Accessory Tuesday: Bucket Bag

Does anyone else have a (newly turned) 4 year old that’s dropped the nap but still needs a little snooze? My dds behavior has gotten worse after dropping nap and she sleeps at 745-615 to 645. Is that enough sleep? If she sleeps earlier than 745, she wakes up in the motn. Maybe we just need to ride this out. Curious if anyone has tips. Thanks!

i know everyone on here is always venting about their 3 year olds, and wow my twins turned 3 last week and it’s like a switch flipped and they’ve become so challenging- refusing to clean up their toys, throwing/dropping cups and utensils at meals, unwilling to get dressed. Everything is a battle. I do a lot of solo parenting – help!

Wondering if this is just an issue in my area or if it’s all over – my daycare is dealing with a serious staff shortage. A consortium of daycares in our area has sent out a semi-coordinated email asking parents to share their job postings and also apologizing if admin staff weren’t able to answer the phone.

They’re also having a big issue with hiring people who just… never show up for the first day or show up for a couple days then don’t come back. Now, my daycare offers full benefits, lots of paid time off, and pays decently. No weird shifts, super normal shifts.

I’m attending a virtual conference yesterday and today for my industry. Their first keynote was on self-care and resilience. It was so full of platitudes and the big advice was to take a pause. About 1/2 way through, someone asked what advice she had for parents who are trying to work with kids at home. The speaker’s response was: “Wow. Yeah. That’s tough.” And then moved on to the next question. It felt so representative of the way parents have been treated over this past year. I tuned her out for the rest of her presentation.

Would love some help with an infant sleep issue. Our 4 month old goes to bed without any trouble around 7:30 or 8, and will sleep pretty decent stretches–until ~4 am, when everything falls apart. Sometimes it’s a bit of congestion, sometimes it’s gas, sometimes I have no idea what’s going on. But after she eats around 4am she is fussy and wakeful, and it’s absolutely killing my ability to get rest. I need those last hours until 6:30!! Right now I spend ~2 hours rocking her, putting her down, repeat, or hubby does the same. What else can we do??

If you don’t have one, an XL LL Bean tote is a good addition to family travel supplies. Use packing cubes for your stuff, baby’s and partner’s (if sharing bag). Velcro swaddle – Nurses are swaddling ninjas, but this is helpful if you and partner need to do it. Mini white noise machine – night 2 they won’t sleep as much. Fancy travel size toiletries and flip flops- nice to have for your shower. Also, pack your baby bag too so it’s ready for your first doc appt. (Xtra outfit w minimal snaps, diapers, wipes, paci). good luck!