Last November, I broke and confessed the extent to which I hated parenting. It seems fitting that I’m penning this out at the same indoor playground. Only, my mental health should have improved since then. I’m sipping a cup of juice while typing this, and my boy is playing blissfully inside.

But that’s not the reason why I’m writing this today. I write because I think I have gained some clarity over these few months and can express in words what I couldn’t before.

I received a lot of support and useful advice. In fact, I compiled Stackers’ suggestions in a post titled But one piece of advice struck me as ill-fitting to my situation. Some Stackers suggested that since I was being put through the fire, I should reduce the amount of time I spend on social media, including Stacker News.

Thanks to SN, I have effectively dropped FB and IG from my doomscrolling routine. Given that I was placed 12th during last month’s Million Sats Madness and am likely to place 20th this month, I think I spend an inordinate amount of time here. However, SN fulfills certain needs that I cannot fill in my real life, so it’s a great investment of time and energy.

Some Stackers noted that I sound isolated, and to a certain extent, I agree with them. It isn’t the fact that I’m not surrounded by people. After all, I work at a school and engage with staff and students all the time. But honestly, amidst the daily grind, how many of us can have the luxury to confide in fellow parents about our struggles and triumphs in parenting? It’s a mad rush going from lessons to meetings and case conferences. My mind feels as busy as a bee, trying to tick all the tasks off my to-do list. Stacker News has made me feel part of a parenting community. I share my stories and listen to yours. The other day, I posted about being a superhuman parent. I shamelessly sucked up the praise and encouragement like how a giraffe spreads its legs to drink water. Effortful but I will exert myself to absorb the praise because I want to feel like I have conquered something!

What’s awesome about SN is that it attracts Bitcoiners from diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Each of you brings a unique V4V to the table, just by being yourself. A noteworthy example is learning from @suraz how mint would help individuals cope better with irritable bowel syndrome. The funny thing is, I forwarded his explanation to my Co-Form Teacher who happens to be an accomplished chef. He has no idea on the healing properties of mint. This is just an example of how SN has broadened my knowledge. Your insights may not be specific to the field of education, but I feel that I’m a better educator as a result of receiving these myriad insights. One of these days, someone will call me a walking encyclopaedia!

Stacker News is an invaluable resource for stressed-out parents. Use it judiciously.