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Audio books for kids? says
Hi all – My son loves the magic treehouse books and we listen in the car and in the house when he asks. I, on the other hand, cannot listen to another one without losing my mind! Would really appreciate recommendations for a book series for 4-6 year olds with good audiobooks. Open to any subject matter. Thank you!!!
Cb says
What about some of the stories we read as kids? Harriet the Spy, The Mixed Up Files, etc?
My son is a bit younger but we’ve been enjoying the Dr Seuss CDs and the Judith Kerr ones (Tiger Who Came to Tea). Fun fact, CDs are dirt cheap on ebay.
Tea/Coffee says
Similarly, what about the Narnia series (IDK about the audiobooks but they must exist, right)?
Cb says
Ooh I listened to those as a kid and they were very good.
Horse Crazy says
I had the Narnia books on cassette tapes when I was a kid!
Anonymous says
+1 for classic children’s literature. Kids this age can comprehend the more complex plots of real chapter books, even if they aren’t ready to read them on their own. The whole point of Magic Tree House and its ilk is that they are simplistic enough for new readers to handle, so I’d avoid them in audiobook form.
Some suggestions:
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Homer Price
The Phantom Tollbooth
A Wrinkle in Time
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Anne Hathaway version)
AwayEmily says
The Ivy and Bean series is great on audiobook and good for that age range. My Father’s Dragon is only three books but my 4yo likes it.
TheElms says
So I’m just curious, at what age do audio books or short stories / podcast for kids start to work ( in the sense that the kid will listen for 5 minutes at least)? I have a 16 month old so she doesn’t get it at all. Around 2 or 2 1/2 (and obviously it varies by kid but I’m just trying to get a general sense).
Anon says
2-2.5 seems really young to me, most kids don’t even have the attention span for a movie at that point and I think movies are generally more engaging because of the visual.
AwayEmily says
At 2.5yo mine could listen to stories they’re already familiar with (ie that we’ve already read together). But it was closer to 4 for understanding/focusing on new stories.
I have wonderfully average kids, though, so perhaps extra smart kids (like the 4yos above who are following along with A Wrinkle in Time…pretty sure mine is not quite at the tesseract level) will be able to focus earlier.
TheElms says
Thanks, super helpful. DD shows all signs of being perfectly average !
Anonymous says
I would also recommend giving them physical books for car rides once they get old enough to not immediately throw the book and start crying (happened around 18 months for us). We’ve never done audiobooks with my 2.5 year old (I haaate them myself, so it’s not something I really want to encourage), but she loves to take a book with us in the car and “read” it aloud to us/herself. Of course she’s not really reading, but I feel like just flipping through a book and talking about the story has a lot of value at this age.
TheElms says
Books for car rides are, unfortunately, a non-starter for us. We have extreme motion sickness and books make it much worse.
Cb says
Yes, my son loves the Richard Scarry books and now they live in the car. Bonus – I don’t have to read them!
rosie says
OMG I thought you meant that there were Richard Scarry audiobooks, Cb. That is how I’d know this is the bad place.
Anne says
I’d say 3.5 for us to really just lay down and listen to a podcast for 10 mins.
anon says
It can depend on the kid. I have 7 year old twins and one absolutely hates podcasts/audiobooks and wants us to just turn them off–it’s playing music in the car or nothing for him, even though he loves being read to by a real person. The other twin really likes audiobooks.
Realist says
Princess in Black series is great for this age. It centers on a girl, but plenty of girls enjoy series centered on boys and I am sure it works the other way around too.
GCA says
Can confirm – my son (5) loves Princess in Black and Zoey & Sassafras. In this day & age kids are perfectly happy to accept female and male characters as role models & heroes – my friend’s 11yo boys were discussing who should be the next Black Panther and one said ‘Shuri, because she’s the coolest’ (I concur).
Realist says
Yes!
Lyssa says
My 5 year old is very interested in the Harry Potter books. She doesn’t quite “get” everything (I was mainly reading them for my 7 year old, but she wants to listen, too) and asks a ton of questions, but she really loves them. (She’s dressing as Hermione for Halloween and couldn’t be more excited.) And they are so much more enjoyable for me than anything else I’ve ever read to them. (I’ve never listened to the audio versions, but I’m sure they’re good.)
Anonymous says
All the Dahl books, Ramona The Pest, tans the boxcar children have all been great read aloud a for us! I have a 7 y/o who loves MTH but she reads them to herself. We loved Zooey and Sassafrass too.
Redux says
All the Roald Dahl books are SO GOOD on audiobook– our whole family loves them. James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Matilda (narrated by Kate Winslet!), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were all huge hits for our 3yo, 6 yo, 38 and 39 yo.
(also I haaaate the Magic Tree House books. So formulaic and boring. Good for an independent reader who gets hooked on a series, not at all good for a read aloud, IMO).
Anon says
I will disagree. The Magic Treehouse books are formulaic but I love reading them to my 4yo. They trigger so many conversations about history and science. And the formula makes it much more accessible to him. We read them at bedtime (usually 5 chapters at a time) and my husband and I both love it.
DLC says
How to Train Your Dragon series. It’s one of the few audiobook series that my husband will tolerate on car trips.
We also do podcasts with stories: Eleanor Amplified, Story Nory, Sparkle Stories.
Molly says
We’ve been reading the physical books, but the Dragon Masters series has been a HUGE hit for my 4.5 year old, and they fall into the camp of early chapter books that I have no problem with reading. My daughter has always liked books (we read several each night), but this series is the first time I’ve seen her display legitimate enthusiasm and excitement, and it makes this nerdy mama’s heart so incredibly happy.
Anonymous says
Any tips for removing the white residue that builds up with daily application of zinc oxide sunscreen? Soap and water does not work. I can scrape it off with a fingernail or rub it off with a towel if I press really hard, but both leave my kid’s skin raw and red so I would love to find something gentler.
Anonymous says
Try oil–baby oil, coconut oil, oil cleanser.
Cb says
Yeah, I’d just grease them up. I really like almond and apricot oil for this. It’s also great for any sort of stickiness and for facepaint removal.
anne-on says
Oil cleanser. My son’s skin is super delicate and the whole family (even my husband!) now sing the praises of oil cleanser for sunblock remover. You put it on dry skin and then it emulsifies and washes away the sunblock really easily. Innisfree green apple cleanser (amazon) smells like a green jolly rancher and is my son’s favorite. I buy whatever is cheap with a pump top on Jolse or one of the other Asian beauty sites.
Anon says
Innisfree cleansers are incredible in general.
anne-on says
Agreed, the blueberry bounce one is great too!
anon says
An alternative to oil based cleansers are “milk” cleansers. Brands like IOPE and Avene have them, but can be a bit pricier. Apply on dry skin, rub, and then rinse off just as you would with an oil cleanser. It works better for my sensitive skin.
baby blanket Q says
Any advice on best type of blanket to send to daycare for 1yo? Seemingly zillions of blankets given to us as gifts, yet I can’t seem to figure out what is best for this (to use on cot for naptime). thanks all!
Anonymous says
I’d say something really washable. Maybe Aiden & Anais stroller blanket or dream blanket?
Anonymous says
Whichever one you like the least was how I decided, because my baby certainly didn’t care! It will go through the washer a million times and end up being kind of matted, or it will get lost and you will never see it again.
Anonymous says
+1 whichever one you like the least.
Anon says
This does not use any of your existing blankets but our daycare asks us to send nap mats, which are like a three-sided sleeping bag — there is a substantial bottom sheet that has loops to go over edge of cot, a pocket for the pillow, and a blanket that is attached at two sides to the bottom sheet so they can snuggle into it and it doesn’t fall off.
Cb says
Book rec, my mom sent us a copy of The Suitcase and it is very kind and sweet. And also helpful for explaining things they might see on the street or on the news re refugees.
strollerstrike says
Just wanted to say that I love the book recommendations here. I alway save them and love coming back to them when I need a gift or something new to read for/to my son.
AwayEmily says
How do I learn to braid my 4yo’s hair? I can French braid my own hair no problem but am hopeless at doing hers. Do I just need to practice? Should I watch videos? Am I using the wrong tools? Help!
ElisaR says
this made me chuckle. my mom was so awful at braiding my hair that by age 9 or so I had it down pat myself out of frustration with her.
i think it’s just practice and practice and practice.
Spirograph says
Since you already know how to French braid, you just need to practice. It’s a totally different hand position than braiding your own hair (I keep my hands over the braid when doing my own hair, but under the braid when braiding someone else’s), so you need to create a different muscle memory.
What are you having trouble with? Keep your hands close to her head so the braid stays tighter, and sure, watching some videos might give you useful tips. I always let my daughter watch something on either my phone or the TV while I’m braiding her hair — it’s the most reliable way to keep her from getting wiggly and impatient. I collect the new strands with my fingers rather than using any tools, but a rat tail comb is best if you want something really precise.
Redux says
+1. Put on a show, get a spray bottle, brush, and comb, and practice for as long as you want to let your kid watch TV.
Anonymous says
Try practicing on a doll if you can, American girl dolls or similar work best. This is how I learned as a kid and my DD has great braids
Anonymous says
YouTube. My 7 y/o has long thick hair and lets me practice :-)
blueridge29 says
Also wet hair and/or spray gel can make a big difference. I had a really hard time with thin toddler hair, but if it is wet or sprayed it gets easier.
EP-er says
Thanks again to everyone who commented a few weeks ago on my daughter’s needed MRI/strabismus. She was a champ & really didn’t need any sedation/anesthesia. (That would have been an major overreaction, I know now – but why did the doctor bring it up?) The worse part was putting in the IV, but she listened to music and was perfectly still for the hour long test. We got ice cream on the way home. I played amateur radiologist that night, worried myself to no end, and was very relieved the next morning when the real radiologist said everything was normal. Still no known cause for sudden on-set, severe eye issue, but at least it isn’t a brain tumor! We are just monitoring for the next few months and then will determine next steps. I’m grateful for this community.
Anonymous says
I hope you find a cause or at least resolution for the eye issue, but I’m glad to hear this update. Ruling out brain tumor must be a huge relief!
LittleBigLaw says
Looking ahead to winter and anticipating another round of lockdowns (even if just voluntary, since no one is wearing a mask or seemingly taking any precautions in my area). What non-essential thing(s) can I stock up on now to make things more enjoyable? So far on my list:
– new board games, activity books, puzzles for the kids;
– wine, nice cheese, and olives for happy hours at home;
– better house shoes;
– nail polish and face masks;
– a couple of sewing projects and materials;
– a better document shredder, plenty of printer paper/legal pads, my favorite highlighters, and a filing cabinet.
What would you add? Anything unexpected that made WFH or virtual learning less miserable? Something you wished you had the first go round that might be back in stock now?
Anonymous says
Lockdown ended? Kidding, I know what you mean but I’m just so dang sick of my house and would give anything to go back to an office. I’ve heard fire pits and sleds will be the hot commodities for winter. We bought kids’ winter gear early, even though it probably wasn’t necessary. I’m stocking up on yeast too since I want to do a ton of baking. I’ve skipped my usual fall baking since I figure that should be deferred while the weather is nice, and I’ve found myself weirdly looking forward to the winter simply because I miss baking so much.
Realist says
When lockdowns started last winter, I got this portable infrared sauna tent thing. I don’t use it at all in the summer, but now that it is getting colder, I really enjoy setting up some mindless TV and doing a sauna session. It was expensive, but not the thousands of dollars of installed saunas. Mine is from Therasage.
chL says
Please tell me more about this sauna tent!!
Realist says
Well, I LOVE it. I wanted one in the infrared spectrum rather than a steam one and the Therasage seemed to be the cheapest, most reputable company offering a portable infrared version. I considered one of the mat kinds (almost like a sleeping bag), which are cheaper, but I wanted to be able to sit up rather than have to lie down. It is a sauna, so if you like getting all hot and sweaty then you will like it. I usually sit in mine for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 130 degrees, but the temp is adjustable. I debated for awhile before finally ordering it. But I was really missing my hot yoga studio sessions (mostly because I just feel really good after a good sweat), so I finally got it a few weeks into lockdown and I am so glad that I did.
Anon says
We’re still on lockdown (high risk). Winners for us so far include the following:
Work: Noise cancelling headphones, external dual monitors, wireless keyboard and mouse. I would still like a stand-alone webcam but haven’t seen the one I want back in stock yet. Make sure you are stocked on printer toner or ink.
Food and Baking: Do you have all the things you need to do the holidays at home if that is what you are doing?
Key holiday helpers for me include the roasting pan, turkey lifters, fat separator, large cutting board, carving knife (we love our electric one), etc. Bacon (out of stock for us now, but I try to pick up a few packages when in stock and freeze), a nice treat for weekend mornings. Extra flour and yeast. Stock up on spices. All the sprinkles. Butter you buy now will keep through the holiday season. Nice cheese will keep. Meal kits make a nice change-up to our constant cooking routines; adding new flavor profiles with minimal effort. It’s a good balance for us between our old take out all the time and new cooking all the time.
Home: Cleaning supplies and tools you like now that the options are better. Air purifier to help with indoor allergens when you’re getting less fresh air. Fire pit and smores supplies. Corkcicle insulated stemless wine glasses (for coffee or wine outdoors).
Personal: Fun nail polish and callus removing tools for DIY pedicures, some cooler weather WFH clothes (I picked up two new pairs of leggings and a few “nice” sweatshirts), some wool socks for mucking around in the backyard in my rain boots (thanks Delta!). Good rain and snow gear since outside is the only place we go (rain pants changed my outdoor toddler’s puddle stomping life).
Kid (3): Arts and crafts bucket: watercolors, construction paper, glue sticks, stickers, pom poms, googly eyes, washable markers, etc. Lots of cooking activities (pancakes, cakes, cookies, biscuits, etc.). All of the play food for the play kitchen. Chalk and bubbles. Good rain and snow gear. New bath toys – she has taken to “soaking” for a good hour and that’s one less hour she needs to entertained, so go for it.
Headphones says
What noise cancelling headphones do you recommend? I’m thinking about picking up a pair.
Anon says
Bose 700. The call quality and noise canceling in the microphone is amazing. Way, way, way better than the QC II ones I borrowed from my husband to make sure I was comfortable with an over the ear style. If you’re not on the phone all day, the QC II ones are definitely fine if you’re just trying to block out the noise you hear, but if you are taking calls, no question on the 700 because they block out so much ambient noise for people that are listening to you.
anne-on says
A few air purifiers for bedrooms or living rooms.
A proper desk and chairs for the adults (and any kids learning at home). We dragged our feet on replacing ours and omg I should have done it sooner.
I really like my under-desk elliptical (cuubi) but my husband opted for a standing desk – so customization?
If you live somewhere dark/grey I will forever and always recommend a ‘happy light’ – it makes SUCH a difference for me in winter.
Nice robe/PJs
Redux says
Recs on happy light?
Anon says
Minor thread jack but my back is starting to hurt from my home chair. Does anyone have a chair recommendation? I am very short (5’2) so find my fancy chair in my office uncomfortable because it is sized for more typical-sized people.
Anon says
I worked from my dad’s chair this weekend and fell in love. But it’s something like a $2000 chair (Bodybilt executive line) and I’m just not willing to spend that on my home chair, even if it lasts 12+ years like his is going. When I was looking at them they had options for more petite sized people. I have a La Z Boy chair at home which is definitely oversized, but it means my toddler can sit behind me while I work on quiet days
CCLA says
I really like the flat bungee chairs with arms from container store (I’m taller so I can’t speak to that aspect of it, though). I like them so much I bought one for the office to replace the standard issue aeron chair.
anon says
You mentioned better house shoes, and I’m going to put in a plug for Ugg slippers. They are amazing! Literally one of my favorite possessions.
Do you enjoy baking, or plan to bake for the holidays? If so, I predict there may be another shortage of flour, yeast, and other supplies around the holidays, so I’d pick those up.
If you read physical books, you could buy 2-3 you’re looking forward to. Of course, you can always download an e-book, but we definitely had a period of time where the library was closed and Amazon was taking a while on low priority items.
OtterMom says
FTM of an 8 month old, so this is my first Prime Day. Advice on diaper-buying strategy? We have our 20% diaper discount on top of any prime day deals; and if there is a sale that I can stack I want to take full advantage. DD is in 3s now, and likely needs at least two more boxes of those. Maybe 4 boxes of 4s and 4 boxes of 5s? More? We want to save money where we can, and are fine donating unused diapers to the church if necessary, but.. we don’t want to waste a ton of money (and storage!) either.
Anonymous says
I personally think this is silly. Any money saved will be negated when your kid unexpectedly goes up a size or potty trains earlier than expected.
Anonymous says
Agree- marginal returns for a fair amount of work. Also I think it sucks that Amazon is holding their prime day before the election, when USPS will already be overwhelmed with ballots.
Lyssa says
FWIW, both my kids stayed in 3s and 4s for a really long time, and neither ever got near needing 5s. Your baby is just learning how to be mobile now – they burn so much energy that way! Unless s/he’s unusually big, I wouldn’t buy fives until you need them.
Anon. says
My first wore 4s and 5s for just short of a year each, so 4 boxes (theoretically a 4 month supply of each) seems reasonable. We didn’t potty train until 2.75 and he’s in the 75th percentile for weight/height. I do have a full box of 5s left (saving for #2 who is now 9 months).
Note – do not ever buy pull-ups until you need them. Thought I was being prepared where I saw some on sale – we potty trained without needing them and I still have a sealed box.
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t buy fives yet. My son 14 months has been in size 4 for like months and months. He originally needed them for his chunky butt but now he’s thinner out since walking.
Anon says
Contrary to everyone else my 14 month old started wearing 5’s around 10 months. It seems like he’ll be in them for quite a while. I would try to estimate based on his growth curve.
Anonymous says
We were in size 5s around that age also. My kid is tall and chunky but even then the stated weight limits on the diaper box would have suggested a smaller size – we sized up because we found going up a size really helped reduce leaks and blowouts. I really, really doubt we used four boxes each of 3s and 4s. Now at 2.75 she’s been in size 6s for about a year and a half – that’s the diaper size we really could have stocked up on. In my experience, it’s really hard to predict, even if you know where your kid falls on the growth curves.
Anon says
I am dying laughing here – my kid was in 7’s by 2 and when we potty trained at almost 3 the tabs were barely on the diaper! Every kid is different.
TheElms says
DD is 16 months and I think we were in size 3 for a long time from about 6 months to 12 months. But we are already out of size 4s, so they didn’t even fit us for 4 months. We are well within the weight range for size 4 but DD is very tall (99% plus at the moment) and they look like low riders on her now. Also, not all toddlers slim down when they learn to walk. Mine went went from being consistently around the 40th percentile for weight at her 9 month check up, learned to walk at 10 months and was up to the 90th percentile at a year and is still around there at 16 months. So I’d probably buy 2 boxes of each and call it a day.
Anonymous says
Yes, mine chunked up as a toddler too. She was a late walker (18 months) so first we thought it was due to that, but she never slimmed down even once she started walking and eventually running and jumping. I guess she just really loves solid food?
anonn says
I’m due in January so needing to stock up, We have Prime, but what is the 20% diaper discount? Where do I get that?
Anonymous says
You get it for the first year if you do an Amazon registry! Sorry for the late reply…
Anon says
Read the fine print though. It’s only on the first $300. It wasn’t enough to get me more than a few months of a discount.
Anonymous says
Anyone else here have good ideas for dealing with jealous in-laws? My MIL/ FIL live overseas, away from all grandkids, and they haven’t seen anyone since last Xmas. I’m not sure when we’ll see them next, particularly as FIL is recovering from cancer treatment and I’m pregnant with baby #2.
My own parents came to visit over the summer, are planning to visit again soon, and are going to help us out after baby #2 arrives, which may involve us moving to be closer to them. I never anticipated moving back to my home city, even for just a year or two, but here we are. DH only gets two weeks paternity leave, so family help is going to be critical.
I totally get that this is an incredibly difficult situation for my in-laws. They’re isolated, they’re in their 70s, it 100% sucks that all the travel plans we had for this year have been canceled. But after finding out about our potential move, they are taking out their anger on DH, and it has really crossed a line in terms of emotional abuse. This is an ongoing pattern, btw–we’ve had to limit their access to photos of DS with my side of the family, they count (inaccurately) the days we spend on vacation with them vs with my family, etc. They are only happy when they perceive themselves to be the top priority.
Do you have jealous in-laws? How do you deal with them? How do you support your spouse? MIL/ FIL have really exhausted my sympathy over the years, so I am having a hard time with this.
Anonymous says
My in-laws are similar, although they’ve been more accepting of the pandemic situation so this is the rare thing that Covid has improved for us. It’s hard for me, but the line I’ve drawn with the help of some therapy is that DH gets to manage his own interactions with them, even if that means taking what I consider emotional abuse. I have a say in how they behave around me and our kid, and remove me/us from the situation when they behave badly, but I don’t interfere in his interactions with them. I grew up in a loving family so it’s easy for me to feel that he should just cut them off because this is so foreign and strange to me – of course if my parents behaved this way, I’d be livid, because it’s so far outside of my experience so far. But when you grow up with these kind of narcissistic parents, it becomes your new normal and doesn’t shock your system, and I’ve accepted that DH is allowed to have a relationship with his parents on his terms, even if its one I consider abusive.
Anon says
I don’t think you can satisfy people who count vacation days. It’d be great if they changed their mindset (“How wonderful you’re getting the help you need! We wish we could help in person, but can we do something else? Entertain #1 on a video call while you need a break because you’re pregnant or once #2 is born? Order takeout for you?”). I don’t think that’s going to happen.
I’ve dealt with relatives who were unreasonable in other ways. If it were me, I’d further limit contact and access to information, fully stopping contact if necessary. Encourage husband to attend therapy if he needs help coping or help in setting boundaries/understanding that he hasn’t done anything wrong.
Anon says
Wow that sounds terrible. So sorry
anon says
Any recommendations for a microscope to be used with a 9 year old? I’m looking for something he can use (maybe with the help of his 12 year old brother), so not janky but not too delicate (or pricey).
Anonymous says
No recommendations but I think this is an awesome gift! My parents got me one at that age, it included a lot of slides of things, and I loved it!
Anon says
We only have a little kid one. I think a non-year-old could use a more sophisticated one. Ours is the Educational Insights GoSafari Jr. It has had a dead bee on it for months! Both kids love looking at it and don’t seem to know that you can look at other things :)
Salad dressing says
Does anyone have a good viagrette salad dressing recipe to share? I need to mix it up. Thank you!
Anonymous says
I have been making a salad with kale, Asiago, fennel roasted almonds and a lemon horseradish vinaigrette.
I had it at a restaurant (first dine out[side] with DH since March!) a few weeks ago and had to recreate. The vinegarette is 2tbsp oil, half a lemon’s worth of juice, about one tbsp of horseradish root (I got mine at Whole Foods) and about 2tsp of vinegar. You may need to up the vinegar. I make it with less oil but it is more delicious with the 2tbsp.
Anon says
I was planning to post here for advice on my challenging four-year-old. But I kept not having time, etc. and now his behavior has almost completely resolved. I am posting this just as a reminder (mostly to myself) that so much is just a phase!