Truthfully, I have next to no energy for anything except enjoying my hubs and kids and feel like they are wonderful friends, partners in crime, and this family-centric chapter is exactly what I want to be doing. But. That part of me who has always been a little insecure about making and keeping friends is having a hard time. We didn't know anyone when we moved here and have a few friends, but mostly just ancillary acquaintances. I definitely try, but it is hard to make friends in this chapter and hard to keep up with the "maintenance" to foster those friendships into something deeper with kids and life. Sometimes, I see other people with much tighter friend/mom/couple groups (especially doing things together with their fam) or find myself not invited to gatherings within our circle and feel left out. I also know as the kids get bigger, a lot of our friendships may be dictated by what they like, which families they want to hang out with, and who is in their class, etc., but I still can't shake the feeling. Anyone have thoughts?

We are a “less is more” for the holidays kind of family, so we typically like to do just one central gift and maybe a book or some pjs etc. Anyone have any unique ideas for a central gift for a 3yo boy? We also don’t do electronics/screens so looking for something outside that box. Any ideas? (He already has a tricycle and a yotoplayer). Heeelllpppopp

Generally my partner and I agree on the big strokes of parenting and core values (phew). Overall, I think we split tasks evenly based on what we are best at (phew). We also have a fantastic relationship overall (phew). But with multiple kids the burnout is real and sometimes I feel (what feels to me? Maybe unfairly?) disproportionately overwhelmed as a mom. When tensions are high and I try to express frustration, set a boundary, or ask for support I sometimes feel like I’m being perceived or coming across as naggy, or condescending, or demanding. I don’t know if it’s because I get nervous and something gets lost in translation or something about my communication style gets mechanical, or if I’m just not great at asking for help and saying when something doesn’t feel great. Any strategies that work for others?