Anonymous wrote:Who think they have it so hard.

In other words, please be considerate of others who do not, and are therefor not as fortunate as you. You may not realize it, but you have conveniences that others only dream of. If we have a babysitter, that is it. That is all we have. And we are dependent on their schedule. They are not there for you. So please be considerate.

If we had family close by practically at our beck and call, doing nice things for us, we would not impose on you. We would not dream of calling your close by family to bail us out. We have gone through many, many hoops to find someone who works for us, who might not work for you. Just like your family does for you. Besides, we might have exigent circumstances that you do not know about, and that we purposely do not share with others. You have no idea. Have boundaries. Back off.

Anonymous wrote:As someone who has been a very supportive family member to those in my family who have kids, can I ask that you guys who depend on family show your appreciation once in a while?

I don't lending a hand and helping family out when they're in a bind (which is often for those in my family), but everyone needs to know that they're valued and appreciated. It's so easy to take help for granted.

Anonymous wrote:If you have family close by, it is priceless to know that you could go to them in an emergency, if you had to.

My friend has debilitating physical health issues. Somehow, certain kinds of moms (I am being nice here) in her neighborhood seems quite nosy, inappropriate and quite willing to dig anywhere they can for tidbits and trouble, as they call it. Most often untrue. It is a one way street, as the neighbors tend to not offer up any of their own information, not surprisingly. Certainly, my friend should not have to explain anything, much less her physical health complications and limitations, to neighbors, or anyone she barely knows. (For all she knows these crazies claim to be her best friend!)

Point being, a handful of her neighbors have family on the very same block as them. Yet, when my friend has a sitter once per week, the slimes see nothing wrong with trying to swoop in on her. As if she owes them anything! Really?!?!? Wow.

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine what it would be like to celebrate anything with my husband, or go away for even one night, or go to a doctor's appointment by myself. Some people don't realize how good they have it.

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine what it would be like to celebrate anything with my husband, or go away for even one night, or go to a doctor's appointment by myself. Some people don't realize how good they have it.

Anonymous wrote:I hear you OP. My family lives 4000 miles away and thinks it's perfectly fine to visit once a year. DH's family lives a 3 hour plane ride away and we see them even less frequently. I find it very lonely to have no family in the area. We spend every holiday alone and I find that incredibly depressing. It is very lonely to have no family around, especially when they have no interest in visiting more than once a year. I envy people who have loving family nearby. I feel sad that our children will grow up without family to be a part of their milestones.

Anonymous wrote:I hear you OP. My family lives 4000 miles away and thinks it's perfectly fine to visit once a year. DH's family lives a 3 hour plane ride away and we see them even less frequently. I find it very lonely to have no family in the area. We spend every holiday alone and I find that incredibly depressing. It is very lonely to have no family around, especially when they have no interest in visiting more than once a year. I envy people who have loving family nearby. I feel sad that our children will grow up without family to be a part of their milestones.