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We have good friends who live in a beach town and have two young kids very close in age. When this cruiser showed up on my Instagram timeline, I immediately screenshot it and texted it to them, then they bought it and now love it. For anyone else in a similar situation, whether you live close to a beach or park or farmer’s market, this looks like such a cool option. I like that you can push or pull it, and that it has a car seat adapter and also three-point harnesses for when the kids get bigger. It is pretty pricey, but if you use it like you would a stroller, it’s at a similar price point. It also can function as a general cart for hauling gear once your kids no longer want to sit in it — so unlike a stroller, you can keep using it beyond kids. This “stroller/wagon hybrid” is $599 at Amazon and eligible for Prime and free returns; however, all of the accessories look to be sold separately. Veer Cruiser This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Room sharing says
Question about room sharing – I live in a two-bedroom home and have one baby now and would like to have a second child soon. Any thoughts/advice about room sharing between a toddler and a baby? I am not concerned about when the kids get older, but more so in first year when the baby is learning how to sleep through the night. I don’t want one child to wake up the other. Thanks, ladies!
Anonymous says
Baby should probably sleep in your room while they’re frequently waking up at night, then you can move them to older kids room.
ElisaR says
yes, this.
Anonymous says
For at least first six months baby sleeps with you.
Boston Legal Eagle says
This has been our experience, for the most part. Baby is a little over 5 months and we are finally starting to transition him to sleeping in big brother’s room. We still do a dream feed at around 930, so he starts out sleeping in our room, then the DF, then he spends the rest of the night in the other room. He sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night but usually goes back down in a few minutes. We’ll see how it goes for the next few months for the toddler.
Anon says
We have kids 19 months apart (and also a 2 bedroom house). 2nd baby slept in our room for the first 2 months (as did our 1st) then transitioned to her crib in her bedroom with big brother. She was obviously not sleeping through the night yet, but everyone kept telling me I would be amazed what big brother would sleep through and they were right. (Big brother was always a great sleeper though).
(Not what you are asking, but mine are now 3 & 4 and have a ton of fun sharing the room together).
Anonymous says
How/when do you set up a registry?? It seems like all the big things you want to buy will be dependent on how good of a sleeper your kid is and personal preference, so how do I know what I want ahead of time? Should I just wait until maternity leave?
Lana Del Raygun says
If you’re having a shower before birth people will probably want a registry. Some things you can decide on just based on their specifications and your own preferences (like a baby monitor or car seat) and for things like bottles you just pick one you like and it’ll probably be fine. I think it’s kind of a myth that children come into the world with specific preferences that you have to figure out. I mean, there’s some of that but a lot of it is what they’re used to. We tried several different nipples without success; what actually worked was just picking one and trying it over and over until LO figured it out. For sleep, I would definitely acquire at least one safe sleep surface (“bassinet,” “crib,” or “play yard”). Your baby may not need a white noise machine but it will probably help.
Anon says
I agree with all of this except the white noise machine. They’re discouraged by many doctors and a good sleeper will generally have no need for one. That is something that actually will be a total waste if you luck out with a good sleeper. But totally agree on babies not really having preferences. We had a bottle refuser and tried literally 20 different n*pples and bottles. None of them worked. What finally worked was our baby waking up one day and deciding she was finally ready to take a bottle, and then she drank from anything we offered her. (SO much wasted money buying every bottle sold in the US.)
Anon says
I actually disagree. A white noise machine is a good thing to have on hand in case there is suddenly unexpected noise around (dog barking, construction, etc.) Ours has saved us a few times.
Walnut says
White noise machines have been a godsend in our noisy house (lots of creaks) and noisy inhabitants (toddlers). There are lots of jarring sounds all day long (routine dumping of alllllll the legos) and the white noise helps to smooth all of that out.
Anon says
If you don’t have one, your kids will just learn to sleep through that stuff though. I’m not saying they’re not useful for the individual kid who’s really not a good sleeper. But most kids can and will learn to sleep through random background noises and it’s better for them in the long run, especially if you plan to have them in any kind of group childcare.
Walnut says
Routine background noise wasn’t an issue for us, it was the jarring sounds like dumping the container of legos that the machine helps muffle.
Anonymous says
Eh you register for stuff and if it isn’t perfect, whatever. YMMV but in my circles people spend $25-50 on a baby gift so I don’t think you need to register for nursery furniture or anything like that. Some things that we found useful: a pack n play (to serve as a bassinet in our room and then later for travel), swaddle blankets (which we used for pretty much everything BUT swaddling), diapers, wipes, books, an activity mat, clothes in a variety of sizes, swaddles/sleepsacks, crib sheets, changing pad, changing pad covers, bottles, diaper pail, Boppy or similar pillow if you plan to nurse. You can also keep gifts unopened until baby comes and then return things you don’t think you’ll use.
More Sleep Could Be Nice says
+1 to the Pack-And-Play. There are so many different models, and price points, too which is great. Plus it can be put anywhere, and used for so many different things – sleep, naps, playpen, whatever. For better or worse, I didn’t do too much research and agonizing on “stuff” – happily took friend’s hand-me-downs, and looked at 2 friend’s lists from their registry. Sometimes I felt like I could have done more research, but overall now I’m pretty happy we didn’t go overboard, stuck to the basics, and then Amazon Prime to the rescue in between.
We have one with the changing table that we used for that express purpose the first 3-4 months, and now DS at 16 months sleeps in the bottom part of it (and has been since about 4-5 months).
I do like the Guava Family Lotus for airplane travel since it’s so light and can be carried on, as we have one of the heavier and bulkier Pack-and-Plays.
anon says
Some things can wait (like a stroller and carrier), but other things you may want to register for now and have in place before baby arrives including:
-diapers
-wipes
-diaper pail plus bag refills
-swaddles (my favorite by far is the miracle blanket)
-car seat (you’ll need this to get home from the hospital)
-a place for the baby to sleep, like a bassinet
-diaper bag
-a few outfits
-changing pad
-nursing supplies if you plan to bfeed or formula and bottles
Anonymous says
You register for stuff when you think people in your life might be looking to get you gifts, typically before a shower and during the last trimester. You register for things you think you’ll need and go from there. Lots of stuff isn’t baby dependent. You need a stroller. You gotta bathe it somehow.
Lana Del Raygun says
Oh you should get some burp cloths! Big ones, not those uselessly tiny little terry handkerchiefs, or just use muslin blankets.
rosie says
Get flatfold plain white cloth diapers for burp clothes.
Anon. says
+1
Anonymous says
Hooded baby towels and baby washcloths, too! Baby nail clippers. Nose Frieda. Kiddo thermometer (I advocate for rectal and often give a rectal thermometer as part of my baby gift at showers…they’re the only accurate ones.)
Anon says
My hospital gave us nail clippers, a nose bulb thingy and a rectal thermometer, fwiw. Most of my friends got thermometers from the hospital too.
HSAL says
I don’t know anyone who got nail clippers or a rectal thermometer, so it might be region/hospital specific. I use and love the Nose Frida and it’s so much better than the bulbs, but some people are (understandably) super squicked out by it. A friend intentionally left it off her registry and still got four from people who thought she overlooked it. If you know you don’t want it (or anything else you don’t want) I’d put it on the registry but immediately mark it as purchased.
anon says
My MIL’s friends wanted to throw me a shower so I registered mostly for that. I found the process very overwhelming but I used Lucie’s List for ideas. I also had a good friend who had a baby a few months before me so she gave me her 2 cents regarding things she used and didn’t use. Don’t let the worker at Buy Buy Baby talk you in to everything, or the most expensive stuff.
Anon says
The majority of baby gear isn’t dependent on how the baby sleeps or really the baby’s personality at all. I think the only thing that would be highly baby-dependent is a Rock N Play or a swing. Most of my friends swore by these, but my kid was a good crib sleeper and we didn’t see the need to purchase this additional gear. I also think things like wipe warmers and bottle warmers tend to be baby-dependent, and carriers are very parent-dependent (but also, you don’t really know what you want until you try it out, so might as well register for one and go from there?). But every baby needs a carseat, a stroller, a place to sleep (and accessories), a place to be changed, a place to be bathed, diapers/wipes, formula + bottles or br3astfeeding accessories, blankets, burp clothes, bath towels and washcloths, and (a little later on) a high chair. If you really want to put a bigger item on there for group gifts, I don’t know anyone who regretted purchasing a nice recliner or rocking chair for the nursery. You can always put it in a different room of the house if you feel like it’s not useful for the baby.
Anonymous says
Things like swaddles I recommend you register for a few different types or, if you think you know what you want, register for several, but only take one out to wash before baby gets here. Our baby broke out of the type we had five of (fortunately, those were hand-me downs, but I’m glad we didn’t have a bunch of new ones we couldn’t return).
Agree with others that carseat, sleeping space, towels, washcloths, changing pad, etc. can be based on your preference. Many registries have an extended return period, so if you haven’t used something and decide you don’t need it, you can return it and use the gift card for stuff you do need.
Pogo says
I love and use many of the items that were purchased off my registry! I asked a friend who had recently had a baby for her list of ‘baby gear’ and then I went through and figured out what I had from hand me downs and what I still needed. Can you ask a friend for their registry and their thoughts on what was useful/not useful?
Anon says
I would actually disagree with asking friends. My friends told me I needed lots of things that I didn’t actually need. I tend more toward the minimalist side of things and they wanted to have some version of every gadget available. Even for a minimalist, I think I was unusual in that I never purchased or wanted a Rock ‘n Play or any kind of baby carrier. Maybe these thing would have made my life easier, but as someone who is pretty anti-stuff, I managed without them and am happy I did. Unless you’re sure you and your friends have similar approaches, I’m not sure asking them is the best plan. I found it a lot more useful to searches for things like “essential baby stuff” or “what does a baby actually need” and then apply my own judgment. Advice here was helpful too, people were a lot more willing to be candid about what was really necessary than my friends were.
Anonymous says
Interesting, I also trend towards minimalist baby gear and never wished I had a rock-n-play or swing, but my baby carrier was (and still is) one of my most used pieces of baby paraphernalia! I found it to be a godsend for traveling through airports or walks in places that strollers weren’t feasible and now with an almost 2 -year-old it’s wonderful for outings where kiddo will want to walk, so a stroller doesn’t make sense, but doesn’t have stamina to walk the whole day.
Anon says
+1 to asking friends for their registries. This was so helpful for me.
Eek says
Don’t be me – Get everything you can ready and set up before the baby. It’s so incredibly hard to be assembling a stroller or a baby swing while also juggling an infant. (I know from experience.) Those few first months I had no time for anything extra at all, and unboxing and assembling baby gear, disposing of the boxes, etc., was surprisingly stressful and time consuming.
Heart-shaped says
I am 31 weeks pregnant with #2 and baby is laying transverse, which is so uncomfortable and odd-looking. But I’m most concerned about baby getting into the right position for birth. Baby #1 did the same thing and after soo much flipping at the end, ultimately got into the right spot and delivery went fine. I suspect these position issues are due to my recently-discovered uterine septum. Anyone have experience with this? I’m already seeing a chiro, doing yoga, spinning babies, etc. Last time I also did acupuncture. But I’m not sure any of it really made a difference – baby did what she wanted when she was ready. So stressful though!
lsw says
My son wasn’t in the right spot for almost my entire pregnancy, and wow was in uncomfortable! Turns out his head was in my ribcage, which explained a lot. Anyway, I had an ECV to flip him at….about 38 weeks, I think? I was scheduled for a C section in case it didn’t work (or he flipped back). But it did work! And I was able to deliver normally.
Lana Del Raygun says
This happened to me too! Except my version didn’t work, probably because the placenta was in the way. That head in the ribcage is SO UNCOMFORTABLE. :-[
lsw says
I had never even heard of a version before I was recommended to get one, and I’m surprised to learn how many women have had one, including one of my cousins! I guess we just don’t talk about these aspects of pregnancy, but I’ll be honest, I do because it was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. Ha.
Heart-shaped says
Agreed! and I guess not all OBs are comfortable with them – only one in my practice actually does them!
Lana Del Raygun says
It was pretty weird, yeah. Weirder than the c-section in some ways.
Heart-shaped says
Hi there! I actually had a version with #1, but baby flipped back right away. When I went in for my scheduled c, baby was head down, so I left! So I’m inclined to wait and see what happens but this is so stressful – and very uncomfortable! Now that they know about the septum, I’m not sure they’d do a version anyway…
lsw says
Ah, I see. I hope baby flips for you! So! Uncomfortable!
Anonymous says
Baby is going to do what it wants when it wants. I wouldn’t bother trying to move it. If it moves it moves.
Lana Del Raygun says
Especially with a second pregnancy, the odds are in your favor. My sister had two transverse babies and they both went head-down when they were ready. Tbh I would lay off the chiro and spinningbabies; there’s no real evidence they work and some aspects can actually be dangerous.
Heart-shaped says
Thank you! I’m curious about the evidence that chiro and spinning babies might be harmful – can you link to it please? I’ve been operating under the assumption that maybe it will help, but it won’t hurt, so why not give it a shot…
Lana Del Raygun says
The main danger I know of off the top of my head is the fall risk with some of the spinningbabies positions, and chiro is generally risky because the spine is just not meant to be messed with like that, although I think neck “adjustments” are the most dangerous. I can find more specific resources when I get home if you like!
Anon says
I see a neurologist and he is VERY anti chiro. Anyone who deals with spines etc generally is.
Anon says
I think all MDs are skeptical of chiros. They’re not doctors but they’re messing with your body like they are.
Heart-shaped says
Yes the neck adjustments (snapping?) freaks me out too, so I never have that done. But I have found that it’s helped with some of my other pregnancy discomforts (hip pain, etc.). I also think there’s a continuum of chiros – some are more out there than others.
Lana Del Raygun says
Chiro has evidence for certain kinds of lower back pain, but beyond that it’s all placebo. Unfortunately ECV is the only thing that works for turning babies, except I think there’s some equivocal evidence for moxibustion? That was too weird for me lol.
HSAL says
I wouldn’t try anything now, you’re still so early. I had twins and they originally told me Baby A would be locked into place by 32 weeks, but Baby B could move around until the end. Baby A kept flipping until right before my induction at 38 weeks. He was head down at 37 and 5 when I went to the hospital with labor pains, and back to breech when I went in for the induction. He was moving around so much when I went in that they weren’t sure if I should try to labor or go ahead with a csection. So babies are going to do their thing – don’t stress about it for the next 9 weeks.
aelle says
I just want to reassure you that if you go the planned C-section way, it is a much calmer affair than emergency C-sections. I had a transverse baby due to a low-lying placenta. The version specialists advised against attempting a version due to my specific placental configuration, so I went ahead and scheduled a C-section. Given everything that you hear about them, all the steps people take to avoid them, I was pleasantly surprised by how uneventful it was.
So Anon says
My daughter was transverse until 36ish weeks. She did flip before I went into labor. I want to confirm that transverse was so freaking uncomfortable, and bizarre! I actually remember the moment that she flipped because it was a relief and such a weird sensation. Here’s hoping your babe does the same.
NYCer says
My baby was breech basically all along. I tried chiro, acupuncture, spinning babies, and ultimately an ECV… None worked. I had a scheduled c section and it was absolutely fine! Honestly, so “fine” that now I joke with all my pregnant friends that they should get c sections!! It is very calm and I was fortunate to have an extremely easy recovery.
Bottom line, don’t fret if you end up with a scheduled c section!
Anonymous says
Agreeing with all the comments that scheduled c-sections really aren’t that bad! I had twins who flipped around for ages but then settled on transverse at 36 weeks, so c-section was the only option, but I found the recovery to be pretty easy.
ElisaR says
This wagon looks cool but WHOAH $600? I have a folding wagon that was recommended by other commenters here and it’s amazing. We use it all the time. Link to follow in case anyone else can benefit from it!
HSAL says
Ooh, I’ve been looking for a folding wagon. Do you think it would work for two mobile 10 month olds? I know it says it’s not for children, but I’m just looking for something to stuff them in to get everyone in and out of daycare. I just need decently high sides that would make it hard for them to climb out.
ElisaR says
yes, I used it for my son all the time at the age. It was great, throw in a few balls and he’s happy as a clam. Especially for before he could walk – we used it so I could bring him around outside while the older one did his thing. He still gets in it now at 16 months. I often have both boys in there (3 yrs old and 16 months). We used it a lot in the summertime to go to the town pool too.
HSAL says
Perfect. I’m buying it, thanks!
Anonanonanon says
I didn’t click on this particular link, but usally wagons in this price range marketed as “beach” wagons have wheels that can work in the sand, which is AMAZING if you’re lugging kids and stuff down the beach. Whatever design enables them to operate on sand tends to be very expensive. Even the ones that don’t claim to safely hold your children cost upwards of a few hundred dollars.
ElisaR says
good point, but no, they don’t say it’s a beach wagon anywhere in the marketing. The post just mentioned somebody that lives in a beach town.
Anonymous says
We have a Radio Flyer folding wagon. I’m not sure it will work on sand, but it is great for hauling kids and stuff to our neighborhood playgrounds and pool, and it was MUCH cheaper! We rented a beach wagon on vacation a couple years ago, and it was 100% worth the money with kids who were too young to walk at a reasonable speed across sand. Plus, super easy to haul all the toys, puddle jumpers, and towels. I might spend the money if I lived walking near the beach.
We had the wood Radio Flyer wagon (Town and Country?) for a few years, but it died after being left out in all weather and serving as a mud pie mixing bowl for too long. The kids looooved pulling it around the yard and riding in it. Wagons are classic for a reason! The folding one fits in the shed (we do not have a garage), so I’m hoping it lasts longer.
ElisaR says
https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Collapsible-Folding-Outdoor-Utility/dp/B00BUUUIGK/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=folding+wagon&qid=1553866745&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Anonymous says
Ughhhh I just want a baby so bad today. Needed to share.
ElisaR says
internet hugs. lots of them. i have been there.
buffybot says
I have been there, and it’s hard – whether you’re just generally feeling broody and it’s not the right time, if you’re in the early stages of trying and the uncertainty is both unexpected and really awful, or if you’re struggling with infertility and associated treatments and feeling like they will never work. I’ve done them all and it’s miserable, so hang in there. I would pass all the babies in the park outside my office and feel like it was a literal hole in my chest.
rosie says
More hugs. I hope you get the family that you want soon and with as little heartbreak as possible.
Anonymous says
Internet hugs from someone whose been there– I ugly cried every time I saw another announcement on facebook (which I partially blamed on fertility drugs). Take care of yourself. Wishing you the best in your journey.
KW says
Hugs from me too. I’ve been there too, down to the crying at every announcement and physically rolling my eyes every time I saw a pregnant woman. It’s hard and it just sucks. Thinking of you.
Pogo says
Hugs.
Anonymous says
Omg thank you everyone. This helps!
anon says
So, against our better judgement we let our DD sleep in the master bed 9 months ago when she was really sick. She now sleeps there most nights. I love cuddling with her and chatting before bed, but we need her to sleep in her bed again. Many times she will start in her room and then come over to our bed in the middle of the night because she is scared. Some complicating factors: she shares a room with our 1.5 year old and they go to bed at different times. I am hoping to combine their bedtime routines and bedtimes. Any tips? I feel like we need to do a big buildup like, “We’re starting a new routine! Big girl needs to keep her little bro safe!” And really celebrate the nights that she sleeps there by herself. Have you been through this-what worked?
blueridge29 says
We went through this a few months ago with my 3 year old DD. We explained that she couldn’t sleep in our bed, but set up a small pack and play travel mattress on the floor where she could sleep if she was scared in the middle of the night. That got her out of our bed, and then I offered her a penny each night she could stay in her room. Once that was working I got rid of the mattress and now she has fallen into the habit of staying in her room. Good luck!
FWIW, I would not tell her to protect her brother because she may resent him. Also, if your DD is like my oldest kid, he would immediately start brainstorming all the terrifying monsters he was protecting my sibling from which would just cause more nightmares.
anon says
Thank you! Great tip about the protection idea – i hadn’t thought about that!
lsw says
What are your kids talking about these days?
Son – 2.5
*purple bike at school
*Polar Express ticket
*Star Wars shoes
*ice cream cake (he insisted my mom get it for him when she visited last weekend, but has not actually eaten it)
*poopie
Stepdaughter – 12.9 (turns 13 in two weeks)
*Trump/North Korea/politics generally
*Ariana Grande
*Hamilton
*how much she hates swimming at school
*candy
Cb says
Son, 20 months. The pigs that he saw on his nursery field trip to the farm – apparently he took exception to them and just shouts no pigs, no pigs. Whether or not he’ll see neenaws, bin lorries, or tractors en route to nursery. And my mom being on an airplane and me being at yoga.
Jeffiner says
Daughter – 4
*her friend’s giant Paw Patrol lookout tower
*dandelion puffs
*wanting a pet rabbit
*peeing in the potty
*guns (We read her a gun safety book and now she wants to read it every night. She has reportedly been telling all the kids at daycare to “Never touch a gun!”)
I’m impressed by your stepdaughter’s list.
lsw says
I know! She starts political discussions at school; it’s pretty amazing. And honestly I’d way rather answer her questions on North Korea than discuss why she can’t have pizza/candy/ice cream/dessert with every single meal and for all snacks.
Mama Llama says
What was the gun safety book? Would you recommend it?
Walnut says
Son – 3
– Hexagons
– Santa Claus
– Chimneys
– The balls on the power lines
Daughter – 1.5
– Woof woofs
Son – 6 weeks
– Milk
anon says
ha ha ha – My 4 year old son was asking last week how santa fits down the chimney.
Walnut says
You’ll have to queue up The Santa Clause to give your son all sorts of insight on Santa going down chimneys. We’ll then set up our kids on facetime and they can discuss the logistics of it all ad nauseum.
Mama Llama says
Daughter, 5: Stars Wars in excruciating detail, princesses, mermaids, her “kick move,” who made poor choices at school on any given day
Son, 8 months: [raspberry noise]
Em says
I missed the break where you switched to your 12-year-old stepdaughter and thought your 2 1/2 year old was talking about Trump and North Korea!
Son – 3
– his new green shoes
– dinosaurs
– our dogs and who got him each dog
– the park
– our truck
Boston Legal Eagle says
Your first sentence – hahaha. If it was my son, it’d be him repeating “I no like Trump.”
DS1, almost 3 – using everything as a drum and saying “you have to dance,” “no, not like that, I show you” to me and my husband and then demonstrating dance moves. Saying gems like “I’m very very hungry” or “can you give that to me please” (points for politeness!)
DS2, 5 months – cooing at faces and toys, mostly. Skeptical sounds when trying new foods like carrots or squash.
ElisaR says
fun!
my 3 year old: spray bottle. Every day a spray bottle. It’s all he wants. He got it for his birthday and now only wants to “wash” our car.
16 month old: Ickey. (it’s how he says Mickey). he’s never seen a show but he knows Mickey the character and loves him. It’s basically his only word.
So Anon says
Son – 8
– Trains, always trains – model trains, amtrak trains, cargo train, the upcoming train show
– The “Divorcion” pronounced – divor-shon, i.e. the divorce between his dad and me and how great it is that he gets two big rooms to play in
– The injustice of the fact that is spring and there is still snow on the ground
– The mystery of where his left handed glove is currently located
Daughter – 5
– My Little Ponies
– Upcoming friend birthday parties
– Her horror over the fact that the “journal” she selected at the book fair had… numbers in it, therefore making it a math journal.
Anoner says
Ha! This is fun:
Son (2);
Purim, police cars, choo choo trains, ambulance, guitars, babies
Lana Del Raygun says
daughter, 5 months
– aaahhh
– eeoorrrg
– laaaAAAaaa
– [gurgle]
– rrrrrrrrrrrrrr
EB0220 says
I love this. My kids (4 and 7) are all about:
– unicorns
– horses
– dogs
– infinity
– communication
– unicorns
– the solar system
Anonymous says
6 and 4-year-olds:
-money, like how much does EVERYTHING cost
-rock climbing (specifically, their idol Alex Honnold and free soloing)
-moon landings
-the solar system
-volcanoes
-Pink Panther
-Road Runner and Wiley Coyote
-teenagers
-cherry blossoms
-spring, in general
-math problems (the 6-year-old is tutoring the 4-year-old :))
15-month-old:
-Ball!
-Bye bye!
-Bird! (I think!)
Pogo says
Son, 20mo: what the kitty is doing at any given moment, babies (both real and toy), lights. The last one is new. Points up at the light in every room and says “light!” with pure joy and fascination.
I basically have one long conversation with him along the lines of “Yep, there’s a light in this room. Yeah, kitty went downstairs. Don’t know why. Yeah, I see the light. Still there.”
anon says
Son, 3yo, almost 4: Parades, puzzles, trains, fire alarms, the (beach) condo we visit one week each summer, dessert. He also keeps finding reasons to tell me and DH, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit,” which I think he hears a lot at daycare.
Anonymous says
Lol, my kids keep talking longingly about “the lake house”, which makes people think we have a lake house, when it is really just an AirBnB we stayed in once, for a week last August!
Mama Llama says
Ha! We stayed in an AirBnB in New York last year, and my daughter keeps asking when we are going back to “our apartment in New York.”
Anonanonanon says
These are both hilarious
Spirograph says
Hahaha, my kids do this too! We have taken to renting a house whenever we travel, because it is just so. much. easier with 3 kids. Now my kids think we have a beach house, a condo on a ski mountain, and a house near my grandparents (AirBnB where we stay for Thanksgiving to avoid the chaos). We don’t even stay in the same beach house each year, but they are still looking forward to going back to “our beach house” this summer.
Knope says
Son, newly 2: What “time” it is at any given moment. Book time. TV time. Bath time. Car time. And, his favorite, Eat time.
GCA says
Son, almost 4: rockets, space walks, moon landings, the solar system, locomotives, dance class, ‘flip tricks’, going to his BFF’s house, unicorns, stickers, purple (his favorite color), treats.
Daughter, 7.5 months: ba ba ba ba da da da da ma ma ma.
Leatty says
21 month old daughter:
– Airplanes (we’re in the flight path of a large airport)
-Big trucks (we have lots of construction going on near our house)
-kitty cat
She also says “Mama” and “no” a lot; sometimes it seems like she is trying to set a world record.
Anon. says
Son, 21 mo:
– Pig! (but will not oink)
– All other farm animals – moo, neigh, baa etc. (But will not say cow, horse etc)
– Neerrrooom (airplane)
– Tractors
– Momo (Elmo)
– Bwabwa & Bwapwa (grandma & grandpa who came to visit last weekend)
– Park! (hallelujah that it is finally starting to warm up)
Anonymous says
Such a fun thread!!
Baby: dadadada
4 year old: various models of Priuses and Audi’s; toenail polish; flowers/flowering trees; grocery shopping; his imaginary stuffed animal family.
Anonanonanon says
Daughter (13 Months):
-“outside!”
-“Da da!” (but not mom.)
-“uh oh!”
-“tank oo” (thank you)
-“Besh oo” (bless you. to herself. after sneezing.)
Son (8.5)
-whatever they’re playing at recess (some sort of tag game)
-Video games (so much to say for so little video game time allowed!)
-Reading random sentences to us out loud from the book he is reading without providing any context, and then seeming annoyed when we don’t understand why it’s funny, or ask for more information so we can understand
-What happened at school (to anyone but him)
-The birthday trip he wants to go on in June
-Dungeons and Dragons
Anon says
At what age are kids too old to hang out in PJs like footie sleepers? A friend recently told me she thinks it’s strange that my 13 month old basically lives in her pajamas. I guess I thought babies/young toddlers could wear whatever. She’s still napping twice a day and doesn’t seem to be as comfortable napping in pants with a waistband, so we’d want to put her in pajamas for all naps and nighttime and and it feel likes like a lot of unnecessary work to be changing her into/out of pajamas 3 times/day. I do try to change her into real clothes when we go out in public, but sometimes we’re rushing to get somewhere right after she wakes up and I don’t find the time to change her outfit. Is it really that bad?
Cb says
We switched my son over earlier but only because grandpa nanny thought he should be in real clothes. But once they start moving about outside sounds right.
Anon says
My DD (20 months) stays home with her daddy – unless they are going out in public, she’s in her PJs until I get home (at which point she gets changed into new clean PJs for bedtime). And while he puts boots and a coat on her to go outside, the knees of her PJs spend a lot of time in the sink soaking for grass stains. FWIW, she sleeps in footless PJs because she’s got short little legs – we have to size up for the rest of her and need to be able to fold the cuffs up, which makes popping her into socks and outdoor shoes easier. We’re also currently in “not ready for potty training, but pants and diapers are for chumps” stage, so to avoid cleaning up accidents, it’s easier to have her in clothes she can’t take off all day.
anon says
I mean, she’s a baby so it’s not that big a deal. I will say that we didn’t do that. My husband especially felt that even baby pjs shouldn’t leave the house (except on rare occasions, like going to the airport for an early flight). There are comfy daytime clothes for her to wear to nap. If need be, you can take her pants off so she is just in a onesie and zip her into a sleepsack for a nap. Still, it’s up to you.
Anon says
Still really cold here – she currently sleeps in fleece footed sleeper + fleece sleepsack. I’m not sure what the equivalent of that would be without pants. Onesie + sleepsack definitely wouldn’t be warm enough. In the summer that’s usually what we do, and will add pants to go out in public.
Anonymous says
Hahahaha I thought you were going to say your friend thinks it’s weird your 13 YEAR old lives in her footie pajamas. ….so I think having any clean clothes on your baby is winning. With my LO, I put a onesie under the footie pajamas and throw pants in my bag whenever we leave the house, so I can quickly pop her out of the footies and have her look more “presentable.”
anon says
I was wondering the same thing myself. I have a six month old. I’d dress her in comfy PJs most of the time but wondered if it would seem odd at daycare.
anon says
I stopped putting them in footies in public when they started walking and wearing shoes because the footies wouldn’t fit well in the shoes. Before that I let them wear footies everywhere…they are babies!
Anonymous says
+1, when they start walking, they need shoes outside the house.
Mama Llama says
What? It’s a baby, who cares how dressed up they are? I love footed pjs for babies because you don’t have to worry about socks coming off and pant legs riding up. Mine is 8 months and wearing the one piece to daycare most days.
So Anon says
Babies wear whatever is easiest for their parents. My stance was that the person whose responsibility it was to wrestle baby into and out of those clothes in the event of a blowout could say what the baby wore.
On the other hand, my kids (5 and 8) easily spend one day per weekend in their pjs. If we need to go to the store, we slip bogs over pjs, put on a jacket and roll with it. I choose this battle as one that I don’t fight.
Anonymous says
I dressed my baby for daycare, but I took my two year old out in 2 piece pajamas last week. Didn’t feel like changing her. Who cares what your friend says. My two year doesn’t love walking in footie pajamas on our hardwoods so we don’t keep her in them that long, but I think it’s perfectly acceptable for kids to be out in pretty much any weather-appropriate clothing. And even if it’s not weather appropriate I’m usually too busy paying attention to my child to care.
Boston Legal Eagle says
There are objectively bad things to do to kids and this is definitely not one of them. I can’t imagine making a comment like that to a friend. If you want the kids to wear pjs, let them wear pjs. We changed our kids into little clothes when they woke up from an early age but that was our preference! Especially with the first, we had the time in the morning pre-daycare and we had a bunch of clothes just waiting to be worn.
Anon says
Huh? Isn’t that why they are called “sleep n plays”? I’ve been doing this all wrong if I’m supposed to dress my baby differently for sleep and play.
Anonymous says
Practically, I think once they start needing crib shoes/shoes. So for us that’s 9 months or so when mine stared standing and cruising around wearing Robeez or similar.
I do also like having my kid in outfits vs pajamas in photos occasionally.
Mine were generally out of sleepers during the day around 4-5 months, with the occasional lazy day at home or trip to the drs where it was easier to be in a one piece thing.
anon says
It doesn’t really matter and do what works for you. My son’s real clothes at that age were sweat pants and t-shirts. We didn’t bother changing him for naps. He’s now 4 and his real clothes are…sweat pants and t-shirts. I’ve tried to get him to wear jeans and he wants nothing to do with them.
Anonymous says
My babies were out of footed pjs as soon as either they were too warm or he was learning to stand (due to slipperiness). Baby sleeps in a bodysuit (in a footed sleeper bag), and I just put his stretchy legging pant things on him in the morning. My older boys sleep in their clothes because they take so painfully long to get dressed in the morning otherwise. At least in my family, little kids’ clothes are so stretchy and comfy that there’s not a practical difference between pajamas and day clothes. I say do whatever is easy and comfortable.
Anon says
All the footed PJs we have (mostly Carter’s) have a grippy pad thing on the bottom so standing and cruising in them hasn’t been an issue. I agree that when she’s walking she’ll need to wear shoes outside and that would interfere with PJs but we’re not there yet, so there’s no practical reason they don’t work.
Anonymous says
Haha, maybe my babies klutzes because those grippy things don’t do much for us!
Anonanonanon says
My kids were both early walkers so footie pajamas were out early because they slipped all the time. On weekends baby (13 months) might hang out in PJs until mid-day or so. We never go outside or leave the house in PJs, though. I also wouldn’t notice if someone else’s kid that young DID leave the house in PJs. I just really enjoy buying kids’ clothes.
Anonymous says
Babies and toddlers should be comfy. Put her in whatever you think is the comfiest.
paging Cb says
Saw your comment from yesterday about Pookie, glad it’s working out! Just be warned the your LO may be reminded that cookies exist when you get to that page and start asking for cookies…
Lana Del Raygun says
Those of you who have a 529 or some kind of savings or investment account for your kids, how do you decide how much to put in it? I’m looking at 529 calculators and FREAKING OUT about how much I’d have to save to pay for college, but then again I have no idea how much financial aid to expect. I don’t want my kid(s?) to have to borrow a lot, but I’m also saving for a down payment! (More generally, if you have enough room in your budget to save for multiple goals at once, how do you prioritize and allocate?)
ElisaR says
you don’t necessarily want to save enough in a 529 to fund college entirely… what if you kid gets into west point? or gets a crazy scholarship? or doesn’t go to college? so I think its license to not go overboard with funding it. I mentally aim for about half by the time we get to college. my kids are young now maybe I will change my mind as they age. I know, it’s still a lot of money, but just something to keep in mind.
anon says
I don’t have a family and am not a financial advisor, but the standard advice is to prioritize your retirement over saving for college (you (or kid) can borrow to finance school but not retirement). Beyond that, if it were me, I’d prioritize a down payment over 529s, but with some flexibility (so maybe 80/20?). Also, a general word of caution that I hear many financial advisors purport (I am an estate planning attorney so I network with lots of financial advisors) is to not OVERFUND 529s. They do come with restrictions and you don’t want to be stuck with too much in a 529 and not enough elsewhere.
Anonymous says
I have 3 kids. We are planning to save for state school for all 3. If anyone gets a scholarship, great! If everyone’s wants to go to private, we’ll bank roll the difference from income (right now we pay $45k/year in childcare…). Worst case we do a small home equity loan or kid takes a loan.
We know we won’t qualify for aid.
Pogo says
+1 on not qualifying for aid. I checked recently and with our current salaries we wouldn’t qualify for aid – forget it in 20 years.
Pogo says
Right now, we do the minimum to get the state tax deduction, plus any gifts given to LO for birthday, Christmas, baptism, etc.
We bought our house before starting a family but we’re looking at buying new cars soon. I think housing and transportation that is safe and effective for your current life situation should be prioritized over saving in a 529. So right now we have a chunk of change in savings and money market accounts that we’ll use to buy the car, instead of putting that money in a 529.
We fully fund our tax-advantaged retirement accounts first, then invest in brokerage accounts, then consider 529 vs cash for spending on assets (for us, the car). For those last two I couldn’t give you a percentage breakdown… right now it’s dictated by us needing to buy the car.
Anon says
I live in a state that gives us a tax credit for 529 contributions up to $5,000 annually (it’s a 20% tax credit, so if we contribute $5,000 we get the full $1,000 tax credit). So we put that much into the 529. I’m not interested in saving more than that in a college-specific account, because she may go to our great (and incredibly affordable) in-state school or decide not to go to college at all or go to a private school on scholarships or whatever.
I have posted this before and been called naive, but I’ll also add that we expect that our daughter would get a lot of need based-aid at an elite private institution, if she can get into one and wants to go. Many of these schools offer a lot of financial aid to families in our income bracket (we anticipate having more savings than a typical family in our income bracket, but your primary residence and retirement accounts are generally excluded from the financial aid calculation, and that’s where most of our savings are). We want to save for her education, but we don’t feel pressure to save $500k or whatever those calculators say Harvard will cost in 20 years.
Anon says
I also think if necessary we could bankroll the difference with our income as someone said above…right now we put over $50k towards a combination of mortgage and childcare. Those expenses will be gone by the time she gets to college, and that money will go a long way towards tuition and room/board.
Anonymous says
I do it based on my budget and tax advantage, not working backward from a goal figure in X number of years. College savings is not last on my savings priorities, but it’s behind retirement, emergency fund, investments and even vacations. So if I have $2k to allocate to non-retirement savings per month, maybe there will be $600 to split among the 529s.
Leaving aside that college isn’t the best path for everyone, there are so many ways to pay for it. Scholarships, loans, military service, community college + job for a couple years. DH and I (both veterans, military benefits fully paid our degrees) don’t feel like it’s our duty as parents to fully pay for our kids’ post-high school education (i’m not looking for opinions on this, you do you!). We’ll save for it as we’re comfortably able to, and help our kids make good decisions based on their options when the time comes.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I used mint to calculate what they think state tuition + expenses will be in 16 or however many years and set up a monthly contribution to meet that goal. We do monthly contributions for each kid and grandparents help out on birthdays and holidays. We currently make enough to do this, plus max out retirement and we’re close to having a downpayment fund, so I know we’re fortunate income-wise. If the kids decide on private school, we’ll have to discuss that when the time comes. In your shoes, I would prioritize maxing out retirement, then emergency fund (if you don’t already have one) and then skew toward house downpayment over 529s, but still put some money in the 529s to get the state deduction.
ElisaR says
state deduction. i’m jealous…. my state doesn’t have one!
anon says
The whole point of a 529 (other than tax deductions in some states for the contributions) is that you don’t have to pay taxes on the growth, so to my mind, they are not really worth it unless you’re giving the money time to grow. For that reason, I’ve tried to fund my kids’ 529s fairly generously during their young years and expect to taper off new additions by late elementary school.
anonon says
our financial advisor told us that we should stop after $50k for first child and $25k for second, assuming we can finish by kindergartenish for each. not that we must, but that we shouldnt do more than that, and all contributions should come after maxing out tax preferred retirement accounts. he expects that with normal growth that will cover ~1/2 of each of their colleges and we would cover the rest with income at the time. since the private elementary school i have my eye on is more expensive than daycare we are sticking with the goal of being done with each of these by kindergarten.
Wagoneer says
We have this wagon. A couple thoughts if anyone is considering it: we got it instead of a double stroller, and I still feel good about that choice. It’s just as maneuverable (or not), it’s really sturdy, and it has potential uses post strolling days. It’s a little tough to turn, but I think double strollers are too. We got it thinking our 2 year old would be more excited to ride in it with the baby than in a stroller, but honestly, 6 months later, he pretty much just walks all the time. I think the real answer for us with the 2 year age gap was we really didn’t need something to accommodate both kids. But if you’re set on getting something, these are definitely well made. The accessories are very expensive too which is frustrating given the wagon cost. At least as of last summer, it was eligible for the Amazon completion discount (15%? I forget now) so definitely add it to your baby registry.