Humbled by My Own Kid: Parenthood, Legolas and Return to Office

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I have been humbled.

My youngest came into my office at 9:30 at night doing the ugly cry, so I scooped her up and started carrying her up the stairs. About halfway up, I realized I could not walk the rest of these steps carrying this child. My knees were about to give out.

So I put her down, and through her sobs she said, "Mom, I told you you need to exercise more."

Who but your own child?

Also: my oldest has her first proper crush, and it's Legolas. Every girl in my high school was obsessed with Legolas, so I get it. My youngest is still marrying Mario. And somebody I know moved into their house in the year 2000, which was apparently 26 years ago.

Then on Ask L2, a listener's company wants everyone back in the office five days a week, and they did their best work from the couch with the lights off. Fight it, suck it up, or quit?

My honest answer: return to office is deeply ableist, and I would fight it tooth and nail. Then the practical part: what to ask HR, and how some companies use RTO as an unofficial layoff.

00:00:43 Back down to Earth with the quickness

00:02:02 The ugly cry

00:02:57 A very small being of smallness

00:03:28 There were stairs involved

00:04:23 "Mom, I told you you need to exercise more"

00:05:00 Eating humble pie

00:05:18 Her first proper crush

00:05:44 The password

00:06:05 Now everyone else is dead to her

00:06:17 Ryder from PAW Patrol? Don't bring him in my house.

00:06:49 Every girl in my high school

00:07:11 Strictly fictional Legolas

00:07:53 My youngest is still marrying Mario

00:08:24 "Ugh, Mario always does that"

00:08:47 Zillow used to be relaxing

00:10:31 Somebody I knew was selling their house

00:11:10 Friends, they moved in in 2000

00:11:43 We were told all our banks were gonna close

00:12:02 Still 16 and scared

00:12:28 Ask L2: back in the office five days a week?

00:12:47 The measured response, or the honest one

00:13:23 Asking for an accommodation

00:13:57 You've already been doing it from home

00:14:32 I would fight it tooth and nail

00:15:03 Shoes off, contorted into a pretzel

00:16:03 The distractions come from inside my own brain

00:16:58 What to say to HR

00:17:23 RTO as an unofficial layoff

00:17:48 Eyes wide open

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