u/coratrash

Hello! I’m in town for a cocktail contest from Minnesota and last minute found out I don’t have access to a heat source for tomorrow evenings competition. Without a rental car, my options are limited finding this last minute need. Amazon can’t deliver in time and I’m trying to not eat a $120 cost for a single use item I can’t fly home with.

I am willing to uber to/from. and clean/return an induction burner for Tuesday evening borrowings sake, and can return before I fly back Wednesday afternoon.

Thanks in advance for any help!

My kiddo is a kindergartener who somehow got into one of the best elementary schools in the area. We live in a major metro, with 33 elementary schools that have dozens of factors for placement. We lucked out, got in, and have graciously been trying to blend into this socioeconomic group we don't belong to. My spouse and I have some bruised egos regarding the ways we've been able to be present and involved in the borderline part time job expectations this school has had of us.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the emails we get requesting our time and energy for school events, PTA things, fundraisers, ect., is like, 3-4 a week. We both work in the bartending industry, and not a singular event has been feasible. Instead, we show up by being the parents that are first to donate 3-4x the suggested amount for any and all asks, when supply drives come up, I buy six of every item. When events that directly involve celebrating our child, like field trips or milestone events, we move heavens and earth to attend, but can't be present for a 30 minute popsicle popup 12 hours after getting an email.

We have attended every single classmate birthday party, together, and always RSVPed, brought a gift, offered a hand in event resources. My experience at all of these parties has been so alienating and being "othered", I feel like I'm back in middle school. This school heavily favors enrolling kids who have older siblings or relatives who have attended, and as I'm not around for volunteer roles and have an only child, I'm regularly reintroducing myself and not privvy to any context of conversation.

ANYWAYS. I know that's a lot of word vomit, but its contextually important.

Kiddo has come home with head lice almost biweekly from class. First time we didn't find out until Saturday morning, so we didn't miss class. Second time was a friday post school. This last friday, my daughters sixth birthday, my spouse woke me up to do her hair because she wanted to be the girly girl she is on her birthday. The second I started to brush her hair, saw the raw bites on her neck. Riddled with lice. We go into what now feels like a sick routine, treat her and ourselves to be safe, and rebag and strip our house and start the 30+ loads of laundry.

This was actually a school day, so I call the attendance line and very calmly mention that this is now the third time in less than 2 months she's come home with lice, and besides the nightmare it is to treat, this especially sucks, because it's her birthday. I asked if any other parents had reported lice, and what the school does to notify parents.

Ya'll. This woman scoffs, says "We have no reason to send out notification unless 'enough' kids are affected". I asked if they check the whole class if one is reported to have lice. She didn't answer and just repeated the first part. I mentioned, well, if a singular classmate of my child had headlice or something insanely contagious, I'd LOVE to be told. She said as a mom, she agreed, but this was the policy.

I'm...furious. Beyond angry. I've done an extra 90 loads of laundry, slept on a bare mattress with camping pillows, and been devoid of any singular creature comforts on and off for almost two months. I get emails for the most mundane shit, like a false fire alarm, a lunch item running out, a bus she doesn't ride being 5 minutes behind. But lice? radio silence.

My spouse is also frustrated, but is a lifelong "it is what it is" human, while I'm exhausted and sick of phantom itching. I'm probably more full of rage because watching my daughter crumple finding out she can't go to school on her birthday, with an outfit she had hung on her door for a week and a bag of treats she had by the door broke my heart, but also fuck this??

My fragile ego of feeling like a broke, weird outcast mom is making me feel like I can't push this issue. I'm in the violently active facebook group for the school, and I've typed and deleted a post about this, not to shame, but to WARN others, because who fucking wants to deal with lice?? I don't want to poke the bear, but I'm so tired and feel like my house has been a haz mat zone for weeks.

I feel stuck and yucked but also don't want to ostracize myself or my standings anymore than I already am. Any advice?