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Accessory Tuesday: Anica Thong Sandal

Recent Recs

Cole Haan is my go-to for summer sandals that are comfortable, well made, and can be worn both casually with shorts but also complement a sundress. Their designs are restrained and mature looking (in a good way), although I love that these sandals are offered in two neon leather options — “pink glow” and “lightning green” (plus 10 other colors).

They are super fun and a much needed kick to my summer wardrobe. I can wear them with my V-neck t-shirts and shorts when I’m dressed casually, and my mostly black/gray business casual wardrobe when my office eventually reopens.

They are currently on sale for $59.95, marked down from $130, at Cole Haan. Anica Thong Sandal 

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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Sales of Note…

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

  • J.Crew – Extra 50% off sale styles; up to 50% off summer styles
  • Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
  • Hanna Andersson – Up to 60% off; up to 30% off select styles
  • Carter’s – Summer kickoff deals from $6; 40% off baby essentials
  • Old Navy – 30% off your order; girl/toddler/baby dresses $7
  • Target – Outdoor toys from $3; 20% off Sun Squad items; kids’ summer styles from $6

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About April

April is a working mom, a longtime reader of CorporetteMoms, and wrote our morning fashion advice for working moms from April 2018 to October 2020. She has one child (born 2/17!) and she’s a public interest lawyer in NYC.

Comments

  1. Anon says

    We had a new au pair arriving from Europe in August, who was supposed to be our childcare for the fall. (Our current au pair leaves in August.) Yesterday Trump ordered an immigration ban that will prevent our new au pair from coming until at least 2021. Ugh. So much for the best laid plans…

    What are you doing for childcare this fall? We have a pre-K student who was supposed to be in half day preschool 5 days a week, and a 2nd grader. It sounds like the 2nd grader will likely be in school 2 days a week with distance learning the other days, but nothing has been decided. No word on a schedule for the pre-Ker. My DH can’t work remotely, so he has to go in to the office daily as an essential employee. I have been working from home, but often have calls that last 5-6 hours and my office is pushing to reopen starting in August, just when my childcare disappears. We really need a plan, but I dont even know a schedule to tell a prospective nanny. I can wait to hire until I have a better idea of a schedule, but will there be anyone left? Daycare and before/aftercare aren’t an options at this point, as we aren’t on any lists.

    Ugh. Trump is the absolute worst.

    • Cb says

      Ugh, I’d find a nanny now, for full-time or a nanny + teen who will be on an opposite schedule.
      We’re waiting on an announcement from our nursery about reopening, if we could get 3 days a week, we could probably manage, but 2 isn’t doable. I’m hoping they’ll have to let him come back (at least for the funded hours you’re eligible for once your child is 3).

      • anon says

        I don’t thin a teen will work because they’ll have school (in some form) in the fall. I think my only option is a nanny.

    • fallen says

      Ugh I am sorry. We are moving (target date is September 1) and will be finding a new nanny, but super overwhelmed about finding one as I am sure they are in very high demand. I would just work on hiring one and tell her the schedule you need her for now and then change it later if needed.

      • anon says

        We really don’t. I don’t know if I need care 9-5 for 5 days a week, or starting at 1 PM 2-3 days a week (MWF or TuTh? or TuThF or something else). If school was back in session per usual, I’d only need 1-5 PM, which isn’t full time and is really hard to find when there isn’t a pandemic.

        • Anonymous says

          But there is a pandemic. You can’t rely on school or preschool being open consistently. So unless you have great freedom to work from home while taking care of kids, you need a full time nanny.

          • avocado says

            +1. It is very likely that school schedules will be erratic in the fall. If you can afford a full-time nanny, I’d find one now.

        • Anon says

          If you can afford 9-5 5 days, get it. If the kids end up in school, maybe the nanny can do chores/errands/food prep if you make that possibility clear up front.

        • rosie says

          It sounds like best case scenario, you need afternoons for 1 kid 5 days a week and full days for 1 kid 3 days a week. So maybe there would be 2 mornings a week that you did not need a nanny (the days that your older child was in-person at school). I would for sure be looking for full-time care.

          Also, I think it’s pretty likely that schools will close again and this way you’d have coverage. Even if schools stay open, I cannot imagine how they will handle illness — it seems like they’ll be sending kids home with a cough and who knows how long they’ll have to stay out. If there is a positive test in the class, will everyone be sent home for 2 weeks? If it is doable $$wise for you to get full-time care lined up now, do it.

          • NYCer says

            +1. Your nanny can run errands or do kids laundry if things work out so she has two free mornings. Or stay late one day per week, etc. If you can afford it, hire a full time nanny now.

      • Anon says

        +1 I think you need a full time nanny. It makes things a lot easier, and also…people want full time, consistent schedules. Your search for a nanny will be x times harder if it’s spotty scheduling or part time.

    • Anon says

      one of my good friends has an Au Pair who was also supposed to leave in September as it is the end of her 2 years, but there was an exception made where they can stay an extra 6 months so her Au Pair is staying until March. Is that an option for yours?

      • anon says

        Our au pair hadn’t wanted to extend, so we’d matched with an OOC au pair pre-pandemic. Then she changed her mind and matched with another family during the pandemic. Now she feels committed to stick to that new match, though there is a small possibility that she may change her mind.

    • anne-on says

      Agreed, and similar situation (rising 3rd grader). I’ve been doing the following:
      – Applied for (and should be approved for) short term leave in end of August to early September until school starts
      – Put in applications with 2 local nanny placement agencies
      – Created an ad on our local college sitters facebook group (we are lucky enough to have a bunch of local colleges, some of whom will be having kids back in person).
      Long story short though, it is a HUGE headache, and scramble, and like many others who use au pairs, we have no local family that is able to help (high risk on both sides). I hate this, and I hate Trump so much right now.

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      I’m sorry. This whole situation just sucks for working parents everywhere and is really hard to plan for. If you can afford it, get a full-time nanny starting for when your current au pair leaves (if the au pair staying is not an option). If the kids end up in school, then the nanny can help out around the house. Given the high demand for nannies now, you may have to pay a premium for quality candidates, but I think it will save your sanity.

    • strollerstrike says

      Texas Tribune reports that there is an exemption for au pairs?

      “It excludes agricultural laborers and some health care workers and includes a special exemption for the approximately 20,000 child-care providers who come to the United States as “au pairs.”
      Will link in seperate comment.

      Not sure if that is reliable but wanted to share.

  2. fallen says

    We decided to move to NYC this Fall (we live in the tri-state area now but not in the city). For many reasons its going to work best for us, but I am super overwhelmed about their schools and finding a nanny. Is anyone here living in NYC? Any advice on schools (thinking public but also open to private) and finding a nanny? We need to live close to Grand Central / Penn Station.

    • Anonymous says

      I have lived in Brooklyn for 16 years and have a 2nd grader in public school. I’ve never had a nanny but I know Park Slope Parents has a lot of good info on how to find and hire a nanny. Insideschools.org has useful school reviews that provide more context than just test scores.

    • Anonymous says

      Why? Moving to midtown sounds dreadful and staggeringly expensive and schools are up in the air.

    • Anonymom says

      You do not to live close to Grand Central or Penn Station :) those are not residential neighborhoods. Probably quickest easiest commute/family friendly areas would be Upper West Side (to Penn) or Upper East (to GCT) though you could also look in Chelsea/Tribeca which would be a bit further for to Penn than the UWS. Both Upper West and Upper East enjoy Central Park. I personally prefer Upper West, but you can get better deals on housing on the Upper East (east of 3rd Avenue).

      Upper East and West Sides have famously good zoned public schools. They are also where the top private schools are. How old are your kids? If you are applying outside of an entry year (i.e. K, 5, or 9) private could be tough, though with things as they are who can say. I second the rec to check out InsideSchools.org

      Finding a nanny should actually be quite easy given how many folks are giving up nannies/moving out. Plus summer/fall is traditional nanny turnover time. Once you pick a neighborhood I’d join one of the mom facebook groups for that neighborhood; there are always nanny listings.

    • Meg says

      A friend in NYC just hired an out of work Broadway dancer as a nanny for her infant. She knows the woman through mutual friends, but maybe if you can get looped in to dance schools/theaters/etc networks you could similarly find someone out of work with childcare experience? I have a few dancer friends, and almost all have had some sort of side hustle, frequently including babysitting. There are probably many performers looking for work in your neighborhood if you can find ways to connect with them.

      • DLC says

        Second this. Here in DC there is a FB group for artists and performers who babysit or nanny on the side. I’ll bet there is one for NYC as well.

    • NYCer says

      There are TONS of nannies available in NYC right now. More people with kids are leaving the city than moving to the city. Join the f-book group called something like “Have a Nanny, Need a Nanny LLC” or UWS Mommas or UES Mommas (I am sure there are other neighborhood specific groups as well, those are just the two I know). There are literally posts every single day by moms trying to find a new family for their nanny.

    • Anonymous says

      Echoing that living near Grand Central/Penn Station might not be the most pleasant option unless you have a significant amount of money to spend. May I suggest Forest Hills? 15 minute Long Island Rail Road trip to Penn Station, and there will be the same to Grand Central in the next few years once the East Side Access project is finished. Good public elementary schools, plus some good, lower-intensity Private Schools (as compared to the Manhattan privates.)

    • anon in nyc says

      I’m in NYC now and have lived in various places in Manhattan with a toddler. I’m not sure how “close” to grand central/penn you need to be but I would strongly, strongly recommend against living with a kid in midtown directly. Do you need walking distance to them? Also, your idea of walking distance may change once you get to the city. The citibike and bike lane system is also great here. I had a 20 minute walking commute to Grand Central and loved the commute but hated living in Kips Bay with a toddler. I think maybe a side street would have been a big improvement over a busy avenue though. It is just…unpleasant in midtown with kids. Not enough green space and parks, too crowded on the sidewalks, etc. My fave neighborhoods for kids in Manhattan are Battery Park City and Upper West Side. I think that near Union Square, Madison Square Park, Gramercy Park, and Chelsea can be pretty good for kids too, depending on where exactly you land. Honestly, the exact block that your apartment is on can make a huge difference. I think Upper East can be nice too but I have no personal experience with it. Check out the neighborhoods guides on MommyPoppins for more in depth info on each neighborhood for kids.

      Finding a nanny can be tough but once you know your neighborhood, you can join a facebook group for local moms and get recommendations that way. That’s how we found ours. Park Slope Parents has a great guide to finding a nanny and all that comes with it.

      There are paid consultants here that help you navigate the school system but we haven’t gone that route so I sadly don’t have any recs for you!

    • anon in nyc says

      I would echo all the comments of avoiding midtown as much as possible. How close do you really need to be grand central/penn? We moved from Kips Bay to Battery Park City and my husband bikes to his office near Penn and I take (well, took) the train to grand central.I miss my walking commute for sure but I would talk the trade off again anytime. I feel like I can breathe here! You could also go for Upper West, Upper East, Gramercy, Union Square, Chelsea, honestly, almost anywhere in the city but midtown! Mommypoppins has some good neighborhood guides.

      Once you have your neighborhood, join the local f-book group and you’ll see tons of posts of people looking for a new home for their nanny. and second the rec to check out the nanny resources at Park Slope Parents.

      For schools, I might look into a pain consultant for that type of thing. Or just accept that you will spend A LOT of time on research.

    • JM says

      We’ve lived in Manhattan for 5 years. I agree with the other posters about living near GCT/Penn station. Definitely do not. UES and UWS are both very family-friendly and an easy commute to GCT (UES) and Penn (UWS). There are a lot of out of work nannies right now, unfortunately, since many families left the city within the last few months. The book of faces has large groups for UES and UWS moms. There are daily nanny recommendations on those pages. With kids, I strongly suggest living somewhere close to some green space (Central Park, Riverside, John Jay) so the kids can run around. If you chose to live on the UES or UWS, I suggest picking an apartment on a side street (numbered street) as opposed to an avenue (for example, 3rd avenue, Lexington) for a quieter experience.

  3. CPA Lady says

    Random musing on a rainy Tuesday: This morning my kid suggested a breakfast made of an ingenious (if I do say so myself) combination of items she found in the pantry and fridge– heated up frozen strawberries blended with a few chocolate chips spread over toast, with a dollop of whip cream on top. It made me think about the kinds of snacks latchkey kids make and then it made me wonder if we’re going to have a second generation of latchkey kids this fall. Is Gen Z going to be a latter day Gen X? Are all these kids who have never even been allowed the tiniest taste of freedom going to be sitting at home, left to their own devices? It seems kind of cool. But I always loved being unsupervised. :)

    • Cb says

      That’s amazing! That is one of the few lockdown bonuses. We read a story with a cake in it (The Case of the Missing Cake, highly recommend it) and we made a cake on a random Tuesday AM.

    • Anonymous says

      Interesting thought! And I think you might be onto something. I think there will be a lot more unsupervised time plus less activities/organized sports. This spring I could immediately tell that more kids are playing outside than they have before, groups of tweens/teens just hanging out in the front yard. I do not like how overscheduled a lot of kids are and it’s something my family does not latch onto, so something “good” about this situation?

    • Pogo says

      Husband and I talked about this – it definitely feels like so many more kids are riding bikes around the neighborhood and exploring without parents compared to pre-COVID times. That makes me happy, reminds me more of my childhood where I disappeared on bikes with my friends for literally 8 hours a day in the summer. They’re not at camp or playing organized sports, so it is kind of cool to see kids just wasting time and being kids.

      I hope it continues – there is a wooded nature preserve across the street, and a little boy there about my son’s age who we ride bikes with sometimes. I love to imagine them in the future exploring in the woods, one of my favorite things as an unsupervised kid.

      • Anon says

        I’m sure there’s less exposure then being all together in school, but some of these kids are going to be hanging out together and not distancing, so is it worth keeping schools and programs closed? I don’t know the answer.

        • Anonymous says

          The kids in our neighborhood have been hanging out in packs throughout the pandemic with no physical distancing. This is not really new behavior. On our street there’s a big group of families that apparently don’t spend any time on extracurriculars, household chores, homework, etc. and just spend all their time socializing in their front yards and the street beginning at around 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, nearly year-round. I don’t know how they have time for this or how the parents get home from work so early every day. I don’t think it’s particularly safe, especially because most of the moms are nurses with potential COVID exposure at work, but at least while schools are closed I can keep my kid away from them.

          • Anonymous says

            Wow. Heaven forbid people live their lives differently than you. Or that front line workers might have a different risk assessment going on.

          • Anonymous says

            It’s not just that these people “live their lives differently.” They do not respect state public health mandates and deliberately create risk for others. They and their kids routinely get right in our faces when we are out for a walk or chatting in the front yard. They’ve been having large gatherings in violation of the governor’s orders. They shoot off illegal fireworks at least once a week. I could go on.

          • Anonymous says

            We’re similar to those families. I pick my child up at 4 everyday, and then we hang out outside until dinner. I work 5-7 am and often after my kiddo goes to bed to make it work. My husband works 9pm-12am regularly. You’re being a bit dramatic.

          • anone says

            I want to live somewhere like this. It sounds amazing, it is so lonely when everyone stays inside all the d*** time like where I live.

          • Anonymous says

            Wow. Until I got to the large gatherings and fireworks, I thought you might be one of my neighbors.

            Anyway, this sounds like my street for the last couple months, except I view it as a positive thing. I’ve never seen any evidence to suggest that kids playing with each other outside is a significant source of covid spread, so this doesn’t even register on my risk meter. I’m really glad there are 4-5 other front yard families with similar age kids in our immediate vicinity. My kids have been able to ride bikes and play outside with them while all other opportunities for kid social contact are closed off, and chatting with the other parents while we trade off keeping an eye out for cars is a welcome respite from work zoom calls.

        • Pogo says

          I don’t know. Personally I’d feel better about bike riding and hanging out on porches or at the baseball field than kids being together indoors. It’s a good point though.

          • Cb says

            Yeah, me too! I ran around in a pack as a kid and no one would let us in our house, so we were outside or in a garage all the time. I love this for kids.
            I do worry about the big groups of teens who hang out in our neighbourhood (and set fire to things!) Toddlers are gross but they don’t really touch each other but the teenagers do.

          • Pogo says

            The teens/pre-teens I see out and about typically sit in a circle on the grass, somewhat socially distanced (maybe not 6ft but like 3ft) and are just talking, maybe looking at their phones. Or they are actively riding their bikes around and yelling at each other (“Jessica, I said to WAIT for me!”). If they were being rowdy or flaunting any kid of social distancing I might feel differently I suppose. Usually they have masks hanging off their ears but not actually on, which is sadly what half the adults do too.

    • anne-on says

      I literally just said that to my husband the other day, with our new au pair not able to come, and the competition for paid help SUPER high, do we just give our kid a key?!? Ha. No, joking, it’s not legal in our state to leave kids under 12 unsupervised. Seriously though, I do not see many better solutions being proposed right now and I think its a travesty how parents are being left to address this as if it’s a problem we should just be able to solve if only we’d planned harder…

      • Lana Del Raygun says

        Wow, 12 seems super strict to me. It’s 8 where I live, and I babysat my siblings by 12.

      • SC says

        Agreed. It seems like everyone is worried about getting their hair cut and going to the movie theater, and nobody is addressing childcare. For fall, the options of school/daycare appear unreliable, and grandparents and au pairs are not going to be options for many people. That leaves… nannies, one parent staying home, and backyard “pods” (basically, unlicensed daycares), or just leaving older children unsupervised for long stretches. Super.

        I posted a couple of weeks ago about having trouble finding a school for my son with special needs. He was accepted into a school specifically for this population. The school scheduled 20-minute parent meetings with everyone for today, then canceled them yesterday because of the uptick in cases. The fact that they didn’t move it to Zoom tells me they have no idea what school will look like next year. (I know they have the technology to at least offer Zoom.) Supposedly, the full year’s tuition is due a week from tomorrow, but despite 3 direct requests for a phone call over the last month, I haven’t yet been offered so much as a phone call with these people. I’m definitely not paying until we have some sort of call or meeting, but we may lose the spot.

        Our public school system sent out an email saying they’re considering 3 proposals–fully at school, going in person a few days a week, or fully at home. Thanks. School is supposed to start in 6 weeks, and that’s the plan–basically, no further than the preliminary discussions in April.

      • CPA Lady says

        So, fun story, I grew up in the boonies, the for-real boonies where it was a 45 minute drive to the nearest town, you can’t see your neighbor’s house, etc. This was pre cell phones. One day, school closed early for some reason (and they either called and my mom didn’t get the message or she forgot to put the early closing on her calendar or something) and the bus dropped me off at home. And no one was there and the door was locked. I was 6 or 7 years old and ended up sitting in the yard for a couple of hours waiting for my mom to get home. I’m glad I was a rules following child with a good head on my shoulders and the weather was nice…. But honestly, I probably would have been fine as a latchkey kid even from a really young age. Some kids, not so much. 12 seems pretty old. I would say a reasonably responsible 10 year old could be left at home.

    • Beth says

      I love it. I’m convinced that this is a good thing for kids. I always loved the Boxcar Children books growing up and I’m sure it was because of the total freedom the kids had. When my kids were home, they came up with the best stuff. The other day my 5 year old showed up in my office while I was on a call with a piece of toast for me covered in cream cheese, blackberries and sprinkles. It was strangely delicious and who doesn’t love random snacks? It was so great. They’re playing with friends for hours, riding bikes more than they ever have, and I love it so much. I also feel like they have time to help with chores around the house which is both helpful and good for them.

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      I’ve also seen a bunch of neighborhood kids just riding their bikes and hanging out outside these past 3 months. We’re in a very quiet, safe neighborhood and I would be all for my kids doing this when they’re a little older. The difference in the fall is that a lot of parents might have to go back into offices, although I imagine most parents will try to negotiate some sort of a 2-3 days WFH schedule and coordinate with their partners to make it work.

      But yeah, I lived in a big city and rode the city bus by myself starting at ages 10-11, so I think kids who are mature enough are certainly capable of being alone.

  4. Pogo says

    Massachusetts moms – anyone got an official starting date from their daycare? I heard the portal finally went up for providers to submit reopening plans, but the licensers are overwhelmed and so no one I know has seen an opening date prior to 7/6. I’m super bummed because our provider had planned on opening this week, but she has not heard from her licenser yet even though she has done everything right and totally re-worked her space to fit all the criteria. Stocked up on masks and sanitizer. Did her online training. etc.

    I know the state is working on it, but gahhh is this frustrating. LO has been such a champ, but he keeps asking to go back every day because I stupidly told him about the planned reopening.

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      Our daycare is also waiting to hear back from the state but they’re still saying 6/29 on their website. It could very well be delayed by a week though as they’re not expecting to hear back from the state until later this week. One thing we did hear is that while teachers and parents are expected to wear masks, kids will not be! I’m a big proponent of wearing masks for preventing this, obviously, I just don’t see how my 4 year old can keep it on without constantly fiddling with it and it needing to be adjusted.

    • GCA says

      Ours just told us their application to reopen 6/29 was approved. I believe kids that age are encouraged but not required to wear masks, and teachers and parents will be wearing masks. (We aren’t going back for other reasons – DH job hunting, big kid goes to public K which is a whole other kettle of fish, toddler goes to nanny share with next door neighbor.)

    • Anonymous says

      My kid’s daycare is opening 7/6 (we are not sending her bc i have two other kids home and got a sitter). A few centers in my town have decided to wait until fall to open. Another is opening next week.

    • Pogo says

      Thanks – in the interim I also was told 7/6 by my daycare. Next week I think we’ll be able to manage as it will be a light week with the holiday. Will be interesting to follow these 6/29 ones to see if they happen – that is earlier than anything I had heard locally.

      I had heard about the mask update, though by that point one of the other moms had already ordered matching toddler-sized masks for the kids! I also have my doubts they will wear them. I could see the provider putting them on for neighborhood walks, though, and since the kids are used to that they will probably comply.

    • Anonymous says

      Our daycare actually opened yesterday, 6/22. We are sending our kids back next week for the short week. Masks are not required for the kids, just the teachers.

    • EDW says

      Bright Horizons (at least our center) is not reopening until 8/24, and re-enrollment (since they will have reduced capacity) kicks off the first week of August. I will be on maternity leave with our second by then, so not clear when we will try to send our preschooler back (would love to get him back into the routine and hold the spot until my leave is up, but querying whether it will be “worth it” depending on how the reopening criteria are actually implemented). We’re hearing masks are encouraged but not required for the kids, but the larger concern I have is over the daily health screens at dropoff. Temperature checks and restrictions around attending with a fever are all par for the course, but many “COVID symptoms”, especially for little kids who may not be short of breath, etc., just mirror other respiratory illnesses. So I’m wondering, especially as we head into the fall/winter season–if my kid has a cough or a cold, will I need to keep him home for a week? Two weeks? At that point, I don’t think it makes sense to pay for full-time care.

  5. Anon says

    a few weeks ago there was a lengthy discussion about the trip trapp high chair and i think we are going to take the plunge. but now for the color, because there are so many choices! we currently rent an apartment but are hoping to buy a house next year, so thinking of going with grey wash or white wash to keep it more neutral. do they chip easily? do they sell paint pens for touch up?

    • Cb says

      Ours is on it’s 2nd family / 3rd kid and doesn’t have any chips. We have the bright red which wouldn’t have been my aesthetic choice but they are incredibly sturdy. I’d choose something fun.

    • AwayEmily says

      I agree with your neutral instinct…we have two light wood ones and like them because they blend in and doesn’t seem as much HEY I AM A HIGH CHAIR. And keep in mind that you may be using them for a long time — we are planning on keeping our kids using them until they are old enough to sit comfortably in adult chairs.

    • anon says

      I would recommend paying the extra 50 bucks or so for the “oak” version. I’ve seen both and the oak look is much nicer. We went for the oak black with a black tray and baby set and I love the look of it!

    • Ms B says

      We got black to match our kitchen table and chairs. We are over eight years in (although daily use stopped a few years ago) and have only a few very small chips (and The Kid is hard on everything). One of the pluses of black is that it is the easiest color to match for touch-up pens. I fully expect to sell it for $100 in a few years once our friends’ kids are all into regular chairs.

    • Walnut says

      We have a maple, blue/grey and sea green/teal-ish.. I love them all and none have chipped or shown a smidge or wear.

  6. Another Tripp Trapp question says

    Has anyone recently bought a Tripp Trapp chair? I’m convinced, but then I saw some a review online indicating that the 2020 model had changed and people didn’t like it as much. It also indicated that it no longer has a harness. Is there any truth to this? It’s so hard to know what to trust.

      • Another Tripp Trapp question says

        Reviews on either Target or Amazon. So definitely not a reliable source!

    • anon says

      So…the harness is not included with chair itself anymore. This is apparently due to some new safety regulations. The harness comes with the babyset. We have the old model with the harness attached to the chair which I really like. We just ordered a second (new model) one for the grandparents house without realizing the issue. This is particularly annoying because my kid has outgrown the babyset but still definitely still needs the harness. I think this is likely where the annoyance comes from and I am definitely annoyed! For right now, we added the babyset back on to the chair and my dad was able to separate the clip piece from the babyset and jury rig it somehow. We have yet to use it but in pictures it looks pretty good. He’s very handy though. I”m not sure I could have done it myself.

  7. Boston Legal Eagle says

    How do you get your toddlers to keep their hats on? Any particular kinds/brands that work better? We are very pale and burn easily and while my toddler is mostly in the stroller or in the shade for outside time now, when they go back to daycare, I’d like a hat on him that stays put. Our older one was the same at this age but now we can reason with him to wear his wide brimmed hat to prevent sunburns and so that he can stay outside longer. We’ve got hats with straps but the 1.5 year old just tears them off. They both wear sunscreen outside as well.

    • AwayEmily says

      We “hat-trained” our kids at around 18 months. Both our kids have Sunday Afternoon kids play hats — they are very comfortable and provide a lot of coverage. Basically, our hat-training involved taking the kid somewhere outdoors and very fun, and making participation dependent on wearing the hat. Every time the kid takes the hat off, say “hat stays on” and put it back on. Do it again and again. When you finally get sick of doing this, say “okay, if you keep taking off your hat we are going inside.” And leave the fun place, making very clear you are doing it because they will not wear the hat.

      Repeat as needed.

      With my first we did it at a new-to-her playground, but with my second we did it strawberry picking and I have such a vivid memory of him screaming NOOO while covered in strawberry. But, both of them now keep their hats on with no complaint.

      • CCLA says

        We also love those hats and “hat trained” both kids very early so they e never known any differently and go along with it without protest. It helps that DH and I wear some sort of hat too so they get that it’s a whole family rule and not just for them.

    • Anne says

      Do either you or your co-parent have a sports team hat that you often wear? What’s worked best is for my toddler to have a matching baseball cap to my husband. She’s dying to wear that thing to be like daddy. YMMV.

      • Pogo says

        +1, LO is obsessed with his Red Sox hat. But I also think I just got lucky that keeping his hat on his something he usually does. I always let him choose, too: “Do you want your baseball hat or the turtles or the blue one?” Turtles and the blue one are sun hats that cover ears and neck so I prefer those for like, the beach, but if he’s home and opts to wear the baseball hat I just slather up the neck and ears extra with mineral based 30+.

        When he was <2 yo I always did straps, but he didn't rip it off. The straps were more because it would naturally fall off and he didn't have the dexterity or awareness to catch it and put it back on. I don't think straps will deter a hat-hating kiddo, unfortunately.

        There's also always bribery.

      • Anon says

        +1. No amount of hat training worked for our kiddo, so we 1) primarily go out in shade in the early evening hours and 2) she wears a matching Nationals hat to DH.

    • Anonymous says

      I have 3 kids. My oldest loved hats and wore them without fight. My second had none of it. HOWEVER, she would wear a baseball hat, backwards. We found a toddler sized one and she wore it happily (only if it was backwards) all summer. My third I “hat trained” mostly by “letting” her wear one like the big kids.

    • Meg says

      My 2 yo has a bucket hat he wears outside every day. He loves it and runs around yelling “my hat!” when getting ready to go out. But he rejects any other kind of hat (baseball caps, hats with straps, costume hats). So it might just be trial and error for what they like. But try a bucket hat!

  8. ifiknew says

    Any quiet time tips? My 3 year old is ready to give up her nap and I really want her to stay occupied during quiet time. She’s showing an interest in following the rules and staying in her room but she gets bored if it’s just her toys, particularly because thats what we play with all day. she gets 3-4 hours of screen time now so I really want this to be a no screen time. I really want her to listen to some audiobooks and she’s just starting to get into them, but do I put apps on an old phone with no other entertainment? How do people do audiobooks? Any other toys or activities you use for quiet time would be greatly appreciated.

    • Anonymous says

      Noooooo don’t give her a phone. Danger zone. An Alexa will play audio books

      • Pigpen's Mama says

        +1

        We use an Echo for audiobooks.

        What about Magnatiles or something she can play with on her own that she would only use during quiet time in her room . A special toy never worked for us, but I didn’t try too hard, since she dropped the nap in the before times, and it was just the weekend then. Whooops.

        • Realist says

          How does the Echo work? Is it possible to lock it down so the only thing it can do is play audiobooks from a preset library? Because otherwise I like the idea of a phone that has all other apps uninstalled and just audiobooks available. I’m confident I could set up something for an old phone like that. I’m not so sure I could lock down an Echo like that, but I don’t know much about it. I’m not OP, but I’ve been trying to think of a way to get a device that only plays audiobooks for similar reasons to OP.

          • Anonymous says

            What if you put a Bluetooth speaker in the room and streamed audiobooks from a device outside the room?

          • Realist says

            For our purposes, I would be looking for audiobooks that could be played when my child is having trouble falling asleep or when she wakes up too early, so I would like for her to be able to select the books at the times she needs them and keep track of her own progress through a book. Especially in the morning, since I could set up an audiobook at bedtime but would not want to do so at 5am. So for us, a bluetooth speaker would not work. Though I like the idea of a bluetooth speaker for a 3yo’s quiet time.

    • AwayEmily says

      YES to audiobooks/podcasts — we found the best luck in starting with books she was already familiar with. Or, the Disney Story Central podcast has retellings of Disney movies if she likes those. We don’t make her stay in her room — instead, we tell her that we will not play with her during “quiet time,” and she needs to play quietly on her own. So, often I will sit in the living room working and she will listen to her audiobooks and play/draw/etc. When the audiobook is over she takes it to me to start the next one (so, she does not touch the phone herself).

    • Cb says

      We’re trying this with my son this week, so following along with interest. His train set is set-up in his room so I think he’d play that. Is there some sort of engrossing toy that only comes out for quiet time?

      • AwayEmily says

        No, though sometimes I remind her of some toys she hasn’t played with for awhile (magnatiles, etc). We’ve also had good luck going outside for quiet time — I bring a book or laptop, and have her pack a little bag with whatever toys she wants to bring, a snack, and a water bottle. Then we spread the picnic blanket outside and she listens to an audiobook and plays while I work.

    • Anonymous says

      Kiddo has a CD player (about $35 from Amazon) and some Disney books with CD. I’d also recommend an Okay to Wake clock, shut the door, and just let her figure it out. In our house (1) quiet time is really for adults, and (2) getting to be in her room but awake will be a big treat.

    • sg says

      You could teach her how to use a cd player or use a Bluetooth speaker that you control on your phone.
      My 3yo will play with her dolls if she doesn’t nap for about an hour. I’ve seen others have a special quiet time box of toys that only come out then.

    • Emily S. says

      My soon to be 3 year old “reads” to herself. She gets a big pile of books from her bookshelf and sits down on her bed just flipping through them, speaking the lines she knows and making up what she doesn’t remember. I like your instinct of reading, and maybe encouraging her to read from books would work. Other than that, playing with stuffed animals or dolls or other special toys that live only in her room?

    • Spirograph says

      We have a bluetooth speaker and I just link up my (or DH’s) phone to that and set it in do-not-disturb mode.

      Activity books (letter tracing, mazes, hidden picture), coloring books, sticker books, etc are a hit with one of my kids during quiet time as well. Warning: this might also result in coloring on the wall and stickers on the bed frame.

    • rosie says

      We try to have special toys that are just quiet time toys. Colorforms, puzzles (we have a fishing puzzle that is a big hit right now), and interactive books (like one with magnets, one with felt pieces, etc.). I’ll usually put some of those out along with books for her to “read.”

      • Pogo says

        Can you give more details on the interactive books? Specific examples? I like these ideas as quiet-time only toys.

        Only success I’ve had so far was reading books to himself. He will also sing to himself which is a perfectly acceptable quiet time activity to me. My problem is when he’s just being defiant and runs out of the room grinning at me. So far, I have given him 3 chances to wander out and then I tell him I will shut his door (which he hates) and he has gotten to that point once and I called his bluff, so now he’s pretty compliant. Tbh he really does end up falling asleep most of the time still.

    • Anonymous says

      Don’t do a phone or other screen. We bought a CD player and got her those books you can listen to and read along with at the same time. 100 years ago when I was a kid, they were tapes.

      Our library has some you can take out also.

    • Anon in Texas says

      We have CD players and read along books or music CDs. When my first was that age, we had a whole drawer of special “quiet time” toys that he only got to play with during quiet time. Now, at 6 yo. he doesn’t need the special toys and does it without too much fussing or complaining. His younger brother never had special toys but loved to play with big brother’s toys during quiet time. Now they mostly play together but we do make them separate to their own rooms to be alone if any arguments break out. There are still some times where there are lots of extra “requests” for things like toys downstairs (they are upstairs), pictures to be printed, snack requests, things I need to tell you right now, mommy! But for the most part, it is now part of the routine that they expect. Keep it up even if it is hard because eventually you will get to that stage!

    • DLC says

      We play audio books/ podcasts / YouTube story times on the iPad and put the iPad up high on a shelf, with the cover over the screen.

    • CCLA says

      We haven’t tried audio books, but my almost 4-yo has mastered using Alexa to play her favorite songs (the other day I found her in her room with the door closed having a solo dance party to the hamilton soundtrack, which made my day). I don’t think she was articulate enough to control Alexa reliably until the last few months, but if you can get it started for her she could probably manage pause/resume. Echo the other posters about “reading” physical books or keeping some toys (maybe magnets, puzzles) for only that time of day to make it special. We had good luck starting at age 3 with tray puzzles (tray being key so there are some borders to work with), after a couple of weeks of supervised practice she could do them alone and enjoyed that.

    • Anne says

      We do audiobooks on my phone. Phone must be face down and not touched but one of us in view and can enforce.

      • Mohawk's Mom says

        We bought https://store.leapfrog.com/en-us/store/p/leapstory/_/A-prod80-608000 for DD for her third birthday (it was $27 at Target) and it’s currently the most popular object in the house. The interface is simple enough for her to operate it on her own, and every other day she gets to pick a book for me to record into the “recorded story” function. I’ve taught her to say “tuwn da page” whenever it’s time to turn the page during the recording, so that her future self knows which pictures to be looking at when she listens on her own. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

  9. Ummm says

    Vent: Just saw a posting on my school (greater Boston) FB board for a full time 8-5 nanny for 3 kids (# of kids was not disclosed) in exchange for not charging $1200/ month in rent for a bedroom in their apartment. Parents seemed to have reasonably high positions in tech.

    I understand parents are in a bind for childcare, but marketing it as a great opportunity for evening students seemed a bit predatory for unsuspecting students (especially since my school has a high % of foreign students) when they are barely paying $8/hour for nannying 3 kids full time. Am I the only one who thinks this is poor form? I’m perhaps more angry as a cash-strapped student living in market-priced crappy school housing, whose rent has skyrocketed precisely due to the boom of said tech industry in greater Boston. (The post has subsequently been taken down — I don’t know whether by the poster or admin)

    • anne-on says

      Yea, that’s insane. I am one of the people who is stuck as our au pair isn’t able to come now, but that means we’re going to look for a part time nanny/sitter, not fleece unsuspecting students. Fwiw, au pairs get WAY more than that – you pay for a portion of their schooling, a weekly stipend (base is $200/wk) PLUS room & board and usually a car/phone/extras (gifts, vacations, etc.) plus 2-3 weeks paid vacation and their hours are very strictly set by their agencies. I can’t imagine someone else didn’t flag that for blatant abuse.

      • Pogo says

        And in MA they upheld the min wage requirement just recently I heard. So I think their stipend is in the $12-15/hr range now in MA.

    • GCA says

      Ugh, definitely abusive and illegal. And foreign college students will not legally be able to do this work (iirc they can only work on-campus up to 20h/wk), and are at risk of having their student visas revoked if they do this.

    • Ummm says

      Actually the post has not been taken down. Reported to admin but not sure what will be done.

    • Anonymous says

      …WUT.

      FWIW, an old boss of mine paid her nanny $500/week to work 9-6 for 2 kids (under the table). Part of why I am struggling with a shift to a nanny is that I would look to pay over the table and it just… it feels like something ‘rich people do’.

      I still think we may look to hire a college student for at least the 2-5PM shift.

    • Pogo says

      Yikes, not ok. I have just a couple friends who have done live-in nanny but they ALSO PAID the person. “Not charging rent” is not the same as getting paid….

      • Anonymous says

        Yeah, isn’t live-in at least partly for the convenience of the family?

    • Wow says

      Is $1200 for just a bedroom even the market rate for just a bedroom? Especially since it’s not like a roommate situation where you feel like you co-own the shared spaces. When you’re the nanny, the common spaces belong to the family (even if they tell you otherwise). Ugh.

      • Anon says

        In Boston, probably. When we moved out of the Boston area (Cambridge) off-season, our landlords ended up renting our place “by the bedroom” because there wasn’t enough demand for a 3/2.5 in November. They advertised, and got, $1050-1250 per bedroom, and that was a discount b/c off-season.

  10. Anon for this says

    I’m coming to the end of my third maternity leave and I am really struggling with returning to work. I was perfectly happy to do so with the first two and always maintained that I was a better parent when I worked having that time to myself and that my kids benefited hugely from daycare. Now, things have changed. The biggest is my job has become a dead end (acknowledged by my boss, who has been good about being upfront and honest with me). I’d planned search during my leave but instead have had all 3 kids (4, 2, infant) home with me. (DH has been working FT at home.) But I’ve also really enjoyed having the slower pace of life and being with my family more. My older two are so happy to have more time with their parents and have become a great team. With 3, I’m loving having the mental space and time to devote time to each of them individually. I’m planning to go back and see how it goes but… I really just want to quit. I don’t want to send the baby to group care yet with the pandemic. I’d love to send my older 2 part time and have more family time. I’m pretty firmly decided I want to leave my current industry and retool. I’ve so firmly been pro-working but the whole pandemic combined with the job situation has really made me rethink that for now. Am I crazy? Anyone else feeling like the past few months has catalyzed a big shift in family priorities, etc.? (Acknowledging that this is a very privileged problem to have.)

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      You’re not crazy but just keep in mind that they will not be 4, 2 and baby forever. They will eventually all be in school full time (hopefully!!) and you’ll want to keep your foot in the door of something work-related if you’d like to step back in there, whether by choice or by something happening to your husband’s job (as the pandemic has shown us, nothing is guaranteed). Can you return on a part time schedule to your current job? Or look for something part time in a different company?

      • OP says

        Oh, I’m not intending to stay home full time forever, for all the reasons you mention. But I am certain I’m going to switch fields, likely to something that will require at least some schooling. So this would basically be taking advantage of the pandemic to take a step back, have more family time, and have the opportunity to actually do the work needed for a career shift. Kids would stay in some sort of part time care situation since I strongly believe the older ones need the social benefits. Baby may stay home longer, though. Believe me when I say that part time at my current job would be worse than full time. And part time in my current industry doesn’t really exist. It’d be hustling for independent contracting work and I’ve done that before and not interested.

    • Emily S. says

      FWIW, I don’t think you are crazy. What’s holding you back from quitting? Financial concerns, emotional? I would spend some time soul searching and budgeting and see what thoughts keep rising to the surface (easier said than done with 3 kids and a spouse at home, I know.) If what keeps bubbling up is that you’re happy with the status quo and really don’t want to go back, then I think you have your answer.

    • anon says

      I’d 100% stay home if you want to. I honestly don’t know anyone that regrets a simpler pace of life and more time with their children. I think a lot of people don’t for the “what if” but the scenarios (divorce, death, etc.) are unlikely enough for a lot of people and if you really needed to, you will gigure it out then.

      • Anonymous says

        If you’ve got a crystal ball to know death or divorce is unlikely for you congratulations.

        • anon says

          My husband is a SAHD. The “what if” of (early) death is easily handled through life insurance. I have a 20-year term life insurance policy with a benefit that will actually make DH and Kiddo financially better off than if I continue on my current career path.

          Divorce is much harder to plan for the “what if,” but not impossible. We have a rental property with a 2-bedroom unit that we lived in for 8 years and renovated. The income from the other 2 units would pay the mortgage, taxes, and insurance on the property. DH would live pretty comfortably with the rental income, alimony and child support, and income from a part-time job.

        • Anonymous says

          I post on here frequently – former career lady now SAHM. We plan for death with life insurance and expansive savings. There’s also social security (for now, obviously). And I have enough career experience/contacts that I could get something in the future – even if it wasn’t high paying, the rest of the money would be more than enough.

          In terms of divorce, of course no you can’t plan for that, but statistically we are very unlikely to get divorced. We’re college educated, 2 families where both parents are still together, don’t have substance abuse/gambling/financial issues, and no major mental health issues (so far). And of course I wouldn’t have left my stable career if I thought my husband would leave me one day. But you know what – if he did, I’d be ok. I’d figure it out. And I have family support I can rely on if necessary.

          Anyways – TLDR you cant plan for everything, but my perspective was (and is) that I don’t get this time back with my kids so if you want to stay at home and you can, then go for it.

    • IHeartBacon says

      I am constantly raging on this site about how women are going to get hit the hardest by being squeezed out of the workforce as a result of this pandemic, but I have to say that your situation sounds like the ideal reason to step back from work for now. I can tell by your post that you want to, and this is good timing for it: your job is a dead end, you have an infant at home and want to avoid sending infant to daycare during a pandemic, and – most importantly – you said you were happy being at home with them. I will always encourage women to stay in the workforce, but I would never guilt her into it when it goes against what she wants and what is right for her and her family.

    • Also anon says

      Absolutely.

      I always thought that I could never stay at home with little kids, which was reinforced by my maternity leaves. Working from home made me realize that as long as there is no newborn in the house, it’s awesome! Love the freedom, and I love my kids so much. I’m back in the office, and I miss them. The weekends are not enough.

      I’ve decided to stay in the workforce for a few more years to save and invest, then peace all the way out. My student loans will be paid off, their college funds will have some money, and our mortgage will be gone or almost gone. (We live in a LCOL area. We only have $200k on our mortgage left.)

      I don’t want to work part time either. When they are in school, I want to use that time to work out, read, serve on my non profit boards, and take care of home projects.

    • Lana Del Raygun says

      You are certainly not crazy. I can’t leave the workforce for financial reasons but being home more has definitely made me appreciate family time more, and that is definitely going to change how I approach my career (I wouldn’t take a longer commute; I’ll prioritize being able to WFH at least some of the time long-term) and the rest of my life — like I’m less willing to take on time-consuming hobbies and side-gigs because I want to spend more time reading Brown Bear Brown Bear over and over again. :)

      If you want to stay home, I think you should go for it! Especially since you want to return to school later — that gives you a better re-entry plan than just trying to go straight back to working. My only advice is to make sure you both have good life insurance.

  11. SF says

    I’m sure this has been covered but I can’t find it. Best masks for three year olds?

    Just learned our preschool is doing five weeks of summer care for “free” (aka tuition we already paid) and I’m jumping at the chance to see how the regulation go in real life. But I need a mask for the kiddo. And a covid test.

    • AwayEmily says

      I asked this question about a week ago and got some great recs — check out the comments on 6/15/20, title of the post is Monday: Deep Conditioning Hair Mask (I can never find anything in old posts either, so you are not the only one).

      I ordered some to try from a couple of places that folks recommended. The only ones we’ve received so far are the ones from CarpeDiemWorkshoppe. The XS fits my 4yo perfectly and is a tiny bit big on my 2yo.

    • Anonymous says

      We love the Primary masks we just got. Haven’t washed them yet so don’t know how they hold up, but they fit well, look comfortable, are cute, have a filter, and affordably priced.

    • Anon says

      Your kid has to do a COVID test? Will they allow the nasal swab that CVS is doing instead of the nasal-pharyngeal swab that I’ve heard is quite painful?

      • SF says

        Our whole family has to do a covid test the week before they open. They haven’t specified type…I know the free tests in LA (where we are) are mouth swabs. I was going to call his pediatrician’s office.

  12. Couch says

    Looking for a new couch – anyone want to help me do some shopping? Or general recs? We have two small kids and two cats, so need something that will resist stains and fur, and won’t be too appealing as a scratching post. With our lives, I think comfort over visual appeal is more important but I also have dreams of a green velvet sofa so who really knows what I want?

    • anne-on says

      I was very pleased with the quality of the (fancy, adult living room) sofa we got from the CoCoCo – we have this one in navy blue velvet. It does attract the white cat fur but otherwise after 2 years of (moderate) use seems to be in good shape. They do offer a LOT of customization for the price, and had nice performance fabric options.
      https://www.cococohome.com/product/english-arm-tight-back-fabric-sofa/
      All sofas – https://www.cococohome.com/all-fabric-sofas/

    • AnotherAnon says

      My BIL recently gave us a Flexsteel red velvet couch that he no longer uses. It is beautiful, comfy and adore it, but holy hair magnet, Batman. Whenever SIL brings her dogs over, they don’t even sit on the couch and it’s still covered in hair. It also stains really easily, despite my attempts to prevent the 3 y/o from snacking on it. Our formal living room has two microfiber brown couches that are made to look like leather. I like them – they are super hair and stain resistant, but I’m 5’3″ and they’re too deep for me to sit on with my feet on the floor. Pretty sure we bought them off Amazon: I think they’re Ashley brand but I’m not sure. I’d visit a department store and check out the clearance sofas too, if possible.

      • Anon says

        We have two Flexsteel leather couches, and we bought a Flexsteel rocker recliner for the nursery (leather as well). My husband’s couch is probably going on 10 years; our family room ones are 4 years old, and the nursery chair is almost 3 years old. Definitely love them. Also we found what we wanted for the chair and then ordered from Furnitureland South in NC – we were able to get free delivery to Northern Virginia with a sale and they had far and away the best prices.

    • Realist says

      The Lounge sofa by Crate and Barrel is nice. It is really deep (the bottom cushions almost the size of a twin bed if the back cushions are removed), so it really is built for lounging. The microfiber fabric seems to hold up well, but they have lots of other fabric options too.

    • Anonanonanon says

      We have a pottery barn slip covered sofa in white and it has help up for the 4+ years we have had it. I, obviously, frequently wash the slip cover/cushion covers and they still look great. It’s pretty comfortable, too.

    • Meg says

      Room & Board has a few sofas they recommend as family friendly. Our Jasper Sofa is taking spills/tumbles/etc. pretty well. https://www.roomandboard.com/m/catalog/living/family-friendly-sofas
      If you want a green velvet sofa, a good friend has one from Article and loves it. Also Ikea’s are not bad, once you move up from the base models. From what I hear, avoid West Elm. There are multiple blog posts about headaches from bad West Elm sofas.

  13. Anon says

    How do I teach my threw year old to hold a pencil? She’s showing a lot of interest in activity books but do I need to teach her to hold a pencil? I know it’s crazy early but I didn’t know how people teach this stuff

    • avocado says

      Has she been using crayons? If not, what happens when you put some crayons in front of her, pick one up, and start coloring? Does she copy you?

      The activity books are designed to help her learn to hold and control a pencil. For a beginner, I like the Kumon tracing books. You could start with the triangular “no-roll” preschool crayons to encourage a tripod grip. When you move on to a pencil, start with the fat kindergarten pencils. Target usually carries them in the back-to-school section, and I was able to find them year-round at Staples.

      Cut-and-paste activities are also great for developing fine motor skills.

    • Lana Del Raygun says

      My sister is a Montessori teacher and she recommends giving toddlers very short (or broken, lol) crayons, because they’re too short to hold in a fist and children will naturally hold them in their fingers. So I would get fat kindergarten pencils and saw them down.

    • Anonymous says

      My son didn’t get his pencil grip down until mid-1st grade; his teachers were unconcerned. Until then he held it in his fist and did just fine. So I would let her hold a pencil however she wants right now unless she asks for more guidance.

    • Anon says

      I just gently correct when we are coloring together and not make a big deal out of it. Sometimes she uses it, sometimes she doesn’t. Definitely easier for her with the jumbo crayons – my kiddo is 2.75 and getting speech therapy delay services, and her therapist seemed surprised that she was even using it sometimes, so I think it’s an “older” skill.

    • SBJ says

      Fist grip is totally fine at this age! But I learned a way to teach proper grip that I’ll try to describe: start with the point of the pencil facing you, pencil on the table. Then you pick it up between thumb and forefinger and flip it so that the end comes towards you and call that “putting it to bed” and then tuck middle finger under calling it a “pillow”. As you do the actions you can say say “pick it up, turn around, go to bed, and give a pillow for its head” or something along those lines. My 4 yo kiddo likes it and it will get the pencil to the correct grip but it only happens when I’m coaching. It has yet to translate into proper grip unsupervised.

    • Clementine says

      You start with fine motor skills from things like playing with play doh or kinetic sand. You give lots of toys that build the muscles in the hands – sensory play, legos, all that stuff – so that they are able to hold the pencil.

      And then you use a short, thick crayon or pencil to work on grip. Actually, we taught our kid using a highlighter.

  14. anon says

    Gift idea help! My younger sister’s 30th birthday is coming up soon and I’m struggling to come up with any creative gift ideas. Her kids are tiny (2 and almost 1), so her free time is limited. She loves getting her nails done but gifting her a salon gift card seems … not great right now. She’s into Fixer Upper-type DIY, enjoys beer but not wine, likes going to movies and concerts. Enjoys reading, but I don’t think I know enough about her preferred genres to pick out anything good. Hellllp.

    • Realist says

      With the age of her kids and if she is done with any b*feeding, would she appreciate a giftcard that would allow her to purchase nice new underwear or bras? My other suggestion would be consumables. So a giftcard to a local place where she could easily pick up beer to take home, or a food gift (from either a local place or one of the national places) if you know her dietary preferences.

    • Anon says

      Does she like doing her own nails? A nice manicure set with an OPI base coat, top coat, chip skip, drip dry and a color or two might be just the ticket. DH has a subscription to Hopsy – they are like 2L bottles of beer that hook up to a mini keg thing (I am obviously not a beer drinker). If she likes movies, could you gift her an HBO subscription for a year or something like that? Maybe paired with a movie night type basket (popcorn, movie theatre type candy, etc.) for after her kids go to bed?

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