It makes perfect sense to me. Being a single mom with a baby in daycare is very different from being a single mom with a school-aged kid. And a lot of women don't have paid maternity leave, so having the second child could mean going without a paycheck for a time, possibly months if there are complications.

I met my boyfriend there! We're coming up on three years, been living together for two of them. But before I met him I went on a lot of awkward, chemistry-less dates with guys who seemed great on paper. Nice, normal guys, but the connection just wasn't there, and I couldn't tell you why. Attraction is mysterious, and…

That's a good insight. I wonder if there's also something about older children observing the process by which their parents learn things. When I needed help with something school related, my parents would sit down with me and we'd figure it out together. When my younger siblings had trouble, they didn't get to see…

I wonder if this might be a result of taking on more responsibilities as a child. In my experience, firstborn daughters often end up doing more work around the house or more childcare than firstborn sons or younger siblings. That can be bad, if the kid doesn't have enough time to focus on their schoolwork or pursue…

It definitely exists- I've heard the term "doudoir" before. No idea about NYC, but maybe call existing boudoir photography businesses and ask? I'd try the ones that do couples boudoir photography, since they'd have more experience posing and shooting men.

They're not just writing the profile though, they're doing everything up until the first meeting/phone call. The company writes the profile, decides who to message, then emails back and forth until the woman agrees to set up a date or give out her phone number.

I work in a chemistry lab, and in the event of a spill I might need to strip off all my clothing in the emergency shower- which is to say, a high-output shower head and a floor drain in the middle of a public hallway with great big windows, but no curtain or privacy barrier. I keep the possibility in mind when…

Very true, but some what I've done for friends didn't require much, if any, knowledge about them. Just knowing how to take/choose decent photos, edit a 1000 word "about me" essay down to a few paragraphs and give some basic advice about keeping a conversation going can do a lot.

Yeah, the scouting and the deception aspects (where you're hiring someone to pretend to be you) are the only parts I find objectionable. But I've helped some of my friends with online dating before- taking pictures, helping them write their descriptions, even giving feedback on messages. I don't think there's anything…

My doctor has mentioned that she's seeing a lot more women with genital cases of HSV-1 in recent years, and that she thinks it's a sign that more women are receiving oral sex regularly (HSV-1 is the type usually responsible for cold sores). She didn't mention beards, but it's not a totally outlandish theory- anything…

Yeah, as someone who enjoys solo hikes this looks really useful. I always make sure someone knows where I am anyway, but being able to contact several people only when there is likely to be a problem would be really useful. And it sounds like I could even customize the message, to tell people where I was hiking.

The thing that drives me nuts with my mother is that she will just go without something because she will waste money on a cheap version that will go unused, but can't bring herself to spring for a nicer version that will improve her quality of life. Sunscreen is one example- she buys cheap sunscreen, but hates the…

Funnily enough, my relationship got a lot better when I accepted that I was just a terrible sleeping companion- I kick and steal blankets and toss and turn all night. We got a king size bed and separate twin-size top sheets and blankets, and now we're both better rested and more pleasant to be around.

Oof, that sucks. This is why I would never want to be carrying 10K work of anything around. I've lost (and recovered) my glasses twice in dressing rooms, and my subway pass once. I do not trust myself with real jewelry.

I usually use a traditional wallet, but I see some women using phone wallets (ie an iphone case with some credit card slots) or using money clips or some other alternative. My mother has one big credit card/membership card holder and a little zippered pouch for her cash. If I'm going out somewhere fancy and want to…

I don't get it either! Some of my friends are masshole-bros (without the homophobia). For years, the one non-Bostonian bro in the group would bring back cases of Yuengling every time he went home on break. It was very much A Thing even before they started selling it in Boston.

It's not just you. I can't figure out the "highlights" view at all. "All Replies" mode is a lot better, but sometimes the display goes wonky and I can't get the right reply button. It's very frustrating, and I don't understand the point of the "highlights" mode.

Cyndaquil in Hell, Michigan. That amused me.

Most weddings don't require a year's worth of work, but it's not unusual for people to start planning their wedding more than a year in advance. If you want a popular date (ie a weekend in spring) at a specific, very popular venue, you might need to book a year in advance. Sometimes it's an attempt to make the whole…

I talk to my mom a couple times a week. My dad doesn't really do phone conversations, but we email each other cool things a couple times a month and talk when I visit, probably every other month. I've been trying to get my mom to start texting, and she finally did last week- except from my father's phone, because hers…