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I love giving personalized baby blankets as gifts and Pottery Barn Kids has some of the best options.
For late summer/early fall babies, I’d give their Cotton Tencel Waffle Knit Baby Blanket. This lightweight, cozy blanket features a comfortable blend of cotton and modal and two textures — waffle weave on one side and sateen on the other. As the weather cools, this blanket would be perfect for evening strolls. You can personalize it with baby’s name or initials for a special touch.
This blanket from Pottery Barn Kids is $39.50 (personalization extra) and comes in blush, gray, navy, and sage.
Sales of note for 5.5.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase (ends 5/12); $50 off your $200+ purchase (ends 5/5)
- Banana Republic Factory – Spend your StyleCash with 40-60% off everything, or take an extra 20% off purchase (ends 5/6)
- Eloquii – $19 & up 300+ styles and up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – Shirts & tees starting at $24.50; extra 30% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – 40% off full-price styles & extra 15% off; extra 55% off sale styles
- Nordstrom: Nordy Club members earn 3X the points on beauty; 30% off selected shoes
- Talbots – 40% off one item & and 30% off everything else; $50 off $200 (all end 5/5)
- Zappos – 27,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 40% off everything & extra 20% off select styles with code
- Hanna Andersson – Friends & Family Sale: 40% off sitewide
- J.Crew Crewcuts – tk; extra 30% off sale styles; kids’ styles starting at $14.50
- Old Navy – Up to 75% off clearance
- Target – 20% off women’s clothing & shoes; up to 50% off kitchen & dining; 20% off jewelry & hair accessories; up to $100 off select Apple products; up to 40% off home & patio; BOGO 50% off adult & YA books
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Allie says
Kindergarten backpack recs including size? For a small incoming K girl. What size pottery barn kids one do you recommend for a small kindergartner that needs to fit a regular size folder? I found the website confusingly omitted folder size. Thanks!
Anon says
We got the PB Mackensize size small for my 30th %tile 4.5 yos. It’s big on them, but fits a folder, notebook, lunch box, etc.
Anonymous says
Both the small and large will fit a folder. Don’t get the mini/PK. Kiddo will want the larger size by 2nd grade for sur.e
My oldest got a new PBK backpack for K because her PK one was pretty beat. We got the size L, but she turned 6 pretty soon after she started and is fairly tall. My younger daughter started K using her backpack from PK which was a PBK small. We got a new one going into 1st and at that point she got the L. Younger daughter was a young K kiddo and while we could have made the L work, the S was more comfortable and ours still had lots of life left.
HSAL says
My new K is tiny and I got her a Hanna Andersson backpack, though it looks like styles are pretty limited now. But it’s a good size for her and fits a standard folder and lunchbag.
Boston Legal Eagle says
It looks like the PB backpacks are roughly comparable to LLBean as follows: the PB small is just a bit larger than the LL Bean Junior (what my current 5 year old has) and the PB large is a bit bigger than the LLBean original. All will fit a folder. I’d suggest either the PB small or LL Bean original for your kid (LLB is a bit cheaper).
Anonymous says
we have the larger kids size Herschel. it fits a folder. for Preschool we can fit in a lunch kit and snacks. also a decent size for airplane. a bit hard for a 3 year old to wear but the toddler size is too small to be useful.
at kindergarten I think that the kiddo could wear it if needed.
anon says
Get the small. It will still fit a standard folder, library books, and lunchbox. She’ll swim in the large one.
kitten advice says
I saw the post late yesterday about the family with a new kitten. I agree with others that she needs lots of playtime to help expend energy. A wand with a toy attached to the end is great for helping cats to run around.
Da Bird is my favorite toy for cats of all ages. Make sure to get extra feathers with it.
Cat Dancer is a simple, but fun toy. It’s a thin wire with a few pieces of cardboard attached to the end. Looks simple, but the wire has tension in it an bobs around like a like an insect.
Sheer Fun for Cats is a small sheer blanket with crinkly edges. My cats love to pounce on it when I slide a piece of string or toy underneath. With all toys, especially ones with string make sure they are secured safely when you’re not playing with them.
You could also get a package of springs or plastic balls for her to chase around the house. Be prepared to fish them out from under the couch or stove.
Another one my cats like is the Fling-Ama-String toy. It attaches to a door and when you turn it on there is a moving piece of string. That would help keep her entertained when you’re not able to have a dedicated play session with her.
If she is in a scheduled feeding time, it helps to have an intense play session before food. I learned from watching My Cat From Hell that cats have a hunt, eat, groom, sleep cycle. So hopefully after playtime, she will be tired out then eat and go to sleep. That’s important in the evenings if she likes to run around at night.
The Indoor Cat Initiative has some additional information and resources about cats in general.
https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats
https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/basicneeds/toys
Good luck! Hopefully some of these things help your kids and kitty.
Pogo says
Laser pointer!!!!
Anon says
Laser pointer made one of our cats go crazy (he could never “catch” it), so use with caution. He did love it but caused a lot of behavior problems which we later realized was due to the laser pointer. We were better off with the feather toy on a wand.
anon says
I was that poster. Thanks so much! This is all new to me!
Anon says
How do you get your kids to be more independent? This is partially inspired by the post last week about an 8 year old who was able to spend 4 hours by herself while parents were working in the basement. Mine is 7 and I am nowhere close to that. It may be good to start working on given that it looks like we are in for another year of covid.
Anonymous says
That’s my kid ;). I think some of this is hugely child dependent. What does your kid do in his/her free time? Can s/he read? Do legos unassisted?
Part of why my kid can leave us alone is that she can entertain herself. We will often come up with a project for her to do during the day. Legos, read a book, clean her room, sort stuff in the playroom (sometimes she will do this for fun and it is hugely helpful), do a crossword/word search, do a little painting project.
I should note that I have two other younger kids so they three of them will often go play together and leave me alone for a while. They bicker but they can settle themselves 90% of the time.
What is your kiddo coming to you for?
Boston Legal Eagle says
This is probably kid personality dependent as I think some kids are just more naturally inclined to play by themselves, but I would see if there’s something that the 7 year old is really into – my 5 year old is really into building lego sets and his marble maze (loves following the directions – like mom!) and so I consider it money well spent to get him various lego sets as he can do those solo for at least an hour or so. We’ve also started letting him walk and scoot around our cul de sac solo, which gives him some feeling of independence.
I also think that around 3rd grade (so closer to age 8, not 7) is when kids generally can be independent for longer stretches of time, so I wouldn’t necessarily expect your kid if newly 7 to be able to do 3-4 hours, but maybe others here can speak better to that.
anon says
Yeah, my kids are only 4 and 5 but our best strategy is getting them set up with an activity. If we suggest the build their marble run, color a picture, build a Lego castle, whatever we can get an hour or 2 or mostly uninterrupted time, but if they’re just left to their own devices without any suggested activities then they’re more likely to seek our parent involvement.
Anonymous says
Totally kid dependent. Just TRY suggesting a specific activity to my 6 year old. You will get only resistance. But he can definitely play his own imaginative games for multiple hours.
Anon says
I think on some level this is very kid dependent. My best friend has a kid who will sit and play independently with legos while she talks to me on the phone while I on the other hand can only talk on the phone while my kids are sleeping/have childcare. Her kid has been like this since like 2.5 and he is now 4. My kids on the other hand, were like from birth until age 2, and since then they want mommy to play all the time. I have twins and i seriously once read an entire book while they happily crawled around their play area at around 9 months
Spirograph says
This is very kid-dependent (my youngest started happily entertaining himself alone for an hour+ when he was about 3, my oldest is 8 and still needs prompting), but it’s also expectations. My kids have each other and neighbor friends, so I just don’t feel the need to find ways to engage them. I sometimes set up activities, and if they ask to do something *with me* I say yes if I can, but if they are whining that they have nothing to do… my only answer is, “you can clean your room?” That usually quickly sends them off to identify their own fun. I feel like the things they come up with themselves tend to have more staying power than activities I initiate.
SC says
I agree with others that it’s kid-dependent, and will add that my kid seems to go through stages. Last spring and summer, my son, who had just turned 5, could sit and play by himself for hours–he’d get consumed with a Lego project, or disappear into his room, or whatever. Now, at 6, my son is attached to us like glue. He always wants a parent to help him with whatever activity, he wants to be in whatever room we’re in even if we can’t actively pay attention to him, and he listens to everything we say and asks, “What does that mean?” a dozen times every evening. I assume it will cycle back the other way at some point. I’ve honed my skills at looking like I’m paying attention and saying “mmhmm” a lot.
anon says
Same here. Our 6-year-old has regressed somewhat in being able to play independently, unless we get her started on an activity first. Apparently it’s a developmental thing; 6-year-olds can be VERY attached to their parents and want a buddy at all times.
This is hugely personality-dependent, so don’t beat yourself up, OP. Take baby steps if you need to.
SC says
Thanks–I didn’t realize it was a developmental thing for this age, but that makes sense! I’m sure one day, I’ll be looking back and missing my constant companion.
GCA says
Ah, this explains my 6yo as well! He seems to be going through a phase where he will not play independently (and he is a high-energy extrovert anyway) unless it involves very complex Lego construction or a screen.
Anon says
Wow, another just-turned six-year-old parent here, and my son has been in a ROUGH STAGE all summer. He seemingly can’t get into a flow with anything and just wants to stay by me (while being hyper and pushing all my buttons)
Anon says
I just read the book “How to Raise an Adult” and it gave a lot of food for thought on independence (the book got a little too bogged down in the college admissions race, but overall was a helpful read).
A key takeaway is not to do things for them that they can do themselves – even though it is definitely easier and quicker for you to do it. For a 7-year-old, that would probably include choosing clothes and getting ready in the morning, making some of his own meals and snacks and cleaning up after, putting away laundry/taking out trash/lots of household chores, etc. There are also those realms where parents make themselves over-involved – staying at sports practices instead of dropping the kid, ordering for them at restaurants, etc. Basically, look for every opportunity to let your kid level up on life skills, even if it’s a challenge. This will build true self-esteem and prime them for more independence in every area of life.
Anonymous says
Can anyone recommend a good tax advisor/accountant in DC? We’ve got questions about distributions from a trust. Thanks!
Toddler Food Throwing says
Any tips for getting my 13mo to stop throwing his food? He used to be such a great eater and lately everything is slung across the kitchen. He’s not tantruming. He’s just happily throwing food and bottles around.
Spoon feeding or only putting 1 piece on his tray at a time does help but takes forever.
Anon says
Once he starts throwing things, that’s time to take food away. “Mama sees you throwing food, all done for now!” then remove him from his high chair or remove the food from his tray. The instagram account BigLittleFeelings has a highlight about this that is helpful.
AwayEmily says
“If you throw food again, you’re telling me that you’re all done.” [throws food again] “Okay, all done” [take him out of his chair, take food away, end meal].
The kid will likely cry and fuss, but this worked very quickly (within a week) with both my kids around that age. And it does not require starving your kid (as my husband worried when I first proposed it) — you can always give it another go twenty minutes later or so.
Anon says
You can try giving him an extra bowl or plate to put rejected food in, but 13 months may be early for that to work.
Ellen Parsons says
My 11-mo-old bit me two nights ago. She has 8 teeth and it hurt and I yelped, and now I have a bruise the size of a quarter. I was putting on her pajamas, which apparently she was not into. My husband came in, and we got them on, and she went to bed. I am irrationally offended, even though know she is just using the only tools she has to express her displeasure. It hasn’t happened since, but I can tell she thinks about it. Is there a way to deal with this? She’s so young I don’t know if toddler tips work. When she bites while I nursing I say I don’t like that, and end the nursing session. (Altho TBH I am reaching the end of my rope with that as well.) She’s my first so I have no idea what is within the realm or normal for behavior. She is already walking and running and climbing entire flights of stairs, she points and whines and grunts and shakes her head for “no”, but doesn’t use any words with intention.
Anon says
wow you have an advanced 11 month old. at least to me. one of mine didnt take first steps until 14 months and the other 17 months. i think being ‘offended’ is a bit much. she is 11 months old. she does not know how to express herself. there are books, like teeth are not for biting. kids understand a lot more than you think that they do, so a book like that could probably help
Anon says
+1 to teeth are not for biting or similar books. i try not to give a big reaction because that might be what she’s going for too.
I know you said “irrationally” offended so you know it’s irrational but I’d also work on developing that thick skin. 11 months is the tippy tip of the iceberg for when you need to start watching your own feelings and reactions here and understanding the limits of your kid and their emotional/social/brain development. Maybe start thinking about branching into some Janet Lansbury (no bad kids) or Big Little Feelings on insta? Something to put it in a larger perspective.
Pogo says
For real – I have an 11mo and he is no where near being able to have thoughts like, I don’t want you to do this so I’m going to bite you. He bites when nursing because he thinks it’s funny to get a reaction, so I worked really hard to not react and it got better. I would suggest that same approach for non-nursing biting as well. At this age (like w/ the above throwing food) they’re just experimenting to see what happens when they do different things. Any reaction solicits more of the behavior typically, which is why the suggestion for both biting and throwing food is basically lack of reaction.
AnonATL says
My son went through a phase where he would try to bite my legs when I was sitting on the floor playing with him. I would tell him no we don’t bite and then get up and walk away and leave him in his playpen. He figured it out pretty quickly.
Some of it was tooth pain I’m sure but most was testing boundaries.
Anon says
Little Dinos don’t bite was successful for us, but biting was more in the late toddler stage.
Pogo says
But don’t bite your mom! Even if she is really sweet.
Anon says
Since I was the primary victim, correct!
Anon says
lol that just made my son want to bite more every time he saw that book. It was like it just reminded him that biting was an option even though he shouldn’t do it.
Anon Lawyer says
We have “Little Dinos Don’t Hit” and it ends “You’re a helper, little dino, and helpers don’t hit. Helpers hug!” Last time we read it, it led my 18-month-old to chase the dog around trying to give him a hug.
Anonymous says
Hahahaha lady my 2 year old bites me like once a day. He went through a 3 week spurt of biting all of us like 20 times a day when he was having his language explosion and frustrated. Get over it. It’s not the last time you’ll be bitten or slapped in the face. You calmly say “no biting” and don’t make a huge deal out of it. Practice “gentle touches”.
shortperson says
try this: https://www.janetlansbury.com/2012/09/biting-hitting-kicking-and-other-challenging-toddler-behavior/
janet lansbury is really good for framing toddler behavior in general
Anonymous says
Sort of vent, sort of a gut check – My extended family has scheduled our group family vacation the week before school starts. It was scheduled without my input. I have twins starting kindergarten this year. Turns out back to school night (meet the teacher/ orientation) is the Thursday of that week. So we will leave early to make it back to attend the event. My SIL (who planned this trip and who has kids in high school) is very upset. She thinks we are over the top helicopter parents for leaving early. I can understand that once your kids get to high school you might be less interested in back to school night. But for me – it seems like a smart thing to do before your kids start kindergarten. In the middle of a pandemic? For the record, we are paying 100% of our costs even though we are essentially staying half the time. I really don’t think I am being unreasonable. Honestly, I think the real problem is that the entire extended family wants more input in the timing and location of the trip next year. Which I think is also an extremely reasonable request that has upset my SIL.
Anon says
well i would probably have not agreed to go on a trip the week before school starts to begin with bc i think it is ridiculous of your SIL to schedule it then. I think your SIL is taking this a bit personally, but I can understand her perspective in that she planned this whole thing (albeit without listening to anyone else), and now you won’t be there the whole time. given the fact that she planned a trip without taking into account others’ opinions, she seems like the kind of person who would be bothered by this. she might be more disappointed than actually angry. that being said, i would want to take my twin kindergarteners to back to school night!
Anonymous says
I think you should not have agreed to go on vacation without input into the time at all and should ignore SIL.
SC says
My son was in kindergarten last year. I was really nervous about sending him to school, especially in the middle of the pandemic. We couldn’t do a “back to school” event, but the teachers invited each family individually to see the classroom and meet them. It was really important to me–it was the first new care setting since Kiddo started daycare at 1 yo. Also, because of the pandemic, it was also the only time I have been inside the school building or spoken in person with anyone who works at the school (DH does drop-off and pickup). So, no, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable.
This year, we scheduled our family vacation for the first week of August and then found out that school was starting a week early, and we were going to miss the orientation day. We were fine with that and did not leave our vacation early to attend. Kiddo has the same teachers as last year, and we’re all comfortable with the school. Kindergarten at a new school just feels much bigger than first grade at the same school.
Spirograph says
Your school is doing an in-person back-to-school night?! We are on vacation the last week before school starts and will miss the playground meetup, but orientation is a zoom call so we’ll just call into that one evening.
Personally, I would not leave vacation early to go to K orientation. Unless you are the type of person who always asks questions about your own specific kids at those type of events (in which case, please don’t. Save them for a one-on-one discussion), you won’t get anything out of an orientation you wouldn’t get just by reading whatever handbook they email to you. You will have plenty of other opportunities to talk to the teacher.
It’s silly for your SIL to get upset about you leaving early, though. This is your choice. As long as you’re not sticking her with the cost or putting a major crimp in some activity they’d planned later in the week, you do you.
Anonymous says
Agreed. I wouldn’t do this but if you want to it’s your call.
Anonymous says
+1 to just about all of this. Although I admit I might have felt differently going into K than I do now going into 4th grade.
anon says
I get both perspectives here. Your SIL sounds like a pill and should’ve looped everyone in with planning the trip. However, now that I have kids a tad older than yours, I realize that although back-to-school night is nice, it’s pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. There are so many other opportunities to build a relationship with the teacher and for your kids to get acclimated. I wouldn’t miss vacation for it.
Anon says
I think this is one of those things though where just because it isn’t important to you anymore doesn’t mean it’s not important to a kindergartner (and kindergarten parents.)
anon says
Yeah, this is completely reasonable! We’re also doing an extended family vacation in a couple weeks and after consulting school schedules planned it for Saturday-Thursday so that my niece’s family could have Fri/Sat/Sun to get organized at home before she starts K on Mon. My twins don’t start K until 1.5 weeks later, but I can’t imagine skipping their orientation! The transition from home with parents for the past 1.5 years to the youngest kids in a K-8 school is going to be a big deal and especially my more anxious-prone kid really needs the reassurance of orientation before starting school fulltime.
No Face says
One of the greatest skills I have developed over the years is letting people be mad. Your SIL can feel however she wants, but you don’t need to make plans around that. People have to leave early or arrive late to vacations.
As for me, I have a kindergartner this year and the “meet the teacher” event before school is very important for us. She would have a hard time just being dropped off in the first day without meeting her teacher, especially because I won’t be allowed to walk her to her classroom in the first day (covid).
Anonymous says
So, you can totally and completely miss kindergarten orientation. I can’t tell from your post if the kids come along or it’s just for parents, but in either event, K will go great whether or not you attend.
THAT SAID.
It’s also a perfectly reasonable excuse to get out of the last part of vacation. You weren’t consulted, going on vacation the week before school starts is a bad idea, and you’re happy you can make it for part of it, SIL!
So, if you’re having fun, you can stay and not worry about missing anything (I’m sure they post notes somewhere. Ours sends the slides around.) But you can also leave and feel guilt-free.
Anonymous says
1. I think you’re being reasonable.
2. It’s generous of you to pay all of your costs when the dates that were set without your input don’t work for you (if I’m understanding correctly).
3. Anyone who hasn’t had little kids in the pandemic can keep their opinions to themselves about what’s the “right” way to parent right now. Just like I assume you don’t tell your SIL how to parent her high schoolers in a pandemic.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Our school isn’t doing anything in person pre the K start date beyond some playground meetups so I don’t know if the orientation is necessary but it can’t hurt and I also would not want to vacation with someone who plans things without my input. And then gets upset when it doesn’t work for people. She sounds unpleasant.
Anon says
I feel zero guilt about scheduling conflicts for events that were planned without my input. If she wanted you to be there the full week, she should have asked you ahead of time whether your family was available for those dates. Since she didn’t do that, it seems likely that the timing of the vacation was more of a priority than the participants. That’s totally fine, but you shouldn’t tie yourself in knots about having other plans.
nanny q says
What is an appropriate bonus for a summer nanny? Our nanny has been with us since mid-May and will be going back to school in a few weeks, but she’s local and we plan to continue to hire her as a sitter. Half a week’s pay? Full week?
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t pay any bonus. Why?
Anonymous says
I mean, because we like her and can afford it. But from a more selfish perspective, we hope she will continue to be available to sit for us while she’s in school.
anon says
Ours was only part time (in the evenings) but she will be returning to her home country next month for an extended trip. I plan on giving her $100 as a small token of our appreciation. I would think half a week is more than generous for your situation.
Anonymous says
I wondered about this too. We’ve got the same situation. Our nanny gave us her rate, and we went with it. But, we would have paid her more, and I’m starting to really feel that she is underpaid for how great she is. I’d like to give her a bit of a bonus.
Anon says
As a nanny employer, I would do a half to a full week’s pay (whatever you can afford) with a nice card or note, especially if she’s great and you want to keep using her on an as-needed basis.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Hi! DH has some international travel for work planned at the end of this month. At this point, it has not been cancelled. For those of you who have travelled via plane (or had a partner do so), please advise.
We also have some other travel (some shared as a couple, some individual work for DH) this fall. Kids are currently 3.5 and 7 months. We are COVID cautious and vaxxed but not trying to return to 2020 which almost broke us, so at this point, not cancelling. I am thinking that after the trips, we all mask up at home until the traveler gets tested. Obviously we will also keep an eye on what is going on and factor that into our decision making.
Anon says
My husband had two business trips recently and we have two young kids at home. He wore a KN95 mask when traveling and got tested upon his return. We didn’t have him mask around the kids but he works long hours and doesn’t see them much during the work week, so their exposure to him in the window until his negative test result was pretty limited.
anon says
We have traveled recently as a family and have had family members travel. Strict mask usage at the airport and during the flight was basically what we focused on. We did not do at-home masking, but honestly, it comes down to personal/family judgements about risk. I did not feel like I could ask the older kids (8 and 10) to mask at home when they had traveled and the baby and I hadn’t, because that’s pretty miserable, and I didn’t feel like the risk of a breakthrough infection in me or my vaccinated husband was sufficient to justify masking at home when we had traveled, particularly given that COVID is lower-risk to kids.
YMMV, it just really depends on how you balance the impact of a COVID infection to a family member (how seriously ill would they be, what would this mean for you in terms of work/school, how heavily do you weight the risk of long COVID) with the risk of the traveler getting infected (low if traveler is vaxxed/masked, higher if masked/unvaxxed) and then the traveler passing it along (lower if vaxxed bc less likely to be symptomatic, probably also lower if kids bc kids are less affected, but on the other hand you all live together, so…).
Anon says
we traveled as a family over a month ago, but things weren’t this bad then. i also think it depends where you are traveling to, infection rates in the area, mask usage in the area, etc. as to whether i would cancel. i live in TX, so don’t come here! I also would not go to any country on the CDC list of places with Covid alerts.
OP says
Fellow Texan in the trenches with you! I wish our idiot Gov would allow at least the localities to have their own enforceable rules.
Anonymous says
It all depends on where you’re going. We traveled internationally to a high-vaxx country with rigorous testing protocols in June, and it felt very safe. Everyone on plane had been tested, and cases were low/ vaxx rates were high everywhere we stayed. We had our two unvaxxed kiddos with us, and I did not feel like I was putting them in high-risk situations.
This fall, we are due to attend a wedding in TX, and there is no way I will bring the kids. I’m also considering doing something like what you’re envisioning around testing/ masks when we return.
Anon says
honestly you should stay home depending on the numbers. i am in Houston and it is really really bad right now. we have the largest medical center in the country and they have canceled elective surgeries because no space in ICU.
Curious says
We flew to two weddings in June and July and just masked when not eating (those were the days). Now, with Delta, when my mom comes to help with newborn she will (1) mask when around us until (2) she gets at least one negative test (we may have her do two to account for differing incubation periods). This is because baby will be brand new. She’s also got her Tdap booster. I don’t know if my anti vax father will be allowed to see baby before she’s 1.
Anonymous says
Just found out that my kiddo is moving up to the young toddler room at daycare. Are goodbye gifts to his teacher a thing? I feel like we just had teacher appreciation week.
Anonymous says
I think they are for some people, but they’re mostly sentimental in nature vs lavish. We never did this but we were generous at Christmas and Teacher Appreciation and felt that was enough.
Anonymous says
Same. Lots of cash at holidays and teacher week, but never did a moving up gift.
Anonymous says
Perfect, thank you both!
Curious says
Speaking of baby blankets, we have been bequeathed… Many. I think 7? Most are crocheted. Is this practical? Should I pare down?
My thinking so far: The light muslin swaddles have 100 uses, and the non-crochet ones can go between baby and floor, but the crochet ones feel impractical. I am considering keeping long enough to take a photo of baby on each and then giving most to a family shelter. Will I regret it?
Anonymous says
So I like the crochet ones for when I start putting a blanket with the toddler (definitely over the age of one, more like 18/24 months for our comfort level). I’ve gifted them on my buy nothing group. I don’t regret it. I keep 1-2 per kid. We were gifted like 15 between the two kids.
Anonymous says
My preschooler likes to cuddle with her crocheted blanket. I think they are soft and nice to hook your fingers through for the crocheted ones. I would probably keep most of them for now. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll want to cover the baby with something warmer than a swaddle in the stroller and in the car (so that’s 2, one lives in each place, more if you have multiple cars). The crocheted ones might rip and having an alternate to offer is nice while you are “working on fixing” the holes (I am….). That will probably be the right size to send to daycare once they’re out of sleepsacks.
My approach was to keep handmade stuff and the Carter’s baby fleece blankets that we got, I donated above what it seemed like we needed.
AIMS says
My kids had a lot of blankets and the knitted/crocheted ones are the hands down sentimental favorites. They barely cover them anymore but they wont sleep without them. I actually wish I had more b/c my daughter has 2 and keeps the “non-favorite” one in the car for long trips and my son insists on bringing his with him, dragging it everywhere along the way.
Pogo says
Luckily I didn’t get that many, but yes, I would donate. My son kept one that was a gift from a family friend and he LOVES it – it is his blankey now. It is a really soft knit though and it’s actually cozy, the other ones we got feel really rough/bumpy/not comfortable imo.
Curious says
This is so helpful! Thank you!
Atlien says
We kept one in each car for winter trips. YMMV
Anon says
I’m a person who tummy sleeps my babies and will occasionally put a blanket over them when they nap in the day (when they fall asleep randomly and before there’s a whole routine with sleep sacks). I prefer small crocheted blankets because of the air holes. I also like slightly larger ones for my older toddlers in bed, as mentioned above
AIMS says
Hi,
On the subject of tips, what’s appropriate for camp counselors? We are doing day camp for the first time this summer and this is our last week. All counselors are teens & very lovely. I’m thinking $50 gift card and a nice note? Also, is there any protocol about asking if they do babysitting? I think some are in our neighborhood and I’d love to be able to call them to watch the kids once in a while.
Anonymous says
I have never done tips for camp counselors, and it never even occurred to me! This may depend on the camp, though. You definitely can ask about babysitting. No protocol, just say that kid loved being at camp with you, do you babysit? and get their number if they say yes
Anonymous says
make sure tipping is allowed. It is specifically NOT allowed at our camps. On babysitting, straight up ask! [kiddo] has loved having you as a counselor. Would you ever be open to babysit during the school year?
Anonymous says
Nothing. And if you want them to babysit just ask!
Anonymous says
I’ve never heard of tipping camp counsellors.
Anon says
Our 6yo is finishing camp this week and we’re not planning to do tips.
AIMS says
Good to know, ladies! We were specifically told tipping was allowed and encouraged (because camp counselors were so hard to find this year?), they’ve set up a tipping app, and my kid already asked me if we could do “envelopes” for the counselors “like the other kids” who finished early. In NYC, if it matters.
Anonymous says
I think tipping counselors is extremely regional. It sounds like it’s basically expected for you, so I’d do it if it isn’t a hardship. When I was a camp counselor (not in NYC and long ago), I remember one or two parents tipped at the end of the summer…it obviously made a nice impression since I still remember!
Best sources for KN95s? says
Anyone have a great source for KN95s? Not the ones that need to be properly fitted to your face (like healthcare workers), just the ones for ordinary folks.
Anon says
Wirecutter has recommended Bona Fide Masks for KN95s and I’ve had a good experience with buying through them.
Flying says
Is it safe for kids (4 year old) to sleep in a mask? I know they don’t wear them for daycare naps. We have an upcoming flight and assume my kid will sleep for part of it and would prefer she keeps her mask on.
anonn says
I don’t see why not. My 4 year old has slept with her mask on in her carseat several times.