@jhysmath Aren't those days pretty distracting? I've seen those on social media and they seem like a horrible idea if you actually want to get stuff done.
@trapperkeeper87 winter carnival starts tomorrow for the next two days, so the kids are already super distracted. My next two classes have tests so hopefully that will mellow them down.
@jhysmath What is "anything but a backpack day?" I'm so intrigued.
My WTF Wednesday is that I've never seen a real life workplace affair. Until now. I now have a front row seat and it's super gross. Have had my suspicions for a while and have recently put enough coincidences together to be 98% sure of what's going on. Ew.
My WTF Wednesday is that I have had a migraine since Monday night…. It’s gotten better but it’s still pretty painful. I had them pre-pregnancy but this one is lasting forever. My friends all stopped getting migraines while they were pregnant- no fair!
@mnmomma84 I’ve been there, and it’s so awkward and distracting
@mnmomma84 oh that is really gross/awkward. Counting myself lucky that I haven’t witnessed that.
@blanket_girl ughhh no fair indeed! I’m sorry you’re going through that!
My WTF is our house is 58 degrees this morning inside (should be 65-68) and it’s -2 outside. Spring always comes way too slow for me in MN. Not looking forward to possibly replacing our furnace (trying to save for baby/parental leave!).
@mnmomma84 Students can bring whatever they want (within reason of course) to carry their stuff. Some are practical, others are not, but it's fun to see what creativity they come up with.
@momsicle2be I'm in MN, too! It is SO dang cold out and cannot wait until spring!! Hopefully it comes sooner this year! We had a furnace issue earlier this season and figured out that there was a pilot flame sensor that was dusty. It was an easy fix (mircofiber cloth cleaned it right up), but husband is somewhat handy and was able to figure out what the error code meant the furnace was showing. Also, we did some construction in the basement over the summer that likely led to the dustiness in the furnace. Good luck!!
Current pregnancy - First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
Four prior losses, no living children - 1 first trimester miscarriage, 1 blighted ovum, 1 chemical, and one extreme premature live birth daughter who died at 15 days old.
@mnmomma84 oooh will have to mention this to my husband. He’s pretty handy too. Hopefully will be an easy solution! Staying under multiple blankets today for my day off.
@lalarose22 yeah, it’s been a cold one! Perhaps we were spoiled by the last couple warmer winters and now experiencing something more typical.
I’ve been super cold the last 2 months.. not sure if worse because of the pregnancy but husband has been joking that in addition to eating/sleeping for two, I am also “feeling cold for two”. Seems right 😆
We're at almost 60 today and it's beautiful. I have all the windows in my classroom open. Tonight temps drop to negative 2 and we've got a big snow storm coming Friday. I'm not looking forward to driving in it for 5 hours Friday night.
@mnmomma84 I've now seen 2 kayaks. They're having a great time carrying them to each of their classes.
The school I work at's mid-winter break was just 2 days and all the other schools in the area have a full week off... super jealous as I sit in my office
Just rubbing it in that it's 80 here today in SC and for the rest of the week! We actually did have snow twice here this Winter which is almost unheard of!
Down south with y’all! Today is gorgeous and 80°, but my school still has the heat on. My office is sweltering.
I am already planning on joining a local pool this summer. The plan is to float and not move and then return to my air conditioned house to nap. Gotta love the school schedule.
@mamamoomoo12 hopefully you get off earlier for summer, though!
I’m on Long Island and today was a random 64 degrees. Tomorrows back to the 30s lol. It was nice but for some reason when the weather gets nicer out it just puts me in the mood to drink.. so I’m sad I couldn’t enjoy a nice margarita outside today!
My WTF is that I found out I likely will be getting paid NOTHING during maternity leave. I’m a behaviorist in a public school and I started last September. As a teacher (my position is considered a “teacher on special assignment”) you get FMLA and have to use your sick time. I have barely any since I’m new. Also, you can’t even use your sick time for FMLA until you’ve been there a full year. My year mark is 9/13 and my due date is 9/10. So I’m fucked. I’ve been pretty upset about it all day and if it weren’t for the great health benefits I’d quit now!
@x_tina729 can you take 3 or so unpaid days, just like if you were sick and then take your fmla starting 9/13? Or are you in a position where you can lose your job is lf its not fmla covered?
@x_tina729 I'd be curious to see your contract and the bargaining agreement you're union has. Our union lawyer has made it clear pregnancy and birth are considered a sickness in terms of leave, and it's illegal to block someone from using something others can use for sickness (in our case the sick bank, because we had a clause it couldn't be used for maternity) for pregnancy and birth. With that said the last district I worked for capped the amount of days you could take to what your doctor would sign off on, so 6 weeks vaginal and 8 weeks c-section.
@x_tina729 so just brainstorming cause your policy sounds similar to mine. We get 3 personal days (comes out of the sick days but can be used for whatever reason). Assuming you deliver on your due date or after, could you use those 3 days and then use FMLA?
I'm a state employee in California, and I'll get a minimum of 8 weeks of leave paid at my full rate, and possibly longer if my doctor approves it which there is a possibility they might given my history. It's something called non industrial disability leave, which I still have to use leave credits to cover, but only half as many as I need if that makes any sense. If I don't have leave, I would get paid at half my pay rate. Then I can use as much of any of my other kind of leave as I want to extend it. I think I could probably afford to do 4 months of full paid leave. My big hold up is that I am a one income family, so if I want to do any unpaid leave, I have to have savings to cover it. Which, again , I could probably do another 2 months of unpaid, but I really don't want to wipe the bulk of my savings.
Current pregnancy - First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
Four prior losses, no living children - 1 first trimester miscarriage, 1 blighted ovum, 1 chemical, and one extreme premature live birth daughter who died at 15 days old.
I unfortunately also don’t get paid maternity leave. I’m forced at work to use all my accrued PTO time (which does get me some money, but it also leaves me with zero time off when I return and since our sick time is part of PTO, it’s a huge pain, also means I’m currently hoarding all my days and praying I have no immediate need to use anything so I can max out at 35 days). I also have an old short term disability policy that will pay me a portion of a set wage for up to 8 weeks, but I only have that bc I’ve been paying for it every month for years out of my own pocket. We also set aside a set amount in savings just to cover certain things every month.
So technically I should be fine, but I’m not getting to take the full leave this time bc financially it just can’t happen and I get to go back to work right around the holidays with limited funds and no time off. Yay! 🙄
It's so nuts that the US does not have a national statutory paid maternity leave. Are people really expected to be productive at work right after birth? People need time off to recover physically and mentally.
@jhysmath@laj0217 I currently have 2 personal days so this could work if I go on my due date but I really do this I’m going sooner because of my high risk. I am going to call again this week once I get my doctors note for more clarification. Even if I do make it to be able to use FMLA, I still will barely get paid because I have such little sick time being that I’m so new. I am unsure if I don’t make it until FMLA if my job is secured? Truthfully, even before this I wasn’t sure I was going to stay. I have some more thinking to do but I’m considering leaving after I have the baby (the health insurance is really good and hospital is 100% covered) to do insurance based work. It’s just so frustrating that maternity leave for teachers is so terrible!!
@x_tina729 I have very little time because I started in this district 2 years ago and have had to take time because of my kids and either them being sick and needing to be tested for covid, or because their daycare has been closed because of a quarantine. It's been crazy. My other district I had been saving my time for 6ish years before I had my first so I could take as much time as I wanted, but I planned for May babies so I barely used any time. With my second I took off 3 weeks before my due date because I couldn't teach remotely and care for a 2 year old. Even using those extra 3 weeks, I think I left 45 days behind there. I don't even have 45 days here, but at least I'll be covered for fmla... My husband wanted to move back home this year and I had to explain to him, not getting paid for that long and being in a new district not covered by fmla wasn't going to work. Especially when we'll be taking likely a $15k pay cut each. He also asked how much time I was planning on taking off and thought a month was enough. I told him no I took 12 weeks with both my kids (granted only few weeks during the school year) and there was no way I was only taking a month off with this one especially how I might have another c-section and not even be cleared until 8 weeks.
Re: Wtf Wednesday 2/23
Some things I've seen so far...
Stretcher
Mini bike with basket
Plenty of shopping carts
A kayak
Cat carriers
Shopping carts
Strollers.
What is "anything but a backpack day?" I'm so intrigued.
My WTF Wednesday is that I've never seen a real life workplace affair. Until now. I now have a front row seat and it's super gross. Have had my suspicions for a while and have recently put enough coincidences together to be 98% sure of what's going on. Ew.
@blanket_girl ughhh no fair indeed! I’m sorry you’re going through that!
My WTF is our house is 58 degrees this morning inside (should be 65-68) and it’s -2 outside. Spring always comes way too slow for me in MN. Not looking forward to possibly replacing our furnace (trying to save for baby/parental leave!).
Students can bring whatever they want (within reason of course) to carry their stuff. Some are practical, others are not, but it's fun to see what creativity they come up with.
A Kayak??!? I can't even imagine LOL
@momsicle2be
I'm in MN, too! It is SO dang cold out and cannot wait until spring!! Hopefully it comes sooner this year! We had a furnace issue earlier this season and figured out that there was a pilot flame sensor that was dusty. It was an easy fix (mircofiber cloth cleaned it right up), but husband is somewhat handy and was able to figure out what the error code meant the furnace was showing. Also, we did some construction in the basement over the summer that likely led to the dustiness in the furnace. Good luck!!
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
@lalarose22 yeah, it’s been a cold one! Perhaps we were spoiled by the last couple warmer winters and now experiencing something more typical.
I’ve been super cold the last 2 months.. not sure if worse because of the pregnancy but husband has been joking that in addition to eating/sleeping for two, I am also “feeling cold for two”. Seems right 😆
@mnmomma84 I've now seen 2 kayaks. They're having a great time carrying them to each of their classes.
My WTF is that I found out I likely will be getting paid NOTHING during maternity leave. I’m a behaviorist in a public school and I started last September. As a teacher (my position is considered a “teacher on special assignment”) you get FMLA and have to use your sick time. I have barely any since I’m new. Also, you can’t even use your sick time for FMLA until you’ve been there a full year. My year mark is 9/13 and my due date is 9/10. So I’m fucked. I’ve been pretty upset about it all day and if it weren’t for the great health benefits I’d quit now!
like others have said, we had a beautiful day here in PA, weather-wise! It was in the low 60s and a great day to go on a long family stroll 😊
First BFP on 1/4/22. Due date 9/13/22.
So technically I should be fine, but I’m not getting to take the full leave this time bc financially it just can’t happen and I get to go back to work right around the holidays with limited funds and no time off. Yay! 🙄