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My toddler is just starting to grasp the concept of “look with your eyes and not with your hands.” Prior to that, if he wanted to look at something on the counter and I picked him up, his hands immediately darted out for the most dangerous or hot object present. Now that he has a little bit more self-control, I am considering getting him a “learning tower” so that he can see what’s happening in the kitchen or “help” me with what I’m doing. I like how this particular version has a safety bar and adjustable height and isn’t hideous. This version by KidzWerks is $135 at Amazon and is eligible for Prime. Child’s Standing Tower 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!
Anonymous says
I love the idea of these but they’re so expensive, even secondhand. We just do a chair (with one of us standing next to her).
Clementine says
We do a step stool. We have a climber and I’ve always been a little nervous to encourage him to go any higher…
Recently, he has learned how to climb up the drawer handles of my kitchen cabinets to select the snacks he wants…
Mrs. Jones says
We just used a step stool too. No reason to buy another piece of furniture.
Annie says
+1. We have a kids one she can fold, move, and unfold herself.
GCA says
If your child is an expert at falling off things, I’ve seen a hack where friends have built their own using an Ikea step stool plus some extra wood for the bars. (Our kitchen is too small even for that, so I just have a folding step stool.)
shortperson says
we have a learning tower which i def recommend if you have the space/budget. my 4 year old uses it all the time and her 1 year old sister joins her and watches/”helps”
FVNC says
Yep, we love ours. It folds up to help so we can store it against the counter, and it’s been in heavy use for the past 4.5ish years (since our oldest was around 18 months). I have clumsy kids and like that it has a back and sides.
octagon says
We have one, bought secondhand, and it has been so great for us. It’s bulky in our small kitchen but kiddo loves being able to climb up and see what’s happening on the counter. He regularly cooks with me – adding spices, or even chopping things with his plastic knives. We expect to be able to sell it for close to our price when he outgrows it, so the only cost is the large footprint it takes up for these years.
Anon says
We love ours too. My now almost 2 year old has been using it since about 15 months. The only time we take it out of the kitchen is when we’re having parties and are using the island for food.
Meg says
We have one (that I had made on Etsy so it would slide under our counters at the time) that has been in pretty constant use for the last 9 years between 2 kids. My 7 year old still uses it…may be the only “toddler” item left in my house. So in terms of longevity, totally worth the cost.
Anon. says
My dad made one for my then 18-month-old at Christmas and it has been used every single day since then with no sign of letting up.
Em says
We got one only because we got a gift card that expired in 6 months to our local furniture store when we bought our mattress and we didn’t need anything else. That was two years ago and my son uses it daily, so in retrospect it would have been worth paying full price for one. We have a large kitchen, though, so there was no concerns about the footprint it uses.
Anonymous says
We have one! It is heavy and takes up a lot of space, but my daughter loves it- if you can get one secondhand, I think they are definitely worth it.
Anonymous says
+100. I have 3 kids and these things are just clutter. Use a step stool. My kids have learned (sometimes the hard way) how to not fall off.
Anonymous says
With twins I’ve found a learning tower to be so much better than just a chair or stepstool. Someone inevitably gets shoved or knocked over (either accidentally or on purpose, because they’re 2) and this keeps them from tumbling all the way down to the tile floor.
High Chair Rec says
High chair recs? Thoughts on the Stokke Tripp Trapp specifically? From what I’ve read, I like that it is ergonomically correct (adjustable foot rest for kiddo) and that it can be used for many, many years. Not sure if it is worth the price, so I’d love to hear the hive’s thoughts.
Mrs. Jones says
LOVE it. Our son is 8.5 and still uses it. I couldn’t bear looking at those giant plastic high chairs.
Lana Del Raygun says
My sister who’s a Montessori teacher really likes the Tripp Trapp for the foot rest but especially because kids can get in and out themselves better than most booster seats and high chairs.
anon says
I also love our tripp trapp. We went through a period of DD rejecting her high chair around 1 and the tripp trapp solved it. Still using it at 2.5 and expect we will for years.
Annie says
If you decide not to buy it, we are very happy with our ikea high chair — it is so easy to clean, and is comfortable and fits for years. It’s one of those items where I feel like ikea actually works better than all those more expensive high chairs that you have to wash.
Anonymous says
Yes! I actually went out and bought the ikea one after already buying a booster style seat they went on s chair because the ikea one seemed so practical. We love it. On our 2nd kid with it.
Sarabeth says
We used this one as well, but still got the Tripp Trapp once the kids were old enough to eat off of plates. My older kid is still in the Tripp Trapp at 6, and will be for a few years.
anon says
We used and liked the Ikea Antilop high chair, switching to the wooden tall Ikea toddler chair around age 2. Both are chairs are minimal in size and low cost. Both survived two kids and are easily wipeable.
As a bonus, we often took the legs off of the Antilop high chair and brought it with us on car trips. This was super handy for staying in AirBnbs or visiting relatives without high chairs. We even brought it to brunch and dinner dates at friends’ houses locally.
Emily S. says
Another vote for the Antilop! We also liked the Fisher PriceHealthy Care (?) booster seat — the plain plastic one that straps onto the chair, not the cushioned one — for the same reasons we liked the Antilop — small footprint, portable, easy clean, all plastic. Looking back, I probably would have just used the FP booster, and gotten kiddos used to eating at the family table.
Anonymous says
+1 for the IKEA junior wood chair after kiddo aged out of the as Antilop. We have their wood “INGOLF” chair and absolutely love it. It has foot rests that kiddo uses to climb in/out and its footprint may be smaller than the Stokke. We sold our learning tower because of this chair—my son stands (supervised) or kneels on it to wash hands/help at counter. Also, it’s super sturdy: I’ll stand on it to reach things from upper cabinet in lieu of dragging out a step stool. And currently, at 8mo pregnant, I’ve switched seats with my son at the breakfast table…he kneels on an adult chair and I get to sit on his Ingolf (it’s higher up and more comfortable for me to perch on)
Cb says
Do it! We had a hand-me-down and it has been used for 7 years and 1 year by our kid and it looks great. In a pinch, you can use it as seating for a small adult.
shortperson says
we bought a cheap ugly plastic highchair for 6-18 months. it was super easy to clean and cost less than the baby attachment for the tripp trapp. but the tripp trapp has been great for 18 months plus. my 4.5 year old agreed to abandon it for her 18 month old sister but she could still be using it. tbh i often sit in it when i eat a meal alone. i love propping up my feet. and im short.
Anonymous says
Good as a gift? My sister registered for, and got, a Graco high chair. I’m looking to buy her something a bit extra, would this work?
AIMS says
Great as a gift but if she registered for a different high chair and already has it, I’m not sure she needs/wants it?
If you want a splurgey gift (and assuming that she is still pregnant/has newborn), maybe a nice umbrella stroller if she doesn’t have one? I feel like people spend a lot of time thinking about their “main” stroller and end up with something huge that is perfect for the first year and then realize that they need something lightweight and really easy to fold for travel and transit, quick trips, etc., once the kid is closer to a year and then up thru the next few years. I would have loved something like the GB Pocket (and bonus is that it won’t take up much room now).
AIMS says
The tripp trapp is the one expensive kiddie thing that I kind of still wish I had if I am being fully honest. We went with the $14.99 Ikea chair (with $5 tray added) and it has been fantastic and perfect through two kids and our 3.5 year old just sits in a regular chair now so realistically you don’t need a high chair for that long. But I do love the way the tripp trapp looks (vs. the Ikea & every other highchair). FWIW, you can sometimes find them on Craig’s List for not a lot and there is a pretty good dupe that seems just as good (practically and visually) and is a bit cheaper: Keekaroo Height Right (the list price is not much cheaper but all the extras are included).
anon says
we also use the ikea one. we have twins, so while i could’ve put two trip trapps on my registry and someone would’ve purchased them for us, it kind of felt like a waste since we do not plan on any more kids.
octagon says
DO IT – we bought a Tripp Trapp secondhand and kiddo still loves it at 3.5. Honestly I thought we’d be done with it by now, but he shows no signs of giving it up. And like the learning tower, we expect to be able to sell it when he’s done with it.
My only suggestion is to get a second set of covers — friends gave us a cover from theirs and it’s really nice to have a clean one to put on while the dirty one is in the laundry, since it can’t go in the dryer.
Anon says
Any recommendations for a highchair with wheels?
rosie says
We’ve been happy with the Oxo Seedling. Pretty easy to clean, height adjustable, tray works well, toddler can climb in and out herself easily.
ElisaR says
I like our Peg Perego. It has wheels and is easy to clean.
DLC says
We have a Keekaroo high chair- same concept as a Tripp Trapp, but cheaper and not as aesthetically sleek. Our oldest used it til she was five and now her little brother uses it.
Anon says
We love our Graco Blossom. We’re still using it at 2 years old (with my 35 pound close to 3 feet tall 2 year old). Very sturdy, and I love the included booster, which is great for traveling by car (fits hotel room desk chairs) or to see childless friends and also when we have extra kiddos over. At 2 we alternate between the high chair and the booster depending on the day and meal, but really like it. Some people complain about having to wash the fabric bits, but I just put them in the washing machine with the straps maybe once a month (more likely every other month) and it’s typically fine. Caveat that it has a pretty big footprint, but we have a large kitchen so it’s not an issue. Also has wheels, for the person who was looking for wheels (we keep ours locked all the time).
anon in brooklyn says
I have the Oxo Sprout. Not quite as attractive as the Tripp Trapp, but not bad. I think tray works a lot better on the Oxo (one handed removal). Also, like the Tripp Trapp, it adapts as the kid gets older—our 3 year old still uses it, sans tray, and climbs in it on her own. I also like that it has a small footprint.
Io says
We went with the Trip Trap after two parents offered us theirs and both kids freaked out and said no (our five year-old neighbor and eight year-old niece).
I love it and when my kid is done with it I’m going to use it as a desk chair for me, because I am petite and nothing is ergonomic.
Anonymous says
I totally recommend both the Tripp Trapp and the Ikea Antilop as they solved different issues at different points. The Antilop is the best high chair, IMO. I had a different one (a Graco Blossom) with my first and it was fine, but it was HUGE and the tray was huge and there were so many pieces to clean. The Antilop is so much smaller and cleaner looking. And you can seriously just hose the thing off if you need. And it’s pennies comparatively. We have two Tripp Trapps though for a now 2 year old and a 6 year old. I love that they technically can hold me or another adult in a pinch and that they work like real chairs. We’ve never purchased the infant attachments though and I can’t speak to that.
Anon says
Can i just say that if swifter made hand and knee pads I’d have the cleanest floor in town due to my now crawling twins
Anonymous says
No reason you can’t duct tape dusters to their wee little knees!
AIMS says
I think someone makes this for babies. Seriously.
EB0220 says
We had one of these and used it pretty regularly until my kids were tall enough to just use a stool. It was great! They loved helping dad make pancakes, scrambling eggs, etc. We usually stayed away from the hot stove. We had plenty of room to store it, though.
AIMS says
How do you handle drop-off classes and after school programs? My daughter is now at the age where the stuff she can do doesn’t have to involve a caregiver/parent staying with her throughout. Obviously, we aren’t just going to leave her at every random place but how much due diligence do you do before signing up for a class or after school thing? I don’t do the online mom groups so I don’t have a neighborhood resource where I can just post a random query (and I’m not signing up for FB for this). And, in any event, it doesn’t necessarily help – there’s a new place that just opened up that has a twice a week class I’d like my daughter to attend but it’s new and no one knows much about it. I’ve visited and it seems nice but their website has a ton of assumption of risk disclaimers and the lawyer in me is super nervous (I was nervous before, this just made it explicit). I think this is pretty normal and I just need to get over it. But curious how others handle it. Thoughts?
Anonymous says
I sign her up, and then drop her off. That’s all.
Irish Midori says
Can you stay for the duration for the first few times until you get to know the people? If they have a waiting room where you could bring a book and just hang out maybe it wouldn’t be weird.
anne-on says
Unfortunately, most of those classes are so short that between parking/getting them in and settled/getting back out to your car, you wind up with like 30-40 minutes of free time? Enough to run a very quick errand maybe? With that in mind, I do appreciate the classes that are also close to downtown so I can do those 1-2 quick errands.
I definitely do drop off at birthday parties now, or will trade with my husband (I’ll drop off, you pick up) but I tend to think of it as sunk time and clear out my inbox, read a book, etc.
anon says
Same. I would be comfortable with leaving my kids at their activities, but time wise, it’s a wash. The only time it’s worked out is when the gymnastics place was literally a 2-minute drive to the grocery store. Even then, I usually couldn’t get a full shopping trip done; it was more of a mid-week restock. I’ve started using my kids’ activity time for reading a magazine, editing the photos on my phone, or doing miscellaneous admin tasks.
AIMS says
We’re in a walkable city so my plan is to do drop off and then go grocery shopping around the corner but fair point. I’m glad to know that it seems like I’m overthinking this though!
Anon says
My DD is officially 18 months old and still not walking independently. I wasn’t worried for a long time (there are lots of late walkers in the family, she seems normal verbally and socially, she was late to stand supported, pull up, cruise, etc. but eventually did all those things) but 18 months seems to be the point at which – rather suddenly – everybody goes from “it’s fine, she’s just on her own timeline” to “there must be something wrong.” We’re seeing a pediatric neurologist next week and my mind keeps going to worst case scenarios. Can anyone reassure me that you know a kid who walked this late and turned out to be fine? Everything on the internet about “late walkers” is for kids who walked around 15-16 months, which is not exactly comforting.
Clementine says
My girlfriend’s son had an official diagnosis of ‘kinda lazy and willing to just wait for somebody to carry him’.
Sure as can be, he walked around 19 months. He is now 6 and still just the chillest kid. He’s like the elementary school version of The Dude. He would rather wait until he feels like getting up than run over for a popsicle with the rest of the kids. He’s a totally normal, healthy, active little boy…. just super SUUUUPER laid back. FWIW- he’s the second kid of 4 siblings and his parents still kinda laugh at how much they worried about him not walking.
ElisaR says
My niece walked just before her 2nd birthday. Totally just lazy. She’s fine. It was quite late and we all tried to be chill about it so I understand your concern. But in her case, she was the baby and just didn’t feel like figuring it out.
Io says
15 months was our peds cut off for testing. At 14 months 3 weeks I was being told that we were on track for needing the extra evaluation. My kid started walking the Saturday night before her Monday appointment.
Anonymous says
FWIW, my daughter walked around 14 months and no one batted an eyelash that it was even close to being borderline late. So the 15-16 months “late walkers” seems really suspicious to me.
anon. says
My kid and a good friend’s kid are 7 weeks apart. Mine walked at 13 months. Hers walked at 21 months. He is absolutely 100% fine now at 3. His diagnosis, similar to the above, was “would rather be carried, somewhat lazy” – he’s fine.
Anon says
Me! I walked at 19 or 20 months. I never went through the wobbly learning to walk phase. I was a crawler and apparently I crawled everywhere and then one day I just stood up, walked across the room and never crawled again. My mom said the doctors got quite concerned at 18 months but she was never worried because it was obvious to her I was just waiting until I could do it perfectly.
Anonymous says
My niece didn’t even CRAWL until 18 months and then she walked all of a sudden. They did physical therapy. This sort of attitude has remained where she doesn’t do anything until she’s ready and then she has to do it all by herself. TBH my SIL wasn’t great with tummy time, and admits it (niece also needed a helmet for her head), but she’s a thriving 4 year old now
Anonymous says
Both of mine were late walkers.
My daughter was 17.5 months. And just like the princess she is today at four (insert huge eye roll here!) she would prefer to have other people do things for her—like carry her everywhere.
My son was even later at 18 months. He was just a crazy efficient crawler. He’s two now and still crawls, climbs, and runs around like a monkey.
Meg says
Mine was 17 months. I had baby number 2 the next day. All is great. Good luck!
rosie says
I just called my dentist office & there is a recording that picks up and says “this extension is not valid, if you want to try another extension, press star.” I did that and pressed 0 and got to the receptionist. I mentioned it to the receptionist, and he said “oh yeah, you just press 0, it tells you to do that if you listen to the whole recording.” That’s weird, right? The office is small (I think 1 dr), so why they even need this is my first question. But also every other medical practice that has a recording pick up says the practice’s name in the recording and says how to get to reception pretty early in the message.
Anonymous says
Idk why this matters to you
rosie says
Because the first time I called it sounded like it was a wrong number, not a professional office. I guess now that I know I don’t care, but it was annoying to try to get through to them.
Anonymous says
Super weird and they may lose business because of the confusion.
Anon says
Yes weird. You did your due diligence by letting someone know. I would have wondered if I were calling the correct number.
Anonymous says
Definitely weird and weird that they know about it and don’t fix it.
Anon says
Weird but also not your problem once you’ve notified them of the issue. If it’s a dealbreaker for you, find a different dentist, otherwise ignore it.
rosie says
Yeah, I think I’m going to keep w/them for at least this cleaning. I had a great dentist and then she moved, now it seems like everyone just wants to push invisalign. I guess I should be grateful my practice doesn’t have ads playing for it while you’re in the chair (although given their website & phone issues, not sure they’d have the technological capability for that…).
Jeffiner says
Ugh, my RE’s office had a horrible voice mail system like that, and they never fixed it. Getting fertility treatments was stressful enough, and putting up with their voicemail would some days push me over the edge.
rosie says
For whatever reason, I feel like fertility clinics are particularly bad about stuff like this.
toothy says
Honestly – I’d leave the practice. This kind of stuff seems very small but can have huge implications in bad situations, and medical care is most important in bad situations. FWIW, my dentist had a ‘press 6 for emergency’ which I did on a Sunday when I had a serious bike accident and knocked out two teeth. Unfortunately, their phone system wasn’t working properly. (If this happens to you, immediately to go a large emergency room, which will often have dentist on staff. I did not do this but it’s possible that I would have saved the teeth, since they would have been treated much sooner than they were. I have 2 implants now.)
rosie says
That’s awful, I am so sorry that you had to go through that. With every other medical practice I deal with that has a recorded message, the first thing on the recording (after the name of the practice) is “if this is an emergency hang up and call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room.” They should not be putting you through some convoluted answering system to get information in an emergency.
toothy says
Yes – the thing is that I had already been to the ER, in a small town that was on my bike trip route. (Needless to say knocked out teeth weren’t the worst of it.) Because the ER was so small they didn’t have a dentist on staff. The doctor told me to call my dentist when I got home, which turned out to be on Sunday afternoon, about 24 hours after the accident. (For midwestern folks, I live in Chicago and was cycling the UP.) Waiting another 16 hours for my dentist office to open didn’t seem like a big deal, but I subsequently learned that there is about a 48 hour period when it’s possible to put knocked out teeth in the mouth and have them reattach enough to survive. The MD at the ER didn’t know it either because he’s a doctor, not a dentist. Actually, I feel very lucky because I’m fine, both cosmetically and medically, which wouldn’t have been possible without both modern medicine and great insurance.
Anonymous says
Daycare help! We have two kids. One is 3 and one is 9 months. They are at the same daycare, which we have loved. However, they informed us that the 3 year old will not be moving to their preschool room in the fall because the room if “full and since he is the youngest in his cohort, he has to stay back. They think he’s be able to move up before next fall, but they’ve already moved that from December, to January, to February, so I don’t have a lot of hope.
We would be totally fine with it – he is on the younger side and we love his current teachers (who they assured us would stay ion his room), but there are two complications: this daycare works in cohorts and he’s been with his cohort for two years. All of his cohort will move except him and he will see them multiple times per day. Additionally, we just got offered a preschool spot at another daycare (within minutes of this one/our house). We did not get an infant spot (we actually forgot we were on the waitlist, so were not even in the running for an infant spot), so if we took the preschool spot, we’d have two dropoffs for the foreseeable future.
We should just stay where we are, right?
ElisaR says
ugh super annoying. Can you have a conversation with them and if a spot opens get their assurance that he will move up at that point? They don’t really know when the spot will open so they can’t really tell you now when that will be.
I get the cohort thing. My daycare had that and our last class really gelled well. They split it at the end of June and 8 kids skipped a room and thus are with new friends now. I was annoyed but the daycare does what works for their numbers. New friends can be a good thing.
Anon says
I can’t believe they’re moving everyone except him up! I would pushback hard on this if you haven’t already. How can they be full of his class before wasn’t overfull and they’re all moving together?
Anonymous says
My thoughts exactly. This was really poor planning on their part and confusing.
OP says
We have been pushing back a lot and they keep pivoting. We have heard that “it’s okay because he might go to K at 6” or “it’s okay because he knows kids in his class now” or “it’s not a developmental thing – he’s doing really well. It’s a birthday thing” or “he has some social development to do, so he should stay” The last one really pissed me off because his teachers told us they were “stunned” to find out he wasn’t moving up given how he does currently. It breaks my heart, too, because he asks to go to the preschool room multiple times per week. He is going to be heartbroken when he doesn’t go.
Anonymous says
Do they have a part-time spot that he could take? And if you get a part-time spot at the other preschool, you would only have to do two drop offs on some days instead of every day.
Anon says
Oh man. I’d keep at it, especially knowing that they’ve previously taken 24 kids and are only at 22. This sounds potentially like a squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease situation to me.
Anonymous says
It has something to do with the kids staying in the room, I think. I don’t fully get it, because they’re saying it’s full at 22 kids, but they have 24 daily right now (30 total kids, but some are part-time).
Spirograph says
I had one daycare drop-off for 3 years until the oldest started K. After doing two drop-offs for a year…. it would take a lot for me to willingly take that on if one drop-off is an option.
I would not worry about the cohort. Chances are they will still be outside on the playground at the same time, and together for some larger group activities, plus, new friends aren’t a bad thing. My kids were sad when they went to a new school, but I never heard a word of sadness about being split in a different class from some friends due to partial class move-ups.
rosie says
That is very annoying, but it sounds like switching to the other preschool would be cutting off your nose to spite your face & I would stay if you’re happy with the current daycare and otherwise ok with him staying in the room he’s in. Hopefully a spot will open up for him sooner rather than later to move up!
Anonymous says
This is a really hard situation. Our daycare splits the 3 year old room into an older 4s and a young 4s (basically January to June and June to December birthdays) and then takes some new kids as 4 year olds. It wasn’t easy on my twins to see some of their good friends in a different room. Ultimately we stuck with the daycare for a variety of reasons.
The fact that they are keeping the same teachers is good. Can they sell it as his teachers loved him so much, they wanted to teach him again? If there are 30 kids total now and only 22 are moving up, it seems like there will be at least one other full time kid and a couple part-timers who will stay with him.
I second the comments that two drop offs is hard. My twins are joining older kid at elementary school this fall and I CANNOT wait! It will literally cut my pick up/drop off time by 15-20 mins in the morning and afternoon. An extra half hour a day is an extra 2.5 hrs a week which means I might be able to drop working on Sunday afternoons while DH takes the kids.
Anonymous says
Not sure if it’s an option, but can you keep him in a part-time spot at his current daycare and take a part-time spot at the other preschool. That way you’d only have two drop offs for 2-3 days a week.
Anonymous says
How long would it take to get an infant spot at the other preschool? At my kid’s current place, siblings get priority, so in theory once an older kid starts, younger kid would basically be first in line for the next infant spot (assuming there are no other siblings on the waitlist). So you might have have to do two dropoffs indefinitely?
I’m new to the daycare game, as I just have one 5 month old child. But the fact that they’re giving you the runaround about why, exactly, he’s being held back would give me pause. Especially since they have said maybe he’ll be starting K late. Would he be prepared enough to start K on time (if that’s what you want / is best for him) if he stays at this place?
EB0220 says
I agree with this. The runaround/confusion/disorganization would bother me as much or more than the actual decision. I also wonder if you told them you were going to leave if they would magically figure it out.
Anon2 says
Prepared enough for kindergarten? It’s kindergarten. I understand K is “the new first grade” but not every child has the privilege of preschool and they still go to K. Read to your kids. That’s all they need when they are 3.
RR says
I would also push back hard on this. Sometimes the squeaky wheel routine really does work. It’s inappropriate to hold him back under these circumstances, and it is caused by more planning on their part. It’s going to be difficult for him to not be with his cohort, and he’s likely going to miss out on developmentally appropriate preschool education.
(None of this is going to radically affect his future or anything, but you are paying these people for a service that they aren’t providing!) They need to move someone else out of new classroom (or they should have not accepted as many new children as they did). I’m fired up on your behalf.
EK says
Stay where you are! One dropoff is infinitely better than two. Your 3 year old will be fine!
Anonymous says
Experienced moms, I appreciate you letting me know if I’m totally crazy with this idea: I’m a first time mom with a 8 week old. My husband still somehow has 23 days of vacation (plus bank holidays) left this year that he can’t carry over, and I’m not going back to work until October. I’m likely jinxing myself, but at the moment, Baby and I seem to mostly have a routine down. However, I’m going a bit stir crazy just being at home most of the time. Due to an awesome combination of this being the first grandchild, having in laws close by and a wonderful husband, I’m getting out for both me time (e.g. a manicure) and date nights with my husband. However, I feel like we should take advantage of this time and maybe go on a trip somewhere? I don’t think anything major or involving an airplane, but just maybe something where I felt like I took full and complete advantage of this time off we’re never going to have again. Or is it insane to try and take a baby away from their crib, familiar surroundings, and being only 5 minutes from a target, the hospital and pediatrician, etc.? I’m in Charlotte, so was thinking maybe a few days in the mountains or possibly going to Charleston. I know I’d still be feeding the baby like eight times a day and it wouldn’t be remotely like a vacation I’m used to, but I also feel like sitting at home and watching Netflix and occasionally reading is slowly driving me mad.
ElisaR says
that sounds like a good idea to me!
Clementine says
Once they get those 2 month shots, it’s really the perfect time to travel!
The easiest flights I ever took with my son were pre-crawling. He was totally happy to nurse and cuddle on the flight. He napped through everything and was adorable in a sling when we went to leisurely, long dinners.
You’re not crazy, I would do it!
Anon says
It sounds like a great idea! Honestly, this is a great time to do a plane flight (even a really long one). They will likely sleep the entire way, and it won’t be this easy to fly with them again until they’re at least 3 or 4 and can be entertained for long periods of time by a screen. Newborns don’t notice their surroundings that much, it will be much harder to take them away from familiar places when they’re 6 months+. The only caveat I would (personally) have is that I would not have gone somewhere remote or without top notch medical care, because even the most minor illnesses can be serious at this age. But this is a fantastic time to go somewhere like Europe.
Anonymous says
I would do it! Sounds fun. And I flew both my kids before 4 months and did a long (8 hour) car ride with the second at 2 months and it all went fine. Flying was actually easier because you don’t have to stop as much and you end up somewhere more fun (in my case, anyways!)
rosie says
I don’t think this is crazy at all! I agree with others that flying wouldn’t be a bad idea at this age. One word of warning is that mine slept even more poorly away from home at that age — just something to be aware of, and if possible to get a space with multiple rooms (or adjoining hotel rooms), that would at least allow you and your husband to trade off getting some rest.
In terms of medical care, I think fever under 3 months (possible it’s 2 months, cannot remember) means sepsis workup which is not fun (BTDT). I would rather have that done in a major hospital with a peds ED than in a smaller place that may not do LPs on newborns often. But there are obviously plenty of people who don’t live near big hospitals and plenty of fun places you could travel that would be near a big hospital, so this really isn’t that limiting.
Anonymous says
Do it! I was comfortable flying with my kids after they got their two month shots—before then I really did not want them on a plane.
But this age is actually so easy for travel! They sleep anywhere. No need to worry about what they’ll eat. And it gets them comfortable with travel at an early age. We have had a blast traveling with our babies.
Lana Del Raygun says
FWIW we did Christmas at my in-laws’ with a roughly 7wo and she was totally fine. We put her in a pack-n-play, which is what she’s used to at home, and I think that helped. (We tried my SIL’s Chicco bassinet first and that did not work at all.) I would probably pick Charleston or another city over the mountains so you’re closer to medical care, just in case.
Coach Laura says
We took our 4-month old to Hawaii (along with our 2 year old). It was fabulous. Hotel/condo supplied a crib but we could have shipped our pac n play. He wasn’t a good sleeper but it didn’t make it any worse.
Callie says
Jumping in to echo “DO IT!”
This is the EASIEST time to travel with them.
We actually flew to Florida for a a week when my daughter was only 5ish weeks old (and my son was 18 months) and were so glad we did–we figured if we were going to be at home (in the dead of winter) nonstop nursing a newborn, we might as well do it somewhere warm where the toddler could play. It was awesome.
Anonymous says
We took a vacation to Boston (flight) with a 12 week old. It was super easy and fun, baby was just along for the ride! We had one fussy dinner where we just asked for food to go because she was overtired/overstimulated. Alternatively I did have some bridal party obligations around 8 weeks that almost killed me, but that’s because my DH couldn’t come and I was on my own. But our DD flipped a switch and got way easier at 10 weeks.
Anonymous says
Absolutely. I did a 2-week vacation with my 4-month-old (with a 5 hour plane ride) for similar reasons, and it was the highlight of my maternity leave. Granted we did have some trouble with sleep because of the 4-month regression, so earlier would probably be a bit better. Obviously you know your child best, so if you don’t think a plane ride is a good idea, then trust your gut. But for us, the plane was like a giant white noise machine and my daughter slept almost the entire way. We did buy her a ticket, so she just slept in her carseat and my husband and I got to enjoy the flight taking naps and watching a movie. Do not underestimate how much space the baby stuff takes, though! Woo wee, we had a lot of luggage and we are usually light packers.
Anonymous says
+1 my 2.5 year old still passes out on planes because of white noise. We schedule flights as close to naptime as possible. It was even better when she was a baby and would literally sleep from takeoff to landing
Irish Midori says
I did an 8 hour road trip to a family reunion when my first was 8 weeks. It was great, though we had to pace ourselves with stops (I’m usually more of a ride or die, don’t stop till we get there driver). The more flexible schedule broke up my loneliness (of trying to live a baby schedule in an adult schedule world), and the bonus of a reunion was that there were a million people to hold the baby and give me a break.
Anon. says
You should absolutely do it! We did multiple trips while I was on a 16-wk maternity leave, both flights and road-trips.
And still one of my proudest mom moments is when we were doing some hiking with the 8-wk old in the carrier during our road-trip and heard a college-age girl comment to her boyfriend: “That’s the kind of family I want to be when I grow up”
shortperson says
we took our first to japan when she was three months and our second to australia when she was three months. i would take a healthy infant anywhere in the world that has first world medical care. this is your last chance for a long flight for a long time.
Anon says
I wouldn’t go that far – it is totally doable to take toddlers to these places. But I agree it’s very easy with infants and there’s no reason not to go now, so long as the destination has good medical care.
NYCer says
We have done two separate 2-week vacations during my maternity leave and both were fantastic. One at 3 months (cross country flight and 3 hour time change) and one at 4 months (2.5 hour drive and no time change). We tried to keep a similar routine to home during both trips, but baby (who is a great sleeper) continued to be a great sleeper during and after both trips. Go for it!
Lana Del Raygun says
Guys, we have to hire non-family childcare for the first time and I’m nervous I’ll screw something up. Please cross your fingers for me and tell me everything you wish you had known when you were choosing your first childcare! It’s going to be two full days a week while my husband is at work. I’m looking at a part-time sitter/nanny, nanny-shares, and daycare, but it’s a high-demand market and at least one of the families who said they’re open to sharing a nanny are probably not vaccinated (!!), so it’s all still very up in the air (and we’re way behind, aahhhh).
Anon says
I wouldn’t have hired a nanny unless I felt 1000% sure about the person (and if it’s a nanny share, I’d add 1000% sure about the share family). A daycare that doesn’t live up to expectations (assuming we’re talking about licensed, well-rated places where your child will be safe) is survivable. A nanny/nanny share family that doesn’t live up to expectations may not be. We hired the best nanny candidate we could find, even though my gut told me she wasn’t the right fit for our family. I wish I’d listened to my gut. We’re in a (great) daycare now and working mom life is like night and day. I also wish I’d ignored all the external voices telling me infants and young toddlers need the individual attention that comes with a nanny. If I have a second kid, I’ll have no hesitation about putting him or her in our current daycare center at 12 weeks.
anon says
What I wish I’d realized is that a good daycare is worth its weight in gold, and I would end up loving it for my kids even though I was really nervous about it. The constant coverage, not to mention oversight in a center, has been invaluable for my peace of mind. We have stayed in touch with many of our kids’ teachers over the years, because they really do become members of your village.
FWIW, I absolutely would not do a nanny-share with a family who messes around with something as major as vaccinations. Something tells me your philosophies may diverge in other areas, too, which is potentially bad situation for everyone.
Lana Del Raygun says
Oh yeah there’s no way I’m sharing childcare with anti-vaxxers. The last thing I need is to take my baby to the hospital with measles, but the second last is taking her to urgent care because she got a regular fever and someone gave her colloidal silver or thieves’ oil or their breastmilk or some shit.
anon says
Ha! So very true.
RR says
I actually did the opposite of most people. We did daycare until my youngest was 4, then switched to a nanny (full time in the summer, after school rest of the year) once they all started school. I echo everyone else in loving daycare when they were younger (and I love the after school/summer nanny now).
And in no world would I nanny share with a family who doesn’t vaccinate. I wouldn’t even let my kids do a playdate there.
CCLA - LA therapist recs? says
I’ll probably post again next week but trying now anyway – any recs for a therapist in the westside of Los Angeles? I definitely have some PPD from baby 2 that I’ve been sort of managing with zoloft from my OB, but am way behind on getting in to actually talk to someone and the options are overwhelming. OB’s office gave a list but since we’ve moved and they’re in another part of town, no one is conveniently located. TIA.
Anonymous says
In case you don’t get many recommendations here, I would call your OB office and your GP office and ask for recommendations for your current area.
CCLA says
Yeah, I haven’t established care in new location so all GP and OB recs are for places across town. I do need to establish with a new PCP soon, so maybe that time is now and they can point me in the right direction.
Anonymous says
You could also call a couple of the providers on the list and ask if they have recommendations for your area.
rosie says
I am on the other side of the country so no specific provider suggestions, but I did have a good experience with psychologytoday dot com to find a therapist, so will recommend that. You can search by insurance, zip code, and areas of specialty. I spoke with 2-3 people over the phone that I found on that site and then chose one of them, and she was great.
CCLA says
Thanks will try this!
IHeartBacon says
I second the recommendation for that website
Metallica says
Try postpartum dot net–it’s the Postpartum Support International site for California. They have contacts listed by county who can steer you in the right direction. Internet hugz to you!
anon says
Hoping to get feedback from parents of school-age kids. I’m trying to decide what to do for my 9-year-old’s nonschool days this year. On paper, it looks like between DH & I, we could stay home to cover most of his days off. On the occasion that something comes up, he likely could go to a YMCA day camp. OR, we could spend more upfront and pay for him to attend his days off at the school-age program offered at his little sister’s daycare. It’s one drop off for us, and the cost isn’t outrageous. Coverage would be guaranteed, and we wouldn’t have to find any piecemeal options. It’s what we did last year, and I’d say the cost was worth it, even if we didn’t use every day of care offered. Also, meals are included — no packing lunches or breakfast. (Program requires a flat fee, rather than paying by the day.) The YMCA camp is in the opposite direction of daycare and our workplace, and it has stringent lunch packing requirements.
The only thing that has me hesitating even slightly is that he’s with this cohort of kids right now and has been complaining all summer about other kids, being bored, and not liking it. This is despite having good experiences the previous summer. Now, part of that is just his personality — but I also don’t want him to be miserable. I think part of the problem is that he was grouped with a younger set of kids who are not his usual school classmates. There were good reasons for this, but we haven’t been thrilled with the change.
Do we 1) roll the dice and hope that DH & I can take vacation to cover 75% of his days off, then find backup care for the rest; or 2) sending him to sister’s daycare, knowing that we’re paying more for convenience and it’s possible that he’s aging out of some of the activities? DH is leaning toward option 2, and I’m on the fence.
CPA Lady says
2.
It seems kind of risky to me to use up every single one of both your and your husband’s days off for this. What if one of you gets sick, or want to go on vacation, or have a relative get sick, or have to take some time off for some other reason?
I might be kind of cold-hearted, but kids complain a lot about a lot of things. What’s to say your kid wouldn’t complain about being at home with you or going to the Y? I would have sympathy for your kid, but 2 sounds like it is way better of an option for your family.
anon says
No, you’re absolutely right. Option 2 is what works best for the whole family, so Option 2 it is.
CHL says
If it were me (and it’s not), I would book the days at the daycare. Worst thing that happens is maybe you end up taking some of those days off to do something fun and you’re out the money, but you know you have coverage. If you can’t tell, I am willing to trade and risk money for time/ less anxiety but I know not everyone has that luxury. Our daycare has a similar thing and they’ve been great about being flexible with us too – for example my son was afraid to go see Dumbo when they had that as an activity for the school age kids so they had him “help the teacher” in a pre-k room and he loved helping clean up and teach the “babies.”
Spirograph says
By non-school days, you mean things like teacher workdays, and spring break, right? I think being bored with a summer program and being bored on the odd day off are two different things. The drop-in care during the school year will be novel, so it probably won’t get boring to him as quickly… and even if it does, it’s just a day here and there. I may not be parent of the year, but I tend to make childcare decisions that maximize convenience for me (as long as safety and general standard of care is acceptable). I’d probably go with the option at the daycare, and make sure to send him with a favorite book as a backup plan to activities that might skew too young.
Annie says
2 hands down — I don’t think being slightly bored on random days off is that bad — it will just make going back to school more appealing.
Disneyland says
I’m planning a trip to Disneyland (Anaheim) with my elementary age kids. This will be their first (and likely only) trip there. I’m trying to decide between a 2 day pass and a 3 day pass and whether to get park hopper tickets versus one park per day tickets. We’ve already decided on a nearby non-Disney hotel so we won’t have magic mornings (but a 3 day pass would give us one day of early admission). I am planning to buy MaxPass each day. What would you do?
Anon says
Not at this stage yet with my kids, but I 100% vote for the park hopper tickets. My mom likes to tell the story of how I threw a fit when we went to Disneyland when I was 5 or 6. As the story goes, I wasn’t happy at the first park and eventually they just decided that we would leave and start the day over again at a new park. For those types of reasons alone, I think park hopper is worth it.
shortperson says
3 day for sure. as for park hopper it depends on their interests and how much more it costs. even before star wars land opened, disneyland has way more than california adventure. i would probably do 2 days in disneyland and 1 day in california adventure, unless you think you may want to do less than a full day in california adventure. there are a few big rides in ca adventure and the frozen show is also very good if your kids dont hate frozen, it is a high quality production. also see if there will be a night show in california adventure when youre there. the other benefit to the park hopper is that the food is better in california adventure. if one of the days youll be there is higher trafficked than the others, i would go to california adventure that day.
Anon says
I have a metal pole in the backyard that I’d like to wrap with a cushioned material in case a kid smacks into it. I am thinking of using a yoga mat. Anyone know how yoga mat material will hold up in the elements? The pole is exposed to rain and sun.