Anything you wish someone had warned you about??

My DS is named for my adopted bother. Hus dad is a Second and I thought that was enough of those.

My eldest brother is a Jr. It's what was done back then, I guess. He went by a nick name.

DB that just passed was the only bio kid with different initials. Dad, DB1, and I have the same.

Mom never called any of us by name. She was the queen on nicknames and used them extensively. I'm much like her in that regard.

I wish someone had told me 20 years ago to buy an investment property back when you could still buy a decent 4 bedroom house in a good suburb for $160,000. Now the same house - which is 20 years older - is going for half a million or more.

Or a possibility shortly after getting your epidural!

OP: GREAT thread!!!

Mine:

*That labor isn't always a breeze!! ALL I heard were these wonderous stories about easy deliveries. My first one lasted 30 hours and was INTENSE from the get-go. I had no idea it could be that bad! And my back-up was getting an epidural but with BOTH babies that didn't happen because I was in labor during the weekend when they couldn't get an anesthesiologist to get to me quickly enough.

*To ALWAYS keep your independence. I was extremely independent and hard-working before I met my first husband. Somehow I handed that all over to him, along with my savings from a horrific accident and we agreed to pour it into our new house (in my name). I didn't keep tabs on finances, and when we divorced, I was not only left with nothing, but left with a house that was about to go into foreclosure. I saved it by having a shortsale, but he still left me with IRS debts and tons of underhanded ways to "get at me" legally. It's been a PITA to fight him on it all.

*To NEVER move to a different State or Country without thoroughly investigating it first!!! It might look great on paper, but living there is an entirely different situation. If you're over age 50, research the hospitals and medical care there (doctors here work very limited hours!), make sure there's a rich cultural life if you are accustomed to that type of life, research restaurants, even food stores, shopping stores, etc............... Sometimes it's as though you're in a different world by moving just States away!

*Always take notes with anything regarding doctors, healthcare, insurance of any sort, banking, paying bills, etc......... I still keep some files on pertinent things that come in handy. Not everything could be stored or found on a computer.

*I wish that I would have been more aware of the signs of drug/alcohol abuse in my teens. I went thru hell and back with my son, who became addicted to "everything" including heroin. He's clean and sober and I thank God that my DH was the one person to be able to get through to him and help him get on a better path.

*Lastly, I wish that someone would have told me to put away large amounts of $$ when the ex and I were racking it in with our law practice. The bubble burst and so did our lavish life. If I could do it all over again, I'd put tons of $$ aside FIRST!

Save your money. Even if you get a HUGE windfall. Save your Money.

My hospital still gave all laboring moms enemas when I had my children in 1993 and 1995.  Labor pains and poo pains all at once.... ugh!!! One of a hundred reasons I stopped at two. ha

yep, seriously. $6000 down the drain and a box of unused Invisalign. Theres no telling a stubborn 17 year old know it all though.

I wish someone had told me what DH was going to be like after we had kids, that he wasn't going to be the dad that went out to play with them, rather than the dad in the recliner that told them to go outside or go in the other room and be quiet so he could hear the TV.

I wish someone had told me after I had my DD and I saw this behavior that he wasn't going to be any different if we had a second child who was a boy.

I wish someone had warned me about my MIL and given me a heads up so I could have a) ran or b) set boundaries with DH before I committed to anything. Last year when I mentioned wanting to go away for Christmas like we did after my dad passed away (instead of spending it with his family the entire day) he said no. I was like, what was that? He said no, we weren't doing that. No discussion, no "let's talk about it," just, "No." A part of me just died inside there and I think I STILL have a pit in my stomach about it.

I wish someone would have told me that if you plan on having kids, make sure you're comfortable with the way your SO was raised.

I wish someone had warned me about all the stuff that spontaneously happens to you when you hit the 40's-- chin hair and shrinking lip line. UGH!

On a serious note, I wish someone had emphasized the importance of saving EARLY for retirement (like in your 20's!)

You're probably better off not knowing in advance because then it's just one more thing to be concerned about that you can't actually do anything about, kwim?

Just had to LOL!

How in the world did that woman conceive a baby? Because sex is messy and involves bodily fluids too.

Also, we were warned about the pooping situation in our childbirth ed classes. Apparently, our teacher was more thorough than others.

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I wish someone, anyone, had warned us (back in the day 30+ years ago) that you CAN lose money (all your money) on a house because real estate markets can crash.

I wish someone had warned us how insurmountable age discrimination in the job market was going to be and/or how bad my allergies/sinuses were going to get living here, because if we had known either of those things we would have tried getting out of here years ago. 

I wish someone had warned me how badly dance was going to ruin my knees.