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Even though I loathe the name of this trend, I do really like the look of these “ear climber” earrings by Moon & Meadow. They have the interest level of a drop earring with the ease of a stud. Usually they’re ostentatious, or at least somewhat youthful-looking, but I think this version lets you experiment with the trend while still being conservative enough for an office setting. Today I wore a long necklace, and my son grabbed it when he was in my arms, and then when I went to put him down he didn’t let go. It made me feel like I was wearing a 30-pound necklace. I don’t want to replicate that experience on my earlobes, so I am sticking to earrings that don’t dangle! These were $275 full price at Bloomingdale’s but have been reduced twice and are now $173.25 (until 9/3). Beaded Ear Climbers in 14K Yellow Gold A lower-priced option is at Amazon, eligible for Prime and free returns. This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
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Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Anonymous says
How far in advance do you typically find out you have a spot at a daycare with a wait list? I want to start my daughter at daycare in December when she’ll be 6 months. But the daycares in our area have long waitlists and a very “don’t call us, we’ll call you when we have space for you” attitude. It makes sense that they don’t know their December availability now, but we need care by a specific date, so I guess I’m wondering when I need to accept that we’re not getting into a daycare and try to find a nanny.
avocado says
Our day care center had a long waiting list and a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” attitude, but we did get off the waiting list when I called a few months before our planned start date and told them I was desperate to go back to work early so I’d take any opening they had, whenever it came up. A spot miraculously opened up just a couple of weeks later. If your alternative is a nanny, you might consider targeting your first choice center and calling semi-regularly to see if a spot opens up early. Paying for the spot for a couple of extra months, even if you only use it for a couple of half-days a week before she turns 6 months, could actually be less expensive than paying for a full-time nanny until a spot opens up.
The amount of notice you get before your start date will depend on the amount of notice parents are required to give when leaving the center. That could be anywhere from one week to 30 days.
OP says
Yeah I’ve been clear with them that we’ll take any spot that opens between now and December. Paying for a few months of unused daycare would be much cheaper than a nanny for sure.
avocado says
In that case, it couldn’t hurt to call every few weeks just to remind them of your interest.
Carine says
We had a similar experience with a daycare waitlist and attitude. We did check in a couple of times – in a “we are so excited about possibly joining this community!” way – and friends who were already there would occasionally ask whether we’d gotten a spot yet. We got in much earlier than they’d originally estimated.
Turtle says
Same attitudes at the centers here (Boston inner suburbs). We’re at a national chain/franchise now, but are on the wait list at our preferred daycare center, also a national name. It’ll be about 13 months based on when we submitted and when they project they’ll have a spot for us in the infant room. They thought there was a spot for Aug 1 of this year when we needed it, but there was apparently a baby boom among existing families so we got bumped.
Turtle says
Adding to say that we were told in December 2017 there was a high likelihood there would be a spot for us on August 1, 2018. Checked in essentially monthly thereafter and the story was the same. Still, because we weren’t guaranteed a spot and we also had a date certain we needed care, we submitted a non-refundable deposit (~$250?) at our second choice as an insurance policy. Thank god we did because April 1 rolled around and the preferred center changed the message and told us there was no projected spot this calendar year.
TL;DR From personal experience, I’d recommend securing a backup plan because if we hadn’t we’d have been SOL and this already not great transition back to the working world would have been a hell of a lot harder.
Anon says
This x 100% And also get a backup backup, because my backup sure thing (since last October) just became a ‘sorry!’ and I’m SOL
Anon says
This has happened to me as well. Daycare search is THE WORST. Good luck.
Pogo says
Also metro Boston area and it is common for people to pay to hold their spot. This is happening at my daycare right now and I know of others who have done it.
If you can I’d also recommend trying to find someplace or someone via word of mouth. Most independent centers near me and good nannyshares do not advertise, because they don’t need to. If you know someone who can get you an “in”, it is very helpful. I shamelessly asked any friends with kids “how did you find your daycare?”
Anonymous says
No experience with wait lists, but just wanted to say that in our experience the timeline for hiring a nanny was short. Like under a month from posting to start date. And could have been even shorter if we were more confident when we started interviewing. So, if a nanny is your backup, you can probably wait longer than you think to start looking.
OP says
Thanks for the info! A nanny is definitely our backup, so it’s good to know I can wait a bit before really diving into that.
Anonymous says
Yes, this is true in my experience, too. I have several friends who found nannies once they were a month out for their back to work date and it became clear they weren’t getting a daycare spot in time.
Turtle says
Just curious… What is the going rate for a nanny these days? 7:30am to 5:30 pm, or hours something like that?
MCOL SE says
Those are our newly-hired nanny’s hours and we pay $750 a week on the books which (because domestic cannot be salary) works out to $13.something for the first 40 hours and $20.something for the 10 overtime hours, averaging out to that $15/hr. For three kids! I want to pay her more and will definitely give her a raise next year. We went through a service and that was market for our area, maybe slightly low for her level of experience – I’m seeing that service advertise for similar positions into the $800s weekly.
JTM says
Check and see if their “waitlist” is a real waitlist. In our area daycares book really fast, so we secured care when I was in my 2nd trimester. For the daycare we chose, they had 5+ families on the waitlist, but they also told us that if we gave them a deposit (1 week’s tuition) we would have the spot, which is what we did.
Anon says
Cloth diapering – is it worth it to have a diaper service? We live in a tiny apartment but do have our own washer/dryer. A diaper service would pick up once a week. The one I am looking at you don’t buy any of the diapers or other stuff needed they provide it as long as you use their service.
Pogo says
I can only speak to cloth diapering without the service, but it’s really not a big deal if you have your own washer/dryer. The biggest investment is the diapers, so you’d have to do the math on # weeks you’d use the service vs. just investing. I decided to cloth diaper because I was handed down 25+ good quality used diapers from my SIL, and I got 5 more plus new wet bags at my shower. Thus, my investment was $0. I think if I had to shell out the $500+ to get started, I might not have done it.
Logistically, it is not difficult. You take off the diaper and it goes straight to the wet bag if it’s a pee only. For the first 6mos and EBF you don’t need to rinse poo, but after that, you rinse with a diaper sprayer and flush. Collect a full wet bag, run them through a rinse cycle and then a wash and… that’s it. I do not find it difficult at all.
Again, you just have to do the math. Someone on here recently mentioned $30/week, which disposable diaper moms said was more than just using disposable. So that definitely doesn’t make sense. At that rate you should probably just use disposables OR invest in your own cloth diapers, because you’d break even before the baby is a year old.
Environmentally I have also read arguments that cloth is not *that* much better, so to be the main reason I cloth diaper is saving money.
Anonymous says
Agree that $30/week is a lot. I use disposables but after we got out of the newborn period, I don’t normally pay more than $10-15/week (caveat that my kid is b-fed and only goes #2 a couple times/week).
I’d also add that unless you have TONS of clothes, crib sheets and burb clothes, you’re probably going to be doing laundry pretty much daily anyway. I don’t think it would be a big deal to throw diapers in there as well.
Pogo says
I don’t do diapers with other clothes, because it grosses me out a little bit, but I guess theoretically no reason you couldn’t. As kiddo has gotten older we only need to do cloth diapers 2x a week.
Anon says
Curious: How is it not better for the environment? I mean I know you spend water washing them but I would assume that 5,000 diapers going into the landfill over the course of a kid’s life has to be worse than the water loss.
Anonymous says
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-cloth-diapers-might-not-be-the-greener-choice-after-all/2015/05/08/32b2d8dc-f43a-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html
AIMS says
Not just water. Energy, soap, gas and driving (if you use a service), etc.
Pogo says
I’ve read a few articles that break it down, but yeah – mostly the energy costs, especially if you get your energy from coal.
Redux says
Disposable diapers use waaaaay more water, energy, and gas than cloth– both in the production (a tremendous amount of water is consumed in the production of disposables– 9 gallons per diaper, by some accounts– plus the (often coal-powered) electricity used to run the industrial machines) and the distribution (coal energy burned to distribute them by air and land across the country). And those are single use, so multiply by the number of diapers over a kid’s diaper-lifetime. It is a total myth that cloth diapers come even close to the energy consumed in the production of disposables. Even if you use a service that drives locally to pick up diapers there is no way that it comes close to air and ground transport energy consumption. This myth was either built with a fundamental misunderstanding about how energy consumption works or, more sinisterly, by a corporation that wants you to consume its products.
Redux says
Sorry, this is not meant to be a call-out, this particular argument just blows my mind. To say nothing of the waste. Plastic basically lives forever.
Pogo says
No worries – I mostly just hate to come off as sanctimonious just because I use cloth, so I do try to concede the limitations of earth-friendliness.
Anon2 says
I use cloth and will unabashedly say it is much better for the environment than using disposables. We are trying to live a “greener” lifestyle and are also trying composting, using rags vs paper towels, taking reusable bags shopping, etc. I wouldn’t “shame” anyone for doing differently, but I will encourage others to think about taking steps that are a tad inconvenient to help benefit the environment. That said, I also do a *lot* of things that are wasteful, so we all make our choices. But seriously, cloth diapering is a great thing, be proud!
Anonymous says
I guess it depends on what you consider bad for the earth. Disposable generates a lot more plastic, that’s true. But cloth contributes more to global warming. Growing all the cotton required to make the diapers generates way more greenhouse gases. I have seen articles in national media sources (not sponsored by diaper companies) arguing that they are about the same or disposable is even better. And I have a friend who’s a professor of environmental science who researched it and came to the conclusion that cloth diapers were not better for the earth. I think reasonable people can argue for either one being better – and certainly the environment shouldn’t be the only consideration – but I don’t think it’s just a big diaper company scam.
Anonymous says
Here is a reputable report on the subject: http://www.ahpma.co.uk/docs/LCA.pdf
Their conclusion: For the three nappy systems studied, there was no significant difference between
any of the environmental impacts – that is, overall no system clearly had a better or
worse environmental performance, although the life cycle stages that are the main
source for these impacts are different for each system.
They generally support cloth diapers but suggest we need to revisit how we clean/dry them to be more environmentally friendly.
Anon says
Interesting, I will take a look. But following that logic, should no one own or reuse cotton clothing, instead buying $1 polyester shirts from Walmart and discarding them at the end of each day? Putting aside the labor conditions argument, isn’t it generally accepted that fast fashion is bad for the environment, in particular because of the waste?
COtoNY says
Since you would be using “used” cloth diapers anyways with the diaper service, you could also consider buying pre-owned diapers online. There are tons of exchanges- I found mine on Mercari. They’re in perfect shape and I spent $120 for all the diapers I’ll need (26-30ish) instead of $600+. This is definitely cheaper than a diaper service. I don’t even have laundry in my apartment (just in the basement)- I would vote for getting your own pre-owned and washing yourself.
Also keep in mind that there are MANY different types of cloth diapers. I don’t know what kind the diaper services offer, but we decided to go with the pocket-type. TCOtoNYhere are several websites you can find that compare the various types and give you the pros/cons of each.
Anonymous says
There are* … don’t know how my handle got in there
EB0220 says
+1 We didn’t full-time cloth diaper but there are tons of exchanges out there. We didn’t cloth diaper full time but I did get a few used for a great price. e
Anonymous says
Like Pogo, we had a handmedown stash to start out with so didn’t have much of an investment upfront, which meant a cloth-diaper service wasn’t worth it for us. We do laundry twice a week and it’s really not a big deal. However, we have friends who were gifted 6 months of a service and found it super helpful to not have to deal with figuring out laundry when their kid was tiny. It’s not hard at all, but it’s just one more new thing on your plate.
Cost-wise, we spend about an extra $100 a year on water (with 2 in diapers) and have probably spent $250 on covers, prefolds, and doublers (a combination of new, used, and free) that should get us through the potty-training. If you can find deals and aren’t buying a completely new set of all-in-ones for $20 each, it’s probably cheaper to do it yourself.
Redux says
We’ve done both: we had a service when we lived in a major city and then have done our own when we moved to a place without a service. One thing I really liked about having a service is that it didn’t require an up-front investment. If for whatever reason you decide cloth diapering is not for you, you can quit the service without having spent too much money on products you aren’t going to use. Also, as a first time working parent, I liked that someone else was taking care of that part while I figured out how to do the rest.
Since we’ve started doing our own (with our second kid) I much prefer doing it in-house. We found a bunch of hand-me-down cloth diapers on a FB page (search for a FB or yahoogroup near you– the service might know of one) which were practically new (the parents tried a few different types and were selling the ones they didn’t care for). We have enough in circulation to have to wash about twice a week. We use liners rather than a sprayer. I find it really easy now, but was grateful for the service with my first.
Moms in the workplace? says
I work in a nonprofit. My office has a level of upper management and then is largely made up of women in their thirties who are more mid-career. This group consists of sixteen women (mostly unmarried, some married) who don’t have kids, one with one kid, and me (I have two). I hadn’t really thought about it but I’ve never felt my office was very family friendly even though the senior management all have kids. Doesn’t it seem weird that 16 of the 18 staff in their thirties in cubicle don’t? Or is it just me and are all the other moms staying home or working where they can get paid more. Genuinely curious if this feels like an outlier to anyone else or if I’m just overly sensitive to it.
Anonymous says
No it doesn’t seem weird at all. Sorry the fact that lots of women in their 30s are *gasp of horror* unmarried and childless.
Marilla says
Are you the same commenter that was so grouchy to the poster with a surprise third pregnancy yesterday? If you can’t play nicely here, go play somewhere else please. This is a generally friendly comment section.
OP says
I’m pro whatever choices people want to make! I’m just wondering how to make our workplace a better place for people who do choose to have kids and wondering why we can’t seem to get any – especially since I do work at a nonprofit, which is heavily female (or if maybe it’s just the way the world is) . I’m sorry if I offended! I did not mean to!
OP says
Marilla, I love your user name. It brings me joy as a huge AOGG fan every time I see it! Just had to share that too, since you seem like a nice person.
Lyssa says
Second to Marilla. She asked whether it was unusual, not whether it was objectionable. There is absolutely no call for that sort of response. OP, no need to apologize; you did not offend, you just gave someone an opening.
And yes, I would say that it is unusual to find a group of people in their 30’s who are mostly childless, though I assume that it varies by field/location. But the majority of people in their mid-30’s or greater in any workplace I’ve worked have had kids.
Anon in NYC says
I don’t think it’s particularly weird. I didn’t get married until I was 31 and had a a kid when I was 35. And, if you’re in a place like NYC, I think marriage + kids often doesn’t happen until your 30s. If you’re in an area where stuff like that happens at a younger age, then your office might be a bit of an outlier.
OP says
I’m in the south, so that’s part of it. Maybe it’s not weird at all! I just had a more balanced workplace before where there were more people with kids and it makes things like pediatricians hard and I’m hoping they improve their healthcare coverage for dependents to maybe get a few more parents here.
GCA says
Hmm – could it be a chicken and egg problem then? The parents are all decamping for places with better coverage?
Anon says
I work in a place where I will be the only one besides the two upper management women to have a child (I am due this winter). I have known so many women in my work place to get pregnant and leave because the job is not supportive at all to working moms. I also work in a place that has 25 women and 4 men. To me it says something if women get pregnant and leave more than it does if no one in the office has kids.
OP says
I think this is true. And the dirty little secret below. I wish there was a good way to combat this.
anne-on says
I think the dirty little secret of most professional career tracks that are relatively inflexible is that they lose A LOT of women in their 30’s with kids. We have 1 specifically because we simply could not make 2 children work with our busy schedule and no local family – and even with 1 we have an au pair to cover travel days/snow days/summer breaks/etc. Literally every single person I know in ‘big’ careers either had 1 spouse lean out (permanently, or contract) plus LOTS of help when both parents worked.
Daycare was a dream in comparison to the schedules of full time school.
Anonymous says
I’m the only working mom in my 10 person group at work, although my co-workers are mostly men or women in their 20s. There is one older woman who is childless. I suspect it’s not entirely by choice from some things she has said, but I don’t know.
Pogo says
I work with mostly men, so I’m used to not seeing any women with children in my workplace (or women at all!). The men, fwiw, all have children and their wives stay home. There are a few exceptions, but not many.
ER says
Alert: lots of assumptions ahead!
I am in biglaw, and all of the women I know who have had children have stayed in the workforce. Some of them would love to stay home or lean out, but they are the primary (or sole) breadwinner. I am wondering whether the dynamic you’ve observed can be attributed (at least partially) to nonprofit compensation?
Anonanonanon says
I’ve found that this was often the case in the less-family-friendly offices I’ve worked in. I made a lateral move because of this once, and was suddenly surrounded by women in their 30s and 40s with small children. They were still in the workforce, and in the exact same field as the other office, but there was leadership who was a bit more understanding that “life happens” sometimes.
The original office’s executive management were all single, childless, and had no pets. The director of the next office I worked in was married with “fur babies”, so was more understanding that sometimes you have commitments more important than a routine workday.
tldr depending on your field it is weird, and is probably as symptom of your office culture
Rainbow Hair says
My (nonprofit) employer recruits and attracts women (men too, but let’s be real about where the assumptions lie) with our on-site, subsidized daycare. Even if an employee isn’t using it, it’s a sort of shorthand for the type of employer we want to be. It’s not cheap for the employer, but I think it’s worth a lot.
Anon says
Yesterday I put on an abdominal binder (essentially a corset) to squeeze into one of my two suits that almost fit. Set off the metal detectors at the courthouse. Security guard: “What do you have around your middle? You’re lighting up like a Christmas tree.”
This would be funny if I weren’t already so depressed about my postpartum body. Although twins are 23 months, so I’m not even sure I can call it my postpartum body anymore. I guess it’s just my body? Anyway, wanted to commiserate.
Anonymous says
Buy a suit that fits!!!!!!
Mom Bod says
I always set off the metal detectors at the courthouse because of my bra. I need a lot of wire now!
Also, gently, buy a suit that fits and learn to accept your mom bod. You will feel so much better when you do! Suits are my least forgiving clothes, and only one from my prebaby life fits at all. I am giving my other old ones to the public defenders office (they do not have enough clothes for the female accused) and buying a suit set that fits on Labor Day weekend. I will have jacket that closes and everything!
Anon says
Not postpartum, but pre baby I gained about 25 pounds and I just delayed and delayed getting bigger clothes because I was going to lose it. I finally bit the bullet and sized up my wardrobe and I was SO. MUCH. HAPPIER. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Currently I’m down all the baby weight and more due to BFing eating restrictions (no bread, so sad), but my nursing chest means almost none of my tops fit right, my hips and ribcage seem to be permanently wider and my tummy is poufy/pouchy in a way it wasn’t pre-baby and pre-c-section. But I’m refusing to buy new clothes knowing that we want to try for number two in 4 months and I will hopefully be back in maternity clothes again soon so it seems silly for such a short period of time. It is so uncomfortable and I have zero joy getting dressed in the morning. So, don’t be (current) me. Buy clothes that fit the body you have today. It makes such a difference.
And also you are a mom of twins, otherwise known as superwoman. I can barely get dressed and get to work with one. You are putting on a suit and going to work, and that alone should be reason to celebrate.
BPS says
+1 to this. OP with the twins – You are superhuman to me. I’m 9 months PP, BF/Pumping, and feel like I’m just now starting to drop lbs, and only because I’ve finally gotten time to exercise again, but really because I’ve been pretty strict food intake wise most days. I still haven’t even tried most of my pre-pregnancy clothes, let alone the skirt suits.
I know bodies work differently, but the whole “BF will help you lose weight” is such BS for me/my body type! I think it helps with the original recovery, but not everyone loses weight. Even Serena Williams, the GOAT, was holding onto the extra lbs because of BF! I think of a good friend who never struggles with weight gain, and lost her baby weight AND THEN SOME int he first 3 months PP, and am envious, but knowing that me and Serena are united in the struggle always helps me :)
Carine says
Just posting in solidarity!! BF/pumping now and I do NOT lose weight. I drop the weight of the baby and extra fluids and pretty much stay right there at my 1-week-postpartum weight until I quit breastfeeding, every time. I don’t eat poorly but I rarely have time to exercise in the first year and I swear my body reacts the opposite of the hype – it holds onto the weight while I’m nursing. Third time around and while I still have some hope that some magic switch will flip and “all the baby weight will just melt away!!” I think this is just how it is for me. I have made some peace with it – most days.
SG says
Hugs and commiseration, I probably would have broken down into tears!
anon says
I don’t go to court anymore, but wondering if it’s a thing everywhere that courthouse security guards somehow get a pass for their rude comments specifically toward women?
Anonanonanon says
OK this probably isn’t funny to you now, but it could SO happen to any of us (I can totally see myself in that situation) that it’s funny.
I recently got new shapewear for my post-partum body and forgot to make sure it had snaps in between my legs… nope. It just had a hole. I had to completely undress every time I went to the bathroom. OH and I have ulcerative colitis and was still flaring from my pregnancy sooooo emergency bathroom trips were frequent. I definitely laughed at myself
Teething baby says
Do you send your teething baby to daycare? My six month old has been a bit under the weather since Friday. He had slight fever (99) on Friday, and since then, the max has been 98. He had a runny nose, but now it’s a occasional dry cough. Talked to pediatrician’s nurse, and it seems baby is teething (swollen gums, chewing finger). He is playing well, may be a bit irritable, but refusing bottle. He’ll complain when I try to breastfeed, but he eventually accepts. Husband took Monday and Tuesday off, I am working from home today. We both took half day Friday. Do we send baby to daycare tomorrow. He’s not even super sick, so I am afraid we are burning through our PTO to take care of him at home. At the same time, he’s not taking bottle, so I am worried he’ll go hungry at daycare. Any advice?
Anonymous says
I would send him. I have a lot of PTO and take a day off here and there when baby is just under the weather but not sick enough to be required to stay home. But teething can last for weeks or even a month or more. You will burn through your PTO super super fast. Daycare will almost certainly get him to take a bottle and if they can’t get him to eat anything, they will call you.
Anon in NYC says
I sent my daughter to daycare and told them that she was teething.
Anonymous says
Yes, send him! There’s way too much teething in the first year for you to stay home every time. Daycare teachers are a) magic and b) very experienced with getting babies to take bottles, so I doubt he’ll actually go hungry.
Pogo says
+a million to daycare teachers are magic. I have sent my son when he is so cranky and miserable I am like, good luck today lady. And then she reports he was a little angel! I really would not keep kiddo home unless there’s a fever or confirmed communicable disease.
Awayemily says
Oh heck yes, send him to daycare. They’ll call if things get worse and they are super used to this. Also, I bet the distraction will cheer him up.
Anonymous says
Exactly what I was going to say – the distraction and business of daycare as compared to home will take his mind off teething.
Anonymous says
I sent my baby unless he had a real fever, which for a baby is 100.4 or higher.
Anonanonanon says
I would definitely send him to daycare. My experience is similar to what others mentioned, my baby seems to appreciate the distraction of daycare. She’s delightful when I pick her up, but once we’re home she’s grumpy. The daycare providers are used to teething children, save your PTO for stomach viruses and real fevers!
Anonymous says
My husband accidentally put my pump tubing in the dishwasher (I can’t be annoyed, because I appreciate that he loads my pump parts into the dishwasher every day). The manual is very clear that you MUST NOT DO THIS. But it’s just because the tubes will deteriorate over time, right? It’s not like I can’t use them any more because I put them in the dishwasher once…hopefully?
Anonymous says
Although I can’t actually answer your question, if you need to get them dry, you can hook them up to the pump and just let it run with tubing only for a while.
FWIW, I would just let them dry out and keep using them. My guess is that moisture build up in the tubing is the issue. But that doesn’t come from a place of actual knowledge.
Em says
+1 mine would occasionally get condensation in them and this is how I would dry them. Other than the heat, which isn’t ideal but I can’t imagine is dangerous, I don’t see how the moisture from the dishwasher would be different than condensation that occurs naturally.
EP-er says
As long as they aren’t warped, you can totally keep using them! Sometimes the high heat of drying can disfigure the plastic. You can also replace with aquarium tubing if you need to. (Don’t ask….)
ElisaR says
aquarium tubing — amazing!
Anonymous says
I’m six weeks pregnant with our second and the all-day nausea is here in full force, with some vomiting thrown in for fun. It seems like it might be worse than it was with my first (or I just blocked it out).
Tips for how to get through it with a 3 year old to take care of?
Boston Legal Eagle says
When I was in the first trimester and nauseous and exhausted, my husband took over most of our toddler’s bedtime routine. Lots of those nights, I would go to bed right after getting home from work and take a nap while he took care of our son. Hopefully your partner is available, but if not, I’d suggest leaning on family or your network to help out.
Also, hang in there! 2nd trimester was much better for me and I got my energy at night back. Now in the third trimester so back to exhaustion and inability to do much physically, but at least this is the home stretch.
Aly says
Following, because this is my life right now (except with a nearly 2 year old). I am so weary.
Anonymous says
Are you taking diclegis? Made a world of difference for me.
CCLA says
Yep, this. I held out for a couple of weeks with the roll your own B6+ unisom, but the actual Diclegis was the only thing that helped me (two at night, and sometimes one in the morning too if it was really bad). There’s a manufacturer’s coupon on their website if your insurance doesn’t cover it. I was still exhausted but at least not always nauseous. I weaned off around 16 weeks. It’s been heavily studied with no adverse effects on baby.
Pogo says
lol @ roll your own
Annie says
Vitamin B1 saved me. Also my husband covered the most exhausting and nauseating parts of toddler care (putting on sunscreen, bath time etc.).
Anonymous says
I was in your shoes 8 months ago and my best advice is to make sure you securely lock the bathroom door. I got a lot of requests from 3 year old to watch me throw up.
Anonanonanon says
Mine was so much worse with my second. Getting through the day was such a chore. Basically, I held on until my husband got home, and then I was officially done. My first-born ate a lot of mac and cheese and hot dogs for a few months, but we all survived. I looked at is as an introduction to what life would be like with a newborn (as in relaxed standards for the first kid and everyone just trying to make it through the day).
Zofran helped some, but made me so constipated it was almost not worth it. Fast food biscuits and chick-fil-a diet lemonade were my saving grace. Which may explain how I vomited six times a day and still gained a bunch of weight.
parttime says
I want to work part-time and it’s just not a thing in my industry / company. I’ve gotten the “why would a company want anything less than a full headcount individual” type response. I work in finance.
Has anyone successfully transitioned to part-time and how did you do it? How did you prevent the “work full-time” but get paid part-time thing?
Cate says
I find it sad no one has a good answer here! My workplace is not welcoming unfortunately, otherwise I would totally try it.
parttime says
I’m surprised nobody commented on this too :( I was hoping for more success stories of women that had gone part-time. It makes me so sad that it’s either work full-time or not work at all. When people wonder why so many women drop out en masse with yougn children, its because there seems to be complete lack of need for part-time in many industries.
Coach Laura says
I’ve seen part-time in finance in two ways main ways. One is a job-share between two people who have similar skills. You might try talking to friends/coworkers and put out feelers. Some do half-days, some do MTu 1/2Wed split with 1/2 WedThF for the other. I don’t know about you but for the last 10 years I’ve answered emails/texts at home and at night so a job share where the two incumbents are flexible and communicate often even on off days might work well.
The other way is project based, either an employee paid by the hour or as a 1099 consultant non-employee. Projects are assigned and completed on a flexible basis.
Customer-facing jobs with clients and portfolios have also been done part-time but probably with less success. You’d have to have good backup (like a portfolio assistant who does the work when you’re not there with your direction, instructions and input) in the office when you’re not there.
parttime says
Thanks Laura. That’s really helpful. Unfortunately, I think most people that would want to work part-time are primary parents, which generally seems to be women, of which there’s little to none at my firm, part of why it’s unchartered territory.
I was thinking of going project based which could pose a good alternative if I’m already willing to take the paycut.
Anonanonanon says
The only people I’ve seen successfully transition to part-time in my field did as described above, which is move into what is referred to as a “job share” where they split a full-time position between them.
Anonymous says
I have sort of unofficially done it. I’ll write a longer reply from home tonight. But my situation is kind of a unicorn and probably isn’t something others can replicate.
ElisaR says
me too- not sure my insights would be helpful
2:43 says
So my story is that I’m lucky to have a boss who doesn’t care when or where I work, just that I get my stuff done. I’ve never needed anything close to a full 40 hrs/week to do my job well. Pre-kid, I would usually work from home two or three days per week. I would do a fair amount of work at home, but I would also watch TV and do a lot of cooking. Post-kid, I decided I’d rather have a shorter amount of time at home but be able to really focus on my kid, so I’m now in the office 4 days/week generally working hard and at home with my toddler one day per week. I rarely do any substantive work that day (because…toddler), although I monitor email and if something comes up, I can go into the office (DH has a pretty flexible schedule and is often at home as well, and we also pay for 5 days/week of childcare because there’s no part-time daycare in our area). My job doesn’t pay great and we mostly live off DH’s salary, but it gives me benefits and retirement contributions and enough money that I don’t feel like I’m spending my husband’s earnings when I take a girls’ trip or buy myself a handbag. The bad news is that my boss is retiring in the next year or two and I’m not sure I’ll be able to continue this informal setup. And official part-time jobs aren’t a thing in my industry either.
JTM says
Could you work in Finance for a company that does part-time or flexible work arrangements?
My company – a major retailer – allows for 60% or 80% work arrangements, as well as job sharing, where 2 people work 60%. I know several people who have taken this option for a few years and then later came back to full-time when their circumstances changed.
BC says
Anecdotally, a friend told me that she felt she got a PT schedule largely because she reminded her boss that she doesn’t carry any benefits (she and the kids are on her husband’s family plan), which limits her “overhead” as a PT employee.
parttime says
That is really great. I just need to find the job that will allow me to do this. I don’t even know where to start other than networking like crazy. There are so few women in my field and it’s just not on people’s radar as a thing that firms can accomodate.
I would totally be willing to not get any benefits (because we can be on my husbands plan too).
EP-er says
My good friend at work was the first to push for part-time and I am forever grateful! She basically put together a business case & presented how valuable she was to the company. She took a hard line of “I will be working part-time once I have my child. I can do that for you or for someone else.” This worked because she really meant it and had in-demands skills. Two years later, I tried this approach with my first child… and was shot down. It was 2008 and the economy was not good. I evaluated that coming back full time was the right thing for our family and sucked it up. But a few years later, I was able to move to a part-time role after returning with my second.
Things to consider as you make your case:
1. How can you provide value to the company?
2. What are the logistics you are asking for? 5 reduced days, three long days, etc. Explain how you will meet the needs of your customers
3. Show how part-timers are more productive. I swear — all of the p/t people I know work their tails off. No long lunches/hanging out by the coffee pot.
4. Offer to try it on a temporary basis
5. Offer to take reduced benefits (I don’t really recommend this, but it is how my sister was able to be the first p/t person in her office. She gave up any PTO, which she really regretted after a few years & has been working hard to get back.)
Can you talk to HR? Is anyone in another part of the company p/t? Good luck! Be persistent!
Anonymous says
Not sure I count- I don’t work part time, I work 20 hours a week in a contract role. Going part time time in my previous role (I ran a dept as a VP) was not an option. It’s a job that takes 50+ hours/week. I couldn’t even get myself off the road much less reduce my hours. I left and went to a competitor to do consulting work. I work for my old role (VP) as kind of a strategic advisor. The current VP works 50-60 hours/week and I do pet projects that come along. I cost about what a senior associate or midlevel manager costs the business (about 100k/year- those roles cost ~110 with a full benefits load).
parttime says
These are such good, amazing thoughtful suggestions. Thank you so much. If I can successfully negotiate an arrangement, I’ll come back to the group.
You guys are truly the best, thanks again.
NYC In the Fall says
DH has a work trip to NYC for about a week this fall. He will be attending a conference Wed-Sat. I am thinking of taking our kids (5 and 7) to the City for a long weekend (arrive Thur and leave Sunday). I will be on my own with the kids for the vast majority of the time, and I am mostly ok with that. Our biggest challenge is always food: I have cross-contamination sensitive Celiac’s (gluten) in one child. That means a ton of research and calling before we go to find safe places to eat. My current question is this: We can fly into LGA or JFK for about the same price. Which airport would you fly into (and out of), and how do I get the kids from the airport into town? If anyone has Celiac-friendly places to eat, I’d love to hear that too!
Anonymous says
If the train ride is 8 – 10 hours or less, I highly recommend taking Amtrak instead of flying.
EB0220 says
Personally, I would fly into LGA and taxi/uber to Manhattan.
Anonymous says
There is a train from JFK that your kids might enjoy if they aren’t used to taking the subway.
anon in nyc says
I think either airport is fine. LGA might be a bit easier depending on where you are staying in the city. I’d recommend a taxi or uber back and forth and skipping public transportation. FWIW, I live in midtown east and prefer LGA and we bring our carseat and uber it to the airport and take a taxi back because I hate trying to meet the uber driver at the airport. There are also some car services in nyc that provide car seats in the cars but I haven’t personally tried them.
New York is great for people with food allergies – everyone here has some sort of dietary issue and the restaurants are really used to it. I imagine that there are some great website out there that will give a list of celiac-friendly restaurants in the city. Check out the mommy poppins website for cute, kid-friendly activities!
Anon in NYC says
Which airport is dependent on what time you’re arriving, how much luggage you have, and whether you want to take a cab or mass transit. I think it is easier to take mass transit from JFK (instead of a cab), but it takes longer and requires a transfer from the airtrain to the subway (or LIRR). But, if you’re arriving during rush hour, that might be your best bet.
If you’re staying in midtown, taking a cab to/from LGA is generally pretty quick.
Annie says
Can you stay in an air b and b, clean it for cc when you arrive, and then cook a lot of your food?
Anonymous says
I would fly into LGA and take a taxi or uber to Manhattan. It’ll be about $40 + tip to go to mid-town Manhattan.
If it’s just adults with luggage they can handle alone, I always recommend JFK + train. When I lived in NYC, that’s how I always got to the airport, and DH and I just did it while visiting this summer. But I can’t imagine a train + subway ride by yourself with 2 kids and luggage. From your terminal, you have to take the AirTran to Jamaica station, then transfer to either the subway or the LIR into Manhattan, which involves escalators, or stairs if they’re not working. Depending on where you’re staying, you’ll likely have another transfer, almost certainly with 2 more sets of stairs, and/or a decent walk from the station to your hotel. The trip takes between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on how you travel (LIR or subway), delays, and where you’re going. Even if your kids can roll their own suitcase, it would be a lot.
Anonymous says
I meant to add that if you take the train (LIR) into Manhattan, it’ll be the same price (or more) for 3 people as a taxi from LGA–$5 for AirTran, $8-13 for the LIR, and, unless you’re staying near Penn Station, $2.75 for a subway ride (less if you buy a pass). So that plan really doesn’t make sense for 3 people. The taxi from LGA to Manhattan will be way easier for the same price.
If you take the subway from JFK, it’ll be less money (just the $5 AirTran and $2.75 subway ride), but it will take a lot longer.
Anonymous says
I would take a cab or car service, and I don’t think it matters much which airport if you are staying in midtown- cab fare is a set rate to midtown from the airports and I think is similar for JFK and LGA. If you want car seats, Eastern Luxury is a good car service that offers them. For 4 people (including 2 kids), I don’t think the cost savings for public transit is worth the significant hassle.
PSA to everyone else that MTA buses are the cheapest way to get to LGA. The bus that connects to the F/E/etc is now a select bus and much faster than the old local.
Anonymous says
I dont know if this is too late – but as an east coast native, if it is an option, I highly suggest flying into Newark instead of JFK/LGA. Public transport to Penn is quick/easy from Newark (literally 15 minutes) and I always found it easier and quicker than either taking the E or the LIRR back from JFK. Also, LGA has a lot of construction right now and the terminals are generally more disgusting than usual. The traffic patterns are also pretty scattered because of the construction and I avoid it like the plague when I fly back home because of this.
anon says
So I have this coworker who talks about her three kids constantly. She’s done this for years. (We were actually pregnant at the same time and gave birth within 3 weeks of each other. My former boss still talks about the time Coworker took over my office baby shower by talking about her own pregnancy!) Everything is about how little Johnny is doing so-and-so, my life is so crazy/hard, yada yada yada. She finds a way to circle back to her kids even if it’s not germane to the discussion at all. I internally roll my eyes and move on, but wow — it really makes me think hard about talking about my kids at work, because I do not want to be perceived like her. I like to think I have enough of a filter to not be obnoxious, but you never know what’s not going to play well. At the same time, I’m in a leadership position and want to set a good example of being able to handle work and parenting, and acknowledging that sometimes “life stuff” comes up so other employees aren’t panicking when they have their own parenting deals (or other situations) to deal with outside of work. It’s hard to find the right balance. I’m curious — what’s the line for all of you?
Pogo says
Following. I try not to talk about my son except when people specifically ask. And when they do I remind myself they don’t actually care, they are being polite, and to ask about their family in turn.
Although, I usually DO genuinely care about other people’s kids and pets and want to see all the pictures. I know that’s not the case for everyone though.
Anon in NYC says
I talk about my kid. Sometimes prompted by a question, and sometimes I just mention her. I try to not talk about her all the time because that’s boring (to me and the other person), and often I lean towards sharing something funny or a “crazy toddler” story. Not volunteering the minutiae of potty training (unless someone has a similarly aged kid and asks).
JTX says
Moms, tell me about your experience with the transition from full-time daycare to public kindergarten. My son just turned 5 and will start kindergarten on Monday. What surprised you? How did your kid deal? My son is pretty anxious about it (as am I, although he doesn’t know that). I am most worried about things like bathroom breaks, lunch time, etc. because he is in a small classroom right now with teachers that can provide a fair amount of individual attention. What can I do to make the transition easier for him? What are the differences between daycare and kindergarten that I should be prepared for? (Also, if a bunch of you want to chime in and say your daycare kid loves public kindergarten, that would be great.)
avocado says
Mine went from private K at a day care straight into first grade at public school and absolutely loved it. Has he visited the school yet? What he will probably learn when he visits his classroom is that there is a bathroom right in the classroom and his teachers will lead the class everywhere they need to go–lunch, PE, recess, etc. Kindergarten, as well as first grade to a lesser extent, is designed to be a gentle transition to “big school,” and the kids will have tons of supervision and assistance. If he’s been in day care full time, he will be more than prepared–he is probably accustomed to a daily routine and already knows how to listen to the teacher, be quiet during circle time, follow directions, use scissors and a pencil, share, use the bathroom by himself, and stay seated during lunch. Once he sees the classroom, meets the teacher, and learns about the kindergarten routine, he should feel more comfortable. The best thing you can do is to continue to present a positive attitude about the transition, as you’re already doing. On the first day, a quick drop-off with no parental lingering (just put him on the bus or drop him at the front door of the school if possible) is ideal.
Congratulations on the milestone! Having a big kid is SO MUCH FUN.
anon says
Daycare has likely prepared your child well for the transitions of the school day, even if there isn’t as much 1-to-1 attention. Kindergarten teachers, in my experience, spend a lot of time making the kids comfortable and reinforcing routines.
What surprised me most was how tired my kid was in the evenings (for the first month, maybe). He’d been in daycare all day, so I naively thought that aspect wouldn’t be a factor. Best thing you can do for your new kindergartener is to limit the extras (sports, classes, lessons) during the adjustment phase and give him time to adjust to the new expectations in his world.
I guess I wouldn’t worry so much about making the transition easier for him. You can’t anticipate any and every issue that could come up — and it may be 100% FINE. Follow his lead. Chances are, he will do great. I honestly think daycare kids are better prepared for school than most.
EP-er says
+1 to the exhaustion! This totally caught me off guard. By Thursday it was just too much…. Try to limit the extras, even on the weekends, in the beginning.
Also..be prepared for homework! What? Homework in Kindergarten? It is totally a thing now where I live.
Look for the list of questions to ask instead of “how was your day?” We like: Who did you sit with at lunch? Who did you play with at recess? Which special did you have today? What made you laugh/sad/mad/whatever?
Anon says
As an educator I would say push back on the homework! Not a single study has ever proven that homework helps learning at this age. Reading at home for fun- yes important. Doing essays when you are a highschool student- yes fine. Regurgitating information that you already learned during the day – not helpful. If your teacher pushes back – ask them for peer-reviewed studies that show homework makes a difference. They will be empty handed. The only time I think its fine is if a student is struggling to memorize things like multiplication tables which you need to be fluent on and need more practice. However kids should be playing, should be exploring other interests after school, spending time with family, and getting sleep! Not filling out mindless sheets of paper.
I don’t have a kid yet (due this winter) but as an educator I had a firm rule in my classroom for no homework. A few principals raised their eyebrows and I showed them the studies and they got on board. A few parents got annoyed and I sent them to the principal to back me. No students fell behind because of lack of homework.
EB0220 says
My daughter went from full-time daycare to Kindergarten last year and it was very smooth. Her class had specific times to use the restroom, and they would all line and go (before lunch, before going outside, etc.). They also had a bathroom in the classroom. I’m not sure what the ratio is for your school, but my daughter’s K class had about 22 kids, a teacher and a teaching assistant. Either the teacher or the TA was always with them, including at lunch. The biggest challenge we had was that lunch is short and my daughter is a very slow eater, so it was tough for her to eat enough. This is pretty common from what her K teacher said. Also, the post-school energy crash is real so be ready for it. I give my elementary schooler a drink and a snack immediately when she gets in the car from aftercare. Otherwise she crashes hard. Another thing that you’ll have to get used to is that updates will probably be less frequent, depending on the teacher’s style. You won’t get a daily sheet anymore! That was weird for me.
I think daycare prepares them really well for the structure of K, as avocado mentioned. Overall, it went very smoothly for us.
Mrs. Jones says
Our kid went from Montessori school to public kindergarten and HATED it. He was bored and acted out a lot. The teachers gave him more work to do, and he went to play therapy weekly, and both of those things helped. First grade was awesome though–no problems at all.
EB0220 says
Oh no! My younger daughter is at Montessori school for preschool and they really load her up on work to keep her occupied. Guess I’ll have to keep an eye on this when she starts K next year.
mascot says
Other ladies have covered most of it. It’s really normal for them to be exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day and have meltdowns. They work so hard to hold it together all day that by the time you seen them, they may have a come-apart because they are finally in a safe, familiar place. Being surrounded by a bunch of new faces whose names they don’t yet know just compounds the overwhelmed feeling. All that to say, don’t panic if there are some bumps in the road. Helping him find the familiar (you like this piece of playground equipment, playing dress up is fun- how cool are these new costumes) can help make a new environment less intimidating.
Kindergarten and first grade are big on teaching self-reliance. So find out what skills they are focusing on in class and encourage those at home too. Things like tying your own shoes, pouring things into a cup, taking care of classroom pets and plants, cleaning up your area, etc.
JTX says
Thanks all for the responses! We are visiting the school and meeting his teacher on Thursday, so hopefully that will help. The beginning of the school year just crept up on me and I realized yesterday I hadn’t given much thought to what might change or what we should be doing to prepare, if anything.
anon says
Honestly, it was a bigger change for me than for my kiddo. My kids were in a national chain catered to two working parent type daycare, and the switch to public school was a big shock for me. I agree to visit the school ahead of time and get familiar with it. If you can do a meetup ahead of time, that’s nice too so at least there are some familiar faces.
Spirograph says
Thanks everyone for these responses. Not the OP, but I will have a kindergarteners in a couple weeks, and I appreciate the wisdom of those who’ve been there and done that!
IHeartBacon says
My 1.5 year old son recently befriended a little boy who is 2.5 years old. My husband and the other dad were hanging out watching the two boys play and the other boy pushed my son over a toy. My husband mentioned it to me the next day, but he didn’t make it sound too concerning so I didn’t get concerned. I know pushing is developmentally appropriate for a 2.5 year old and the other dad intervened by talking to his son, etc. The following day, the boy pushed my son again and the boy’s mom asked my husband and son to leave to show her son the consequence of pushing, etc.
I met the son for the first time yesterday with the dad when they came over to play in my son’s room. I saw the boy push my son three times— the third time was so hard that I had to catch my son from hitting his head on the ground. The dad said something to the boy each time and after the third time, he took his son home. Before they left though, my son picked up a toy and tried to hit the boy on the head with it, which he’s never done before. As the dad and boy were leaving, the other boy hugged my son and gave him a kiss without prompting. This morning, my son kept smacking me in the face, which he has done before, but never to this amount.
Based on my husband’s and my conversations with the dad, we got the impression that the boy is struggling with the same problems at school and the parents are really making an effort to socialize him with other neighborhood kids his age because he is an only child.
I was talking to my nanny about it, who sees most of the interactions between the two boys during the day, and she described the boy’s personality as “not normal” because he seems to be overly aggressive. I don’t give her “not normal” comment too much weight because it’s unproductively judgmental.
I’m really torn about what to do. The parents don’t seem to be the problem because they were definitely making an effort to step in when they saw the behavior, although I don’t know how consistent they are when we’re not around. I’m also very sympathetic to the parents who have a child who is doing the hitting. It has to be hard and isolating to be on that side of the problem. I also believe it takes a village to raise a child, and we all need a village, including the parents of a child who is pushing other kids. On the other hand, I’m not going to allow another child to socialize himself on my son. My son has a very sweet temperament and I don’t want him to lose that or to make his kind nature a target for bullying. And I feel like my 1.5 year is still too young to really talk to him about what’s going on, how he can stop the other boy’s behavior, etc.
Any thoughts on how to frame the issue in my mind and tips on what to do in the future?
Anonymous says
It’s hard to know without actually being there but it sounds like pretty normal 2.5 year old behavior. And the parents reacted appropriately.
I’m not sure I’d do daily play dates but I don’t see an issue with continued interaction.
Anon in NYC says
The 2.5 year old’s behavior honestly sounds pretty normal. And it seems like the parents are making an effort to intervene and correct his behavior. I don’t know what more you can ask for.
There are lots of “bad” behaviors that are developmentally normal and persist despite the parents being “consistent” about correcting them. For example, my kid was a biter from ages 9 months – 15/16 months, and then had a bad week just a few weeks ago (she’s now 3). I can assure you that my husband and I were consistent that she shouldn’t bite people.
If you don’t want your son to spend time with him, that’s fine – just avoid them/the playground when this kid is there. But you may find that when your son goes to preschool that he will pick up on other things from kids, whether it’s pushing or something else.
Anonymous says
As the parent of a kid who was forced to be “friends” with a physically and verbally aggressive child at school, I say don’t allow your child to be this kid’s punching bag. It is laudable that you want to help the parents out, but not at the expense of your own child. Sure, some amount of hitting and pushing is normal at this age, but your son is probably already experiencing enough of that at day care.
Anonymous says
I don’t think her kid is in daycare as she references a nanny.
octagon says
It may be developmentally normal but I would not allow my much younger kid to play with him on a regular basis, and any playdates would be under very close supervision (it sounds like they are).
It’s especially concerning if you saw it happening repeatedly on the third playdate. That means this boy is not responding to consequences or is continually testing boundaries.
I had my 2.5yo with another similarly aged kid and there was one instance of pushing. The pusher went into a timeout, and was told that another incident meant playtime was over. There wasn’t another incident.
IHeartBacon says
Thanks everyone for the input. I can’t quite put my finger on why I was so uneasy about what I saw yesterday, but I think Octagon hit the nail on the head: it concerned me that the there were three pushes, each one escalating in aggression and the boy did not seem to be responding to the dad’s admonitions. I also have some regret this morning that I allowed my son to be pushed three times. So there’s that.
Kids bedding? says
We’re getting ready to transition our two year old to a twin bed and I’m struggling to find a comforter for the bed that seems to work. Everything is either just a quit (would that actually be warm enough?) or a duvet and cover (which seems like a pain with the a little kid). I had just regular one piece comforters when I was a kid — do those still exist? What twin kids blankets do you recommend that are reasonably affordable?
anon says
Target has one-piece kids’ comforters. I bought her a Pillowfort comforter, which is plenty warm for summer. In the winter, I layer another blanket or quilt with it. I have a Threshold twin-size blanket that both kids have used and loved.
Anonymous says
Why is a duvet and cover a pain? That’s what we use on our kids beds. No top flat sheet. I just change the duvet cover weekly.
anon says
Something to think about it is ease of washing. We do a PBK quilt with another thin blanket for winter. It’s held up well.
Anonymous says
Did you check the company store? You could also just use an easily washable duvet without a cover. The cover is just decorative.
anon says
We got a comforter from Wayfair. It’s definitely not the softest, best quality, but it certainly does the job for a 3 year old.
However. We’ve had a few nighttime accidents and throw blankets are so much easier to wash and deal with because they aren’t as bulky. A throw is the perfect size for my LO right now and he likes the soft fleece, so we’ll probably continue to do that as long as possible. We aren’t even using the top sheet anymore either.
Anonymous says
Target and homegoods for the one piece deals. Bed bath and beyond also has “bed in a bag” eg sheets, comforter all matchy).
Anonymous says
It’s hard to know without actually being there but it sounds like pretty normal 2.5 year old behavior. And the parents reacted appropriately.
I’m not sure I’d do daily play dates but I don’t see an issue with continued interaction.
Anonymous says
I’m nursing and eating what feels like 3000 calories a day while still (gradually) losing weight. Good problem to have, I know. My usual healthy snacks like hummus and string cheese just aren’t filling me up and giving me enough calories, so I find myself eating a lot of brownies and muffins, which I know isn’t very healthy. Does anyone have suggestions for higher calorie but still healthy things I could eat? I love eggs and eat those when I can, but I don’t have time to cook them on weekday mornings. I also love avocados but I can never quite catch the sweet spot between unripe and moldy… I wish I could pay someone to deliver me a perfectly ripe avocado every day.
Anonymous says
full fat yoghurt
olive oil
nuts – salted pistachios are life in my house
bagel with cream cheese
smoothies
Anon in NYC says
It seems like you need to incorporate more carbs + protein during the day (plus fat). I really like a grain or pasta salad for this that you can eat cold. I will usually cook up a grain (quinoa, orzo, other pasta shape), and toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and let it cool. Then I add rotisserie chicken (or chickpeas for vegetarian), pitted kalamata olives, halved grape tomatoes, scallions, and feta (all to taste). It keeps well in the fridge so you can just eat it cold for a few days (maybe add more olive oil if it seems dry).
The nice thing is that it’s basically adaptable to any flavors: peaches, tomatoes, mozzarella, shallots, chicken/chickpeas + pesto. Or chicken, walnuts, cranberries, baby spinach, blue cheese.
Coach Laura says
Hard boiled eggs are my lifesavers. I cook 8 at a time in my instant pot, which is easy but stovetop is good too or you can get them in bulk cooked and peeled already from Costco.
I hear you on the avocados. What about mini-packs of guacamole and whole grain crackers?
What about putting hummus on sliced lunchmeat and rolling it up?
Anonymous says
Once a week I cook chicken breasts in the slow cooker for lunches. I highly recommend it. I usually put in 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with a few tablespoons of water. Cook on high for about 4 hours. Sometimes I season with salt, pepper, poultry rub, and/or a no-salt seasoning. Sometimes note. Then we use them for lunches all week. I usually chop some up for salads. Sometimes my husband does sandwiches or reheated with some BBQ sauce. It’s a really easy way to have protein ready to go when you need it. I also love making a batch of wheat berries. They fill me up really well.
2:54 Anon. says
Oh, and I also did a lot spoonfuls of PB at that stage in my life…
And tons of Nature Valley granola bars. Not the healthiest, but could have been worse I guess. I told myself that all the oats were good for my supply. And they were so easy.
avocado says
Shalane Flanagan’s superhero muffins are delicious, nutritious, and high in calories. Just be careful not to overcook them or they will get dry.
GCA says
+1 million to the superhero muffins! (I’m also curious about her new cookbook, which promises speedier recipes than Run Fast Eat Slow.) I think I may have added almond butter to the batter a few times.
Moms Solo says
There some yummy, healthful lactation muffin recipes that pack a bigger punch if you load them with walnuts, choco chips, etc. These were my favorite:
https://www.loveandzest.com/pump-up-your-milk-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-lactation-muffins/
Not what you asked for, but I’m currently, 5 months post b-feeding and I miss the days of eating bacon cheeseburgers for easy calories, so my advice would be to eat whatever your heart desires and enjoy :)
Super Heroes says
Gift ideas for a 4 year girl that is really into superheroes? Budget $30-50
I’m thinking a set of capes for dress up, but wondering if anyone else has better ideas.
Mrs. Jones says
Lego Junior super hero sets are fun.
Anon says
Target has DC Super Hero Girls and Superhero Guys in a “Barbie” type size for about $10-15 each. They get a lot of play in our superhero-obsessed house (I have a 5yo DD and 3yo DS). Last night Flash and Supergirl were in a heavy romance and Batman was fighting with Princess Elena over Wonder Woman’s shield and sword.
Also on Amazon/ B&N you can find “I Can Read” or “Ready to Read” books that feature superheros. She likely isn’t reading yet, but those were some of my kids’ most-requested-bedtime-story books over the last year.
Anon says
Princess Awesome might have some clothes that are themed for it- it does like dinosaur leggings for girls and airplane dresses etc.
shortperson says
hanna anderson JUSTICE LEAGUE™ WONDER WOMAN™ Hoodie & Cape Set, when it goes on sale inevitably
Anonymous says
My almost 5 y/o is getting the Wonder Woman Union suit PJs at Target (girls section- the xs M should fit your kiddo as mine is tall and turning 5 and the xs was too short) a BatGirl lego keychain for her bday. Lego also has a bunch of superhero stuff. Coloring books. Gap also has Justice League gear right now and ya all on her wishlist.
But go for the cape and mask. We have supergirl and it’s a staple.
Impact of moving on kids says
What are you guys’ thoughts on the impact of moving on young kids? I’ve been given a great opportunity in another state. The thought of leaving our home is painful – all of our friends and my family are here – but I think I could stomach it if was temporary…say 2 or 3 years.
My husband’s actually really excited about the move, but not at the prospect of doing it temporarily. His main argument is that it would be too hard on the kids. They are 2 and 4 currently, so if we were to move back in a few years, they’d be roughly 5 and 7.
I think it would be upsetting, certainly – but he actually said “devastating.” What are your thoughts?
EB0220 says
We moved frequently when I was a kid: when I was 3, 5, 7 and 14. I was not traumatized. There were challenges, of course, but everyone survived. I think it made me more resilient and less afraid of change as an adult. They’ll be fine.
Anonymous says
thanks!
Anonymous says
How can you be sure it is temporary? This wasn’t your question, so sorry for the unsolicited comment, but if I was you my bigger issue might be coming to terms with the move not being temporary for any host of reasons…jobs, kids being happy there, etc.
OP says
Great question. I know. That may be one of my husband’s concerns, too. It’s because i’m just so happy here, except for my job. I know what I want to do and I’m just not getting my foot in the door. This job opportunity is giving me that – but far away. So I want to take it, but leaving family is just so painful, especially now that we all have kids.
Anon says
My mom is admit that our moves during childhood made our immediate family (mom, dad, sister, me) so much closer than a lot of families because we had to rely on each other when adjusting to a new community. So you might have the same extended family around but it could be a plus in that regard. I haven’t lived in the same state as my parents since I was 18 and for many years didn’t live in the same country and I talk daily to my sister, dad and mom – plus texting and emails. My sister is one of my closest friends and my mom contributes that to our moves.
Anonanonanon says
I think this is a “know your kids” situation, which is tough because at 2 and 4 it’s really hard to tell how they will feel about this sort of thing at 5 and 7.
I moved a lot with my son when he was young, with the last move being when he was 5 (he’s now 8). They didn’t bother him when he was younger, but I can say that I do not plan to move him until secondary school at this point, as it would be rough on him. I think the initial move would be no big deal for you, but the relocation at 5 and 7 would be tougher (your 7 year old may be in second grade then, halfway through their time at an elementary school that has served as their world for the majority of the day for the majority of the year, and sad to leave)
Anonymous says
Thank you!
Anon says
I think moving is one of the things that gave me skills as an adult to adapt and be flexible and meet new people. I moved at age 3 (honestly no memory of that) and then moved in 6th grade. The 6th grade move was not easy, but had I not moved then to a totally different community I would not be the person I am today. It made going off to college easier. It made moving across the country easier. It made moving to a whole new country easier. I know how to find community wherever I am and have “homes” in at least 5 places across the world. The 6th grade move was a lot harder on my parents than us as kids because they were sooooo worried about us, and also its harder to find friends later in life. Kids make friends pretty easily.
OP says
Great perspective, thanks!