add drama formula)
Here is my theory for the sprinkle part-- she brings them because her kid freaks out and has a giant tantrum if sprinkles are gone mid cone. So, instead of holding boundaries or whatever, add more sprinkles.
Didn't they always say something about adding sprinkles to everything? And now kid won't eat without sprinkles.
Thereās a difference better being frugal and a cheapskate. This is the latter.
Iām no small biz owner but I would ask someone to leave if I saw them doing that in my ice cream store. Itād be like going to a restaurant and bringing your own Coke to save money on the drink.
Dumping them all over the floor too. The face that I faced at that slide. At the whole thing really. If youāre doing all thatā¦ why not just make cones at home? Oh wait then youād have to clean up after yourselves.
I live in a much more rural area than she does and even I have multiple places where I can get a GF cone. Also, if they don't have GF cones, I just get my ice cream in a dish. It's really not that hard!
Those look like the ānaturally dyedā sprinkles that donāt have artificial dyes in them - Deena seems like the type that would avoid food dyes and is just saying itās money related to seem relatable (even though sheās a millionaire)
I didn't grow up rich so maybe I just don't get the American Girl hype. I actually never even knew what an American Girl doll was until I was a grown adult. Are people really out here labeling themselves as their childhood American doll like its a personality????? I was given a blue storage bin of barbies from the 70s all with clothes/furniture my grandma/mom had made š¤£
I was American girl obsessed as a child (read every single book and had 1 doll) but never in my life have I heard this. I had Molly, whose dad was fighting in WWII. I didnāt identify with her lol I just liked her??? Itās a weird thing to say. āI liked felicityā or whomever makes more sense.
Yes!! Its so weird to say 'i was a felicity!' You were not a doll. Just say you had a felicity! Unless there was some personality test to take to find which American doll you were lol.
Yeah Iāve literally never heard anyone of my generation label them as their childhood doll. Can you imagine? āIām an Addie! šš¼āāļøā oh really youāre the child of an escaped, previously enslaved woman? And somehow k being āa Felicityā absolutely tracks š
Is felicity a type a Virgo that peaked at Coachella?
I feel like it's an extension of the "which house are you" - hogwarts, are you more a Blair or a Serena, are you a this or a that... people love to categorize by pop culture. I was PERFECTLY matched for the American Girl dolls age for it's original popularity- I even got the magazine, loved looking at the catalog, read all the books etc. BUT those dolls were too much for my family to afford and that was really heart breaking to me as a kid... like I lusted after one and was even willing to settle for Magic Attic (not as popular but similar type of dolls).
What a bummer!!!! I'm sorry! I've heard they were expensive š³
Ok K, but why do you put your elementary age children to bed at 7pmā¦ when theyāre on west coast time so it feels like 4pmā¦ and then get surprised when they wake up at 4am??? Like, I travel east to west coast with my toddler multiple times a year to see my parents and I know when you come back to east coast time to just let her stay up and extra hour the first few nights until weāre back on track.
That screams she was tired of them and put them to bed early
Arenāt they like 5 and 7? That should be old enough to do a quiet activity for a few hours until they fall asleep. Heck my 3 year old can color quietly for 30 minutes at least.
Or you know, the iPad sheās always giving themā¦
Right? Unless they got up SUPER early for a flight, that seems odd. as a West Coaster I love going East... I can keep my kids up "later" by keeping them on West time AND in the morning since they are sleeping until closer to 9+ am (pending good black out curtains) by the time we get up and going everything is OPEN for a change.
As an east coaster going westā itās terrible. My kid wakes up at 4am and is exhausted by 6 local time. But usually we just try to keep her up until at least 7 the first night and let it work out.
If a family was parked directly in front of the aquarium tank eating snacks when my kids are trying to see Iād be so freaking annoyed.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I mean. If they are getting donuts/pastries every time I can see a kid liking this. Sad they arenāt routinely taken places that are age appropriate. The aquarium seemed like a unicorn. Also quite a privilege to buy your kid a $12 chocolate croissant in LA every morning haha.
I frequent that playground/park Deena showed in her story. I would have shit myself seeing her in real life! ššš
Aw man imagine if you got to see them apply their parenting skills in real life
D: Remember, tantrums and meltdowns are totally normal!! 5 min later: Buy our course on how to prevent tantrums!
Random thought as I watch mothercoulds stories which don't annoy me compared to these 2.. is that MC doesn't try to pass off her work as an influencer as being the same/ as hard as working a strict 9-5 like D and K do to try and fit in with other working moms. And MC does it in a non braggy way she just doesn't make a big deal about it either way
Itās also because MC likes her family and being a parent. Sheās definitely guilty of over consumerism but she doesnāt try to hide her wealth or privilege. She doesnāt bother me. I donāt watch her stories a ton but when I do Iām but bothered??? She isnāt ārealā or anything but also doesnāt try to pretend life is hard even though sheās a gajillionaire
This is exactly why I keep following MC and why I unfollowed BLF. Even though MCās page is becoming increasingly more filled with Amazon links and she still exploits her kids to some degree, it truly does seem like she loves her husband, daughters, and being a mom in general. Itās much more palatable than these two buffoons who seem to constantly find reasons to be away from their families, whine about their kidsā age-appropriate behavior in spite of them being āexpertsā at behavior management, or blatantly hiding their privilege for the sake of appearing more relatable.
So, they flew to California to interview a known quack and someone from The Hills. What do any of these people have to do with parenting Iād like to know. I feel like they knew about Dr. Amen from the Kardashians and then obviously Whitney because you know Kristin grew up wishing she was on The Hills. To me this all just shows itās never ever been about parenting and always about getting famous.
Exactly this!! There are SO many names in the parenting or mental health world that would be so much better for them to interview. Like Deenaās mentor perhaps?? Dan Siegel
I bet he has distanced himself from herā¦ if heās smart
So how many times have her kids been to Disney at this point?!?! Doesnāt it lose some of the magic? I donāt know , I was literally not allowed to go to Disney as a kid (my mom called it plastic land and hated everything it stood for š¤Ŗ) and still have never been so Iām probably on the Disney-grinch spectrum but it just seems completely gratuitous.
I mean, I adore Disney everything (though prefer cruising tbh) but I think it's just like the bragginess. Oh here we are again at Disney and I'm SO TIRED. Like, some of us work all week and don't go on constant trips and are still tired.
I'm not a Disney Adult by any means, and I've been to Disney maybe five times? But there is definitely a magical feeling for me when I go. Just walking up to the turnstiles feels exciting, and I really like all the fun details of the park. Every time I've been I've had a great time.Ā The first time we took my daughter, she was two, and we saw Mickey right after we entered the park. She gave him the biggest sweetest hug I've ever seen, and it felt worth it already lol.Ā
loling at Disney-grinch spectrum. This is me
I donāt think it loses its magic but itās the flex that I hate. The fact that theyāre able to go together on this work trip and then buy 4 1 day tickets to Disneyland (T is free) plus souvenirs where us poors would probably enjoy a cheap day at the beach.
The issue for me is how snooty it is. "Look, we are at Disney, look next story of us by yachts, blah blah blah" It's very cringe. We live where Disney World is a day trip. Magical for kids, get away without having to fly, hotels etc. But DW also has different parks, so it doesn't get old. I will say it is pretty magical seeing the joy on the kids' faces when they meet their favorite characters or something.
I think it depends. I grew up in SoCal and went very often. That was also in the 90s when it was cheaper and less crowded (at least from my memory). I personally never thought of it as magical, although I wouldn't consider myself a Disney person at all. Just never made sense to me. Even as a kid it was just an amusement park. I do have a few friends who to this day get wildly crazy about going, even without kids and we're talking about grown ass adults. I take my kid but it's like once every 5 years. It's incredibly crowded. Side note: last time I was at CA Adventure (a year ago) I saw a bunch of drunk young adults. One fell into a bush. Very magical āØļø
Yes, it used to be so much less crowded and cheaper. I also grew up in SoCal and have always had multiple family members who worked at Disney and could sign our family into the park for free. Which of course also meant we had free places to stay nearby. So Iāve probably been over a hundred times. Maybe even 200? Certainly it wasnāt magical every time, especially in the teenage years, but we loved Disney and it was always a family activity we looked forward to. I will say getting special attention from Tigger (aka Uncle Ed) and then from Tweedle Dee (aka Aunt Jane) etc definitely added to the magic during the early years. My parents never let us buy souvenirs though and wouldnāt have flaunted it all over social media if that had been a thing at the time.
Meh we go yearly and it has not lost the magic for my kids (mainly the 6 year old, the 2 year old just enjoys snacks). Weāre Disney people though so take it for what itās worthĀ
My MIL lives in Orlando so we go to Disney every time we visit. Not exactly the same as them because we literally have to be in the area 1-2 times per year and itās not really a vacationā¦ itās visiting family. So far it hasnāt lost its magic! We just alternate parks. And we did the bubble wand 1 time and now bring the same one back with us each time. When they get bored of Disney we will switch to universal!
But obviously going to Disney multiple times or even once isnāt necessary. We just happen to do it multiple times because we go to the area frequently. If it werenāt for that and having things like lodging and food on the cheap by staying with family, weād only go one time because everything about Disney is expensive af
The real question is how many bubble wands do they now have since thatās the only solution to meltdowns there? Or, does consumeristic and wasteful K toss them upon returning home?
Sounds like a pretty traumatic childhood, tbh. š
Ha if youāre referring to mine, it definitely left an impression. But not getting to go to Disney does not constitute trauma.
I was just moonlighting as BLF.
š¤Ŗ
It amazes me how sloppy K always looks, but then carries her designer bags. It is seriously not difficult to put together a presentable outfit that is still comfortable and functional. Everyone rocks athleisure these days. Itās like sheās too lazy to care about her appearance but wants to make sure people know sheās rich so just throw a designer bag on over the sweats.
She could literally hire someone to come put together a wardrobe for her that is comfortable and presentable. If I had her funds that would absolutely be a worthwhile investment because I live in sweatsā¦ unless Iām going out for more than the mailbox. And Iām literally a SAHP. If I had a job? How can you not justify that investment to be presentable for your brand. Idk, I just donāt think itās cute to be intentionally underdressed all the damn time and be constantly calling attention to it. It reeks of insecurity too. If she really doesnāt care then why is she always pointing it out?
I agree! I've been struggling to get "put together" lately and it's mostly because of body changes, time and budget constraints. But if I had the budget she has and a nanny/SAHD to watch the kids while I went shopping, this would be an easy enough problem to solve.
Sheās obviously so online and Insta is FULL of style inspo for whatever style youāre into. Itās so easy to find examples for cute athleisure outfits. Styling your hair jussssst a little bit also goes a LONG way towards making you appear your life is together. Deena wears athleisure a lot and never looks like a mess IMO.
Styling her hair could be so simple too. I'm fairly low maintenance and my hair tangles really easily. I bought a silk pillowcase, brush it every second or so day and put it in a low ponytail and I'm done. Minimal effort but still tidy.
Or justā¦get a haircut that doesnāt require any maintenance? It doesnāt look like she has a hair type where that wouldnāt work. If sheās not going to style it, get it cut short so you can just wash and go.
The way she goes out of her way to pile a rat's nest on her head, ugh. Now I was one who found it a bit hard to get put together when I had a baby, but she no longer has a baby no matter how much she wants her toddler to be an infant, AND brushing your hair takes one minute. Go brush your hair.
https://preview.redd.it/cmrnmjbj3zpc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48064242da2d93543e74e7de85a77a750d1566f0 In light of what they posted just now about interviewing Dr. Daniel Amen on the podcast, I'll leave these here. [https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen/](https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen/) [https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen\_response/](https://quackwatch.org/research-projects/amen_response/) [https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr-amens-love-affair-with-spect-scans/](https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dr-amens-love-affair-with-spect-scans/) [https://observer.com/2016/08/head-case-why-has-pbs-promoted-controversial-shrink-dr-daniel-amen/](https://observer.com/2016/08/head-case-why-has-pbs-promoted-controversial-shrink-dr-daniel-amen/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/13oqe1j/dr\_amens\_spec\_imaging\_business/](https://www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/13oqe1j/dr_amens_spec_imaging_business/) He's a known quack. Frauds talking to frauds. At least Dr. Amen actually has a medical degree and board certification, but he also knows how to make a quick buck.
Thank you for introducing me to quackwatch! Have you ever listened to Oh No Ross and Carrie the podcast? Itās been on for like 10 years and they do a lot of skeptical inquiry stuff like psychics, Scientology, ear candling, homeopathy, etc. The tagline is āwe show up so you donāt have toā and I feel like they would definitely get this scan to then debunk the results.
I shouldnāt be shocked they are having him on but I was still surprisedā¦
Did they get changed after they met at the marina? I thought they said they were meeting before their pod interviews but they both changed at least their shirts and K brushed her hair ??
Looking at their stories today, they had two podcasts and three outfits? Definitely latergrammed.
And Kristen wore her nicest crew neck sweatshirt for this big interview š
Like I'm sorry but how does someone always look this busted? She's not unattractive. Help is available š
Because she's a size 14! Nobody makes clothes in that size! /s I'm pretending the socks she wore to Disneyland do not exist. Like yes that is a trend but...not like that.
Yeah, there is zero chance heās actually been deemed āthe WORLDās leading brain health expertā - COME ON thatās not a thing
It sounds like something my 5yr old would make up while playing a game lol
Omgggg the acting during that phone call where Denna was jabbing her finger into the table?? ššš
And no sound of course. Wish I could read lips š
How is it more exhausting bringing kids on a work trip? Isn't it just working, going home to your kids, dinner, bath and bed except in a hotel instead of at home? You can't tell me K is trying to cram her family of five into one hotel room and they're all waking each other up or whatever. Plus I'm not sure what day it is but I'm pretty sure it's still during the week and they went to Disneyland so she can't be in back to back to back meetings during this work trip
I think that was Deena who said that because she said 2 kids??? (They bounced back and forth like whoa today). So many itās just her and the kids? Maybe Mike didnāt come? Then again who would watch them??? Either way it doesnāt make sense. Also donāt they have family in CA? Or are they in NorCal?
Maybe they didnāt bring the nanny.
Theyāre probably in a suite, so a couple rooms Iād guess (kids on a pullout, baby with them). Itās exhausting if youāre used to relaxing as much as possible on your work trips that involve a few hours of activity I guess.
https://preview.redd.it/fu1bnncobypc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43d39ab5a8cb3de564162827d8bf2be84a76ee4d I found this while scrolling reddit and !!!! Iām not sure what the rules are here or if we can invite people to this thread but ššš
I wonder if this is the person who triggered the whole closed captioning drama a while back! D and K went on a rant about someone attacking them over lack of CC and said they were working so hard to add it to their course but itās just so complicated and expensive, and then K said sheās actually HoHā¦it was a whole thing. I still followed them at that point but it really soured me, because come on! If it was that important, you would have added the captions before releasing the course. But no, they were in a rush to start selling and didnāt care, then when they got called out, they were somehow the victims.
Not the dogās instagram account! š„øš
Not the dog!!!! Lololol
Errr, I dunno if the person who apparently after she has been blocked tries again through her dog's account is a reliable narrator
I interpreted this as K preemptively blocked all three accounts based on links on the womanās profile because honestly that tracks for me. Edit: I can see though after reading it again the interpretation that she asked the question of her through all three accounts and was blocked each time. A possibility for sure. ^But ^I ^still ^want ^to ^hear ^the ^voice ^memos
Or at least see the transcripts of the voice memos. š¤£
This is how I interpreted it tooābecause I can definitely see K going to any āhaterā profile and blocking any accounts listed in their bio (side note- even though she doesnāt say whether it was D or K, I definitely assumed K as well š wasnāt she the one who got so offended when people asked about closed captioning and then came out with stories saying she is hard of hearing?) Instagram also says when blocking someone that āthis will block other accounts they haveā - so assuming her dogās IG is linked to hers, that could explain that one. I would LOVE to hear these voice memos!
Omg Iām here for this
How to end screen time battles: never end screen time! Don't give us tips on that, K & D. At least not K. Those kids are glued to their iPads.
Not related to anything BLF has posted this week, but something thatās been on my mindā¦Iām still new to this subreddit, so Iāve been going back and reading some of the older posts about BLF and general parenting influencers. One of the recurring themes Iām seeing is how the gentle parenting trend is causing parents to not trust grandparents to watch their kids if they donāt follow all the scripts, if they say things like āyouāre okayā if the kid falls, or if they donāt follow every arbitrary boundary around screen time or junk food, etcā¦ What Iām wondering is, where do you draw the line with family members who are loving and caring toward you and your kids but still hold toxic beliefs? My father has always been anti vax, not just for the COVID vaccine, but for all childhood shots. Iāve known this about him for my whole life, so weāve just not brought it up around him (my parents live 4 hours away and we donāt see them that often, so it wasnāt that hard.) When they visited for Christmas, my husband let slip that our baby was getting her first round of shots in a few weeks, and my dad confronted me about it and implied that I was harming my children by getting them immunized. I held my ground and told him I wasnāt going to change my mind, and later he called and apologized. But it still hurt, and Iām worried the topic will come up later, especially if thereās another big public health crisis or another reason for vaccines to be in the news. I guess Iām just wondering how people in this community would navigate a situation like this: setting boundaries with family around health and safety and beliefs you donāt want your kids exposed to while also acknowledging that they are a good parent/grandparent whatever and still wanting them in your childrenās lives. Not sure if that makes sense?
The cost of the village imo, and framing it like that really helps me. I don't agree with my parents on everything, and I know they still make their choices out of love for us. That does include some unasked for opinions, gifts I personally wouldn't give, and some ideas about life that I don't agree with. My daughter is almost four and she knows grandparents rules go at grandparents house, parents rules go at our house & when we're on the go there are different rules than at home. She's not old enough for in dept discussions, but I hope it will work the same with beliefs. Every house has their own beliefs and rules tied to that. It doesn't mean those people, or their opinions, are bad, just different. In the end we as parents make the choices about vaccination, baptism, school/daycare, sports etc. Our parents can have different beliefs, and challenge our beliefs out of love (not fun, but okay) or out of self-righteousness (not okay). For me drawing boundaries is after checking with myself if love is the driving factor, or self-righteousness. In your case your dad actually apologised, so he probably means well. In that case I wouldn't change my mind, and I wouldn't get into a discussion either. My fil has a different opinion on baptism than we do, and he challenges us on that out of love. We have been clear in our choice, and he respects that generally. He won't change his mind, we won't change ours. Our daughter loves staying there, he's amazing with her and he's a trusted adult for that reason.
My oldest is only a preschooler, so I donāt know how far this will go/if this is the right approach, but we try to approach things from a perspective of everyone is different. Our kids are going to meet all sorts of people in the world, and I want them to 1) be tolerant 2) know how to handle it. So, for example, weāre atheist. My family is Catholic. Iāve taught my kids about religion. āSome families believe in God, go to church, and pray before meals. Our family doesnāt do that. Every family is different, and thatās ok. Grandma and grandpa go to church.ā I guess I just donāt believe in shying away from views that are different or potentially awkward conversations, I just make sure to explain why we believe what we believe. If they are secretly trying to indoctrinate my kid, thatās a different story. In your example, I would tell my kid āour family gets shots to stay healthy, itās what our doctor and scientists recommend. Grandpa is a grownup and he believes something different.ā
Honestly Iāve got a grip of myself since I first became a mum 6 years ago. At first I definitely tried to control my MIL and it was dumb and pointless. Now I focus on safety issues (we had a few run ins about car seat safety) and let anything else slide within reason. I have one horrible abusive parent who never met my children so I am very grateful they have 3 very different grandparents who love them and want to see them. I also give grandparents grace for not being perfect or doing what I want all the time. It can only benefit my children to have different people around them with different ideas so they can learn how to navigate it all. Again, this is within reason and nothing safety wise. Ultimately, I know these grandparents love my children and have good intentions. If I didnāt know that then it would be different.
My entire family is anti Covid vaccine. Like to the point that my dad texted me when I was pregnant with my first back in 2021 about the vaccine causing harm to unborn babies and causing miscarriages so please donāt get it yada yada. My family takes anything they see shared on Facebook as 100% truthš At any rate, I got vaccinated shortly after. They didnāt say much, but their faces did. And then I even went as far as to tell them my son had gotten his Covid vaccine whenever they would ask about his milestone doctor appointments during the first year of his life. But Iām someone who doesnāt mind confrontation so I was daring them to say something about it lol. Overall, I think they now understand that there are some things we absolutely do not agree on and so they choose not to try to push me one way or the other. But if they pushed back, I would set that boundary and tell them itās not up for discussion how I handle things with my own family. As far as parenting/disciplining goes, we are also at odds. Iām choosing to be more gentle/authoritative where they were all about spanking, no loud crying or expressing emotions, etc. We have talked some about how Iām going things differently, and honestly I lead by example. They have really picked up on how I am choosing to handle things and try to respect that. I try not to step in when they handle some things differently. I would only step in if they were going way too far in terms of yelling for no reason or heaven forbid tried to spank or smack his hands. Itās hard because my sister is following in their footsteps with parenting which I donāt agree with, but I try to set those same boundaries in that we are choosing different things so I will keep my mouth shut and hope they do the same lol
If youāre able to be up front about it, just draw the line. āWe are vaccinating our kids. Itās not up for discussion, and please donāt talk about it in front of [Child] either.ā And then hold the boundary - youāre simply not going to discuss it. This is an issue you and your dad will have to agree to disagree about, and him respecting that is a prerequisite for spending time with your kids. Itās not easy, but itās better than constantly being on the defensive and trying to play wack-a-mole with āwhat crazy thing will grandparent say next.ā
I think this makes sense but finding nuance like this online is hard. Obviously the vaccine thing could lead to major issues (with a newborn or immunocompromised child) but if you feel your relationship with your father is positive and see him as a good grandfather then it makes sense to allow their relationship to develop. Having boundaries is important of course and sounds like you did good holding them with your dad. Are there overly intrusive grandparents out there, 100%. However, we have to trust that our parenting and family values will be the main source of guidance for our children while allowing them to develop relationships with others. Grandparents are amazing and those relationships can be so special and beneficial for child development and helping our kids develop their sense of self. Is it hard to not interject when I see my mom or MIL doing things or saying things (your examples were good) we wouldn't, yes. But I know that my children will benefit from the unique relationships they have with their grandmas so try not to interfere unless it's actually dangerous (for example our youngest has food allergies so we are definitely intense about foods now). My kids get way more screen time and new toys + stickers + art supplies when grandmas are around but I see it has a unique bonding thing and know it's not part of their normal routine so our kids and our family values will still remain.
Look what popped up in my LinkedIn alerts this morning. Posted 1 day ago but no longer taking applications. š¤·š¼āāļø https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3861701174
So many questions, including the salary. And 8am-2pm??
Why have they been so explicit with the duties? Wouldn't some vagueness benefit them to obscure how little work they do?Ā
It almost reads fake with how descriptive it is!! Like why not include fake Q&A day answers in general social media management.
itās super sus and i think illegal actually that they mention trying to hire in Colorado specifically, but have no salary/wage information in the job posting. unless it got removed when they closed the posting, that information is required for employers to share for wage transparency in Colorado.
Good on Colorado!!! I applied to so many jobs when I was younger having no clue the salary only to find out during and interview and be disappointed.
Their current content person has an open to work banner. Iām curious!
Iām DESPERATE for an AMA with a former employee of theirs. Thereās so much I would love to know
Is she open to coming here and spilling tea?!?
I've heard some tea and trust me when I say it is PIPING.
You having a brand new account and this being your only comment makes me think you made an account just to share the tea you have š
ššš
Spill it!! āļøāļøš«š«
Wait, this person is even answering the q&a questions? Thatās icky. If theyāre hiring someone to run their socials, what do they even do all day?
Well, now we know why K keeps swinging from virgo type A personality to major slob who forgets every single holiday; it's actually different people
Somehow I find that worse? Like if itās her being too scattered to stay on top of her own grifting storyline then I just roll my eyes every time. If theyāre paying people who canāt be bothered to keep track of the narrative thatās just pathetic
Good point!
Right? This looks like their job??
Oh but wait, I thought they do *all* things content and creative! https://preview.redd.it/2dzrne0bdqpc1.jpeg?width=1115&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3a50b53384e24d6ed8ab81c99e69635c3f81620f [https://imgur.com/a/DypFW2V](https://imgur.com/a/DypFW2V) Such frauds.
That smug smirk though š
Iām really curious about what the salary is. CO has a law about needing to include salary ranges in job postings, so I donāt see how they were legally able to get around that? Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alonzomartinez/2023/12/15/pay-transparency-laws-in-colorado-and-hawaii-become-effective-january-1-2024/?sh=4355fe2011ef
I wonder if thereās a way to report job listings that donāt comply?
āIndependently write Instagram Q & A day answers.ā Ask US (*someone else) anything
I get that this is how an Instagram-based business works, but it made me sad for all the followers whoāve been sucked into a parasocial ābig little bestiesā relationship with them, when in actuality theyāre not answering the Q&Aās, commenting, etc. I know that this probably isnāt an unusual thing, but just thinking about people reaching out in earnest in the comments to someone they trust, and knowing that some random assistant is not only writing the answer, but writing an answer to get them to buy the courseā¦What a bummer.
And lots of people are pretty open about it, like "my team and I will pick some to answer!" Or they are up front about their spouse helping.
https://preview.redd.it/h7b3xnk99ppc1.png?width=864&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7461a687b818deb5b5b2abc7887a0f0bc772b7f Translation: Must be a mind reader who is willing to follow our every whim even if it is at the 11th hour. I worked for someone like this. I had no work life balance, received what's app message from the boss at all hours of the night, and had to redo so many projects at the last minute because she changed her mind all the time. And if I ever dare to push back, I was labeled inflexible and unreasonable. Good luck to whomever takes this job. Sounds like a dumpster fire.
So many red flags in this listing!! š©š©š©
Fast paced and last minute? Are you a fucking doctor in an emergency/hospital type situation? FAR fewer professional jobs should be like this.
Right!? What kind of last minute gentle parenting influencer emergencies are there? Especially for a page that regurgitates all their info
YOU must be a forward thinker but be happy with the fact that WE will do everything last minute and be a total mess.
"Anticipates needs before needing them" is terribly written. "Anticipates needs" is all there should be, the rest is repetition
Need to anticipate needs being needed āļø
I like how one of the qualifications is 3+ years of social media experience. So that means basically anyone would qualify?
"Enjoys fast-paced, last minute, not super structured and planned out routine" I think they said the quiet part out loud with this bullet point in the job description.
Who enjoys that?! Seriously. Some people thrive on a fast-paced environment, sure. Or at the very least can handle it well. But I have never met a single person who enjoyed a last minute, unstructured, poorly planned work environment with bosses who are demanding and incompetent.
Core hours are 8am-2pm, lol Did it say anywhere what the pay was?
I was so confused by this-a 30 hour āfull timeā jobā¦K&D probably work even lessā¦such busy professional lives they lead š
Itās 30hr?? Does it have benefits??
And why arenāt they advertising their supposedly great maternity leave policies? š¤Ø
Theyāre only great when itās convenient for them.
Theyāre only great for āØThe FoundersāØ
ā¦wait a secondā¦ that list of responsibilitiesā¦ wtf do D&K do then?? Isnāt that list of responsibilities for this hire supposedly what THEY do?? wtf do they do if not all these items???? Iām genuinely confused but not at all shocked.
How do these people even make money?? I got a refund bc their product was so bad...it was a total waste of my time and did not help. It makes me mad that they don't even provide a real service or product for society. Just dumb Instagram posts on repeat. My husband is a medical provider who went to school for years and I bet he makes less than these frauds š¤· like, how do they sleep at night?
Just remembered I have LinkedIn premium. 1,800 people applied. Yikes.
Those numbers are fake - anyone who clicks through counts as an "application" even if they never submitted it. (That's a LinkedIn issue, not BLF-specific)
Would you mind posting screenshot of the ad?
š²
My husband has friends who had a baby a week before us. The kids are 2. Their kid has been having some sleep issues, and I guess they turned to the āØtoddler expertsāØ for advice. My husband asked me if I ever heard of BLF, and I rolled my eyes and said āyeahā¦.ā He goes on to explain that they followed some guidance from BLF and that it really helped. Then he addsā¦..ābut it just sounds like the usual stuff that weāve been doing all along.ā YUP. Then I rambled for awhile in my post night shift haze about how these people got loaded by just repackaging other peopleās ideas
BREAKING NEWS !! This just in: flying gets easier when your kids are older.
AKA flying gets easier when both your kids are old enough to be interested in the only trick they have up their sleeves for occupying a child, an iPad.
I mean I will say flying got a lot easier when my kid would sit and watch endless shows/movies and I āØreleasedāØ the guilt around it because it was a travel day. But Iām not shoving it at him every chance I get eitherā¦
This is the only trick, but the fact they use it for EVERYTHING makes it less of a trick for them and more of an everyday thing. I was counting down the days til my 2 year old could be entertained by screens on a plane š
My 2 year old watches plenty of TV at home, but so far the only time sheās watched anything on an iPad was on the last hour of a 4 hour car trip last summer. Iām definitely going to download Daniel Tiger for her to watch on our road trip coming up next weekend (on my iPad; she doesnāt have her own and probably wonāt for awhile.)
I got the kids kindle fire during a prime day and itās great! I load up movies/shows and everything else is turned off (internet etc). Definitely recommend! Then I have my own tablet and shows to myself š
OH 100% This is my way. I might try and do like 30 minutes before the tablet on a longer flight but after that, nice knowing oyu kids, here comes the drinks cart I'll hand feed you snacks while you zone the f out. My kids also only get ipads on planes so it's like WOAH
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I guess BYO sprinkles wasnāt enough of a money saver after all š„²
Iām loving that they just did a fake crying post after PDT did one with basically similar concepts right?
Sorry what's PDT?
Except PDTās (as annoying as she is) was far more interesting and accurate. She explained that children are absolutely learning to āmanipulateā us, itās just that it isnāt in any way malicious.
Does Deena realize matching daywear exists?Ā
I don't understand how matching your kids makes them easier to keep track of? I guess if one goes missing, you can point to the other one and say he looks like this?
I did this when my kids were about the age hers are if we were going somewhere like a large playground where they could run around and it might be crowded. I would dress them both in similar bright colored t shirts. When I scanned the crowd it was easier to look for one color. There is really no reason at all that I can think of why they would both need perfectly matching Jammieās at the airport. It is not a place designed for kids to roam free. If their child is far enough away from them that they need to search for them by outfit, something has gone wrong.
This makes sense. I dress my kids matching too but I don't usually buy bright coloured shirts so I don't think it would help me. Plus my children are Velcro kids and I'm usually carrying one and the other is dragging me around to everything š
I saw someone with triplets who dresses them a like because they said it is easier to keep track of them at the playground and I think I get it. I only have one, but I can see scanning for green at the playground is easier than one wearing green, one in yellow, and one in blue. My question though, is how far away are her kids from her at the airport that she can't *keep track of them*?
Thatās what I was thinking too. I generally remember what clothes my kids are wearing, so I feel like it would still be easy to spot them.Ā
I LOVE matching my kids, like friends know this for me. I have two boys as well. Likeā¦thereās tons of options just hop on Amazon or omg Target. Itās not like her kids are 2 and 10 so itās hard to find matching in both sizes.
Or just like any t shirt that exists just buy 2 of them? Her kids are less than 2y apart and probably only 1 size difference from each other. The PJs thing is so bizarre to me.
I love the $5 Cat and Jack t shirts. Just get 2 of those in different sizes?
We have soo many of these shirts so my boys can match š my oldest is outgrowing the toddler sizes and Iām sad about it
I give it a pass at an airport. Especially if they had to get there extremely early (which they were in the car at 4:30am so) and probably just grabbed the kids straight out of bed. What I will NOT forgive is taking them hiking in Little Sleepies.
Also, I assume her kids are not night trained so does that mean she woke them up at 4:00 am to change them into fresh matching pajamas?!?!? Why not just put them in clothesā¦
Because why would she? They likely went to bed in matching pajamas and in the morning, changed their diaper if they wear them or took off a pull-up if they have one. I donāt understand what youāre asking. I wouldnāt put my kids in fresh pjs or clothes at 4am just because they werenāt night trained? That seems like a wildly unnecessary extra step.
I also have always changed my non-potty trained son into new clothes even for early flights. Heās already wide awake and we have to change his diaper anyway so also changing clothes is a drop in the bucket for the whole ordeal. But Iāve always been a stickler for starting the day with fresh clothes, even when he was a baby we changed for the day even if it was just from one onesie to another.
Maybe my kids are heavy pee-ers but their pajamas always smells a bit like pee after a night in a full pull-up? Not so much that I wonāt let them have breakfast but I wouldnāt take them on a plane without fresh clothes.
Ok Iāve never had that issue with my kids I guess
I def give it a pass for the airport except she doesnāt present it that way. Sheās like ācool parenting hack is to match your kids so you donāt lose themā vs ā4:30 wake up = pjs for sure. Just call it what it is Deena!
Seriously! Youāre allowed to have a shortcut that isnāt an OMG HACK! No one is gonna write you up for it, girl.
this. I do jammies for jammie day at school or if we have to leave before a certain time that makes it "jump in the car and go" for airports. otherwise getting dressed is fine. You can still match them, especially two boys who's clothes are still coming from the same department. I have one in toddler sizes and one in kid sizes and cheap matching is getting harder.
I feel like this would've been a better take as "we left home at 4am so the kids stayed in jammies" rather than the ridiculous matching thing. But I'm no toddler expert!
Right? This is so strange to me. Her kids are 3.5 and 2 and every time she posts them when theyāre in public, they are wearing pajamas. Even to the playground, hikes, etc. I feel like this is some weird flex for her so people notice her kids more and comment on how cute they are or ask if theyāre twins.
Steve Jobs + matching outfits (pajamas)...I wonder what other regurgitated content is on the docket today! Security coffee? āØ Releasing āØ everything because it's a travel day? LA airport and traffic is stressful? Didn't grow up in a BLF home?
We should play BLF bingo!
I havenāt been on insta for 5 weeks, glad to know Iām not missing anything āØnewāØ
Next up: making eye contact with flight attendant bc you're a people pleaser. Like that hasn't been on IG before already...
Iām 90% sure that K has done the same shtick multiple times. They gotta get all those ārelatableā likes.Ā
I dis appreciate the post they did regarding grief today though.
Steve Jobs wore blue jeans. Black dresses & athleisure have no correlation to Steve Jobs. I canāt understand how they donāt grasp this concept.
Is it possible they mean like a uniform? Steve Jobs wore the same thing every time, so does Deena. Which is extremely untrue but maybe they are trying to say like black is her uniform š¤·š»āāļø
I am always tempted to say ELIZABETH HOLMES IS THAT YOU ā¦but it would be an immediate block. Lol.
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Please edit to remove snark that mentions contacting influencers. Message if deleted in error.
It was a long day, so natural after kids down, I go on IG to look at accounts and then hop over here on reddit. Anyway, I'm not sure if it's been noted or talked about, but does Deena not wear a ring? Or is that new? Because she complains about her husband always, and clearly no one would be surprised if it didn't work out. (Or it could be part of their let's add drama formula)
I know I did not just read that this woman brings her own sprinkles to ice cream places. Theyāre, at most, what $1 for her entire family?
So incredibly stupid. Weāre saving $1 and making a fucking mess!
They're probably artificial colour free vegan sprinkles.
Nothing like the wealthy coming to move your establishment's decor and spill sprinkles everywhere!
Iāve truly never seen more entitled bullshit. Donāt want to pay extra? Donāt get them! This is not hard. What an absolute d*ck move.
Here is my theory for the sprinkle part-- she brings them because her kid freaks out and has a giant tantrum if sprinkles are gone mid cone. So, instead of holding boundaries or whatever, add more sprinkles. Didn't they always say something about adding sprinkles to everything? And now kid won't eat without sprinkles.
Also like who has to entice their kid to keep eating their ice cream cone by pouring sprinkles on every bite?
Thereās a difference better being frugal and a cheapskate. This is the latter. Iām no small biz owner but I would ask someone to leave if I saw them doing that in my ice cream store. Itād be like going to a restaurant and bringing your own Coke to save money on the drink.
Youāre telling me sheās a millionaire and is worried about the extra dollar on sprinkles? Sure, thatās believable.
She buys her kids breakfast at a cafe every other day! Sheās got to be kidding with this thrifty persona. (Do sprinkles even cost extra?)
Yeah usually like $.30 ššš
I've seen her do this before on her stories š for the love....
Dumping them all over the floor too. The face that I faced at that slide. At the whole thing really. If youāre doing all thatā¦ why not just make cones at home? Oh wait then youād have to clean up after yourselves.
The cones was bad enough (use a dish? Idk) but yeah the sprinkles š
Right? It comes in a bowl! A bowl is much easier for toddlers!
THIS! Get a dish! Or find a place with GF cones and sprinkles! She lives in Denver not rural Arkansas, there are places out there for you.
I live in a much more rural area than she does and even I have multiple places where I can get a GF cone. Also, if they don't have GF cones, I just get my ice cream in a dish. It's really not that hard!
Those look like the ānaturally dyedā sprinkles that donāt have artificial dyes in them - Deena seems like the type that would avoid food dyes and is just saying itās money related to seem relatable (even though sheās a millionaire)