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Do you put it in the mailbox?

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Awe I see! You learn something new everyday!

I didn't know you were supposed to tip the paper carrier. I also find it so strange when people say they leave cards, money, or baked goodies for the mailman. I wouldn't even think that a government employee could accept those types of gifts?

My first cried so much that my extended family thought it was my fault. My husband and I had to let her cry it out. Otherwise we would have lost our minds. My second was the total opposite. I remember once picking up my second while he was sleeping. I squeezed his cute cheeks, gave him a kiss and then set him back down to sleep. I remember thinking in that moment that I couldn't even breathe in the same room as my first unless I wanted to unleash the wrath of her fits. To each their own, each baby is different, each parent is different.

Sounds gross, but I bet it's common.

It's just a tree and you are clearly very tired. Get some rest. I second taking away their things, then take a nap and tell them you expect the house to be clean when you wake up.

Was the gift in one envelope? I would only write one and maybe have everyone sign it.

Keep it unless you won't use it.

I'm so sorry. I hope you can get it fixed.

Someone might have mentioned this, but I want to add that if you prescribe to the idea that you can confiscate a child's phone at the door, you are actually criminally depriving someone of their property. And yes, a parent could call the police. Only a parent can take away a child's personal property. If I gave my daughter a phone and expected to be able to reach her the entire time she was at someones house it would infuriate me to find out that someone took it from her. A phone isn't just a form of entertainment. It is a way to stay connected and safe for some children. This is a different time and we all just need to get on board with the idea that technology isn't going anywhere. I myself fought it for awhile. It also needs to be remembered that an emergency for one person isn't an emergency for other people. So if you take a child's phone and decided that their being homesick or just needing to connect for a moment on fb isn't a good enough excuse to have their phone then you run the risk of facing really angry parents. Someone mentioned an invite saying no electronics. If I saw that I wouldn't think "oh I can't bring my phone". I would think "Oh I can't play videos or watch a movie because it might distract someone else". I also wouldn't come to an event that said I couldn't bring my phone. And my children wouldn't be allowed to attend an event where they couldn't bring their phone. Just my two cents.

As a parent I would have a problem with anyone "confiscating" my children's property at the door. It sounds like the girls did have social time and then had "down" time. I don't see an issue.

Of course. Here's part of our story. From a very young age I had it in my mind that I was destined to adopt and be a foster parent. My husband and I looked into for a long time and we were finally in a position where it seemed like it was a good time to get the training. At this point our children were 3 and 5. Our intention was to find a child or sibling group that we could foster to adopt. We got the training, we prepared our home, we prepared our children the best we could. We were educated and ready, but NOTHING can prepare you for the the reality of the foster care system. I got my degree in social work, but I still wasn't prepared. My husband and I were very lucky we didn't completely fall apart after what we experienced with the foster children who were in our home. Yes, we wanted babies and young children based on the ages of our children, but be prepared for the calls for the older children anyway. Call after call for teenage respite and placement. There are things that no amount of love and kindness or medication and therapy can fix in these children. And I regret turning our home upside because I wanted to "save" these children. If I could go back and do this all over again I would wait until my children were grown and out of the house and then foster. But now that I have experienced the pain of the foster care system I won't ever go back to fostering even when my children are grown. I know that this seems heartless, but my children are my life and I was very close to damaging them because I wanted to "save" someone elses children. That's not right and I would never do it again.

As a former foster parent I would never under any circumstances recommend fostering to anyone who already has children in the home. No matter the age of your children or the foster children.

Wow! That's horrible.

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I don't know what they are doing nor do I claim to know their motives. But this whole situation is a warning to people who willy nilly pick their partners.