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I’ve been wearing “moody florals” to the office for years, and here’s another one I cannot wait to add to my wardrobe.
Amour Vert has the loveliest prints, and the ones for this (washable!) silk blouse are no exception. This versatile blouse has a V-neck, single-button closure, short sleeves (perfect for layering under a cardigan or even a suit jacket), and a relaxed fit. It comes in 11 prints (some on sale!) and ivory, if prints aren’t your thing.
The Renata Washable Silk Blouse is $88–$148 depending on the print (my pick is “paysage sepia”). It’s available in sizes XXS–XL, but some prints are lucky sizes only.
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Cb says
We got the P1 (kindergarten equivalent) transition packet last week and I bought my son’s uniforms for school starting in August and eeps… how is my baby a big kid already? They are going to do loads of transition events between pre-school and school (go have lunch in the cafeteria, etc) so there isn’t anything we need to do, beyond enjoying these last few months of full-time care.
GCA says
Aww! Enjoy. I looked at my 3.5yo today and she was losing all her baby roundness and starts K in 2023. Argh! (She’s an August baby but acts older than she is – side effect of having an older sib. Alas, her BFF, born weeks after, won’t start kindergarten till the following year.)
Pogo says
It’s crazy. I was watching mine build Legos last night and he was so focused and concentrated, and just looked like such a big kid. I know he’ll do great, but it seems crazy that preschool is over already, feels like we just started!
Cb says
Right? My parents were marvelling about his ability to do a Lego set without any assistance, just wholly focused on the instructions.
Anon says
My kid is going to K in 2023 and I’m already weepy about it. How does it go so fast? Also she’s outgrown all her kid hangers and over the weekend we switched them out to adult hangers and that “milestone” hit me way harder than I thought it would.
Walnut says
My babies also aren’t babies anymore and it makes me sad. My husband is ready to fix that problem with another baby, but I don’t think I’m THAT sad about it, lol.
anon says
How do you use a dependent care FSA to pay for daycare when your FSA balance is put on a debit card?
Anonymous says
My FSAs have a process for submitting receipts if you pay some other way.
Anonymous says
You should be able to get the invoice/payment history from your childcare center, then you just submit the receipt to claim the FSA money and transfer it to your bank account.
AIMS says
This.but make sure you have the daycare tax ID on the invoice.
anon says
Yep, this. This is what we do with our HSA money for things we don’t put on the debit card.
anon says
My concern is that I’ve already been “paid” via the money going on the debit card so they won’t reimburse me because I already have the money. I’ve put an email into HR; hopefully they have a solution. The debit card would pay for like 3.5 months of daycare so I’d have to occasionally use different payment methods which seems annoying.
Pogo says
I just never use the debit card.
Anonymous says
Same. The money isn’t actually yours until you match it with a qualified expense, so just because it’s on the debit card doesn’t mean you can’t access it another way.
Anon says
Same.
Anonymous says
That’s not how it works. The money goes into an FSA account whether or not you have a debit card. You can access the funds in that account either by paying the provider directly via debit card or by submitting receipts for reimbursement after you’ve paid the provider. If you didn’t have the debit card the money would still go into an FSA account, but your only option for accessing it would be to submit receipts for reimbursement.
anon says
Ohhh ok, I get it now. Thank you everyone!
Pogo says
OP – it’s totally understandable, companies and benefits administrators do not make this easy to understand at all!
Anonymous says
Pogo, sometimes I think they do it on purpose so people won’t use their benefits.
AnonATL says
Do they have any sort of reimbursement option in an online portal? Our account lets you do an online claim or load a debit card.
Otherwise does your daycare let you pay week to week? Maybe then you could pay in person on a card.
Withtatertot says
I need some help with Mother’s Day ideas for my mom. DH and I will be going to a (vax required, outdoor) wedding the weekend of Mother’s Day a couple of hours drive away, and my mom will be staying at our house with our kids who are 2 and 5. This will be our first overnight away since the little one was born. My mom is super active and capable, and has a great relationship with the kids (she lives a plane ride away but visits every 6-8 weeks). We were hoping another family friend/relative could join her (mom is widowed) as we did for pre-covid overnights but couldn’t make schedules work. I am trying to line up some babysitting and/or play dates with families she knows so she can get a break, and if I can do that we might be away 2 nights (DH is in the wedding and will be gone both nights either way). I am trying to come up with something to do for her, both to say thank you for making this getaway happen for us, and for Mother’s Day generally. My mom is firmly in the “experiences over things” camp and we usually do a heartfelt card or small token for Mother’s Day. Lining up a fun activity for her and the kids seems right, but we are pretty covid cautious (honestly, more driven by DH than me or my mom, which is a whole other thing) and we’re in the NE with rising cases so it feels like a lot of things are off the table. Same goes for sending her off for a massage or pedicure when we return. Any fresh ideas here? Flowers? Bring home fancy baked goods? Stick with a heartfelt card? I stay home the first night for a girls night with her?
ElisaR says
do you have any “spa-like” items that you love? i went to blue mercury and got my mom some random supergoop sunscreen, my fav kiehl’s handcream and a fancy lip balm i like. It was a random array of things but things I really like that she prob wouldn’t buy herself and it was much appreciated.
AIMS says
I get my mom a plant she can plant every year instead of flowers, which she enjoys. It started by accident because the only place I could find to deliver flowers one year was a plant nursery but she now has all these beautiful rose bushes now on the side of her house & it’s become our little tradition.
Would she enjoy a subscription to something – maybe Audible or Britbox or Acorn or some other streaming service? You could even get her started at your house and then she can continue back home. I think a “girls” night also sounds fun – my mom gets the most excited about having a sleepover with me and the kids these days.
Anonymous says
Your mom will be fine! We left the kids at 2 and 4 to go to Mexico for 5 days this past December. Leave a list of local playgrounds, a rough schedule, and some freezer meals. We gave my MIL a nice blanket and a new cookbook as a thank you.
anonM says
Maybe you can plan a night for the next time she’s in town for you and her to go out to a nice (aka not a kid-focused place) dinner alone? My mom is also a widow, and very involved with our kids, and now that ours are a bit older (very similar to yours, 2 and 4) and covid is improved, we went out together as her Christmas gift because I realized she missed time with just me/another adult. She and I both enjoy the kid time, but it was really nice to talk about other things — including my mom, something not often the focus when she comes over to babysit. Hope you enjoy the time away!
Anon says
Flowers and fancy baked goods both sound good to me. Can you Doordash her and the kids dinner so she doesn’t have to cook?
JoJo says
I am having a minor existential crisis that is not something I’ve seen discussed here before. DD is 19 months, baby DD is due in June. I have spent the last 6 months working with a career coach and redefining my work days and how I feel about them. As a result, I honestly feel like I am crushing it most days. This new confidence/framing has also changed my clothing choices – I used to just grab whatever was clean-ish (super casual dress code; I go into the office 4 days/week) and run out the door. For the first time in two years, I’m wanting outfits, stylish shoes, and to change my jewelry up. But I am not also facing my maternity leave, where, much to my complete shock, I am disappointed to be missing out on some work things. I am not looking forward to being a shlubby, sleep-deprived mess all summer after all this work I’ve done to really feel like I have my s*** together. I’m in weekly therapy, but it’s focused on healing birth trauma from older DD to prep for baby DD, and given the timing of everything, my focus needs to stay there. Anyone have any ideas for re-framing? I am starting to feel a little restless or maybe resentful that I have to “power down” for a few months, and that it will take a while to get back up to “speed” or even a schedule.
AIMS says
I don’t know if this helps but I would be very excited to have a summer leave and focus on that. I had two winter babies and the nonstop layers before even opening the window was exhausting, never mind trying to get a newborn into actual winter gear. Get a bunch of long, loose sundresses and some cute Birkenstocks for yourself, relish being able to leave the house with baby in a onesie, & just focus on your cool summer of getting to know the new baby. Then upgrade your work stuff for the fall so you can feel excited for that. You’re doing great. Don’t think of this as losing steam; just more of a scenic detour.
anon says
To address just one small part of your post — I do think it is completely possible to still feel put together on maternity leave. For me that meant loose button downs or other casual tops, and non-athletic shorts in a size that fit me postpartum; personally, I did spend the money on a couple (two) nice pairs of shorts in the appropriate size and that felt worth it to me because I wore them repeatedly for 4 months. And the nice thing about the button downs is that even if your chest/stomach are larger than before baby for a while, those items will still fit later if and when you do go back to a smaller size. Add some cute flat sandals or stylish sneakers and you have an “outfit” that is still comfortable and works for postpartum.
Pogo says
I get this! Here are some things that helped me –
1) getting out of the house or having a rough schedule to keep that same feeling of ‘going to work’. I’d get dressed and walk to the coffee shop, listen to podcasts, and read the The New Yorker while baby napped in the stroller.
2) Staying in touch on your terms with work – I had a few calls with my boss, he knew I wanted to be in the loop on big structural changes like re-orgs, and I also still called in to conferences & all employee meetings, and continued by 1:1’s with mentors and sponsors. I also had regular catch-up chats with friends – the equivalent of stopping by their office to chat, get the gossip, talk about our kids, etc. It helped me feel like I wasn’t totally out of the loop.
Anon says
Machine washable wrap dresses. Great for feeling put together, easy for nursing if you are doing that, easy for weight fluctuations, and good for summer weather. Add them to your post-partum wardrobe for when you are ready to start wearing real clothes (my guess would be a few weeks). If you plan activities (even if it’s just going to the new mom’s group) and get dressed up for them, that may help with the feeling put together.
I think part of the reframing would be to think of it as an extended summer vacation. This is your second kid, you know what you are doing with less of that new mom angst, and barring complications for you or her, I would spend so much time on outdoor lunch patios, at the pool, enjoying those sunny late evening walks. I was just thinking on my way home tonight if there was a way I could drop to 70% or something just for the summer (not likely with my practice) and then ramp back up once summer is over.
I would not ordinarily suggest this, but know yourself. Would it help if you set yourself some goals or structure to the leave to help with those feelings? I’m talking attainable goals here. Like, I will read X books (if, e.g., you can read while nursing so it is likely achievable). Or I will go out and do Y activity (mom’s group, lunch with a friend, etc.) once per week. I have delusions of cleaning out my closet on my next leave and decluttering the house, but that of course is an unreasonable goal.
Anon says
I think wrap dresses are unflattering on a lot of bodies. Personally, there are very few things that make me feel frumpier and more out of shape. Sheath dresses work better for a lot of people, though less convenient for nursing.
GCA says
Is your concern really around this: having done all this work and made the investment to become a put-together person who is crushing it at work, you’re reluctant to let go of this part of your identity for a few months while on leave, and you feel like you’ll be ‘regressing’ in some way?
Perhaps think of it this way — the lessons and the actions from the past 6 months aren’t wasted. Careers are long. In another 6 months to a year, you’ll be a put-together person who is crushing it at work, now with two kids. You’ll be a role model for others in your workplace and a trailblazer for the younger women who come after you. Meanwhile, turn that fire and focus to getting the physical and emotional rest you need this summer so that you can go into fall and winter all fired up. Sometimes a field needs to lie fallow so it can spring into bloom again.
IHeartBacon says
“You’ll be a role model for others in your workplace and a trailblazer for the younger women who come after you.“
This + infinity.
Anne-on says
+a million. This is so important! I’ve informally mentored so many other new moms/younger women over the years and I make it a point to talk openly and cheerfully about my childcare responsibilities and how my family makes it work with 2 full time working parents. I’ve also shared before about how having a working mom manager when my son was small and constantly sick is the only reason I didn’t quit. I focus on trying to help pay it forward. The number of women I’ve known who worked full time through their child’s school years is vanishingly small, so I guarantee you’ll be a role model to another working parent!
Boston Legal Eagle says
Second all of this and I also want to add: it’s ok if it takes a little longer to get back to “yourself” than just right after leave. For me, after I had my second, I wasn’t really able to focus back on myself until he was around 18 months or so (the pandemic right before that happened didn’t help!) But now that he’s 3.5, I feel like I can slowly get back to focusing more on work and my non-mom self (this is very gradual, but every year is better).
Anonymous says
If you had birth trauma from your first baby, I’m guessing that experience flooded over into your first few months as a mom. I’m wondering if, without realizing it, you’re thinking the first few months after the birth will be like those after your first child, and therefore you’ll be regressing back to that place. But you’re a different person now: a more experienced mom, you have some healing from the trauma, you’ve practiced being a more put-together self, and you’ve gained some maturity. Therefore, just like the birth itself doesn’t have to be like the last time, the first few months aren’t destined to be a repeat of those first few months.
IHeartBacon says
JoJo, I want to respond meaningfully to your post, but I don’t expect I’ll be able to until after hours, so please check back then.
JoJo says
Thank you so much to all who have responded. Lots of good things to think about (including wardrobe!), and GCA, your comment made me teary. Seriously, thank you all!
anon says
Ideas on how to get a 2 year old to let me put eye drops in his eyes? Aside from strapping him down Clockwork Orange style. :) Every time thus far has been a nightmare.
ElisaR says
i would just focus on getting it in the inner corner of the eye, even though the eye is likely closed. it will eventually make it’s way in but there’s just no way to have them actually open their eyes while you do it.
Anonymous says
Yes, have their eyes closed laying on their back, put it in the corner and open the eye and it’ll fall in. This is what they do for my kids eye exam.
Anonymous says
+1
AIMS says
Try to have him lie down in your lap and tell a story about why you need to. When we did this with ear drops I think I made up something about a cranky little germ that wanted to build a house in the ear canal and we need to flush him out so he can go live somewhere else. My kids went for it.
Spirograph says
oh no, this sounds horrible! I’ve seen special “sunglasses” that have a little pinhole for light to make you look the other way so the drops can go in… I wonder if they have kid-sized ones and he might think that’s tolerable?
IHeartBacon says
Can you do it while he sleeps?
Anon says
Another dependent care savings account, this is the first year I’m using the money for summer camp instead of daycare (which is covered, according to my plan), but I don’t typically get detailed receipts from summer camps the same way I do from daycare. Do I just email each place and ask for those? This must be a fairly common request, right?
AIMS says
I don’t think it needs to be too detailed. It just needs letterhead, amount, dates and tax ID. Most places are very familiar with what is required. I would even put it down as daycare on the form you fill out because that is the function.
Anonymous says
If the camp won’t provide you with what you need, the FSA provider will usually have a printable form you can fill out and have the camp sign.
OP says
Thanks!
Anonymous says
We recently moved, and I do not like how the fridge is laid out inside (it’s a bottom-of-the-line top freezer model, and it’s hard to reach the drawers on the bottom and keep them organized). Our fridge is at a right angle to the kitchen cabinets so we can’t have french doors. Any recommendations for a new fridge?
Anonymous says
Could you just get a fridge on top w/freezer drawer with a single fridge door rather than french doors? That’s what I used to have and like it better than a side-by-side fridge/freezer or fridge on top w/french doors.
FVNC says
+1. This is the setup we have now — older GE profile model with large freezer drawer on bottom, single-door fridge on top. It’s much narrower than a french door model, but still holds a lot of stuff.
Anonymous says
I am in desperate need of inspiration for what to wear to work post-Covid. I had a pandemic baby, lost that weight (but changed shape a bit) and then started gaining pandemic weight, which is not going anywhere at the moment. I’m hoping it’s not permanent, so I don’t want to spend a ton of money, but DH and I are both working 60+ hrs/week right now with daycare meant for a 40 hr/week job, and we have a toddler who’s bringing every single germ home from daycare, so exercise and healthy eating have gone out the window. Very little of my pre-pandemic wardobe fits right, except for my shoes. I’ll have in-person work stuff starting in June, so I have some time to figure it out, but I don’t even know where to start. Office is nonprofit law, on the dressier side of business casual but usually not full suits (not in court, but a lot of presentations).
Pogo says
I’m in a similar boat and I like sheath dresses + blazers. Feels more forgiving and comfortable to me these days. I’ll do a ponte sheath and then a ‘real’ suit blazer, because I find blazers fit me in a wider range of sizes so I don’t mind spending $$.
Anonymous says
Thanks! I should’ve just thought of this. I’ve been staring at websites’ “wear to work” sections, which are full of flowy dresses with ruffles.
Anon says
I came back from maternity leave last summer. This was what worked for me– A stretchy A-Line dress that worked with a blazer (Brass Clothing A-Line), a few fit and flare dresses (Gap and Old Navy),and flowy tops with a skinny/straight leg pant and cardigans/sweater blazers. If you end up losing the weight, the sweater blazers and cardigans will still fit. The dresses and tops will accommodate weight fluctuation. You will just be buying different sizes of pants.
Pogo says
Exactly this! Even ponte pants can accommodate some fluctuation – it’s really just true tailored suiting pants that I find problematic – too big or too small and they do not work.
Anon says
Wait, are you me?! Sorry, no advice. Just commiseration and following.
Anon. says
We’re traveling overseas in the next 2 months, and I’m looking for extra eye protection for my 6 yr old kid during the flight. Any recs for goggles?
We already have a Flo mask.
Also: Please refrain from commenting on whether you think this is needed or not, whether we are Covid-fearmongers
etc.
Anon says
Is there a reason you don’t want to just use a face shield? That seems more comfortable to wear for a long flight than goggles.
Anonymous says
I don’t think shield would be more comfortable, but bringing both might be a good idea to have options or to change it up. I would try kid safety glasses from Home Depot/Lowes-type store. We have those for my child and that’s what I would use in this situation. I also would bring sunglasses, might not be bad especially if kid wants to rest and the lights are on.
Spirograph says
I’m glad you clarified, because I was picturing an old-timey open-cockpit plane and was so confused why that was your choice of transportation!
Goggles like chemistry safety glasses, or like swim goggles (eg, do you want the goggles to be airtight, or just prevent “splash” from all angles?) I remember my brother went through a phase around age 6 where he loved to wear swim goggles everywhere…
This sounds like a long flight, so I think the main thing here is something your kid thinks is fun, and that is not uncomfortable. Or maybe a couple options so if one gets uncomfortable you can swam them out rather than taking a break.
Spirograph says
*swap.
Anyway. we have costco multi-pack swim goggles (because my kids lose them frequently) and they are totally adequate. and amazon has multi-colored options for safety glasses. We got some for a Halloween costume, but they’ve held up well to a lot of pretend play.
Anon says
what is a Flo mask? we are flying this summer and would also like my kids to be as protected as possible. are these comfortable?
Anon. says
https://flomask.com/
Our ENT highly recommended them for kids. Seal is better than most KF94 (kid size).
Anon says
If it’s an overnight flight, a sleep mask is probably the most comfortable solution. I wear my driving glasses on planes for additional eye protection, but find it uncomfortable to sleep in them.
Also if you’re really worried and can afford it, I think business class is a lot safer. The cabin is much smaller and the seats are more spread out.
CCLA says
Have not used for your intended purpose, but we bought a pack of kids safety glasses for use in our garden (JustForKids EyePro) and they fit my 5.5 yo well and are somewhat wraparound in style, so might serve your purpose. Happy flying!
agh says
We’re looking at a potential rental house tomorrow and it has three bedrooms upstairs and one down. Would only be there for a year. The master is up, and in theory we’d want to sleep in that. Kids are 7, 5, 3, and baby. We were going to have the 7 and 3 year old share a room.
Would y’all feel comfortable putting a six year old downstairs while everyone slept upstairs? He’s my most independent so it would make sense for it to be him. We’d obviously lock the house doors and such. Or maybe DH and I take the downstairs room and put all the kids up?
There are very few rental houses in the location we want that can take a family of six, so we’re having to make some tradeoffs!
Spirograph says
yes. But in my house, we have the adults downstairs and the kids all up because we usually stay up significantly later than their bedtime, and that way they are all somewhat insulated from the noise of the TV, piano, puttering around in the kitchen, etc etc. and none of them have a good reason to be on the main floor after bedtime. There’s no “primary suite” in our house anyway, so this works better for us.
OP says
Good point! Should have added don’t think the downstairs bedroom will fit our bed – that’s the real motivation! And yeah he’s turning six in a month so I’m rounding up.
We have one boy and three girls – probably outing myself – so I like the idea of him getting a little privacy even though being downstairs off the living room is also the opposite of that!
OP says
The last rental we lived in before we bought our house, our kids had one of the two downstairs bedrooms and we had the master upstairs. They were 6-18 months at the time, but I considered it a non-issue. (Before 6 months we had them upstairs in our room.)
OP says
Hm, maybe we’ll put the baby down there actually – i hadn’t thought about that! Then the kid downstairs isn’t mobile.
This rental also has a pool behind a fence, which ALSO makes me nervous. Kids are going to love it so much they won’t want to move back into our house after it’s renovated I’m afraid!
Anonymous says
I would probably put the baby downstairs. But it really depends on your kids. 6 year old is less likely to wake in the night and need something, right? My 5 year old could sleep downstairs with a pool, no issue. He won’t even pour himself dry cereal without asking permission. One of my twins definitely is not that way. He’d help himself to a dip in the pool then head over to the neighbors’ to tell them about it. Tl;dr – I think either the 6 y/o or the baby will be fine. Try one and if it’s not working try the other? Sounds like a good rental!
Pogo says
Yes. My 4yo is even pretty good about knowing what he can handle himself at night vs what he needs help with, and comes to get us. I would be totally fine w/ a 6yo.
NYCer says
I would not feel comfortable with that set-up. Also, there is no way my daughter at age 6 would have wanted to sleep downstairs while the rest of the family was upstairs. Since it is only for a year, maybe you can make it work, but I would expect that many nights your 6 year old will end up in your room or a siblings room.
How old is the baby? Can the baby and 3yo share a room and the 7 and 5/6 year old? Or even the 6 year old and the baby (if you want to keep the 7yo and 3yo together for some reason)?
OP says
so my six year old is wanting his only room recently and starting to want to change clothes in the closet. he currently shares with his older sister – that’s what’s driving this. But that’s a good point that we could double up for another year at least and do two shared rooms upstairs if it came down to it. Whew this could get interesting.
NYCer says
Ah that makes sense! You could always try him in the downstairs bedroom and re-arrange if it doesn’t work out.
Anon says
I would not feel comfortable with that, but it could be my anxiety talking (I still shut the noisy baby gate on the stairs at night with the rationale that I would hear an intruder open it if one were coming!) With the pool situation, I would at least see if you could set a door alarm for the nighttime?
Other idea: keep baby with you for some of the time and then bunk baby with the 6 yr old or the girls for the rest of the time (depending on room size and configurations)
Anonymous says
+1 to a door alarm due to the pool.
FVNC says
A couple years ago, we considered buying a house with a similar layout and ultimately decided against it (for a variety of reasons). We didn’t love having a secondary bedroom on the main floor with parents sleeping upstairs, but I think it could have worked for our then-six year old — she’s a very responsible, rule-follower so we weren’t concerned with her getting into some sort of trouble (sneaking treats from kitchen, watching tv, I don’t know exactly what “trouble” we were imagining!). The only thing I’d say is, make sure you have an alarm on the exterior doors (like a Ring, if the rental house doesn’t have an alarm), so you’re notified when they’re opened. Otherwise, for a year, sounds like you could make it work.
Anon says
We have this set up in our rental home, but we have fewer kids. We ended up making the downstairs bedroom my husband’s office, but I did contemplate making it the baby’s room. If you’re only there for a year, I’d put the baby downstairs since they’ll be in a contained sleeping space and won’t know they’re downstairs.
OP says
I’m loving this suggestion. I’d probably set up a video to an ipad or something so she’s extra monitored but this could really work! Thanks everyone!
Anonymous says
Agree– we have 3 kids in a 3 BR house. We have a 4- and 6- year old sharing one of the two upstairs BRs, I am in the other, and toddler sleeps in the basement BR (so two floors apart from everyone else). It’s quiet and dark down there. He is still in a crib he can’t get out of, we have a monitor, and it’s worked fairly well.
AIMS says
If you’re only there for a year, can you have the 7 and 5 year old and the 3 year old and baby share two rooms so everyone can be upstairs?