u/OrthodoxAnarchoMom

My son’s pediatrician wants to have him assessed for autism. Ok fair. But then she starts asking questions. You the doctor, so also fair. Until she gets to empathy. This woman who went to undergrad, passed medical school, and managed to do a pediatric residency then declares that autistic people can’t have empathy and have I seen him be empathetic. No possibility this NT proclamation is insulting or that a highly educated woman should be able to figure that out. No possible way that the mom of a suspected autistic kid is autistic.

She even gives all the vaccines that make us more logical and able to empathize with people who aren’t exactly like us. Maybe the ones she got didn’t have enough preservatives.

This is kinder dance so kids are 3-5. My daughter was born in recital month. Rehearsal is a Monday, then the weekend is recital. The weekend after is Father’s Day. I am wanting to plan my daughter’s party the Sunday the day before rehearsal and we will be inviting the dance class. Would this stop you from going? They’re 3-5 so they don’t really practice incessantly like the older classes.

We’re needing to budget into the future and I’m going to need to make an argument against career stagnation tbh. Our oldest is 1st grade. To me, this is the cheapest ages. We pay for diapers for the toddler, cubscouts with one annual event, kinder dance, $1 Walmart clothes, etc. Elementary age will cost more and teens from what I can tell is just like supporting another adult if not more.

Their clothes will get more expensive because kid and adult sizes cost more. They will eat more. Their books will cost more. More gas. Even just one activity per kid will be more expensive. Higher water bill, higher heating oil (hot water) bill, phones, adult size beds, higher schooling costs, etc.

What was an expense that was unexpected or subtle that we should prepare for?

Reliable birth control is very new and birth control at all is relatively new. But historically women weren’t having 30 kids, one a year from puberty until menopause. Are we more fertile now? Access to food and lower stress maybe?