u/esol23

My only starts kindergarten this week and it is hitting me like a ton of bricks. She’s been in daycare 3 days a week for most of her life but I was recently laid off so we pulled her from daycare in July and we’ve gotten so much more time together this summer. While being laid off is not ideal I am so grateful for the extra time I’ve had and I’m not ready to be away from her for 5 days a week. I know we’ll get into a routine and it will be fine I just wish I could freeze time. I can’t believe how quickly this came. That being said if you have any coping tips, for either of us, please send them my way!

We have two dogs, they are 9 and 10. The 9 year old has been reactive most of his life, it’s completely fear based and we’ve worked with trainers over the years and have been able to manage him pretty well. He does fine with a slow and calm introduction to new people but having people in our home has always been a stressor (for us and him) and we mostly avoid it if possible. Our 10 year old is fine with people but she is a sassy heeler and very barky which gets him wound up and on edge. We’d really like to figure out a way to have people over more often and I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to do this. They are not crate trained and the reactive one is very afraid of small spaces so I don’t think it’s an option for him, he won’t even come in the bathroom. In the past we’ve locked them in the backyard or house if we’re outside but they get super wound up and just bark the whole time. We have bedrooms we can put them in but I’m afraid they’ll scratch at the doors or continue barking. We aren’t comfortable having them out with new people as it’s just very stressful so they need to be contained. We do lick mats regularly but they don’t last very long and he will resource guard things like bully sticks so we don’t allow those. What is the best way to keep them as calm and comfortable as possible? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

It’s been quite some time since I’ve job hunted and really feel like a fish out of water. Are career fairs worth the time these days? I’m aiming for a mid/senior level role. The career fair is not focused on a single industry but there are several employers I am interested in. If I go do I bring printed resumes? Any tips would be much appreciated!

Looking for feedback on the Allstate protection plan. Has anyone filed a claim recently?

Our kiddo will start elementary school this fall and I’m hoping we can find more connections through school but I’m wondering where others have found other parent friends and community in general. We have a few neighborhood friends that we see occasionally but our good friends all live about 30 minutes away and it’s hard to see them regularly with how busy everyone is with day to day life. We are not church goers and aren’t really part of any regularly scheduled activities mostly due to our work schedules.