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I have been eyeing this denim jacket for a few weeks now. Now that it is somewhat spring jacket weather, I am really thinking I want it. The shape seems classic denim jacket to me, nothing too trendy, but I love the added embroidery details on the shoulders and back. I think it adds such a nice interest without being too “of the moment.” When I see it, I think “California sunshine,” which looks to be the aesthetic of the brand. Side note: I also received one of their v-neck t-shirts as a gift and I looove it, in case you’re in the market for a basic tee. This jacket by Marine Layer is $125. Eileen Denim Jacket 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
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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?
Cb says
My son has his first babysitter tonight (at nearly 2). Any tips? I was going to set out his PJs, sleepsack, white noise for bedtime, and get his dinner ready. We’ve met her briefly and she’s a nursery school teacher so I assume she can handle just about anything. But my husband is on a train and I’ll be on stage at an event so feeling slightly nervous about it.
Hoping he napped and is in good spirits today – he’s been at forest school with the big kids everyday this week and while he loves it, he only sleeps for the 15 minute drive home from the forest.
AwayEmily says
Probably it will go great. But for your own sanity, just remember that it might go terribly and that’s ok! She will keep him safe and that’s what’s important. Even if this time isn’t what you hoped, it will still help him get used to the situation so he’ll do better the next time. It’s a long game!
Cb says
Thanks, we had a nightmare time starting nursery so I think I’m still slightly traumatized from that experience. But he’s older now and can understand where I am and that I’ll come back.
Anonymous says
Yeah an unlike your bonkers nursery, you aren’t going to have to coax him into this for weeks! Baby sitter arrives, you tell her where his stuff is, remind her of the emergency numbers, and give him a kiss and walk out. She’ll sort him out just fine!! Good luck!!
Anon says
Yeah you had a hard time settling in at nursery because that nursery was cray cray. Normally you get to leave your kids, even if they’re crying, and it’s the daycare’s job to calm them down.
avocado says
“it might go terribly and that’s ok”
This. You are not doing anything wrong by leaving a crying kid with your carefully selected sitter. You are giving him the opportunity to spend time with and get to know another caring adult, and you are giving him the chance to learn that he can get along without you.
Your nursery was totally in the wrong when it demanded that you stay until he was “settled.” Their approach just created prolonged misery for everyone involved.
I saw your post about the debate on the main page. Have fun! You will be great. Remember that tonight you are THE learned expert in the room.
Anonymous says
I like to think of worse case scenario – worse case scenario he totally freaks out and doesn’t sleep until you get home. But the good news is you have two years of parenting experience to know it’s JUST one night and the following day. It will be ok.
FVNC says
Even with babysitters he loves, my 2 yr old usually cries when I leave (he never does this at daycare). One of our sitters always texts us a picture of him smiling ear to ear within 5 minutes after we’ve left. So my point is that, even if he’s upset when you leave, he’ll get over it quickly. (Or he won’t, but you won’t know about it and he’ll be fine in the morning. I promise!)
dc anon says
Tell me about this forest school? Sounds amazing!
Spirograph says
I have an info sheet taped to the inside of a kitchen cupboard that includes all kinds of useful stuff for babysitters. Contact info for me, my husband, grandparents and a couple close friends, poison control, pediatrician and ped dentist phone number, kids’ birthdates, our home address (in case they need to call emergency services). My children don’t have allergies or other health issues, but if they did I would include that, too.
Everything will be fine! Walk through typical evening routine and where useful stuff is in your house, and remember that you trust this babysitter and she’ll make good choices. Then go off and enjoy your evening (and good luck / break a leg at whatever you’re on stage for!)
Anonymous says
Yes to info sheet! Mine also includes pet info (we sometimes have babysitters feed them so “Pet A gets 1/2 scoop of food; Pet B gets full scoop at 5 pm” is helpful in case they forget) and the wifi password since I never remember it :)
anon says
Don’t forget to feed your sitter!
Anon says
Sorry for a heavy-ish topic right before a holiday weekend, but can we talk about connecting with your spouse post-kids? I feel like a lot of the advice out there is about how not to fight and how to ensure your spouse is doing their share around the house and that’s not our issue. My husband and I are a great team in parenting. We bicker occasionally of course, but most of the time I feel like we are running everything smoothly and getting along great. The problem is that we don’t spend any time alone together and, I think more problematically, neither of us seems to particularly want to? For parents, we have a fair amount of free time (one toddler who goes to bed at 7 pm and still naps) but we spend most of it doing our own things. To be fair, we spent at least this much time on work and our separate hobbies pre-kid, but, simply by virtue of being a childless couple, we also spent a lot of time alone together too. We had dinner alone together pretty much every day, at least. Now we have family dinners, not dinners as a couple. The few times we’ve paid a babysitter so we could go out to dinner alone, we both just felt like it was a waste of money because we weren’t connecting on seem deep level and there was no reason our kiddo couldn’t have been there – in fact I think we both enjoy family meals a lot more than meals as just the two of us. That’s weird right? To prefer the company of a toddler to your spouse? I don’t really know what I’m asking, but I would love advice if anyone has been through this and successfully reconnected or can reassure me that it’s normal and just a phase.
Anonymous says
I’m not sure what you’re describing is odd or problematic. It doesn’t sound like either of you prefers your toddler, it sounds like you enjoy and prefer whole family time. I think you and your spouse are connecting on the level of sharing the joy of parenting and your family with each other. Unless there are other issues that indicate a problem or you’re unhappy, I wouldn’t get too hung up on this. I’d also mention that our child is 3.5 now, and DH and I are only now thinking about really getting back into some of our pre-child hobbies without her (for example hiring a sitter to go biking to the brewery or couples golf night). To me it really just sounds like your relationship is evolving to reflect your new family situation, and IMHO that is fine. I don’t think it is weird to want to spend time as a family. I think it is great!
Boston Legal Eagle says
Agree with this – it’s actually really great that you enjoy spending time as a family, that’s part of the reason for having kids!
My husband and I do try to have date nights at least once every 1 or 2 weeks to catch up (or even just to talk about the kids without multiple interruptions) but for us this is made easier because my parents can watch the kids so they’re getting some grandparent time thrown in there. We also try to do one couples trip per year, even just a few days. Other than that, we pretty much spend most of our time either doing our own thing at work or hanging out as a family.
It sounds like you both are pretty connected and are fully engaged in this season of your life. Of course you won’t spend as much alone time together as before you kids – that’s totally normal! Kids, especially little ones, take up a lot of time and energy… As long as neither of you is feeling resentful or overburdened, I think you’re doing just fine.
Anonymous says
Totally normal
Em says
Have you considered doing something out of the usual as a date? I feel like I connect with my husband more when we are experiencing something new together than if we are just going out to dinner. Some things we have done post-kid are taking a cooking class, going paintballing, an escape room, and a few volunteer projects.
CPA Lady says
I think this is normal. Or at least it happened for us too. Having a young kid is emotionally and mentally exhausting at a level that is hard to describe. Even when they go to bed early. It’s hard to have the emotions to connect to your spouse when your emotional well is empty. And it’s hard to have things to talk to your husband about when so much of your life is focused on your child, and so little of it is focused on you. This will get better in time (my kid is 4 and things are way better than the were at 2).
Two things have helped us other than just waiting it out – gardening a ton (the more I do it the more I want to do it) and if we’re doing our own thing as far as hobbies go, do it in the same room if possible. Like he can be watching one show on his laptop with earbuds, and I’m watching another show on my laptop with earbuds on the couch next to him. Or he’s working on his hobby and I go in that room to visit him and read a book. So that’s not deep emotional connection, but it’s at least proximity that shows that you want to be near the other person.
Strategy Mom says
Totally normal! But also sounds like you need more 1:1, which is also normal. We’ve been trying to carve it out in casual ways during the week – for us it’s watching tv together every few days and watching a movie on demand friday night. But it isn’t high deep, meaningful engagement. It is high quality though – cuddling on the sofa can go a long way towards feeling more connected. And babies and work have reduced my time for deep connection and engagement…
Anonymous says
We have a ‘date night’ on Saturday night. We set aside three hours to spend together without talking about logistics/parenting. Alternate between a night in and a night out. On nights in we usually watch a movie (adventure docs are our fav right now) and make ourselves fancy drinks. On nights out we try to do something other than dinner like trying a new sport, going to a theatre show, comedy show, cooking class etc. Or even just going snowshoeing and drink hot chocolate. If we do dinner, we pick something not kid friendly like a 5 course tasting menu. Babysitters aren’t cheap but I figure they are cheaper than marriage counseling or divorce and date nights help keep our marriage healthy.
Strategy Mom says
any recs for adventure docs? we love free solo and things like that and would love suggestions!
Anonymous says
Reel Rock film tour is downloadable and decent. Usually DH finds something we like then searches the film makers to see what else they made.
Some of the Banff Mountain Film Fest films are downloadable as well.
Elizabeth Chai made Free Solo and also did ‘Meru’ which was good as well.
Anonymous says
I think what you’re describing is normal, but if it’s nagging at you then I think it’s probably worth making some changes. I similarly find that on a day-to-day basis I use child-free time to decompress alone, partly because I have always needed alone time and partly because my husband feels too closely associated with the family chaos I’m trying to get a break from. My husband and I have made an effort to carve out time to spend together, and although I find that date nights are too brief to allow me to properly transition from “mom” mode into “girlfriend” mode (I use “girlfriend” mode to refer to the fun, flirty side of me, because “spouse” mode also involves a lot of gathering together tax forms and asking if we need more milk and that’s not my hope for date night), a weekend away can do it. Maybe try getting away for a weekend or long weekend at a chic Airbnb in a place you can explore together?
ElisaR says
i like your compartmentalizing of spouse mom and girlfriend…. it’s true!
Anonymous says
In my experience this is normal. When our daughter was young, the last thing I wanted to do was to leave her with a babysitter and go out with my husband. I wanted to spend time together as a family.
I agree with Em that an activity makes it easier to connect than just going out to dinner and talking. Also, sometimes it takes a long time to get back “just the two of us” mode, much longer than one dinner. This is why summer camp is great. You get several days to get used to being alone together and to discover who you are as adults apart from your child, which probably isn’t exactly who you were pre-kids.
Pogo says
+1 It takes some time to get out of parent mode, even on a date. We had a couple fun dates that changed it up, too – one we went to an earlyish movie (6:45) and then dinner after. The theater has a full bar so we drank during the movie, meaning dinner we were more relaxed, and we had the movie to talk about. Another recent date we went to a ramen place and sat at the bar, so there was a people-watching aspect to it that was fun.
EB0220 says
When we are kid-free we need a time to break out of family mode and get into couple mode. I find that a quick overnight isn’t even sufficient. I need at least 24 hours. We also do some very specific things to stay connected day to day: no TV in our room, always good to bed at the same time even if it means less sleep for one of us and have a just-us outing once a week (working out and having a drink). I do think it also takes a while to reconcile your new “mom” persona with your pre-kids persona and once you do that it will feel more natural to connect with your spouse 1-1.
FVNC says
Agree with others that this is normal and it’s wonderful you all love spending time as a family. I’ll share my experience in case it resonates with you. For a while after having kids, when my husband and I would go out for date nights, we just…wouldn’t have anything to say to each other. This scared me; I always had a great time with my girlfriends (on the rare girls night out) and I didn’t understand why conversation didn’t similarly flow with my husband. I worried that we’d become a couple who couldn’t function apart from our kid(s), that we were growing apart, etc. About six months ago, when our son was ~18 months, things started clicking again. So while I don’t know what was going on with us, exactly, I suspect the combination of continuing to make the effort to spend time together plus getting into a good parenting groove (i.e., more sleep, less hands-on neediness from kids) helped us feel more “like us” again.
anon says
I was reading an article yesterday about connecting with your spouse in small ways throughout the day–things like making eye contact plus some form of physical affection when saying good morning, goodbye, hello, goodnight; saying “thank you”; doing small things in the other person’s love language. I think it’s a good reminder that there can be a little romance during the mundane parts of life.
My husband and I don’t have many date nights–usually every 3-4 months, but we find ways to spend smaller amounts of time together. We meet for lunch about once a week. I often sit at the island and talk to DH while he makes dinner and Kiddo plays nearby. We allow Kiddo to be excused from the dinner table when he’s satisfied, and we sit and talk and finish eating for a few extra minutes. We usually spend about 30 minutes watching something together before bed. If we go somewhere as a family, DH and I choose the music and/or talk in the front seat. When Kiddo napped and went to bed earlier, DH and I would play video games together… but those days are gone for a while.
Anonymous says
+1 to meeting for lunch during the work day if you can swing it! Meeting during the work day means that my husband and I usually share stories about work rather than troubleshooting potty-training, which is a nice change of pace!
Anonymous says
I get it! Especially with society/internet articles warning us “don’t become roommates with your spouse!”. Marriages come in all shapes and sizes and it’s a long game. But I echo everyone that this is just a phase in life. My older coworkers who have older kids seems to start “dating” their spouse again when the kids are in elementary school. I find that doing something active together like taking a walk or hike is better for us than staring at each other in a restaurant (when we’ve definitely been like uhhh we have nothing to talk about). But we were that way pre-kids too and enjoy the outdoors. I definitely “miss” my spouse sometimes though even when we’re sitting on the couch next to each other but we’re too tired to say much haha. We actually don’t get out for dates much, like once every 2 months, but sometimes we’ll just lay in bed after our toddler has gone to bed and talk for 20 mins about random stuff before doing the nightly clean up. We also try to do small things like make tea for each other, I put water by his side of the bed, etczz
connection idea says
Does anyone else do season tickets to a sports team, theater or similar? It’s getting super expensive but having built-in date nights for a few months during the season was a benefit I didn’t know we needed pre-kids. Plus, it gives us something non-kid related to talk about. We have basketball tickets to the local college, and now that the season is over I totally feel less connected. But we follow the team’s recruiting and stuff during the summer so that’s fun non-kid subject for us too. I’m seriously considering buying music theater tickets for the summer, for the same reason.
Anonymous says
Yes! I buy season tickets to the community theater for this reason. Having something on the calendar, not kid friendly, and prepaid makes getting out MUCH easier than having to make plans closer to the moment. And gives us something to talk about. DH doesn’t love the theater but he does appreciate having these pre-planned dates for the same reasons, and he enjoys supporting the community. Theater is downtown and we always seem to run into people we know when we’re out and about, and for him, that is an extra level of fun. For me it’s fun to see my DH in a happy place connecting with other people as adults, too, because it reminds me of being in flirty “girlfriend” pre-kids mode.
I guess the summary of my long post is that YES, automation is the best way to for us to make the connection happen.
mascot says
I think changing up your date activities makes a big difference. Dinner/drinks gets too routine. Daytime dates are fun- it can be something as simple as meeting for lunch or taking the afternoon to go for a hike or go play (or play at) some sport. Presumably your child is in some sort of childcare so you don’t have to shell out for a sitter. Tickets for live music, theater, speakers, sports are also good. Also, we look for deals for things like escape rooms or a class/tour and those give us something new to do. We recently did a private lesson for glass blowing thanks to a gr*oupon I bought on a whim. It was a lot of fun and something really different. Plus, we got to take home our pieces as souvenirs
Anonymous says
You could also consider going out for dates with other couples. I know that on one hand it seems contrary to connecting with just your spouse. But sometimes just being around other couples helps me act more like a part of a couple. And sometimes conversation flows easier about non-kid topics.
Anon says
This might not be adding anything new to the numerous similar responses, but I’m going to jump on the bandwagon that for dates we also really try to avoid just a dinner out too often. Since post-kids we are super in the know about everything going on in the other’s life all the time (for logistic reasons), it can be hard to find lengthy topics to chat about when just sitting and staring at each other, as sad as that sounds, beyond just talking about the kids (which defeats the purpose) or falling into a talking-about-logistics or a touchy-subject trap. Plus, kind of to your point, it usually does feel like something we could have brought the kids to and we also *usually* enjoy eating out with our kids (they make us laugh!).
So what do we do instead? Lots of live music (actual concerts or just a live band at a bar), comedy shows (big ticketed events or locals trying to make it at a small venue), get massages, indoor mountain climbing, go on an evening hike, go to a bar that has an activity like an arcade or bowling… etc etc you get the point. Bonus points it kind of comes full circle in that the more interesting things you do alone together the more you have to talk about.
Anon says
How do you help a toddler learn to walk safely near the street? She squirms, tries to walk into the road, etc. it’s very scary.
Anonymous says
You don’t really. They’re just too little. Firm grasp on hand at all times or stroller when that gets old.
AwayEmily says
Also don’t be afraid of a Serious No. Not yelling, but saying it firmly, strongly, and confidently with no smile and direct eye contact. Breaking out the Serious No is not fun for anyone — both of ours would straight-up cry when we said it, because it was so different from the tone we usually spoke in — but eventually it did work. I will note that we reserve the Serious No for things that involve actual physical danger, like running into the street or throwing blocks at their brother. Stuff like coloring on the walls, putting hands in the toilet, and licking my shoe (all of which happened this morning before school!) just get a regular no.
Anonymous says
Serious Stop also works.
Anon says
Wow I’m amazed you can save serious no for physically dangerous! I feel like my kids get serious no multiple times a day (not yelling, but a loud/firm no).
AwayEmily says
I suspect that how often one has to deploy the No depends on how mischievous and independent the kid happens to be…mine both tend to be pretty cautious by nature. Sometimes I wish my kids were a bit more like yours…grass is always greener, I guess!
Anon says
lol no, my kids are crazy. I just meant that I would deploy a Serious No for coloring on the wall or sticking their hand in the toilet, so they hear a lot of serious nos. You have more patience than me!
Anonymous says
If you want to lessen the NOs (not saying you have to) we just calmly say what they should shouldn’t do. A lot of times a NO causes my daughter to laugh and do stuff harder. But saying “we only color on paper not on the walls” and then “I’ll have to put the crayons away if you keep doing that, you can color on your paper if you want” (and following through with waiting out the subsequent tantrum) seems to work really well. I mean it’s not like they’re born knowing where they should color or that the toilet isn’t for playing. They’re learning and it takes like 30 reinforcements for stuff to sink in.
anon says
We used “Red Light” (in a certain tone of voice) for situations where Kiddo has to stop on a dime. We use it pretty occasionally, but it works well for us. Daycare used to play the “red light/green light” game with the toddlers, so it was entrenched early.
anon says
Same. If your kid can be trusted to listen to this one command, it’s a great way to let them have a little room to scamper ahead and then stop well before streets and other spots of peril. He seemed to be more willing to hold hands and stick close since he knew that freedom would occur in safe zones. Obv. know your kid and your situation.
Strategy Mom says
Physical danger is the only time we spank. I prefer the “serious no” if that’s enough to get your kids attention
Pogo says
Husband broke it out recently when kiddo ran past the line of demarcation in our driveway (about 5 ft from the road) – kiddo seemed like he was just going to barrel right into traffic. Husband picked him up and sternly said, “You can’t do that!” and the poor little guy started crying. I felt bad, but I’m hoping we don’t have to do it much.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We have a firm rule of holding hands while walking on the street. We repeat it to the 3 year old constantly and while sometimes he doesn’t want to, he usually knows that if he doesn’t hold hands, he’ll have to be carried.
Anonymous says
+1 Our toddler has 2 options: walking while holding my hand, or being carried. He wants to walk like a big boy so he is willing to hold my hand in order to avoid being carried.
IP Associate says
+1 same. Our 18 month old knows that she either holds our hands when walking on a sidewalk of a street or a parking lot/deck, or she is going to be carried. She wants to walk, so she usually obliges (though we’ve had the occasional tantrum when she doesn’t want to!).
anon in brooklyn says
We really liked the book City Moon, where a mom and son go on a walk before bedtime to look at the moon. The book doesn’t talk about it, but they model really good handholding while walking, stopping to cross the street, etc. When we read the book, we talk about how they’re walking.
SC says
The book “Hands are Not For Hitting” has a page where hands are for keeping safe, and the mom and kid are holding hands at a crosswalk. We read that book a lot, and the holding-hands-to-cross-the-street rule seems to have stuck more than the no-hitting rule.
Anonymous says
NYC mama and I just held her by the wrist (trying to keep to her pace at all times) especially when she had on mittens/gloves. If she complained I explained it was a safety rule and she didn’t have a choice. Now that she’s three, I feel she’s pretty good with walking around with me, either holding hands or the cart/stroller.
We’re working on when she rides her balance bike and she can get ahead of me. We’ve had a couple of me yelling and chasing her down moments that were scary, but we’re working on identifying landmarks (okay stop at the next bench, okay stop at the last tree, okay stop by the red parked car). I think it freaked her out a bit, because now she doesn’t want to ride her bike anywhere. Basically cars are evil and should be banned and we’d all be happier, healthier and the planet would be better off, but heavens know we can’t make societal decisions that would improve the lives of toddlers.
Anonymous says
Somebody is ready for the weekend!
shortperson says
marine layer has great mens clothes. i get my tall/thin dh all his tshirts there in the “marge” size which fits him better than anything else we’ve (i’ve) found.. most of the womens clothes i find are designed for skinny young hipsters but i have a few shirts i like.
GCA says
ooh, good to know! my DH is a similar size/ shape. Most shirts are too short for him (& with dress shirts, the sleeve length is particularly bad – he is part orangutan) if they’re narrow enough, or too wide if they’re long enough.
avocado says
I really like seeing a different, less ubiquitous brand featured. It’s a nice change from all the Loft, etc. picks.
shortperson says
their mini line is also adorable but pretty expensive for kids clothes. super soft, holds up great, i trust their labor practices, and i do love making my kids look like mini hipsters. if you are going by the mantra of “fewer but better things” it’s a good brand to keep in mind.
ElisaR says
weird question and i know it’s a slow day so I hope I get responses….. this weekend we are going to a beach house where we intended to have my 3 year old sleep in a bed. At home he is still in a crib, but he’s 85% for height and I thought he’d be too big for the pack and play. I mentioned it this morning and he kind of freaked out and said ” I want to sleep in a crib!!”. Anybody know of an option other than PNP and a full size crib I should consider? He may just need to suck it up.
Pogo says
someone posted recently about a blow-up toddler mattress, but that’s still not quite a crib.
Can you bring the pnp and give him the choice on the spot (assuming you’re not flying and it won’t be a huge PITA to cart it there)? If he chooses to curl up in the fetal position in the pnp vs sleep in a bed, that’s up to him?
ElisaR says
yes i can definitely do that!
AwayEmily says
That was me who posted about the inflatable toddler bed…we got the Shrunks one. It seems good quality and we’ve been talking it up to my 3yo a lot as her Special Blow-Up Travel Bed. She’s excited to try it in a few weeks on our trip! fingers crossed it goes well.
AnoninBigLaw says
We’ve had that same mattress for 3 years and it’s still going strong. Kiddo #2 tried it in April and loved it. If your kid sleeps on a cot at nap time at school, it’s easy to say that the air mattress is their travel “big boy” or “big girl” bed just like their cot at school. I also love that it still fits the crib sheet. My kids both rolled off of it a few times as they got used to it, but I didn’t mind because it was so close to the floor.
ElisaW says
We’ve had success with a toddler size blowup/camping mattress that we put on the floor of a hotel room when our 3 yo was too big for a packnplay but wasn’t ready to be high up on a bed.
ElisaR says
thank you! is it much different than a twin size blow up mattress?
Anonymous says
It’s a littler shorter and narrower than a twin- think crib/toddler bed mattress size.
Anon says
My friend’s 3 year old is pretty big and likes to curl up in the fetal position in a PNP. Kids are weird when it comes to sleep. If he wants to sleep in a PNP, I would let him sleep in one!
Anonymous says
Yep our 98th percentile 3 year old still preferred pack n play to bed.
Anonymous says
We have the Milliard Portable Toddler Bed from am*zon that my two year old loves. And someone I seem to be the only person who knows about it! She would never sleep in a pack play when visiting family which means I never slept and was miserable. She sleeps and stays in this thing it’s a miracle. But heads up it folds up LARGE so we have to use our explorer to fit the bed and luggage. Prob too late to order for this weekend but keep in mind for the future
ElisaR says
that thing looks awesome, i feel like my son would love it…. at $45 I may have to try it–we’ve got all summer long ahead of us at the beach!
Anonymous says
I’ve rolled up beach towels or used pool noodles under the fitted sheet to create a crib sized space on a bed which helped kid feel more cozy. Bringing his blanket and pillow case from home also helped.
anon says
Can you take the mattress off the bed and put it on the floor? My in-laws did this when my son was in that in between stage.
Annie says
We use a travel cot that we bought on amazon — since she naps in a cot at daycare it was familiar.
Cute Kid Things says
Is it too late to do cute things your kids did this week? I’ll start.
When I picked up my 4 year old from school the other day, he said I looked like a police officer. I was wearing a cobalt button down blouse and black pants. Fair enough, I guess…
Boston Legal Eagle says
3 year old has been calling us various inanimate objects when saying goodbye – some gems: “I love you gummy bear” or “I love you garbage truck” when talking to me, my husband or the baby. He does love those things, so we’re taking it as a compliment…
SC says
Our doorknob fell off the inside of our front door about a month ago. On Wednesday evening, I finally acquired the correct new door knob and just needed to screw in 2 screws to secure it to the door. Kiddo was right beside me, cheering me on, saying, “You’re a good fixer, Mommy!” He also helped me hold the doorknob in place while I found the pre-drilled holes and then helped turn the screws with his fingers. Afterwards, he danced around, saying, “Yay! Our new house is good again!” and “Mommy fixed the doorknob!” (Meanwhile, I’m also really happy that Kiddo had a chance to see me doing work that society typically associates with men–although DH is the usual fixer of things.)
Also, twice this week, after dessert, Kiddo has taken his bowl (and last night, mine as well) to the bathroom sink, stood on a stool, and rinsed it out. We can hear him from the kitchen table saying, “I’m so helpful. I’m washing dishes.” The second night, I tried to tell him he didn’t need to, and he could just put it on the counter (dishwasher was full), and he said, “But CAN I?”
Anonymous says
I don’t have one particular cute thing, but I am incredibly proud of my 3.5 year old this week. DH left Saturday and returns today. He doesn’t travel often, so this was a bit of an adjustment. And my child was so insanely good and well-behaved. I ordered her a scooter as a surprise reward for being so amazing and fun all week. She’s been trying out the neighbor’s scooters and is really interested in them but hasn’t asked for one yet. I’m pretty excited to give it to her. (I was the one who asked for scooter recommendations earlier this week…ended up going with a Micro Mini like so many suggested.)
AnonMom says
Thinking back to the “fitting” as a mom thread.
How old were you when you had your first kid and do you judge women that had their first kid significantly earlier or later than you did?
Most of my kid’s friends’ moms are about 7-11 years older than I am and at a recent birthday party for a kid turning 4, one joked that I was good with toys assembly because I was closer to the kids’ age. I’m in my late 20s, so that is objectively untrue.
Anonymous says
32, so middle of the road nationally (but old for my small Midwestern city). I don’t really judge anyone for their age. Who cares. I do think I connect better with moms my age and older but there’s more than age involved. In my area, older moms are more likely to be better educated and to stay in the workforce whereas younger moms are likely SAHMs who never worked substantively outside the home, so I don’t have as much in common with them.
Anonymous says
I was 28, which is young for my area (DC). I don’t really feel judged, but I do feel like I stand out sometimes. I don’t judge other moms for when they had a kid, though I would, for instance, counsel an 18 year old who thinks it’s a GREAT idea to have a kid at that age that perhaps it’s not the best plan (though I can’t say that’s ever come up in real life!).