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Clementine says
This morning while in the drop off line for school, kid told me his throat hurt ‘so much’. I had to turn around because… can’t send him in.
Then, on a call where I am the client, he loudly broke into my office to say he got a little p00p on his underpants by accident. Later, there was a discussion as to the fact that I had not gotten him new underwear and he couldn’t find clean ones. The word ‘pOop’ was used multiple times. Guess who was not (as she thought) on mute.
Cornellian says
Oh no! I love when those moments happen, if that makes you feel better.
Nora says
My coworkers kid would repeat everything her mom said sometimes and my coworker would be annoyed but I thought it was cute.
anon says
You can always count on kids to keep it real.
Anon says
Not to be that person, but it’s worth getting a Covid test if you haven’t. Sore throat and GI issues were my kid’s main symptoms.
Clementine says
He was negative this morning.
Yeah, that 1% of doubt is why he’s home.
anon says
I always loved those moments on the other end of the phone before I had kids – makes you seem human and your kid seem adorable. I also love when dogs and kids join zoom calls (not when my own do it, but still).
Incog-neat-oh says
Do any of you moms have any experience dealing with Natera’s (genetic testing company) billing department? I’ve been having the most awful time dealing with them, but they’re one of the (if not the only) in-network providers for a certain type of test for my health care plan. I have seen all the BBB complaints, class actions, and government fines – so I know they’re notoriously troublesome – but does anyone have any practical tips that have worked for you and/or any contact people that I might be able to go through who can help me? My situation is that my insurance did not pay them. On my EOB it states that the test is covered by my plan (which I confirmed prior to the test, too), but that it is excluded from the in-network contract between Natera and my insurer. The EOB also states that they cannot balance bill me, and I owe nothing. When I talk to my insurer, they say that it should be Natera who would appeal (either submitting a different CPT code or appealing saying it is within the scope of their contract). Natera is insisting that I appeal, and keeps sending me invoices. Any contact person/practical tips would be helpful! I’ve spent hours on the phone, and had multiple three-way calls with my insurer and Natera, and so far nothing has been successful.
Anon says
I’m jumping to conclusions, but was this test ordered by your RE or OB? If so, get their billing department involved.
Incog-neat-oh says
You’re right, it’s an RE. What would I ask their billing department? In case I wasn’t clear, the claim to my insurance was submitted by the lab (Natera), not my physician office. My RE normally uses a different lab, they told me this is their first time using Natera (I work remotely for a company that has a health plan that is not often seen in my geographical area – and that health plan has fertility coverage that covers this test, but only for in-network providers (their normal lab is not)). If you think my RE office will be helpful, I am all ears!! That’s an avenue that hasn’t even dawned on me.
anonamommy says
Get their billing department involved, yes.
Also a complaint to your state insurance regulator.
anon says
How much is it for? I had a $500 discrepancy where I clearly didn’t owe the money that took up more than a hundred hours of my time. It was at a time (grad school) when that amount of money really mattered to me. It eventually was about to go to collections and I just paid it. It wasn’t worth the ding on my credit record. Crooks.
Incog-neat-oh says
The total amount of the bill would be in the thousands, so to me and our family budget, it is worth fighting.
Anonymous says
$500 would be worth it to me, too.
Cornellian says
I know this isn’t helpful, but my best friend (who is herself a nurse) has been unsuccessfully fighting Natera for 3 years about wild bills and they are absolutely notorious for them. I refused to use a provider that uses Natera, and it seems like legit providers are starting to refuse to use them. I know this doesn’t help you, but for other folks considering, see if your doctor might use invitae. I had the genetic testing with them and it was like 89 dollars or 100 out of pocket, I believe.
Incog-neat-oh says
It’s helpful in the sense that I am not in this boat alone! I replied in a comment above, but my provider usually does NOT use Natera (usually uses Cooper Genomics) for this test. Unfortunately Cooper Genomics is not in-network for my plan, so my hands were tied there unless I was willing to self pay (which defeats the purpose of having insurance coverage!).
Anon says
Natera billed my insurance $10,000 and the insurance company fought it themselves. Have you invoked your insurance company? Not sure if my experience was an outlier.
Anonymous says
I would ask your insurance company for their specific policy language that (1) says that the test is covered, and 2) presumably states something to the effect of in-network providers aren’t allowed to balance bill plan members. You’re probably going to have to submit some kind of appeal using these policy provisions in order to preserve your appeal rights. Natera is technically the provider here, so I’m not sure your doc is going to be able to do much.
Anonymous says
So heartbroken about the tragedy in Texas. This is the first time I’ve had to talk to my kids about a school shooting and I couldn’t make it through without crying. They are too young to know about Sandy Hook.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Feel free to come at me but I hate the prevalence of gun culture here. I am so wary of buying toy guns and even squirt guns for my kids. When you have a country that glorifies action movies with shooting scenes, and also allows anyone to buy a gun on top of NRA lobbies, this is what happens. And FWIW my parents own guns for “safety” and that makes me uncomfortable enough. My kids aren’t allowed to stay at their place.
Anon says
I don’t really think action movies are the problem. They show action movies in Australia and Europe and they don’t have constant mass shootings because they have gun control. The NRA (and the voters who continue electing NRA-bought senators) are the problem.
Pogo says
I have close family and friends who own guns, and I just don’t get it. It seems like such a small ‘freedom’ to give up to potentially save so many lives – not just mass shootings which are obviously horrific, but in terms of domestic violence and suicide.
Anon says
I understand why someone would want a gun for hunting. It’s not my thing, but I respect it. But you only need an AR 15 if you intend to kill humans.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1M to this. Guns are not my thing – I wish they’d be outlawed completely, and don’t even let my older son play with water guns or play any “shooting” games as far as I can see.
But the reality is (taking the terrible interpretation of the 2nd Amendment out of this, which is hard) there ARE sportspeople out there who like to hunt (and this is NOT who the NRA caters to, which is a whole other topic). Why not just outlaw all assault weapons/accessories and military grade stuff like body armor, and more highly regulate other weapons, mandate education on safe storage and training, etc. My brother learned some of the latter in boy scouts at WAY too young of an age, but at least guns were presented as weapons that needed training and skill to use vs. something in a video game.
Anonymous says
This. Part of my legal practice involves hunting regulation in northern areas. Even when there are licences for polar bear (extremely limited – Indigenous (native) ceremonial in most cases), there is no authority for an AR 15. If you don’t need it for an animal that is 1500lbs and 9 feet tall and aggressive AF, there is nothing you are hunting that you need an AR 15 for.
Anon says
I think a lot of people don’t realize what an AR 15 does to a person. It’s not like a clean bullet hole. It completely shreds the tissue. The bodies of the children were unrecognizable and could only be identified through DNA. There is no sane reason not to completely ban these guns. The founding fathers never could have conceived of semi automatic weapons when they wrote the second amendment.
Anon says
I’ve been crying on and off since I heard and barely slept last night. There were many parents looking extra haggard at daycare drop off today. I can’t even imagine having to talk to kids about it but I’ll probably have to do that for the next one.
I’m so disgusted with this country and the grip the NRA has on politics and life.
Anon says
Same crying on and off since I heard. I was emotionally affected by Buffalo and now this with kids. It’s just so disgusting and it just seems like these men (I believe they have all been men) are doing this for some shock value as well because I don’t know how anyone could go after kids.
Anonymous says
This was the first big one since my kid was old enough to go to school, and I’m taking it hard this morning.
Anonymous says
Same. Feeling really helpless and sad.
EDAnon says
Same. I give to Moms Demand Action, but they’re no match for the NRA.
Anon says
Same. Curious how others are addressing this. Google turned up a disturbing number of articles about how to talk to kids but a lot were focused on those more directly affected. Mine are 7 and 9 and some of the advice was like for the 7 year old unless they ask, you don’t need to cover it, but I assume my 9 year old will hear something. #thingsIdidn’twanttohavetolearn
Spirograph says
Yeah, I don’t know. My older two are the same ages as yours, and I haven’t said anything about it to my kids yet. We listened to an audiobook rather than the radio on the way to school today so I could delay the inevitable, but I’m sure they will hear something. This has already been a tough week or so with the other mass shootings, and now it’s kids again. It’s infuriating that a ridiculous (to me) interpretation of the 2nd amendment is more important than so many lives, let alone the ability of people to go about their days without wondering when random gun violence might come for them or their loved ones.
I disagree that action movies or violent video games are a primary problem here. Or squirt guns, or nerf guns or finger guns (although I feel differently about whether gun toys are a problem in the context of kids accidentally shooting real guns). The problems are (in my order of perceived importance): 1. lack of gun control, 2. lack of gun control, 3. lack of gun control, 4. lack of gun control… 20. insufficient mental health access. There is literally no reason a civilian needs as much firepower as that 18 year old was able to buy.
“‘No Way To Prevent This’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens”
Anon says
Yep. Other countries have action movies and squirt guns and mental health problems. Only the US has regular mass shootings.
Anon says
I agree squirt guns and other toys are not an issue. And research is inconclusive on the link between violence in media and aggression. But, I would argue there’s a correlation, insofar that our American culture is obsessed with glorifying violence/military action/machismo/etc. We wring our hands over depictions of nudity, but gloss over depictions of deadly violence. In Europe, many movies are rated higher because of violence than they are in the US, for example. Access to guns is the root cause of shootings, but living in a cowboy culture steeped in rugged individualism/achieving power through violence makes it the perfect storm.
Anonymous says
See that’s interesting to me, actually. The US glosses over *fictional* depictions of deadly violence, but the physical aftermath of real violence is not allowed/shown at all in mainstream news reporting. I’m not advocating for shocking images to be on the news every night, and certainly victims and their families should be respected… but I do kind of wonder if the fact that news coverage shows only distraught family members, draped bodies, and police tape allows US society to move on more quickly than we should.
Anonymous says
This is true. Many movies that rate PG13 for violence in the US receive a higher rating (or the violence is cut), in Europe. I do think it matters if you are 11 or 18 when you are exposure to violent media.
anon says
The other problem is that this story is in the news media every other week, so every troubled adolescent man sees this script over and over, and it becomes a well-worn path to follow, a way to display your hate and pain and take others down with you in flames when you see no other option for yourself. It’s a groove that gets deepened, and more young man will follow. That’s why we have to make it harder for people to do this. If it’s harder, it will happen less.
Anonymous says
for real, someone need to just print screen of theonion.com right now and hang it on the door of all the congressional offices.
It also has this gem: https://www.theonion.com/report-uvalde-gunman-had-accomplices-as-far-as-washing-1848976025
So Anon says
I learned of the event while at my kids’ spring concert. I bawled watching 3rd- 5th graders sing “A Million Dreams” from the Greatest Showman. I wasn’t alone in my tears.
My kids are 8 and 11 (3rd and 5th grades). I decided to tell them about it last night, at a very high level. I’m not sure that I did it right or well, but my script went something like: “I need to tell you about something that happened today. A bad person hurt children while they were at school today. You may hear about it on the news or somewhere else. If you hear about it on the playground, please let the kids know that they should have that conversation with an adult, not other kids. You are safe at school, and I trust our schools to do everything they can to keep you safe.” My 11 year old said ok and walked away. My 8 year old had lots of questions. My motto is only answer the question asked, and it is ok to say that I don’t know. Toughest question was whether the kids were ok and why would someone do that.
FVNC says
I had a similar conversation with my 8 yr old this morning (“a really terrible crime happened at a school in Texas and some children died. If you hear anything about it at school, tell me about it this afternoon and let’s talk about your questions.”).
I debated telling her specifically she’d be safe at school and ultimately did not. I’m trying to balance how to be reassuring versus how to teach kids how to be aware of threats (omg, I can’t believe I have to type that) — she’s going into 4th grade next school year. Anyone felt like they’ve hit the right balance on that?
Anon says
I live in Minneapolis and last night at school pick-up reminded me of the difficult conversations I had with my now 8 year old after George Floyd was murdered (two years ago today.) I answer questions in an age-appropriate way as best I can, respond to fact questions with a lot of “I don’t know but I can find out” and to why questions with “this is scary and sad for me too, sometimes it makes me feel better to [do certain action.]” I try to involve him in my responses when I can – he sees me cry, he can listen in when I do my round of calls to local / state / federal representatives. I wish things were different and not as routine as they’ve become.
Too Much says
I’m having trouble thinking or talking about anything else right now. And I’m frustrated when people are, even though I know it’s illogical. This is too much.
Anonymous says
I am curious About this, so taking a very informal poll…. At what point did your little one move from a crib to a toddler bed (or any size bed)? My son just turned three and he has never, ever tried to climb out of his crib and shows no indications of wanting to be in a bed. So, if he’s having a rough night and while comforting him one of says, “do you want to come lay in bed with mom and dad?” He responds with “no, I want to be in my crib.” There are no younger siblings on the way, and no moves to a new house on the horizon, so nothing that would present an opportunity for a transition.
Anon says
We converted the crib to a toddler bed at 2 years 5 months but only because she was threatening to climb out. If kiddo’s not climbing and happy in the crib keep them there as long as you can. The crib/toddler bed was my kid’s safe place too for a long time. She started going there whenever she had a meltdown and wanted to calm down alone.
Anonymous says
There was a post on this yesterday. Mine all moved out of cribs at age 4. They also like their cribs as a snug cozy space and weren’t interested in big kid beds at age 3.
Anon says
Enjoy it! My kid moved out at 17 months when she turned into a circus performer and vaulted herself out of the crib, repeatedly, in front of us standing right there. Swapped the crib side for a toddler rail the next morning. We moved her to a queen bed in a different room at 2.5 because we were expecting a second (but miscarriage, sigh) and so now our queen bee at almost 5 still has clothes and toys in the “baby room” which is basically her dressing room and playroom now but sleeps and has books and other toys in her “big girl” room. If we ever get (and stay) pregnant again, we will obviously fully transition her to her “big girl” room, but no sense rocking the boat until we have to. And I am not emotionally ready to put the crib turned toddler bed away and fully commit to a playroom in the nursery because I keep hoping we’ll need it in nine months (even though we’re 2.5 years into not having needed it yet). Thankfully, we don’t need the space.
Anon says
Jumping off this – bed recommendations? We can’t seem to find the piece we need to convert our IKEA crib to a toddler bed. Worth getting a toddler bed or should we get a twin mattress and frame now?
CCLA says
I’d recommend any regular (but not crazy high, so they can eventually get in and out independently!) twin with a hiccapop bumper. That bumper worked well without being totally in the way, and after a couple of months she didn’t need it so has just had a regular twin. Older one we started on a twin that was about 4 inches off the ground, but doing a regular bed with the bumper was nicer for me for things like bedtime books and snuggles. Both of ours moved around age 2 but I think we’re in the minority.
Anonymous says
I have never understood toddler beds- if you move to a bed early and are concerned about falling just put the mattress on the floor for a few months.
Anon says
We did a toddler bed not because it was necessary but because it was convenient and cheap. Just remove one wall of the crib and install a rail (although even that’s optional). It took all of 15 minutes and like $50. Buying a real bed was a much more expensive and time-consuming endeavor because when I was investing hundreds of dollars I wanted to make sure I bought one that would be comfortable, look good, and last for a long time.
Anonymous says
Oh , I see, taking the side off a crib does not strike me as weird. Buying a whole separate toddler bed is what I can’t wrap my mind around (and we have friends who’ve done this).
Anonymous says
I don’t think I would buy a separate toddler bed if your crib doesn’t convert to one. I’d go straight to a regular bed (or maybe mattress on the floor and then regular bed). We’re going to convert my kid’s crib to a toddler bed when the time comes because the crib came with a toddler bed rail. The long term plan is an antique 3/4 bed, but since it’s a little too high off the ground for a young kid to get into, we’re hoping the toddler bed configuration can bridge that gap.
Colleen Raezler says
My son was three and change when he started climbing out of it. We converted the crib to a toddler bed at that point, and he slept in the toddler bed until we finally realized he was too big for the toddler bed. He probably could have gone right to a regular bed at the point we moved him out of the crib as he slept in them when we traveled without issue but we had everything already for the toddler bed.
Anon says
We went from cribs to toddler beds (aka cribs with a side taken off) when they outgrew pack-n-plays at 2.5. Our logic was that they were going to need to sleep in real beds when traveling at that point, so we might as well practice at home.
NYCer says
Just after two for my older daughter and 23 months for my younger. Both moved to regular (not toddler) beds without issue.
Anonymous says
We converted the crib to toddler bed around 3 and my son still made us come get him out in the morning for a solid 6 months after that.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We moved my oldest at just over 2 because he was climbing out. I don’t think he was quite ready for it as he then kept coming out of his toddler bed and out of his room for a few months. We moved my youngest when he was almost 3.5 as he never tried to climb out. He went straight to a twin bed and stays in there now. If your kid isn’t climbing out, wait as long as you can!
startup lawyer says
i would not change a thing. my kid is almost 3 and has never tried to climb out (he’s still in a sleep sack even) and i plan to keep him this way until he climbs out/he is too big or insists on a bed
Anonymous says
Older child just after 3 because I wanted him to be used to a bed before the baby would come when he was 3.5. I regretted it because naps immediately ended and that kid still needed the sleep. That child was not climbing out. Second child also right around 3 because he kept climbing out to sleep on the floor. Both kids went to a regular bed but the second child still sleeps on the floor almost a year later.
Anon says
we just converted our twins cribs to toddler beds at age 4
Anon says
My DD stayed in the crib until she couldn’t fit anymore (though we converted the front rail to make it more of a toddler daybed around age 3). I think we bought a twin bed for her 4th birthday. She never climbed out. And even now, at age 8, she calls one of us into her room when she’s ready to get out of bed.
AwayEmily says
So, I’m mostly finished with Hunt, Gather, Parent. There was one part that really resonated with me — the idea that we all talk way too much when parenting, and that in the face of a meltdown, just being silent is a valid option. While I’ve never been a yeller, the major alternative (acknowledging feelings, e.g. “you’re feeling so mad”) always feels artificial to me, and my attempts to reason them out of it always (unsurprisingly) fail miserably. I don’t know why I never thought of just saying NOTHING.
I tried it this morning — my 4yo wanted me to read him a chapter of Dragon Masters, but it was time for breakfast. He started getting mad and instead of saying “wow, you really wish we had time to read” or “it’s okay, we can read after breakfast” or “PLEASE stop, it’s too early in the morning for this,” I just said nothing, and chilled on the couch. And after a minute I picked him up, gave him a hug, and carried him to the breakfast table and set him down. Meltdown over. Now, I don’t think it would have been a huge one regardless, and I actually think some of the other strategies would also have worked just fine too, but this approach felt SO MUCH BETTER to me. So much more like “me,” as opposed to reading from a script, if that makes sense.
Anyway, I have nothing particularly useful to say about any of the rest of the book (some I liked, some I did not) but I thought that part was gold.
Anon says
Yeah I think different kids react very differently. Mine gets enraged if I try to talk to her and borderline catatonic if I try to touch her (lol at Dr Becky and those people who say you have to wrap the kid in a bear hug so they don’t fear abandonment…I think my kid would seriously injure herself and/or me if I did that). I learned a loooong time ago that meltdowns end so much faster if we ignore them and walk away. It’s very performative at least for my kid, and if there’s no one to perform for it fizzles.
EDAnon says
I also have a kid who LOSES IT if I try to wrap him up during a meltdown. I actually started setting a timer for 5 minutes on my phone and giving space. The timer never goes off because he always comes to find me when he’s ready to talk or hug. But he definitely needs his space to calm down and then he’s ready for other approaches.
anonM says
Yes, can be so kid dependent. My oldest wants a hug even if it is me he’s mad at. My youngest wants to be left alone and touching makes it so much worse. It really surprised me.
anon says
OMG, yes. I have a kid whose tantrums would escalate from bad to defcon level when talked to or touched.
Anonymous says
This strategy works for me too — like this morning, my 3YO did not want to put a shirt on, and didn’t like any shirts I suggested, and starting crying and working himself up. I said OK and sat down and waited a few minutes. After a little bit he came over and asked for a blue shirt, and then he was fine after that.
anon says
Yeah I agree. Sometimes you just have to be patient and let things take a little longer than you would like until they eventually come around. I really struggle with the mom as therapist role of “you are having a hard time right now” and trying to name feelings and sympathize. I mean, I’ll do it if it works and is a good approach, but it just feels artificial and sometimes kids are too worked up to hear anything you say anyway.
anon says
It makes me so happy to hear other sane people say this. I find the mom-as-therapist role exhausting. It feels fake to me. I’m all for learning how to be a good listener when there is a truly big, emotional problem to work through, but I just cannot deal with that super-empathetic approach when it’s about fights involving the red shirt vs. the blue shirt. And yeah, I know the wisdom is that it’s ALL important to a kid, but I frankly do not want to burn up all my parenting energy in that fashion.
Anon says
It feels so fake, and it makes my kid so mad to name feelings!! I believe there are some kids it helps but mine is definitely NOT one of them. She wants me to give her what she’s demanding, not pedantically explain to her why she’s mad.
anon says
Part of me thinks giving too much attention to the “red shirt vs blue shirt” type issues might reinforce a child’s self-centeredness. If parents are always super empathetic about every single tiny little problem, do kids learn to cope and move on, or do they get used to the idea that other people should play their therapist as they put on big displays of emotion? I really don’t mean to dismiss that approach entirely, because I don’t know, and I’m still learning every day what works for my children. I just think you can go too far in either direction.
anon says
You may like the book Ignore It by Catherine Pearlman. It’s been a minute since I read it, but I remember that it seemed like such a breath of fresh air after reading more touchy-feely material that didn’t feel authentic to me. I also heard her on a podcast, and I remember walking away feeling like she had a common-sense, let’s-not-make-this-so-hard approach.
Cb says
Yes, I find this works better as well, but then they can’t sell you a course that says “shut up and wait….”
I get quiet, respect requests to leave, and get low to the ground, so when my son comes out of his room to find me, I’m on the floor reading or matching socks rather than looming over him. I
Batgirl says
My 6 year old is asking for a Nintendo Switch for his birthday, and I honestly have no idea what the deal is with video games and kids these days. Is this what kids his age are playing on? Is there more of a beginner’s system?
Spirograph says
A 6 year old can definitely handle a Switch. I’m not proud of this, but my youngest has been playing Switch games since he was 4. Games he likes: Zelda:Breath of the Wild, Pokemon, Minecraft, Harry Potter, Ring Fit, Connect Together, Smash Brothers
Anon2 says
I think the Switch is the best option these days. My 6 year old is using the Ninendo Wii my husband got for his college graduation 14 years ago lol, and we plan to upgrade to a Switch for Christmas. He also started playing Minecraft on our Amazon kids tablet, but I think that tablet is a hunk of junk and barely has enough memory to run the game.
It does seem video games are the social currency among boys these days, as early as kindergarten (my son is in first grade and his friends seem to exclusively talk about video games and Lego). We have fairly tight screen time rules, though – for games, an hour on Saturday and sometimes Sunday evenings, nothing (games or TV) during the week.
When my younger son threatens to return me to the mommy store for whatever infraction I’ve committed in his eyes, my older one reminds him “all the mommies that let you play video games after school are already taken.”
No Face says
My 6 year old girl loves Mario Kart and Just Dance. She likes watching me play games too. The public library is a good way to try out games before you buy.
EDAnon says
My 5.5 yo has a switch. He has only a few games – Mario Kart, Mario 3D. He does great. We got it because he can play online with his cousin. My only recommendation is to establish boundaries about how and when it can be used upfront. We have set days and times for Mario and only allow exceptions to that during COVID quarantines. It has worked really well, because one of my kids would play endlessly if he could.
Spirograph says
oh yeah! MarioKart is another favorite in our house. I should not have forgotten that one.
In addition to setting boundaries, a good thing to know about the Switch is that you can set a parental control passcode on it. This will lock out any games until you enter the passcode, and as long as the kids don’t know the code, it makes it very easy to enforce the boundaries. My 5 year old brings me the Switch before I get out of bed on Saturdays and I kind of punch in the code with my eyes closed and then I get to sleep in for another hour. :)
Anonymous says
My 6 year old (girl) plays various Mario games and Pokemon games on the switch. She learned to read primarily so she can work through Pokemon games on her own without help. That said, the switch is pretty expensive for a kid! It’s my partner’s, and she’s not allowed to use it without supervision. I honestly don’t think there’s anything worse about video games than any other screentime, and I think many games are better than just watching TV — they can encourage problem solving, reading, and working as a team if you play multiplayer (like Mario party). I also think as the parent of a girl its a feminist issue — there’s so much external messaging around “video games are for boys” that I do my best to counteract it. She asked for a Pokemon t-shirt and I was only able to find one in the boys section. I’m glad she wasn’t in the store with me because she definitely notices things like that.
Anonymous says
The Switch is the beginner system.
Anon says
We have a Switch for my 9 and 6 year old – bought at the very beginning of the pandemic for a combined birthday gift. (We were lucky to find one!) We got the more expensive version that can display on the TV, I want to say it’s about $100 more, because we wanted to be able to monitor their playing and help with reading.
The kids really like Just Dance, Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, Minecraft, and Lego Marvel. They never got into Animal Crossing, although I know other kids did. They just got Big Brain and Pokemon for this last birthday round and seem to enjoy those as well.
We’re now discussing whether to buy a second one so each kid can play at the same time, now that we know the games are fine and the kids can mostly read on their own. Thankfully we’ve bought the physical copies of the games so we’ll be able to play them on either device.
So Anon says
I have a day in Chicago with my 11 year old son who is super into trains, planes and history of space travel. Suggestions for things to do?
This is his birthday trip. We are taking the sleeper train from Boston to Chicago, then spending a day in Chicago and flying back to the east. His little sister will be at sleep away camp, so I really want to make this special for him.
Anon says
The Museum of Science and Industry is great for that age and has lots of plane and space stuff.
Anon says
Also it’s on the ASTC passport program. If you don’t have a membership at home I’d look into it. An annual membership at my local museum is cheaper than single day tickets to MSI.
Anonymous says
There are a lot of cool museums in Chicago, but I think Museum of Science and Industry might fit the bill here. I haven’t been in about 6 years but I remember it being very cool.
Me says
I adore the Adler Planetarium, and it’s small enough you could do a couple of hours there in the late afternoon if you did MSI in the morning and still had museum energy. Navy Pier would also be fun at that age, or a boat ride on the lake.
Anon says
Adler was closed for most of the pandemic and just reopened a month or two ago, and isn’t fully open yet (shortened hours, exhibits closed, etc). We went a couple weeks ago and were very disappointed.
Anon says
I think 11 is probably too old for the Adler Planetarium. It skews very young-ish and my not-at-all-gifted almost 5 year old seems like she’s starting to age out of it. There’s a lot more for older kids to do at MSI.
Anon says
The MSI is perfect–it also has train stuff! Also, take the El (CTA train)! Each El line has slightly different cars and different characteristics, like the Blue and Red lines are packed with commuters and run underground downtown, the Brown line is above ground and comfortable and slow-paced, the Pink and Orange lines go to Pilsen (Mexican area) and Chinatown. All the lines run to the Loop (the central downtown area), which is easy walking distance from fun touristy stuff like Navy Pier, the Bean, Millennium Park, the Chicago River, and Maggie Daley Park (it has mini golf, a rock-climbing wall, and a big kids (like 9+) playground).
Anonymous says
You can take Metra to the MSI, which is a different commuter train system but also fun.
Anonymous says
It’s not exactly planes & trains, but he might also like something like going to the top of the John Hancock building or riding on the big ferris wheel at Navy Pier. The views are great, and you can soak in the skyline. If he’s into buildings he might enjoy a boat ride tour of the Chicago River.
Realist says
PSA: This webpage a free digital book you can read with kids about school shootings. https://akidsco.com/
A parent I follow that always has good tips posted this and it looks good for elementary age. I plan to read it with my kid tonight.