Bingo. I would say she is definitely somewhere up the sociopath line.

Good at pretending, but when it all comes out, mostly/all concerned about the consequences to them, rather than other they hurt.

Probably Kim Jong Un because Donald Trump already fucks me every day.

I’ve quickly learned (from Captain Awkward: go there right now if you’ve never been, I have grown so much as a person and a “bitch) that having a “script” of responses takes a lot of the pressure off. Next time potential FIL says something racist, look him in the eye, let the silence become just a bit uncomfortable,…

One thing it took me a long time to learn in my 20s was that I don’t even actually WANT to be friends with a lot of people I used to know. They’re fine people, but their lifestyles diverged from mine and it turns out that simply living down the hall from someone for a year in college isn’t enough to sustain a…

I was there today. This is one perk of being a teacher- during the summer, I can go to IKEA on a Wednesday afternoon.

What about pre-Columbian cultures? I mean, modern Mexicans & Mexican Americans culturally appropriate Aztec culture/imagery all the time - some of whom are the very loudest to scream “cultural appropriation” when someone else tries to play with the iconography.

A friend’s daughter went to a hip private high school and for graduation she wanted to wear a sari. No harm in that, I thought, but she didn’t know the first thing about how to wrap one, so another friend, who is an Indian-born woman, was drafted to dress her.

Apparently, you are already an expert, so please enlighten us. Not everyone believes we should be reinventing the wheel every time. Although that would be culturally appropriating the Sumerians, so I can’t even invent the wheel.

I know it can be hard to understand, but lots of people are quite truly, genuinely happy in poly relationships. My primary partner, a guy, does tend to be the one more interested in actively pursuing others on dating websites, but that’s largely because I’m also a demi sexual, so I’m really only attracted to people if…

It’s not easy by any means, but it’s been worth it so far. And I sense I’m something of a rarity...I know a few guys who are ostensibly in open relationships, but their female partners don’t pursue others due to lack of interest.

I think there’s some investigation to be done towards the connection between some of these kinds of caregivers and Munchausen by proxy syndrome.

Heeey I’m also fairly new to the non monogamy thing and I totally feel all of the things you just said. Sometimes it’s a whole lot of “and why exactly do I care about what this person I just met thinks?” This “lightening up” that you speak of is also way easier said than done, at least as far as i can tell.

Claire, thank you for this. I so needed it this week. I’m married but my spouse and I are spreading our nonmonogamous/poly wings, and I’m actually using a dating site for the first time ever. It’s nice to be noticed, and to meet interesting guys, but I’ve been a bit alarmed by how invested I sometimes get, and I need…

Sure, and I would never begrudge them that. My story was just a small snapshot example, perhaps not the greatest on its own, but a part of the picture. A couple of these moms believe that allowing a child to ride the schoolbus or walk to school is equivalent to child neglect. For a girlscout activity last week, my…

Same re: parents of my friends were how I learned how a normal family functioned. And spending time at their houses gave me much needed respite from the instability at my house. For just a little while, I could sort of relax and feel the security of being a kid in a house where the adults have their shit together and…

I think often times people just hate other people’s kids.... no matter what.... my job is to work with “difficult” children and it’s very apparent that there is a whole lotta judgement, no matter what your kid does. They could be the nicest, smartest, easy going kid... but all it takes is them doing one thing to…

Uhh. Not to sound callous, but those types of kids tend to do better in high school/university. He’ll probably be fine. Rejection by some will bring acceptance by others.

Non-American here. So am I understanding correctly that a playdate with another kid means that YOU go on the playdate as well??! Even when the child is twelve years old?! And you just sit around this other persons house for hours?

You know, I was talking to my counselor about this, and I realized what I yearn for most when it comes to a relationship is not sex or marriage or anything like that...it’s just that I want a reliable companion to hang out with. Because it’s so damn hard to find someone who just wants to hang out and watch movies…

I know exactly what you mean. The parents of my friends were the only way I was able to see what a normal family is like. Aside from my teachers the parents of friends provided some of the only validation I ever received that I was a good and smart girl.