Wednesday Open Letters

[mommyatty]

Dear Daughter,

For two weeks we have been telling you not to wait until the last minute to give us the pictures you need printed for your history tri-fold board. Almost daily, we have asked you for the pictures. So when you asked for them at 7 am when you need to leave for school at 7:20, you should understand when we are annoyed with you. And if they are the wrong size, too freaking bad. Don’t wait until the last minute, you turkey.

Signed,
Not a 24 Hour Kinko’s

Dear Daughter’s School,

I pay $30k for my 6th grader to attend your school. She should be able to print shit in color for school projects for that price.

Signed,
Annoyed With You Too

[librarychica]

Dear mommyatty,

My daughter’s group history project got a D because the printed photos were in B&W, which was all that was available at the media center, where they did the printing, for the in-school project. So far it’s the only time in 7 years of schooling I’ve called a teacher about a grade.

Dear support desk colleagues,

I do not work in support. This is why I am not in the escalation chain. Please quit sending people to me!

Signed,
The woman who answered a couple of questions to be nice and has become your personal “Dear Abby” if Abby worked a help desk

[macmars45]

Dear WP,

I wish we had year round school. My autistic DS thrives on the structure and routine. I love my job teaching kids reading skills at the same school DS attends. 10 weeks of summer break is way too long.

signed,

dreading summer break

Dear H,

I'm so proud of you for finally giving ultimatums to your job. They promised you a lateral move in December and have given you nothing even though you've reached out multiple times and have had multiple meetings over it. The CFO is a garbage human.

I know the unknown of job hunting is scary especially considering you were recruited to both your current job and the one before it so you haven't truly job hunted since 2007/2008. We can make it on less money and you can get on my insurance. We have money saved. It will be okay.

signed,

your biggest supporter

[rere]

Dear dd and ds,


Yay everyone will be home!!!!!! One more day! Plus a bonus child with Ds's girlfriend's first visit.

Signed, it will be good to have everyone under my roof again.

[erbear]

Dear high school,

Get your shit together. If every department is going to do their honors placement a different way on a different day, you have to communicate the details to parents. My ADHD 9th grader has no shot of managing the process when your only plan is to mention it once to kids. Come on.

Signed,
Teacher who knows from teaching these kids last year that this is going to backfire

[mae0111]

Dear Work -

You are all so awesome, personally and professionally, to your clients. Like, the best there is. But I'm really tired of having 4 different bosses, especially now that one is telling me not to talk to the one of the other ones about any sort of impactful decisions in my department. So, like, If Boss A tells me to do something, and Boss B tells me to do something else, and Boss B conflicts with what Boss A says... I'm to completely disregard what Boss B says? You are equals - one does not outrank the other.

So... like... what am I supposed to do with this?

Signed,
Rethinking my decision not to quit.

Dear Kids -

I needed one hour to do some work after you got home. ONE. HOUR. You two interrupted me SEVEN TIMES while I was trying to focus on something that was challenging for me. SEVEN TIMES. For everything from "She looked at me funny" to "do these pants fit". Why didn't you ask your dad these questions? "Because he was working". WTF DID YOU THINK I WAS DOING WHEN I TOLD YOU I NEEDED ONE HOUR TO FINISH MY WORK?

You all are too old for this nonsense and you're making me crazy. Stop it.

Mom

[186momx]

Dear Me
Those 2 hours of sitting doing nothing and just vegging last night all alone helped a lot. I feel less stressed. Now if I can just sleep for more than 2 hours at a time that will be great.
Me

Dear DH
Next time you have a bad golf game stay away until you get your emotions under control. It is a fun men's league not the masters.
It is just a game chill out the golf world didn't crumble.
Wife who wasn't interested in dealing with your golf drama.

[waverly]

Dear employee,

You chose to retire the exact same day that someone else is leaving? No one has left in 5 years and now you are both leaving on the same day. Ironic?

Signed,
Hiring like a mad lady

[twinmomma]

Dear colleague,
That word feels like a stretch to call you given your behavior. You yelled at me, refused to acknowledge my expertise in an area, and blatantly refused to work on the project I need support on because you disagree with me and don't think its necessary. Stay in your lane and listen to what I am telling you to do. I'm the subject matter expert. Your behavior was so bad that an executive stepped in to stop you and multiple people in the meeting reached out to me after to make sure I'm ok and compliment my composure in the situation. I'm tired of excusing your old white man bad behavior and will not stop bringing this to the executive level until something changes. The new ombuds platform we have? You'll be getting reported.
Signed,
Pissed off

[mommyatty]

Dear Male Colleagues,

Yesterday, I brought up what I thought was a valid point about who should attend a meeting next week. You all, every effing one of you, dismissed it. One of you dismissed it kind of like it was completely moronic that I said it. Now, to hear you all arguing MY IDEA to an outside party as though you came up with it? Fluff you fluffing fluffers.

Signed,
Fluff Old White Guys

PS My moronic argument carried the day. So fluff you again, you fluffing fluffers.

Dear Self,

While technically you are not swearing, I’m not sure this meets the spirit of your effort.

Signed,
Why Am I Not Swearing, Again?

[k3am]

Dear old neighbors,

We miss you. And yes, we would love to come visit. But for a family of 4, we're looking at a LOT of money on airline tickets or 25+ hour one way of driving, not including stops for food, rest, DS's inevitable bloody nose, etc.

Signed,
Feeling like a terrible friend for hesitating

[twinmomma]

Dear DS's school,
You definitely win for absolutely worst spirit week day theme ever. DS just strolled into my office 20 minutes before he has to leave and said he needs help putting together a "Colonial Day" outfit because that's the time period they've been learning about. Colonial Day?! Seriously?! He's refusing to roll up his pants and wear tall socks so he just looks like average guy from literally any time period but with a hat. It's the best you're getting out of us two days before spring break.
Signed,
All parents everywhere

Dear mommyatty,
Pull up a seat on the bench with me in our hatred of old white guys! Why do they think they're the best?! UGH!
Signed,
Twinmomma

[rere]

Dear WP,

Advice needed. I am getting a new position under me. Opiate education, which I am super excited about, because drug prevention is one of the areas I enjoy working. But, in the past I had asked to move up to a director position of education, because that's what I do and that is the title of most across the state in my position. At the time there was a reorg across the state and I could have been given the title without the pay bump, so the response was wait because if they gave me more responsibility there would be no where higher to go and I could get a bump if it happens later.

So now I have another program. Problem, my old boss currently has that title. I think they really just did not want to deal with her because she's difficult. But in the reorg, there was a title more suited to her actual program and area of expertise. Director level, so just a slide over, not any type of demotion. But, she takes pretty much everything as an insult and makes everyone's life hard in general.

When I took this job, which is senior management, where the majority are Director levels, I was just so grateful he got me away from her and gave me a chance, my main goal was just not to be a pain in his ass and do a great job. But now I am getting resentful, more for the actual title than pay. I can retire in 2 years, but would like to stay 5, for more pension, about $15000 more a year, and because I like my job. But if I go 2 more years feeling taken advantage of, I may walk out and let them know exactly why and just do something else.

Advice? I will poof later.

[waverly]

rere, as a manager I would like you to talk to me so I know what you are thinking. I may or may not be able to adjust the title because it might be difficult sliding that person over and I am not sure what my boss would say (ultimately it would be up to my boss not me), but if I don't know about it then I can't ask/ try.

[mommyatty]

Dear rere,

Is there such a thing as a position or job classification audit where you are? I was the lead labor and employment lawyer for a DoD subdivision, and the federal government has a process where you can say “My job duties do not match the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for a job at this level. I want it looked at to see if this job should be reclassified.” The risk is that if they find you’re being asked to work above your pay grade, they don’t have to promote your job. They do have the option to just take away the responsibilities that belong to the higher classification.

Anyway, something to think about!

Signed,
Former government attorney

[librarychica]

^^^ wss.

Even if there isn’t a formal audit process, I’d bring it up. I’d focus less on the specific title (director of ed) and more on the mismatch between your work and your title/comp. I think you have a slight advantage here as you are in government and it’s a structured path, everyone doing similar work in your area has a director title. This devalues your work and puts your group in a disadvantaged position with the other groups, even. Maybe they can give you a different director title or something, idk, but it’s worth bringing up.

[supertrooper1]

twinmomma, I think spirit days/weeks should be done away with in schools. They're just a PITA for parents.

Dear cold,

Please go away quickly. I'm glad it's not strep and spending all day in bed yesterday was not fun. I feel somewhat better today but I'm ready to be 100% better and not blowing my nose constantly.

Signed,
In a daze but trying to get my work done.

[waverly]

supertrooper1 , I agree. I used to particpate in spirit weeks more during the daycare years, but sometimes it required last minute trips to the store which as a working parent with a commute and an H that traveled for work and no evening childcare, I couldn't really go to the store that often. And there was always no notice.

So in mid elementary school lets say 1-2nd grade I printed the spirit week for them and if they wanted to do it on their own with stuff around the house they could or I would go to the store but I told them that I needed notice and they had to tell me what they wanted me to buy. DS never wanted to do them so that ended quickly for him and DD will still occasionally grab something for like sports day or color day but not much more than that.

[186momx]

twinmomma, I agree with everyone else that spirit week are PITA for families. DD is old enough to deal with it herself now. I am down with PJ day or comfy clothes day and I think most teachers enjoy those too especially in December.

[mae0111]

LOL my kids have remembered the previous 2 spirit days as we were pulling into the school parking lot the morning of spirit day. No, kids, I do not have anything orange in my car for you to throw on. Sorry. Clearly they’re not super into spirit days!

Dear WP -

DH sent me to our beach house for at least the long weekend. He said it was clear that I needed a break and he wanted me to leave yesterday. I got here around noon. I have books, a puzzle, and lots of small projects in mind. I’ve already gone on a 3 mile walk to/on the beach and got lunch from my favorite sandwich shop. I already feel 1000 times better than I did when I left. I never take time for myself, and it’s amazing how much better I feel when I finally do.

I feel so lucky that DH cleared his calendar to manage everything.

Mae