This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I made a purchase at Sephora recently and had enough points to get the free little gift. A group of Briogeo products were the ones I selected. My favorite of the bunch was this deep conditioning mask. After my shower, my hair felt silky and was much easier to brush and style. I think this product would be great if you’re feeling like you need a reset on your hair, or if you’ve been out at the beach/pool/camping. My only pet peeve is the packaging… it’s so hard to unscrew the cap, scoop out the product, and recap it with slippery hands! Otherwise, this conditioner really worked well for me. It is $36 for 8 oz. at Sephora. Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask
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!
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ 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 – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
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?
AwayEmily says
This was discussed briefly last week but I wanted to put out a specific request. Does anyone have recommendations for masks that fit toddlers? Both my kids (2 and 4) have small-ish heads, and most of the kids’ masks I see say things like “4 and up,” which makes me think they are going to be way too big.
Pogo says
Unfortunately my toddler’s head is huge so he practically fits into a size S adult mask… can’t be of much help to you!
Anon says
Search on Etsy for adjustable ear kids masks, and then look for ones that have a nose wire. Ours is from Trustela but there are several sellers. Being able to adjust the length of the elastic has been great (the ties do not stay tied on my kids, I don’t know if they’re just super active or fiddle with it or what, but elastic is the only way to go).
I’m toying with whether to get those headbands or strips with buttons to hold the elastic on, to save their ears. I think that will depend on the rules when school/daycare opens full time later in the summer.
Anon says
Katie May has toddler and kid masks that are elastic adjustable and go around the head. (Kid fits my 5 yo with a bigger head).
Anon says
Link: https://www.katiemay.com/collections/masks/products/protected-mini
Realist says
Sarah’s Silks is making masks for ages 3-6. It keeps showing up in my FB feed, I don’t know how good the masks are.
Anonymous says
Had good luck on Etsy with seller BBPartyShoppe for masks for my small headed four-year-old. Masks seemed to be nice quality, and the ties/ear loops are really soft.
SG says
We ordered a bunch, here are my notes for our average-sized 3yo girl.
Paper Cape: adjustable, fit well cute design but feel thin – you cans see daylight thru it
Alex and Nova: aren’t adjustable but fit my average 3yo decently well – feel more substantial than Paper Cape
Buru: they use hair elastics around the ears which is fine for me but a bit large for the kiddo, also kind of feels thin. we have to loop the elastics to fit snug
I am under no illusion she will keep them on for more than 2 minutes….
AwayEmily says
Thank you! This all really helpful and I will be ordering several of the suggestions.
Anonymous says
The kids masks by Camp have worked great for my just turned 4 year old. Would definitely fit a smaller kid as well. Weirdly, though, I didn’t like their adult masks, which covered way too much of my face. Go figure.
Anne says
The XS one from Carpediemworkshoppe on etsy is the only one that will stay on my three year old’s tiny face.
Anonymous says
Happy Monday everyone! I just wanted to celebrate the fact that we successfully sleep trained our 10mo this weekend (Ferber). Middle of the night wake up on the first night was awful, but after that he got it. I feel so much better after 2 successive full nights of sleeps. He’s also napping independently in his crib which is a huge improvement in quality of life for our family.
Anokha says
Congrats! I am very very ready to sleep train our five month old…
BlueAlma says
If you feel ready, go for it. That’s the age we trained both our kids.
Congrats, OP!
Anne says
Do it! That’s a great age for sleep training.
Lana Del Raygun says
Congratulations!!!!
potato says
Congratulations!!! I found it an absolute game changer. I was so much more awake and present with my kid when I was well rested. And kid was obviously sleeping better too. I was really hesitant to ferber but, in retrospect, see it as similar to inoculations: short term pain for long term gain.
Anonymous says
OP here – yeh we have an older daughter who we used Ferber with as well (and was life changing as well). I just wasn’t ready with this little guy until now! But glad I did it
Leatty says
Favorite brands for toddlers/kids with long torsos? My daughter’s 4T shirts are now too short, but otherwise fit. I’m a fan of Cat & Jack clothes, but the length just isn’t working for us.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I like primary – their 4/5 clothes fit my 4 year a lot better than the Target shirts, which seem too short already even at 4T.
Cb says
My default recommendation but I really like H&M as they fit long and slim. I bet any of the Scandinavian brands would fit well. My son always has a little Pooh bear belly with Carters etc but H&M is much better.
TheElms says
My kiddo (only 13 months) is also very long torso-ed (and tall generally) I’ve found primary to run small. So she needs at least one size up from her age and typically two sizes up. So at the moment she is wearing 18-24 months in primary. But that said once I size up enough the shirts are long enough and the other proportions are still appropriate (a little loose but not comical).
asdf says
My issue with primary is that the garments aren’t consistent. I remember holding up two pairs of pants, both the same size (18 months I think) and noting a 1″ difference in length.
Anon says
Primary runs small in baby, but not so small in toddler/little kid, ime.
Ms B says
Until recently, The Kid was built like Michael Phelps (all torso, not so much legs). We had the most luck with Old Navy/Gap, Oshkosh/Carters (from the Carter’s store, not from Target), always one size larger in shirts and hoodies than pants. What did not work was anything from Target, the Kohls line (Jumping Beans, I think), Tea Collection (so cute, though!) or Ralph Lauren.
octagon says
We’ve had good luck with Gap and H&M, both of which run long and lean. Also Tea to an extent.
anon says
What about wearing a 4/5 instead of 4T? They will naturally run longer than the toddler sizes.
Leatty says
Thanks, all!
Anon says
I am a high school teacher in a very rural, conservative area. From what I am hearing, I am getting the feeling that we are just going back to school as normal at the beginning of August with no masks. Students will have an elearning option is they want to stay home. I live in a state where school funding is given by the state on a per-student enrolled basis and parents have complete school choice, so I suspect the policies are being shaped by funding issues (ie. elearning caters to people worried about safety, school building caters to people who think its a hoax–we have weak union protections, so teacher safety is not prioritized).
I am also worried about sanitization because currently, we don’t have enough cleaning staff because we pay cleaning people 50% less than the low-wage jobs in the area. For instance, no one ever washes desks or tables in our room because we don’t have the staff for it. Apparently, the biggest change they are thinking about is having water refilling stations instead of drinking fountains.
I don’t know what the right option is for schools because they all seem bad, but I think I had just mentally gotten to the point where I felt that going back to school as normal, but wearing masks would be okay with me. But apparently masks aren’t even up for debate–it’s just a hard no from administration.
I’ve been reading all the comments on here regarding school, so I thought I’d share what is going on in one part of the country.
anon says
I don’t know if it helps, but in an environment where kids switch classes hourly, I don’t think a cleaning crew would make much of a difference. The desks really need to be wiped down between each student. If I was a teacher, I’d try to come up with a system where each kid would grab a cleaning cloth and wipe down their desk and chair on their way into the classroom each day. It might come out of my own pocket, but dilute bleach isn’t expensive.
If permitted, I’d also offer rewards for mask use in my classroom. Maybe the school won’t have the guts to require mask use, but I’d do my best to make it standard my classroom. I’d also set up my classroom to create more space between people, removing any non-essential stuff from the classroom.
I haven’t looked into it, but it may also be worth considering an air purifier for your classroom. Anything to remove aerosols.
Anonanonanon says
Since about 3rd grade my son’s teachers have had them take out a clorox wipe and wipe down their desk before switching classrooms. Clorox wipes were always on the supply list and on the list of things they’d appreciate people donating.I know they’re like gold, now, but just sharing because I thought it was a reasonable practice and appreciated it even pre-covid
In a conservative area, I would propose it as “hey I’m thinking it’s a good idea because you know how it’s going to be; every time someone gets a cold or the flu some of those parents are going to freak out that it’s covid nudge nudge” like you’re trying to prevent the administration from having to deal with “crazy parents” and not prevent the possibly-a-hoax (in their minds) COVID.
Anonymous says
I think this comment is well meaning but in general telling teachers how you would do their job, when you aren’t one and don’t know what they are dealing with, is pretty condescending.
anon says
And your comment isn’t?
OP is clearly in a lousy situation where she’s concerned about her health. Brainstorming options to try to keep her safer is meant to be helpful and obviously isn’t telling her how to teach. Teachers have no expertise in stopping the spread of COVID. By contrast, I’ve been on a committee at work and have been working on ways to keep employees safe for months now.
–Scientist who was trying to help.
Anon says
Agreed. I don’t think she was asking for our advice.
Anon says
I appreciate trying to avoid telling teachers how to do their jobs, but I didn’t take the comments about wiping desks off as condescending at all. I think this is definitely uncharted territory and I appreciate learning what other schools have done. We definitely should all be in this together and since parents have a stake in this, we should be sharing all the resources and know-how we have!!
Unfortunately, I don’t have the option of having a supply list and wipes are SO expensive (coincidentally, low teacher salary state too!). I might get a bunch of spray bottles and rags though for students to use.
We also have a pretty strict absence policy and reward system for attendance, so even in March of this year, we had a bunch of students attending school WITH fevers because they wanted to avoid punishment. Which generally I support the policy, but with COVID—yikes.
I also have children in the lower elementary school and I know several teachers/staff at the school think covid is a hoax led by Bill Gates. But, I really want to avoid elearning for them too, so I was really hoping the school would enforce safety measures.
avocado says
Our district also has a draconian attendance policy that leads parents to send their kids to school sick. In middle and high school, 5 absences in a semester or 10 in a year leads to automatic failure, even if the absences are excused. COVID-19 can last for weeks, so any kid who catches it is screwed.
Anon says
You shouldn’t support this policy. Many rare disease patients have been harmed by strict attendance policies because they hadn’t been diagnosed yet at the time they were still in school. It’s discriminatory against families who don’t have access to expensive genetic testing or truly qualified healthcare providers.
Anon says
You shouldn’t support this policy. Many rare disease patients have been harmed by strict attendance policies because they weren’t diagnosed yet at the time they were still in school. It’s discriminatory against families that cannot afford expensive genetic testing or access to qualified specialists.
OP says
I should have clarified–a school I taught at years ago had no policy in place for attendance so it was a free-for-all w/ absences. One year, 40% of my students missed 20 or more days of class in a year–and yet I live in a state with merit-based pay, so my evaluation was based on their state test scores. It is really hard to teach if students just don’t show up for school. My current school is more strict than I would like, but it does have allowances for the cases you mention. I generally support a policy that has a lot of accountability for attendance but also has room for evaluating on a case-by-case basis. I think the rewards for good attendance are where things get stickier and I have no idea what the best option is because kids start to view not getting the reward as a punishment in itself and then start attending school in risky situations for that reason. I understand that schools view it as trying to support positive behavior instead of punishing bad behavior, but in reality, it doesn’t always work like that.
Cb says
Yes, yoga class style! I’d be happy to help sponsor supplies for this if you posted one of those classroom fundraiser links.
Anon says
Wow it’s amazing to me how much policies vary across the country, from one extreme to the other.
avocado says
Wow, the lack of a mask requirement is terrible. From the perspective of a parent, it’s great that they are offering a fully on-line option, but is that something teachers can choose as well? And is the on-line option equivalent to what’s provided in person?
For comparison, our conservative-leaning suburban district is signaling that it will open in-person only with zero precautions. Our state requires masks in indoor public spaces, but schools must not qualify as public spaces because the state guidelines only say that districts may choose to “encourage” mask-wearing in middle school and high school.
OP says
I have no idea about the online option. In our state, schools can hire out an already established online school, enroll students on it, and still get state funding for the student. I suspect they will go that route. BUT…all the classes I teach aren’t offered at all that way, so I might have to provide both in-class and elearning options. I cannot imagine keeping that up. It was bad enough to just do elearning, but to do both?! Part oof this is because I have five different classes I teach. I suspect for my survival that means students will essentially take my elearning course in the classroom.
Thank you all for your sympathy and your trouble-shooting ideas. I am just spending today heartbroken that our country turned a public health issue into a political issue. And not that political debate shouldn’t happen, but the way it has is not great.
Anon says
i am so so sorry. i too think it is sad and absurd that a public health issue became a political one. i am truly at a loss for how people can think covid is a hoax. why would anyone make up that 700+ people were dying a day in NY from this virus. i am sure it feels very scary both as a teacher and as a parent to feel like you are unable to protect yourself and your kids.
Anonymous says
I’m so sorry. There is such a huge range across the country, and the lack of federal oversight and direction is so troubling. I just want to say you’re not wrong for being concerned.
Anonymous says
Ugh, I’m sorry. My husband is a high school teacher in NYC, and I am still livid about how his school treated the teachers in March. They were actively repressing information about positive cases within the school, then ordered teachers to come in for mandatory training on how to teach remotely the week of March 16 – but the training was ONLINE! They then told teachers they had to use sick days if they wanted to do the training from home. (There is no way this will stick due to strong union, but it’s so ridiculous.) Sorry, rant over. Your situation sounds so difficult – teachers are not expendable. I can only hope that their thinking may change by August and that they will at least come around on masks. A lot can happen in 6 weeks right now.
Anonymous says
Also, for those suggesting disinfecting wipes – are you able to get these where you are? I haven’t seen any in months here. Bleach spray has some obvious limitations, e.g., bleaching things.
avocado says
I just bought a Force of Nature system. It uses electricity to a weak hypochlorous acid solution from water and a packet of salt and vinegar. It’s EPA-approved to kill the novel coronavirus and is nontoxic to humans. The generator and a year’s supply of refills were less than $100.
I learned about these systems from our orthodontist, who uses a larger system to fog her office. At first I was skeptical because it sounded too good to be true, but the EPA approval and safety data convinced me it was legit.
anon says
We can’t get wipes yet, but there are options on the internet for making your own. I’d probably also consider presoaked cloth wipes that could be reused.
Anon says
that is beyond ridiculous. why do you have to come in-person to do online training in the middle of a pandemic. i am angry on your behalf. it is also amazing to me, though not surprising, how much information has been repressed. we have a family friend who represents one of the pilot unions and he said there have been many cases of pilots testing positive for covid, but airlines have mostly managed to keep it out of the news bc they don’t want to discourage people from flying since travel is already down
OP says
Yes! I found it awful some of the things that were happening in districts across the country, such as requiring teachers to come in. And the range of things that were happening in districts across the country was both interesting and also concerning. Little oversight or national recommendations at all. And I don’t recall teacher’s unions being particularly involved either–although, it was definitely a whirlwind, stressful situation, so I sort of get what happened. I just hope districts will be more reflective going into the fall.
Caretaker/Home Communication says
Does any one have good systems for au pairs/nannies to communicate things like groceries we’re out of (ie: care taker uses last of the sandwich bread, so she adds it to a grocery list), one-off appointments or other things on the daily calendar care taker should be aware of (ie: heads up, they’re spraying for mosquitoes today, DD has a pedi appt today), etc?
In 100% of the situations where I buy a white board for organization, it always fails to be used. This is the first time with a full-time caretaker on our home and need to figure out some systems that will help with communication around these things. She’s young/techy and uses Google Docs. Maybe just set up something in there? Would love to know what others do.
Anon says
Shared google calendar for appointments etc.
Shared google doc for grocery list.
Anon says
Does she have an iphone? The reminders app is how my husband and I share our grocery list and it is super easy.
OP says
She does. Husband does not.
Maybe it’s just as simple as google sheets and calendar. I won’t over complicate it if that’s really the route to go.
anon says
We use Google Calendars for appointments. We keep a shopping list on the kitchen counter that gets taken with us to the grocery store. For other items, we try to have a check in every morning to keep up our relationship. We text on WhatsApp if other things come up during the day.
anon says
Maybe a shared Google Keep list for groceries? That is literally the only grocery system list that DH and I have managed to stick to. When something runs out, we add it to the list. Otherwise, Google Calendar runs our life.
anon says
+1 love google keep
No Face says
We write appointments and groceries on our refrigerator actually. I have magnet dry erase things, one is blank and one is a calendar. My husband and I share a Google calendar as well.
The grocery list on the refrigerator is great because everyone just writes the needed item down the moment it’s low without having to get out a phone.
Ashley says
We use AnyList for the grocery list thing. I have an iPhone but I have to think the app is on Google Play too.
Anonymous says
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted answers to my question last week about transitioning to sippy cups for my 12.5 month old. We’ve decided to go back to bottles for another two weeks and then reevaluate. It’s more important to me and my husband that our baby is getting the nutrition from milk than the container he drinks it out of.
Same boat says
Saw this but thought you were going to post two months. I think you can give it longer! My 14 month old likes her milk from bottles still and I’m waiting another month to give it another try. FWIW this is our third so we’re probably more laissez faire than we would have been on our first or even our second. I know from experience she will not be using a bottle in a year, and the weeks go by so fast right now!
Followed your question with interest! I’m buying all of those recommended cups to try to tempt this stubborn child!
Anonymous says
We were really relaxed about this. Shocker – DD used bottles (morning, nap, night) until like 20 months. Paci until 2.5 . Her dentist saw her just THREE WEEKS after dropping the paci and said her bite improves remarkably. So anyways, I dunno I’m not in a rush with that milestone with our second now.
Anonymous says
As an FYI, our doctor’s office was much more high strung about this than her actual dentist. If you’re concerned, I’d talk do the dentist.
Dreamland says
You have until 18 months, so don’t feel rushed :). We waited within a few days of our kids’s 18 month (half) birthday. A few colds here and there thwarted our plans before that. FWIW, my kid never went back to drinking as much milk once we phased out bottles. And only cold turkey worked for us (after getting past the toddler rage)!
NYCer says
I missed the convo last week, but we switched around 15 months and had by far the most success with Think Baby straw cups. She uses them for milk and water.
Anonymous says
For both my kids, they didn’t want to drop the bottle at 1. Both dropped it by 15/16 months with no problem. It has been fine. We like to let time solve our problems, though. We potty-trained our first at 3.5 (and it took like 3 days).
PetiteMom says
Good morning,
Frivolous question. What hair color do you use for at home coloring? I’ve been doing my grey roots at home since the pandemic started. I used Revlon Root Erase-it’s okay. Now I’m thinking to adventure myself and start coloring my hair at home. I absolutely loved the professional hair color they used at my salon but it’s not available for purchase in stores or online.
Thanks.
octagon says
Reach out to your stylist, will they mix up a custom batch for you? Mine is doing kits that she drops off on your doorstep with directions. It’s great.
Otherwise, I suggest the Wella Color Charm system. It’s a bit more complicated than the ones that come in a box, but not by much, and you get a better depth of color. It’s sold at Sally Beauty and other beauty supply shops.
June says
Yes, the wella color charm line has good options, pretty good coverage and nice dimension. I also like the L’oreal dyes available at Sally, especially the Mega Browns collection. For box dye from a box store, I like L’oreal Excellence the best, but I haven’t used box dye in years so some newer options may be out.
anon says
I did Madison Reed – doesn’t cover my grays quite as well as the salon but was totally sufficient for this purpose and I think my hair looks… fine?
avocado says
I tried Madison Reed too. The “for resistant grays” formula covered the grays very well, but I don’t think the color has as much dimension as salon color or even drugstore brands.
earlier madison reed poster says
I was the person who posted above – would totally agree with this assessment. What drugstore brand do you like?
avocado says
For box color I like Garnier Nutrisse best. I used it to cover grays for a little over a decade starting in college. Then I switched to salon color for a number of years. I tried Nutrisse again at the beginning of lockdown, but my hair has a lot more gray now and it didn’t cover well. That’s what prompted me to try Madison Reed.
anon says
I sent my kid back to daycare today. I am feeling simultaneously relieved and guilty. I felt like DD’s needs were not being met, even with a part-time sitter. She was constantly getting shoved into her “little sister” role and was definitely not getting enough age-appropriate activities unless I planned them and supervised them. And I was long past the breaking point of trying to manage being a preschool teacher + full-time worker. But I still feel guilty for using group care during a pandemic. :( Older kid is still at home … we will see how this pans out.
Anon says
It’ll be ok. I think the fear is much greater than the actual risk.
Anon says
I’m in the same situation. Sending younger one back to preschool today. Elementary kid still at home.
Anon says
Do not feel guilty. I am in NJ and even though daycares are allowed to re-open as of today our chose not to. If it had opened I would have sent my kid back today. I am actively looking for another daycare because my husband and our past our breaking point even though we recently got a part time sitter. While we appreciated the extra time with the kid, the situation is not sustainable and he could benefit from resuming the routine, structure, socialization and instruction.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Sent DS back last week, and we’re in a place where cases are unfortunately increasing.
DS had been home since Mid-March, and we were at the end of our rope – one parent is very high-risk so local grandparents were out, we’re living in a short-term rental while closing on a house – no room for nanny/sitter and honestly not comfortable with bringing in someone brand new right now. Meanwhile, daycare has been open this entire time, in phases, and is taking all the requisite precautions. Plus there are just…less kids overall (7 in his class total as of last week), which is also a “pro” in terms of safety.
We are cautiously optimistic about it, and thus far it has been a mental health game changer for the better, for all of us. I’m able to wrap up work on time most days and enjoy the evening walk/dinner/bath with DS, DH is much happier with the ability to focus, and we’re in a better routine. DS is also in a much better mood, and we feel less guilty about weekend screentime since he’s not sitting in front of PBS M-F now. Hope this helps you, you’re definitely not alone!
Emily S. says
I sent mine back today, too, and cried at the door. By the time I got back home to do work without interruption for a few hours, though, I was feeling much better about the decision. It is just hard all around; hard to know what the “right” decision even is.
CPA Lady's Tinfoil Hat says
Does anyone else feel like we’re not going to shut down again, no matter how many people die?
Anonymous says
The only way things will shut down again is if it gets Italy level bad. I think it’s going to continue to vary state by state for a while until that happens. At the current rate, unless there’s a vaccine soon, it’s eventually going to get Italy level bad.
Anon says
and bc of this i wish i lived in a state with more responsible leadership, or at least one that allowed local officials to make some of their own rules. i’m in a blue city in TX and it is scary. i also wish this public health issue had not become such a political one and that we could rely on individuals in our society to be responsible and wear masks without a mandate.
avocado says
Absolutely. No tinfoil hat required to reach this conclusion.
Anon says
No, but I think the restrictions will be worse for dual-working-parent families. All of the alternate fall school plans are completely impossible for families where both parents have to work. And if expectations at work have returned to normal levels, the whole thing is going to break. I honestly don’t know what the “new normal” looks like for dual-working-parents.
Lana Del Raygun says
Yeah no, we’ve just collectively given up. And I basically get it on a popular level — it’s so frustrating to be expected to take on all the personal hardship of lockdown and then watch government officials dither around, not expanding test & trace capacity to nearly the level required to reopen safely. Obviously we shouldn’t just let the disease run its course, but if that’s what we’re going to do, why throw everyone out of work *and health insurance* first?
Anon says
I hope we don’t shut down again. My husband lost his job and I received a 30% pay cut during the shutdown, and I don’t want to see the economy spiral down further.
Anonymous says
The economy is going to spiral down further if infections spike, whether or not there is another shutdown.
Anon says
You are kidding yourself if you don’t think shutdowns negatively impacted the economy. Infections didn’t cause 30 million people to lose their jobs. The stay-at-home orders did.
Anon says
I thought the economic downturn was pretty severe even in countries that didn’t shutdown. Just because people legally can go out and spend money doesn’t mean they’re willing to.
Realist says
+1. Shutdowns were about choosing which pain to inflict and when. Someone is kidding themselves if they think the economy would have been just fine with no shutdowns while Italy-level illness raged in major economic sectors. Look at Sweden, economy still in trouble.
Anon says
You are not a realist, Realist. But glad you think so highly of yourself!
Realist says
I try to be realistic with myself and think others should do the same. I’m sorry for your family’s job loss, but since the Covid thing has become political, concerns about the economy start to look to me like a whole lot like excuses to avoid looking at how racism threads through the political beliefs for people of a certain political stripe. If that comment makes you angry, ask yourself why. I never specified which stripes or who I was talking about, it is just a general observation about the world today that may or may not apply to you.
And, again, look at Sweden if you want to be realistic about what happens to an economy with the virus and no shutdowns. America is not exceptional. The whole world is dealing with this and any reasonable person can look at what is going on in real time in other countries to draw general conclusions about varying approaches. Go ahead and snark back at me. Trolls always have to have the last word.
Anon says
Yup, true to form, Realist writes a long essay response.
Anonymous says
Like how everyone on this board just tells you you’re wrong, but no one takes the time to say sorry for the job loss?
Anonymous says
Better to lose your job than to lose your life.
Anonymous says
99% of people who get COVID recover, and most never even need to go to a hospital.It’s a serious risk but not an automatic death sentence.
IHeartBacon says
I have to agree with this comment, and the better part of me tries to be sympathetic to the poster. Not wanting another shutdown because your family sustained a real, tangible loss (husband lost job and poster had a 30% pay cut) is understandable and sympathetic. Not wanting another shutdown because folks just want to go back to the beach and the movies is maddening. I haven’t seen any comments of the latter on this site, but lord knows those people are out there (and perhaps those people are on this site too, but are keeping their mouth shut).
Anonymous says
Agree. I am in MA where we were hit hard early and are slowly reopening. People are still dying. People will still die. I think people are forgetting the original purpose for shutting everything down, which was not to wait out and hunker down until there is a vaccine, but rather, to flatten the curve. Social distancing bought our healthcare infrastructure time to better prepare. I can really only speak to the metrics in MA and overall preparedness, but most of our hospitals are no longer using surge capacity. we have overflow centers that have been closed but “remain available” in case of a second wave. PPE is more readily available. Our stores are carrying disinfectant and toilet paper again! We have tested nearly 1M people in a state of 7M.
I am a public health professional by training (though no longer work in traditional public health). I understand the need to do what we did. In MA, we are down to a 3-day average of 38 deaths per day. That is really, really not bad for a state of 7M people. That’s flu level or better. of course, every life matters. But we cannot keep the economy shut down.
I am far, far more irritated by people donning masks and hanging out elbow to elbow with one another, and/or not washing hands than I am by the prospect of more reopenings.
Anonymous says
“Social distancing bought our healthcare infrastructure time to better prepare.”
Maybe some health care systems were able to stock up on PPE, but that’s about it. Testing and contact tracing are still at ridiculously low levels. Governments did not take advantage of the time to ramp up their public health response.
Anonymous says
I’m the one that posted that and I mentioned that I can only speak to MA– where we built new facilities to manage the influx of patients (several of which are now closed until/if another surge happens). It allowed hospitals to retool and rethink how they could take on new patients. We have more ventilators and more pathways to get them. MA rolled out a massive contact tracing program* and has been working closely with town/city depts of public health at a much more local level. Nearly every nursing home and assisted living facility in the state has had extensive testing. We now have a masks-in-public requirement for everyone over age 2 when social distancing isn’t possible and people are complying. The feeling in my area, at least, is “if wearing a mask gets me out of the house, bring them on.”
It isn’t perfect, but I am involved enough in the goings on *in this state* to feel a lot better about where we are than where we were back in March. We have adjusted the way we interact with one another so that as we reopen, people are more cautious. I think in our state, anyway, the stay-at-home order has re-set the benchmark of normal. We took our kids to the zoo this weekend. We, and everyone else there, was wearing a mask. If we had gone straight from “normal” to “stand 6 feet apart and/or wear a mask,” the compliance would have been nowhere near as good.
**still very much a work in progress, but it’s in progress.
Strategy Mom says
if outbreaks happen regionally in the future (vs the risk of simultaneous outbreaks everywhere back in april) we can share resources across states (ventilators, etc.). Doesn’t solve all of the issues but helps.
I think we might see states play around with restrictions, but I don’t think major shut-downs will happen unless a region’s hospital capacity is at risk of maxing out.
AnonATL says
Yeah I think we are pretty much going to let this thing run its course now unless it gets really bad or you are in a more progressive state with high population density. Even then, I think people are worn out from this thing already and less likely to comply with new restrictions.
Certainly the states with the current spikes seem like they are just going to let it happen.
Anon says
As soon as everybody else has morgue trucks in front of their hospitals (a la NYC). Which will probably be soon — hospitals don’t have large morgues.
anon says
I wish leaders at every level had used the shutdown time more effectively and prioritized contact tracing. Because if things get bad again, there absolutely will not be enough public support for shutting everything down again. In many locations outside the hot spots, the average Joe’s life was significantly disrupted but he didn’t see the real, tangible benefits of the shutdown — just the downsides. And now it’s become a messy political issue when it should’ve remained a public health issue.
I’ve been compliant this whole time and will continue to be because a) I’m not an a-hole, and b) I’m not a public health expert. I really hope these shutdowns have done what they were supposed to do, but even I, a rule-follower to the core, am questioning their efficacy.
Anonymous says
I think most places shut down too soon for people to understand why it was important. Sadly, most people aren’t going to take this seriously until people they know personally have died or suffered severe, lingering illness. Nobody outside of the worst hot spots comprehends that the shutdowns saved them from a horrible fate. They think that the fact that millions of people didn’t die proves that the shutdowns were unnecessary.
Anonanonanon says
Exactly. That’s the problem with Public Health, if you do it right, everyone thinks it was unnecessary and you overreacted.
Anon says
You are making a lot of assumptions about everyone “outside the worst hotspots” and how they think.
Anonymous says
For it to work you have to close before it seems necessary. Once people are demanding closure, you end up in an Italy situation. Covid has exponential spread, if you wait, the shut down doesn’t work near as well – see Sweden and their much higher death rate than their neighbors. The scientist who pushed their non-shut down policy now says it was the wrong decision. It seems like an overreaction because it worked. That’s the whole point.
Anon at 12:32 says
Oh, I don’t think we shut down too soon, I just think people are too stupid and selfish to understand why we had to shut down when we did. Because the shutdowns worked and most people’s parents are still alive, people think we overreacted and won’t be willing to go through another round. It is maddening.
Camping sleeping mats says
Did someone post on here about camping mats they liked for family camping? Looking for something for my husband. We have three small kids, one of whom is still in a crib/pack n play so probably less in the picture. What has worked for you all? TIA!
Beth says
My husband has the REI Co-op Kingdom Insulated Air Sleeping Pad and it’s really nice. My kids have the REI Co-op Kindercamp Sleeping Pad – Kids’ and it’s been good too. A little thinner but OK for little kids.
DLC says
We have the Kingdom mats too and I like that you can clip them together. That way, my 8 year old, the baby and I sleep on two joined pads and the pads are less likely to move around during the night. We’ve tried the travel crib in the tent method, but the baby hated it.
Anon says
Look for self-inflating camping pads. Ours are store brand from REI I think. We put those over a yoga mat and it works well enough for a week or less camping. The kids use a yoga mat over the raised cot beds from Regalo, until they outgrow it and move to their own self-inflating pad.
We drive in with a car and put up the tent, no hiking to the campsite, so obviously ymmv if you have to carry all this on your back for any length of time.
Anon says
i know everyone has to do what they are comfortable with, but my colleague’s son and dil had a baby 2 weeks ago and during our team calls when she mentions how they bring the baby to these indoor gatherings of 20 family members, i get panicky just thinking about it and it isn’t even my child! the new grandma has not really been social distancing (has been to restaurants, and is about to get on a plane with a stop to go visit an elderly relative). we live in a state that has been in the news lately with cases/hospitalizations rising daily. i know generally kids have been ok, but yes, i am judging this person’s judgment as a parent and my colleague’s judgment as a grandparent/parent and makes me anxious for when we return to the office. [there is no point to my post other than venting]
Anon says
Not your problem.
Anonymous says
It is her problem. The grandmother is going to bring the virus into the office and infect her.
Anon says
She said on team calls. It doesn’t sound to me like they’re in the office together.
Anonymous says
She said she is anxious about being around this woman when they return to the office.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1 x 1,000,000.
How the Governor has gutted what the local officials in the bigger, blue cities are able to do is terrible. Also in a blue city in TX, and it breaks my heart seeing what local officials are trying to do with 0 support from the Governor and thus 0 way to enforce. Also how the Governor speaks out of both sides of his mouth is not only wrong but deeply confusing I think for folks – “Let’s re-open! But wear masks and social distance! But I’m not going to mandate anything!”
Anonymous says
I’m the poster from MA above and my ILs are in TX. It is like we have been living in a parallel universe these past few months.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Threading fail! Whoops. Yeah, I have to say my county (in a major city) did a great job getting ahead of things in March. But now with the Governor not letting cities/counties have anything stricter than what he sets for the state it’s…looking bleak. I hope at the very least he’ll carve an exception for where cases are increasing, but who knows. Agree with the above poster – the thing about public health and prevention is when “nothing” happens people mistake that for it for being an overreaction.
Anon says
i know people on here are huge fans of Daniel Tiger. Was watching this weekend with my toddler and kiddo wanted to know why DT and DT’s dad only wear shirts and not pants, but DT’s mom does and when DT goes swimming he wears a bathing suit or in the snow he wears snow pants. He also wanted to know why Miss Elaina has “Miss” in front of her name, since that is something usually used for adults or teachers. Kiddo switched to a new topic before I could answer, but I expect the questions to come up again, so any suggested answers?
Anonymous says
Tigers don’t have to wear clothes all the time. They wear pants when they feel like it for fashion purposes (swimming) or when they are cold (snow).
Anonymous says
In my house this would have to be followed up with “and that’s one of the reasons tigers are different from little girls and little boys, little girls and boys have to wear shirts AND pants when they go outside.” As it is, I’ve given up on the struggle indoors, so it’s a no pants party all the time here (and then she complains that she is cold, so it turns into a blanket cape and no pants party because this mama cannot win). FWIW, I know some people are totally on board the no pants train (cough zoom cough) but I have always firmly been in a clothes on inside and outside the house camp.
As for the Miss, could you say that they are trying to be respectful? The reason we use Miss for adults is to show respect, and so they are just showing respect to Miss Elaina? Everyone may end up being Miss Name, but that’s probably not a terrible thing.
Anon says
should have clarified – generally it is the male tigers who don’t wear pants, but the female ones who do and kiddo wanted to know why there are different rules for the boys vs. the girls
Anonymous says
Because the girl tigers feel like wearing pants?
AnonLawyer says
Also true of the animal residents of my Animal Crossing village, so that checks out.
Anonymous says
Turning the question around might help here. “Why do YOU think that is?”
Pogo says
The pants thing has always weirded me out too! LO has not asked yet but I don’t know what I’d answer. It bothers me that Mom Tiger needs pants, and I think Margaret too, but not the male tigers. I guess I’d say that they’re all make believe and therefore can do whatever they want? But we are real and so we have to wear pants whenever we go outside?
Boston Legal Eagle says
The biggest question that comes up on the daniel tiger reddit conspiracy board (per my husband) is why do they have curtains with tiger print?!
OP, I always thought the pants thing was weird too. My kid asks a lot of “why” questions and I often have to rack my brain as to whether he’s looking for a logical answer or just asking to ask.
Pigpen's Mama says
It’s so weird! Especially since they have the most earwormy potty-training song….and Daniel doesn’t wear pants (and I have a girl, so I modified to “just WIPE and flush and wash and be on your waaaaaaay!”)
Anonymous says
Hmmm. Perhaps the male tigers don’t wear pants because they are not as good as the female tigers at using the potty and can’t get them off in time?
Jeffiner says
According to the internet, Miss Elaina’s mom is Lady Elaine Fairchilde, from the original Mister Rogers. Miss Elaina is titled gentry, like Prince Wednesday.