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- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
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Kid/Family Sales
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- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 50% off sale styles
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DC SMC says
I’m a new mom to a four month old, and have two daycare questions.
First, any recommendations for good labels for daycare?
Second, how do you decide when to keep a kid home sick from daycare? My baby started daycare last Monday, and became really congested on Saturday. She is still very fussy this morning and I have a very slow day, so I decided to keep her home. But she has no fever or any of the other items requiring that she be kept out of daycare. I’m 99% sure that whatever she has (a cold?) came from daycare cause she hasn’t been anywhere else for the past week. Could I have sent her? If not, when is it ok for her to go back?
Anon says
Yes, you can send her.
Emily Sealy says
I like the Orbit labels for bottles. adhesive name labels for hard goods, Tag Pals for soft goods (clothes, sleep sacks), and left/right feet labels for shoes, all from InchBug.
Scilady says
+1 for NameBubbles
One thing to remember is that your child is unlikely to be able to read for awhile. Make sure you get an image with the name – one child has a rainbow, one has a penguin, so they can recognize their image and know it is theirs before they know their name. We also did “X Family” for clothes labels for hand me downs.
I got the silicone round labels for water bottles with the child’s name on them and then realized it would be a long time before they knew their own name!
anonamommy says
Those silicone round labels (Inchbug Orbit) are fantastic, though. My kid is 9 and we are still using the ones we got as an infant. We bought them when he was born, and they just live on his different water bottles now. It’s a great baby gift, too.
Anonymous says
We bough Name Bubbles brand labels for clothes/coats/sheets and the my work great. The sheets ones are holding up through weekly washings 3 years later. I have the inchbug orbit bands for water bottles and they are great. They go through the dishwater and 3 years later, look as good as new. At 4 years old, we are solely sending water bottles to daycare, and a mom friend shared this with me – buy 3 or four of the exact same water bottle and 3 or four of the exact same inchbug label. That way, there is always a clean one and there is no protests of “I want the blue water bottle!!!” They are all the same.
Redux says
+1 for Namebubbles. They are indestructable and yet miraculously easy to peel off when you dont need them anymore. Highly recommended after two kids and many years in daycare and now elementary school.
Anonymous says
She will likely have a runny nose all winter, so don’t keep her home for that. I would follow their rules to the letter if they have them. If not, keep home for a fever, diarrhea, and/or vomiting.
Clementine says
1. NameBubbles. Always and forever. They last wonderfully and are cute. Pro-tip – if there’s any chance you might have more than one kid and/or cousins who share a last name for hand-me downs, get an extra pack of clothing labels with just the last name on them too. I specifically use these on things like outerwear/sweatshirts/mittens/etc. and it’s super convenient if you don’t need to switch for each kiddo.
2. Yes. No fever, GI system working in correct direction at correct speeds/frequency, no rashes? Good. Send ’em. I keep them home if they’re so miserable that they can’t eat/sleep/breathe normally but if they’re just congested? I would send them. (Caveat being, you can tell if your kid is SICK and then I don’t send them in.)
Mary Moo Cow says
Great tip on the last name only, Clementine! I started doing that with kid #2 and it has come in handy.
anon says
I have twins, but we always used last name only for everything when they were babies. As elem schoolers, we still only use last names for all clothing/outerwear (it’s unique enough they’re the only ones at school/camp with that name) and save firstname-lastname labels for their lunchboxes and waterbottles.
AwayEmily says
Our kids have different last names (my husband and I alternated) so this sadly did not work for us. Instead I just stick several name labels on each one!
DC SMC says
I guess I’m struggling to tell how sick she is. She is normally a very calm baby, and has been crying all weekend if got held and has been having a hard time napping. I think I just feel bad sending her because it’s not like they can hold her all day at daycare.
Anonymous says
In addition to the official health dept rules about when our kid has to stay home from daycare, daycare staff recommends looking at whether a kid can keep up with their typical daily routine. If they don’t have any exclusion criteria, and they’re napping, eating normally, and happy with whatever their usual playtime is, then they’re fine to go.
At that age, I did a lot of work with my kid napping upright in the ergo when she couldn’t handle daycare. Much easier for little ones with congestion to get some sleep if they’re upright, and she usually got better much faster once she could get some good sleep.
And I agree with everyone who said Namebubbles. FWIW, my kid’s early toddler room teacher worked with the kids on being able to recognize their names, but having the little picture on the label also helps.
AwayEmily says
I agree you can send her. That being said, we often did keep congested-and-fussy-but-not-super-sick babies home if one of us happened to have a light work day, only because I found they recovered a lot faster when they were able to nap at home. Or, if they were still on two naps a day, then letting them take just the first nap at home.
Anonymous says
This is what we did. They would often sleep a lot longer in an ergo (front or back) depending on age. I could work like that and it meant they got over their cold faster.
Also remember half days are an option. Sometimes if I was up at night with a sick baby who was now sleeping, I’d let her sleep, WFH in the morning and drop her off at lunch.
Anonymous says
My car is 18 years old and I really want to get a newer one so that I’ll have the modern safety features (plus this one is going to conk out eventually!). Talk me through whether to buy a new car or a 1-3 years old used one. Specifically I’m looking at small SUVs like the Subaru Forester, which look like they are holding value so the used ones are not that much cheaper than new ones.
Emily Sealy says
We are firmly used car people, because we are frugal, like to pay at least half cash for our cars, and I like creature comforts. I bought my Hyundai Santa Fe used 5 years ago; it was then 2 years old and had low mileage but was the Ultimate edition, which I never would have shelled out for new. We researched SUVs and this one got across the board solid reviews (not all the best, but like, consistent 4 stars). (I had driven a used Forester for only about 2 years because it had a leaky head gasket that required constant replacing: apparently that was a known problem with that year’s model and DH eventually learned to fix it himself, but I wish we had taken it to our local mechanic before buying who could have told us that.) We financed half of it because loan interest rates were so low back then, it made sense to keep some cash. It’s up to 100k miles and I plan to keep it for at least another 5 years, knock on wood.
DH just bought a 2 year old Toyota truck in the fall and paid cash. It’s a pretty basic edition. He likely will keep it for 20 years.
FWIW, I thought that since I had kids in boosters and local grandparents I would do more hauling, so I bought something with 3 rows, and … we hardly ever use it. The cargo space is great! But even with all our kids’ friends in boosters, we never carpool; grandparents like to drive on their own; and the most adult friends I take anywhere is 3. YMMV but when asked, I’ve told my car shopping friends with younger kids to not automatically think you need a third row yet.
Anon says
We use our third row with our two elementary kids all the time. Our use cases are: 1) activities, we use it every week to rotate driving with others (and my spouse is even a stay at home spouse so it’s not necessary from a working-need-to-carpool perspective, more just that none of our parent acquaintance group wants to drive every single time back and forth to dance or whatever if we don’t have to); birthday parties so we all aren’t making the millionth trip to pump it up and back; out of the house random fun activities where I can let each kid invite a friend; out of town grandparents that don’t like to rent a car…
Not saying you are wrong, but just thought I’d offer that perspective. Plus I figure if you get one with a third row and don’t end up using it there’s not a ton of downside (we still just flip down the seats for the cargo when needed) but if you find yourself wishing you had one later it’s kinda hard to run out and buy a new car just for that.
Anonymous says
I buy new cars because the used cars aren’t really much cheaper than a new one and often have a higher trim level than I want.
We have a 2012 Subaru that we can’t wait to get rid of because it is a total lemon. It has two manufacturing defects that were the subject of recalls (transmission and oil consumption), and we’ve had to replace a whole lot of other things that we never had issues with on our Toyotas. I am pretty sure we’ve spent more on repairs than we spent to purchase the car. Our independent Subaru mechanic says that the quality really declined after 2011. I will never buy another Subaru again.
anon says
I have a 2014 Subaru Forester and I’ve been pretty happy with it. We also had to deal with a transmission recall issue, but I appreciated that it was the subject of a recall, so the dealer service team did what would have been a $5000 repair at no cost to us. Obviously it was a manufacturing issue, so I’m not going to give them too much credit, but I don’t know that every brand would have covered every penny of an issue that arose years after even an extended warranty period expired.
If you’re looking at value for your dollars and don’t need the best trim, I think the Forester is still the best deal out there for a small SUV. Another option if you don’t want to go for the Toyota/Honda prices (which are still not luxury obviously) is the Mazda SUV lines. They don’t have as much resale value, but if you’re going to drive the car into the ground anyway, which seems to be your MO, it might be worth a test drive.
Anon says
We have two Subaru Foresters – a 2018 purchased in 2020, and a 2021 purchased in 2022 (this one was the demo car, so it had ~10K miles on it but no owner and you know the dealer kept it in tip top shape!). Both have been fantastic purchases, no major issues. We knew we wanted Subarus again and didn’t want to pay full freight for the newest bells and whistles).
Our next purchase will be a minivan, not sure yet if we’ll go used or new. Definitely more inclined to do new if someone comes out with a hybrid that also has AWD.
Anonymous says
We typically go case by case on whether to buy new vs used. I like comfort features and so typically the cars I want are more expensive, and we buy those used. My husband is incredibly practical and usually wants something less expensive, so we consider new. But typically we usually pick out a vehicle generally and then do some research on whether used vs new makes more sense based on all the factors (trim levels, prices, inventory, how much we have to spend, etc.).
Anonymous says
Same. Sometimes the feature you really want or need is only in the new model, or there is a known issue with all the models from X year, or the 2023 is the same as the 2022, 2021, so you don’t gain matting by buying new. It’s very specific to the brand and what year(s) used model you’re looking at. Recently, with friends that have been looking at cars, new has been a better deal because the dealership has given extra years on the warranty and big discounts on prepaid service/maintenance packages.
anonamommy says
We bought a Subaru Forester recently and there was about a 15% difference in price between new and 2 years old with low mileage. We went with the new because the car loan rates for new cars are much lower, so our monthly payments were essentially the same between the two, and the dealer offered a good service plan with free maintenance for the first few years. Very happy with it so far. We went from a car that was 15 years ago and the difference in safety and handling is incredible.
Anonymous says
You need to take your local used car market into account. Every other house in my neighborhood has a Subaru (Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek) and either an Accord, CR-V, or Prius, and everyone drives these cars into the ground. For my household, a new CR-V a couple years ago was honestly only a couple hundred more than a used CR-V, and way easier to find. We couldn’t find any used Subarus last fall and bought new. Both were purchased during year-end sales.
Betsy says
In the current market, new seems to be a better deal than used unless you find a unicorn used car. The difference in cost is so small that it is usually wiped away by the lower finance rate for a new car (assuming you aren’t paying cash) and the fact that you get to drive it for that extra 1-3 years under full warranty. As someone who also drives cars a long time, I want to be able to pick my exact trim level so that I’ll be happy with it long term. I will say I’m not totally in love with my Subaru and I think I’ll go back to a Toyota after this, so I would carefully compare the Forester to a RAV4 and a Honda CRV.
Anon says
+1 I used to be a used car person but my last car was new because used didn’t make sense for that car at that time (and most cars right now I think) So you might be surprised and just end up going new.
anon says
Just wanted to put a plug in for getting a new Kia Niro instead of a used Forester. It’s a lower price point so you could get a new one and gets almost double the MPG (53 vs 28 or 35 if you get the hybrid). I’ve had one for several years and it’s a great size and easy to drive. It’s not AWD, but it handles pretty well in snow in my experience.
I feel strongly about climate change just cannot support Subaru. The company has crunchy, outdoor focused marketing, but doesn’t match that with environmentally friendly emissions.
Anonymous says
Ooh talk to me about this! We park on the street so I don’t want a plug-in, but a non-plug-in hybrid would be great. I was kind of writing hybrids off since (1) the RAV-4 hybrid is expensive and hard to get, and (2) I’ve read the batteries may only last 8-10 years, and I’d like to keep this new car for 15+ years.
anon says
I’ve had a non-plug in Niro for almost 8 years and love it. I’m not aware of any battery issues and haven’t had other issues. So far I’ve replaced oil, windshield washer fluid and tires. That’s it. None of the interior trim has been an issue either–it’s all held up well.
I routinely get above 50 mpg (close to 60 in warm weather) and in the low 40s in cold weather. It’s a bit of a dog, with lagging acceleration and you have to get used to that, but it’s otherwise really comfortable. Everyone who drives it is very happy with how easy it is to park and drive. Great visibility. Comfortable ride.
Anonymous says
Depends what you are comparing -the ascent has better mpg than the odyssey plus buying used is always better for the environment because manufacturing is the bulk of emissions.
Anonymous says
No sure why you are looking for small SUVs, but personally I love my honda accord hybrid. It gets great mileage, has as much cargo room as a CRV, and it’s cheaper. We got it new in 2021 because used 2-3 year old ones were only 2-4k cheaper. I would definitely do the same again today. We don’t drive a ton but gas costs are negligible.
Anonymous says
We exclusively buy cars that are 1-3 years old and pay about half in cash with rest we pay off over next 1-2 years. We’re team buy the nicest house you can and drive the cheapest solid cars you can.
Preferably still under warranty. Usually Honda, Toyota, Suzuki or Subaru. Still miss my SX4 and jealous when I seen them in Europe. Have also looked at Volvos but they are harder to get new used vs like ten year old used in our area and we aren’t ready to bite the bullet on the new price yet.
Currently have an 2019 Outback (swore I wanted a CRV) and an 2021 Ascent (swore I wanted an Odyssey, hated it when I test drove). Outback feels a little more lux than the Forester to me.
Subarus come in like 7 different trim models for each vehicle so pay addition to what you want when looking. I have the 8 seat Ascent which is perfect with 3 kids. They can each invite a friend for certain activities. And they can sit 3 across in the middle when I need the whole trunk.
New Here says
We usually buy used, but when we unexpetecdly had to get a new care in 2022, we bought new. At the time, used prices weren’t much better than new. I tend to drive cars as long as possible, so hoping to get 12-15 years out of this one.
I love my Honda Passport! Plenty of cargo space and roomy backseat, even with a car seat in it.
Cb says
I like the silicone bands for water bottles, I bought them off Etsy and need to buy a few more.
Anon says
Has anyone found a pregnancy info app they like? This is my 2nd pregnancy so I’m already reasonably well-informed and have an excellent Ob-Gyn, but DH is much more interested and engaged this time (yay marriage therapy!). I don’t mind one that has “dos and don’ts” as long as they aren’t crazy extreme.
AwayEmily says
I used Ovia and I would not say it told me anything particularly interesting but I liked that there were a bunch of different options for the “your baby is the size of a…” Fruit, toy, bakery item, something else. It was fun!
Anon says
I loved the little hands and feet on Ovia! Agree that the info was a little meh but nothing offensive.
Vicky Austin says
I registered through Babylist and the items it told me baby was the size of were absolutely bonkers. George Foreman grill, Mylar balloon, bag of Bugles.
Betsy says
Talk to me about pumping spaces at work. I am the first pumping mom that my workplace has ever had to accommodate. There are two spaces up for consideration. One is the office that is the absolute furthest distance from our office kitchen with sink and fridge, but the office shares walls with people who are hybrid workers that come in infrequently. My office manager is pushing for that one. My boss currently works in that office and would have to move, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable about it. The other is much closer to the kitchen, but has shared walls with men who are in the office every day. I think it would be easier to be more convenient to the kitchen, and not have to make my boss move offices. My office manager thinks that it’s really important to not share walls with people who are in the office frequently because she thinks I’ll be bothered by people being able to hear my pump. I haven’t had my baby yet, so this is all theoretical to me at the moment, but I feel like the kitchen convenience factor makes more of a difference. I also wonder whether her real concern is about me being uncomfortable with my male coworkers hearing my pump, or if she’s actually worried that it will offend their delicate ears. I’m also open to the possibility that I’m under prioritizing privacy, never having done this before. Which space would you push for?
anon says
My pump is nowhere near loud enough that someone would be able to hear it through an office wall, FWIW.
Anon says
If you’re not a super private person in general, I think the shared wall space would be fine. I wouldn’t have cared about people hearing the pump. It’s not like it’s a secret what you’re doing in there anyway.
Mary Moo Cow says
For me, the most important factors are does the door lock, will it be reserved for just you, and does it have a chair and a table? I would rather take the open office than make my boss move. I had a Medela and a Spectra and neither made enough noise that you could hear it through a wall (a cubical wall, maybe, but not a drywall wall and a door.) If it is a concern, though, you could ask your office manager to buy adhesive sound absorbing panels (I bought some from Amazon for my laundry room.) It might be awkward at first to know that male coworkers know what you are doing in there, but you might be pleasantly surprised: I worked with a bunch of men who were dads and they were cool about it (they knew but didn’t ask where I was going with a big bag a few times a day and just let me get on with it.) Worse than coworkers knowing what I was doing was people using the sink and microwave in the dedicated moms’ room to make oatmeal and let their dishes soak and saying things like, “why can’t I use that room to rest when I have a headache?”
Anon says
This sounds absolutely right to me. The only time I felt uncomfortable about the space I had was when I had to ask someone to leave the room.
EP-er says
What is the window situation with each of these? Does anyone informally use the space next to the kitchen? (like popping into the unused space for personal calls.) Personally I don’t think it matters too much, but I would want to be closer to the kitchen given a choice. I didn’t wash my pump parts during the day, just used wipes and kept them in a ziploc bag in a cooler, then washed at home. But if you have spills (heaven forbid!) you want to be closer to the sink. I also think that if the walls are thinner, consider bringing headphones to watch videos of your baby or listen to something relaxing rather than hearing men talking about work!
Anonymous says
Pumps are not that loud (and much less disruptive than being on a phone call!) so I would take that off your list of considerations completely. 100% co-sign all of Mary Moo Cow’s comments- way more important to have a lock and priority use of the room.
TheElms says
I always pumped in my office ( I was fortunate to have a door and work installed a lock) and you definitely couldn’t hear the pump through the walls. It sounds like a whoosing noise and they aren’t very loud. If it ended up worrying you could you put on a podcast/some quiet background music?
I would choose the office near the kitchen and not make your boss move.
Anonymous says
Pumps are nowhere near that loud. They only have the same volume (45 dB ish) as someone talking.
Clearly office manager has issues with pumping. It’s bizarre that she is so concerned about possible pump noise that she would make someone move office. Ask your boss to back you up on this.
Betsy says
Oh, there are big “well when I had MY kids I pumped in a bathroom and I didn’t complain about it, but moms today need so many accommodations” vibes going on here. Unfortunately this is a dynamic I’ve seen repeatedly throughout my career – the biggest barrier to progress is (some of) the women who came before us and don’t want anyone to have it easier than they did.
Vicky Austin says
Urgh, I am so sorry you’re dealing with that. I am too.
I agree with choosing the kitchen-adjacent office. Modern pumps are not any louder than an air conditioner kicking on.
Anonymous says
My work got me a little plug in cooler that I had in my office but could they give you one for the spare room by the kitchen so you could leave your pump parts and milk in there? That would be great for convenience! I’d prefer that to moving my boss and also not having to use a shared kitchen at all.
anon says
+1 that pumps aren’t that loud. Instead of having to bring multiple sets of pump parts (or wash at work), I would put my pump parts in a gallon zip top bag in a fridge to reuse throughout the day, then wash at home. If that’s something you might want to do, proximity to fridge becomes important both before and after pumping.
Anon says
Pumps aren’t that loud. Or put on some music if you’re that concerned. Sounds like boss is more worried about coworkers than you, which is weird. Just be sure the door locks – that’s the most important consideration.
Anonymous says
A lot of women prefer to wash pump parts at home because office sinks are gross and it takes a lot of time to wash everything. In which case, you’d really only need a sink for spills etc.
Echoing others, you really just need a locked door and a mini-fridge. You might need to coordinate with the office manager if you’d like the janitorial staff to clean the room.
Also as you think about planning… I struggled with supply issues while on mat leave with my first, but was able to mostly BF if I did *all the things* (teas, pumping after feeding, driving myself insane, etc). Sadly, returning to the office exacerbated the supply issues and I ended up bailing on pumping after a few months back at work. It just didn’t make sense to pump multiple times and not even get one bottle’s worth. With my second, nursing was much easier. All of which to say: You might use the pumping room for years, or you might use it for weeks.
Anonymous says
No one is going to hear the pump through an actual wall, and if they do it’s their problem. I would be much more embarrassed about asking my boss to move offices than about an audible pump. Do make sure that the door of the pumping room locks and that no one is allowed to use the room for any other purpose.
Chl says
The nursing book I had back in the day (10 years ago) suggested that (if your baby is healthy) if you’re refrigerating the pump parts you don’t need to wash them during the day. I would just wipe and wrap them up in a dish towel and put in the bag with the milk in the fridge so I never was handling anything in the kitchen, just sticking what was essentially a little lunch bag in the fridge. I agree with pumps being quiet these days.
Anon says
You cannot hear a pump through a wall… You just need no windows and a locked door.
Anon says
Agree with everything above. From a mom whose first son didn’t latch (exclusively pumped for mat leave only) and a second who nursed like a champ and am still going strong at 5 months (pumping while he’s at daycare), you may not even need the space so I’m not sure I’d make a huge deal out of it before you see what happens. I hope your feeding journey turns out exactly as planned, but if it doesn’t, don’t beat yourself up! I’m all for planning ahead but I’d be less inclined to make boss move if you find you don’t even want to breastfeed or pump from the beginning or any point after birth. Fed is best and you’re going to be a great mom no matter what happens! Good luck!!
first slumber party help says
I posted before about movie ideas – thanks all! Hosting a sleepover birthday for the first time. We’ll have seven third grade girls sleeping in our third floor play room/attic space. We have a couple nuggets I was going to lay out as mattresses (and the floor’s carpeted). And might put two on our big sectional or borrow a couple air mattresses. Going to have the girls bring sleeping bags. What else should I be providing here? What do I need to think about? There’s a TV up there for a movie. We’re doing hibachi in the driveway for dinner. DD liked the idea of giving PJs as the party favor so they can all match, though she’s not wedded to that idea… any other good ideas for me? TIA!
Anon says
i was also in 3rd grade when hosting my first sleepover, except my mother was insane and i had over 20 girls in attendance. another older movie idea is camp nowhere. remind them to bring pillows as well. i think PJs is a great party favor. have popcorn, food for breakfast, make sure the invitation says a pick up time, depending on the timing of the party, do you need another activity or game? i dont know if this is a crowd where the kids already have cell phones/tablets, but you might need some rules around that?
OP says
Oooh good reminder on the tech! And will definitely make popcorn, thanks!
Anonymous says
The girls are not likely to actually sit and watch the movies; they will want to chat or do other things with the movies on in the background. I wouldn’t start the movies until late evening when you want them to be settling into their sleeping bags. Before that, karaoke is a good activity. Put together a playlist of karaoke tracks on YouTube so they don’t have to search. You can get a cheap microphone with a built-in speaker, or even go without the microphone.
Anonymous says
This might go without saying, but if you’re getting clothing as favors, make sure you get the right sizes for all the kids (or a wide range of options) so that no one is left out because they’re bigger or smaller than the other girls.
Anonymous says
My second grader loves the Lindsay Lohan version of The Parent Trap. I missed the movie recommendation conversation, but just throwing it out there.
Tea/Coffee says
Are the girls into crafty things at all? If yes, low key put out some stuff for friendship bracelets – oooh swifty style – or gimp or similar. Some girls may, some may not, sometimes just having a little activity is nice. But only if your DD will use the leftovers.
Cozy socks as party favor are popular with all ages and might go nicely with the PJs?
Depending on timing and setup, if you are doing dinner outside, would it be dark enough for some glow stick bracelets etc? Add a little music and voila, instant dance party (hope the neighbors are okay tho).
Have fun!!
Momofthree says
I just saw this article about bus use declining, especially among college educated parents, in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/02/school-bus-era-ends/
I know for us & our elementary school (charter so pulls kids district wide) they used to have a few buses pre-pandemic but couldn’t make the cost work after 2020. Some kids ride public buses, some local after-care programs do pick-up; we do a combination of driving or biking (depending on weather).
Curious to hear if others feel like the data resonates. Also interesting to see the potential connection b/w bus usage & absenteeism although the relationship is probably more complicated than that.
Anon says
As a chronic 5 mins late parent (I read all the weekend posts about the late dad with interest), I *love* the bus. If I’m scrambling to get the kids ready, at most, we are rushing to catch the bus, but they are going to be on settled and on time for school. If I had to drive, I know my kids would be rushing into the building every day or waiting for me after school. I know this isn’t great for them — better that they walk in, not feeling rushed, and can just settle into school.
However, I also live in a teeny tiny school district, and the bus rides are quick and painless. I have lots of empathy for kids who have to ride a long way or sit in traffic on a daily basis. My calculus might change in this circumstance.
Anonymous says
Our district provides buses for all students who live more than 1/2 mile from the school. Since in-person school resumed during the pandemic, the buses have been running consistently late. I had to start driving my daughter to school because it didn’t make sense for her to miss the first half hour of instruction every day.
Our buses stop at nearly every house with kids. We live on a loop where the bus stops at least 7 or 8 times. If the bus never entered the loop but instead stopped on the main road where it connects to each end of the loop, no child would have to walk more than 1/8 mile to the bus stop and the route would be at least 10 minutes shorter. It seems like a no-brainer to reduce the number of bus stops and plan routes more intelligently. It would save fuel and would allow students to arrive at school on time even when the bus has to “double back” (drop off a load of students at school and then run another route due to bus driver shortages). It would also help alleviate the traffic issues caused by buses that stop at every child’s house. I know parents like being able to watch their younger children from the window, but middle school and high school kids don’t need that level of supervision, and spending 5 or 10 minutes to walk a small child to the bus stop is a lot less burdensome than having to a child to school and wait in the drop-off line because the bus is always late.
Anon says
On the flip side, our bus stop is 0.6 miles down our steep street. We are basically always driving to the bus, because we don’t have 15 spare minutes in the morning (plus the walk back for me; I have a first grader who gets distracted and need to keep him walking) and are often carrying things like cellos. I requested a stop be added to the other end of the street, which is two houses down, and they declined. I still appreciate the bus, though, as it’s an easier drive than going all the way to school, and the kids can walk home themselves when needed.
Clementine says
Ugh, very similar here. Our short, dead end street has roughly 15-18% of the kids on the bus. Like, it’s a huge percentage. The district has determined that the only option for a stop is on the main road with no sidewalk a quarter mile from our house. Walking to the bus isn’t the issue but the bus comes in a 30 minute range in the afternoon. So I end up driving in the afternoon just to avoid standing on the edge of the road for 20,30, even 40 minutes.
Most other kids pick up the bus either in front of their house or within eye distance of their house so they can wait indoors or run inside, but parents on our street actively need to be sitting there and it’s a constant source of frustration.
Anon says
Oh I hear you on the afternoon (I’m 2:06). It was particularly problematic when I had a kindergartener and had to be there for him to be let off. I’d get down to the bus stop 5 min early and sometimes the bus wouldn’t come for half an hour (and I had a toddler who didn’t want to sit in his stroller that long!). They did start using a bus tracker, but if I wanted to walk I’d still have to leave plenty early, and if the bus hit a snag or didn’t leave on time I’d be stuck, and couldn’t just pop back to my house for 15 min. So yah, I feel like a helicopter parent driving my kids home. The grandparents give a big scoff to that idea.
Anonymous says
I hope we switch to the European method of investment in public transport instead of school buses and all kids take public transport from age 6. Best way to get ppl out of cars and into public transport is to normalize it.
Anonymous says
Yeah, that is never going to be practical in the suburbs or in rural areas.
Anonymous says
The vast majority of people live in areas that are actually urban or suburban enough for this. Obviously not going to work for farm kids.
Anonymous says
No adult who lives in the suburbs and hasn’t had their driver’s license revoked is going to ride public tr@nsit. Think about it–you have to keep a car because you still need to be able to get places across town that would take 2 hours on the bus but 25 minutes by car, or to get places places that don’t have any tr@nsit at all, or to haul groceries and home improvement supplies. If you are already paying for the car and insurance and gas to your destination is 25 cents and the bus is $2, you’re going to opt for convenience and cost savings. And the population of a suburban area just isn’t going to be sufficient to support bus lines going everywhere you need to go running at 5- or 10-minute intervals.
Anonymous says
You do realize that Europe also has suburbs? And things like park and rides are already widely used in some areas. Express buses from suburbs to downtown or major shopping centre just make sense. Replacing 100 gas cars with 100 electric cars is not going to get us where we need to be on climate change. And a better culture around more active transportation would help with the national obesity and sedentariness epidemic as well.
It’s like the saying that the wealth of a nation is not how many people own cars it’s how many rich people take public transit.
Anonymous says
Paging all the suburban folks who were boasting last month about how they live in places that are sooooooo walkable. Unless, apparently, you need to walk 0.6 miles? What a joke.
Anon says
Long answer disappeared (in mod?) but walking 0.6 miles to school would be excellent. Even a mile! But walking to a bus that comes anywhere in a 30 min spread, and potentially missing it as you carry your enormous cello without tripping and damaging it, and then having to walk back home to get in a car and drive, is not the same. “Walkable” doesn’t mean walking to a bus stop to then ride miles to school; it means being able to walk directly to your destination
Anon Bay Area says
Normalizing better transit, biking, and walking is huge.
In my small city, the school district only provides buses to students when it has a legal obligation to do so, which means that the vast majority of students don’t have the option to catch a school bus. However, the city has done a lot of work on creating safe routes to school for biking and walking, so a lot of students bike and walk. I love being able to say good morning to the group of retirees who have their morning walk at the same time that I walk my children to school and briefly catch up with acquaintances on my way back home.
My kids’ school also encourages parents who drive to park and either walk up to the school or let their child walk a half block or block to them. I’ve gotten to know so many people this way! It takes no longer than waiting in a carpool line and is so much nicer.
FVNC says
I can’t read the article (behind the paywall). Our district, and I assume many others, is short on bus drivers. Our kids’ elementary school hasn’t been impacted by shortage, thankfully, and both my kids ride the bus and will continue to do so. Bus ridership and bus driver numbers, both dropped a lot during covid, and I assume districts haven’t recovered from that.
Anon says
I’ve heard that a lot of the problem with school buses is that they can’t find drivers as well. First, there’s the issue of needing a CDL. Then, you have to find someone that can work the unusual hours of morning and late afternoon, and they are willing to accept a relatively low rate of compensation for those minimal hours. Historically, I believe bus drivers tended to be people that did shift work that wanted to pick up extra income or retirees that had their days free and wanted the extra income. Those types of people are becoming harder and harder to find.
Anon says
I’m also locked out, but judging by the headline I have so much hate for the car pickup line. At our school parents will line up over AN HOUR early, despite repeated emails from admin to please not do that. (I know this because I have done pickup twice this year for an appt, and had to be on time so I also had to show up early. But I can’t imagine 100 kids have appts every day.)
It’s like a symbol of so many things wrong with society…firstly, the luxury of having hours to kill waiting in your car. Secondly, why are parents willing to make themselves wait for so long, when they could show up at normal dismissal time and make their kid wait 10 min instead. Thirdly, adding lots of traffic and congestion to the roads. And then, creating special snowflakes too precious to sit on buses and be inconvenienced.
That is surely a reductionist view. But it’s yet another example of “privatizing” a public, egalitarian service and inconveniencing many (see, traffic, congestion, pollution) to benefit the privileged.
THAT SAID, I can think of individual examples when driving kids is advantageous. And I certainly do it sometimes (hypocritically, lol). And I am concerned with exposure to other kids’ phones (and graphic content) and bad language, especially in middle school. The buses seem a sort of Wild West of behavior these days. Maybe the solution is to add bus monitors to every route
FVNC says
I do fear the middle school bus for these reasons. It’ll be a much longer ride for my kid, and while she’ll likely just have her nose in a book the whole time, I’m nervous about violence, language, and inappropriate material on electronics (all have been reported on middle school buses in our district, so this is not theoretical). So my tune may be changing in a year.
Anon says
Yes, I’m 2:21 and after that whole diatribe I have the same, documented middle school bus concerns. Even in elementary school my 6 and 8yos have picked up the whole gamut of curse words from a kid on the bus this year, which I don’t love at all. But I’m much more concerned about screens and general recklessness/bullying in teenage settings. So I may choose to drive my kids to middle, and because the middle is right next to the elementary school… It’s hard. Parents claim kids need phones for safety reasons, and yet I feel that having phones so young is CREATING (major) safety issues.
Anon says
As a counter point, my kids have been on a bus with middle schoolers since preK-4 and I have nothing but good things to say about that experience.
Anon says
Bus use seems common at our school. School dismisses late (3:45) so often a bus kid won’t get home until 4:15 or 4:30 which is manageable for a lot of working parents, so we know quite a few people who use it instead of aftercare.
We thought we weren’t eligible due to distance (we live 0.7 miles away and were told the cutoff is 1 mile) but it turns out we could have had our kid on the bus. I don’t mind though, I like the walk. She’ll take the bus home when she switches schools in fourth grade and has an earlier dismissal. I don’t think we’ll ever use morning buses because she’s a bit of a night owl and driving lets her wake up later.
Anonymous says
Crowdsourcing ideas: our PTO has an unexpected 8-10k. What has your PTO done as a one time gift or donation that has been a great improvement?
There’s a list a mile long of stuff they can’t spend it on due to restrictions.
Anonymous says
Not smart boards. Those things are useless and take up space that could be devoted to actual marker boards.
I would vote for something related to music, like a decent piano and an endowment for a tuning fund, Orff instruments, or whatever the music teacher wants and knows how to use.
Anonymous says
Oh, haha, never mind. Piano is more than that.
Anonymous says
– composter to teach kids to compost food from lunch/recess
– improved playground
– greenhouse for science classes re growing stuff
– bicycles and added biking as a phys. ed. activity for primary students. Students provided own helmets. Not enough storage space to equip/offer for older kids.
Anonymous says
Can they divide it among the teachers to let them spend for their classes? Our teachers always have stuff they want/need, and depending on the size of your school that would be a pretty good chunk per class.
Clementine says
Yeah, our PTO had this and they basically gave 1K to the guidance counselor who stocked up a whole ‘if you need it’ closet at school including socks, book bags, school supplies, etc. (it’s now resupplied via the PTA) and then every teacher got a big gift card that they could request for something like Amazon, Scholastic, Target, or some educational supply company. They were teacher grants and every teacher used them for what they needed.
I know one teacher got a bunch of more diverse books, another teacher was able to basically deck out the makeshift science center that she had put together over the years, somebody else did flexible seating, etc.
Anon says
Teacher grants would be my vote too.
Mary Moo Cow says
Treat the staff and teachers: snacks in the break room, $10 gift cards, clear a few small things off wish lists, host a meal every day during teacher appreciation week (alternating between breakfast and lunch) and serving lunch on conference and teacher work days.
Anonymous says
My teacher friends would view these all as empty gestures that don’t really solve any problems, with the exception of clearing classroom wish lists. Just buy the stuff the teachers actually want and need for classroom use. Lunch and gift cards and snacks don’t make up for the serious culture problems caused by district and building administrators.
Anon says
Can it used for teacher grants for supplies they’d like for special projects? I’m sure every teacher has ideas of how they could use money that would be more impactful than what parents could come up with.
Anonymous says
Do you have a gaga ball bit? all our schools have them now, its so easy to learn and kids love it.