Yeah if you ever need to feel like an amazing parent…
Founder, Risepoint Search Partners. Former litigator. Mom to two amazing girls (and one ornery pug). Color commentary for @stevevladeck.bsky.social.
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Yeah if you ever need to feel like an amazing parent…
If you needed any more proof that pure psychopaths walk amongst us every day, watch Unknown Number on Netflix. Hoooo boy.
WTAF
If I see one more white dude out here canonizing Kirk I am going to lose it. We can stand against all gun and political violence without making the guy who spewed so much hatred into a saint. I promise it’s possible.
Yes. We can decry political violence without lauding someone who was a very bad dude.
Full piece here: open.substack.com/pub/besskalb...
Everything @bessbell.bsky.social writes is perfect but especially this.
Yup. At least our girls now know that I’m only going to pick them up in the event of fever or puke so that does generally cut down on nurse visits (not today though! Playground bump).
We need a school nurse form to tell them the level of severity that necessitates a phone call. We all know the working mom stomach drop when the school number shows up on our phones. If we aren't in fever or broken bone territory, I'll find out about the playground fall at pickup TYVM.
Who needs the pitch bot when the Times puts it for them?
Trump posted this today, btw. 5 hours later the Times is sending push notifications out about his “legacy.” FFS.
I just cannot, @nytimes.com. I cannot.
And her name is Roxy!
Her! Roxy 😍
Our mascot!
“The Court We Need” by @stevevladeck.bsky.social drafting live shot!
When people ask me I work so much I can't say "to build generational wealth so my daughters never have to work for mediocre white men" so I just say oh because I love it.
Perfect! I’ve been ready to zone out completely. Who knew I could have done it years ago!
“Once we have a voting Senator (or two) we can do the pledge” seems like a good response.
He then asked if “it’s because we are in D.C.?” Yes. Yes it is.
When the one dad in a suit and an American flag pin at Back to School Night asks the teacher why the class doesn’t do the pledge of allegiance every morning
Wonder if he knew how everyone got to sports practice.
Aren’t we all, Corey
I laughed at 2
We got our kids an encyclopedia about the Presidents. Questions I have now been asked: “How did John Tyler get all 15 of his kids to sports practice?” “Did Martha Washington wear Lululemon?” “How did James Madison get elected if he is THAT ugly?”
Niche content for my musical theater and #hopecore crossover followers
We are all just repeatedly practicing the opening line of Wicked right?
Da fuq did I just read
It dropped 4 mins ago 😂
OMG THIS IS HAPPENING IT IS NOT A DRILL WEDDING OF THE CENTURY IS UPON US
But also if you’ve never been, Mystics games are crazy fun and it’s a great little arena. 10/10!
At the Washington Mystics game with the kids. The “DE-FENSE” cheer starts up. 7-YO: “Why is everyone chanting the word Jesus?!?”
Between this and having to explain how one SCOTUS opinion can have 8 dissents, @stevevladeck.bsky.social is really just hanging by a thread over here
This is actually true.
Me: “Sometimes on the first day of school you have to share some fun facts about yourself. What will you share?” 7-YO: “My name is Sydney. I live in D.C. And I LOVE to curse.”
I missed my calling as a real estate appraiser. Imagine a job just walking around a stranger’s house being nosey as hell and getting paid for it?!
That’s cool!
That’s so right. It is just hard. I think back to the days of hitting 4:00 on Sunday and thinking I truly was not going to make it until bed time without losing my mind and praying for Monday.
If you’re the mom of Littles reading this thinking that’s not possible, I am here to tell you to stick it out and it will be. A few years ago, this would have been unfathomable. 7 and 9, strong swimmers, and I am now just the driver (and ice cream purchaser).
I’m solo parenting today. At the pool where both my kids have brought a friend and are swimming with them while I read a book. I feel like I have truly arrived at the Golden Age of parenting.
I didn’t think I could love her more and then I watched tonight 🥹🥹
Didn’t have “figuring out how to stream a football podcast on my TV” on my bingo card, but life is weird that way.
Facts
Legitimate live shot of me explaining to Steve what has transpired on The Internet today (Taylor’s Version)
The one thing Steve and I can ALWAYS agree on: Yankees Suck.
I feel your pain.
It has its foibles to be sure, but it’s an amazing place for our little family.
Scenes from the crime infested hell hole that is Washington, DC. It’s really a wonder anyone can stomach living here at all.
Glad my kid’s DCPS 2nd grade classroom can’t afford pencils without PTA donations but at least we have the National Guard rolling through the streets for no reason.
That’s awesome!
The more terrible everything in the world gets, the higher the stack of emotional support fiction books on my nightstand gets (plus my Kindle).
TFW your husband introduces your 7-year-old to “Ben Franklin's Song” by The Decemberists and then gives her his phone to text from
“Fuck. I turned the game off and they scored 3 runs. Should I leave it off?!?” -Steve Vladeck
This is exactly right. Seemed like a good idea when her initial lessons were at 9:00 am. 😵💫
Getting your 7-year-old’s ice time for figure skating practice (6:00 am!!!!) will really make you question all of your life decisions.
This and a new President
TL;DR - don’t buy the crap you get served on Instagram that tells you you’re a bad mom if you don’t do XYZ for your kid going to school for the first time. You’re awesome and so is your kid. /end rant
And FWIW from personal experience: I had one child reading before K and one child for whom it clicked later. By the time they were 7, they both read at the same level and both love reading (and arguably the one who read “later” is a stronger student because she has had to work harder).
Wherever your kid falls on this spectrum, IT IS FINE. Do not spend this summer quizzing them or spending your hard earned money on workbooks or flash cards. Spend this time enjoying and playing. They have a lot of years of school ahead of them — they don’t need to be drilled at age 5 and 6.
Most of these ads are for things like workbooks, apps, and flashcards to get your kid “ready.” The whole point of K is to get ready for the rest of elementary. The vast, VAST, majority of kids do not start Kinder reading. Very few know more than a couple sight words. Many don’t know letters.
Thread: As a mom who has had two kids go through Kindergarten, one of the things that grinds my gears during this time of year is all the ads we get served for “kindergarten readiness.” All this does is ratchet up the anxiety for (mostly) moms who are dealing with an already hard transition.
Well the traffic camera thing would certainly save our household…significant sums (cough @stevevladeck.bsky.social cough)
Correct.
Or use Canva like iMessage because her mom won’t let her get a phone.
Ohhh. If she cared about anything law related she would find this amusing.
Yeah: “Alyssa slays.”
It basically already is 🤣
@stevevladeck.bsky.social — feels like it could be incorporated in your next book somehow.
Our 9-year-old at overnight camp has signed every single letter this summer with “I love you, I miss you, I slay” and frankly I think we can all learn a little something from her about to end notes with appropriate flair.
It’s true
Electric lights ❤️❤️❤️
Morning convo: @stevevladeck.bsky.social: “I finished the first chapter of my book!” Me: “That’s great. Do you think you could write the rest of them *not* during the middle of the night?” S, pauses: “Unclear.”
This exchange was in the Calgary airport ;)
1000%
She said “what? I can’t lie!”
Ran into someone who knows @stevevladeck.bsky.social in an airport while with our 7-year-old. Person: “Are you proud of your dad?!” 7-YO, without missing a beat: “No.”
Right back at you ♥️
I posted a few weeks ago that my SIL died of pancreatic cancer. My brother (an incredibly private person) is looking to connect with people who have been through the same. So very proud of him for reaching out to a broader community. If you’re on TikTok, give him a follow! tinyurl.com/yk2s8ue2
Me: Sadly no. The Declaration of Independence still says “all men are created equal.” @stevevladeck.bsky.social: Well actually you could argue the 14th Amendment was meant to be a sequel… Law Professor Dad Problems.
4th of July question from our 7-year-old: “Mommy, did Thomas Jefferson include women in the sequel?!”
If only this court cared about living human beings as much as they cared about a fetus.
The OG’s know that within 10 minutes of meeting Steve (in 2007!!!!) my dad asked him “so Steve…should we bomb Iran?”
Quite literally the last thing we need to do.
Def implied
Family group chat tonight is lit
The worst 😞
Her funeral was today. It was a celebration of her life and the warmth she brought to everyone who knew her. It really is true that at the end of it all, no one remembers how much you made or what you achieved. They remember how you made other people feel. We will miss you forever, Alyson. 💜
My sister-in-law passed away this week after battling pancreatic cancer for 3 years. Everyone always says this but it’s true: She was truly the best person ever. She could make you double over with laughter, brought joy and heart to every conversation, and never sweat the small stuff.
It was nice when we didn’t have to worry about what fresh hell awaited us in the week to come because the President got his feelings hurt after no one came to his fascism/birthday party.
