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.
My daughter loves what she calls “dressy dresses” and will wear one just because. The Sierra Dress from Maison Me (Maisonette’s house brand) is right up her alley.
This comfortable cotton dress features short, ruffled sleeves, more cascading ruffles down the skirt, and a delicate floral print. Even though it’s definitely a “dressy dress,” the A-line silhouette makes it easy to run and play. This dress would be perfect for a late summer wedding, tea party, or shower.
There’s even a matching dress for mom!
The dress is $68 at Maisonette and comes in sizes 2Y to 14Y.
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
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?
Laundry help says
Group help – best way to keep uniform shirts bright white?
Clementine says
1. Don’t buy long sleeved uniform shirts. The cuffs always get gross.
2. Sweaters (if possible) when it’s cold.
3. We literally have an old bathmat over the top of our washer and buy Shout in bulk. Every shirt gets sprayed with it before going in the was.
4.Oxyclean
5. (And I know that this is an odd one but) buying all white sheets and towels so we always have enough to throw in a load of shirts every few days and they aren’t sitting waiting for ‘enough’ whites.
Pogo says
your number 5 is genius. I have like 2 white shirts and a pair of white jeans and I wear them like once every 3 mos because I never think to pool all the whites like this!
Anon says
We have embroidered white polo shirts for my son’s school. They have to come from Lands’ End, so quality is high but also a bit more expensive so I try not to burn through them.
– I make sure his school supplies I send in are only the “ultra washable” type if they’re available — Crayola is the most washable marker/crayon, I’ve found
– My 6yo son is in charge of taking off his shirt and spraying it with stain spray (I think we have Shout) or rubbing in the thick liquid from the Shout bottle as soon as he gets home. You can also make a paste with Tide powder and water and rub it in.
– Wash with Tide (we use the powder) and oxiclean ASAP
– I check for stains before I put the shirts in the dryer. If there are stains they immediately go in a bucket with a big scoop of Oxiclean for a long soak before being washed again. Do not dry a uniform shirt if a stain is still there.
– I can use a Clorox bleach pen on spots away from the blue embroidery on the upper right side of the shirt with a lot of success as a last resort. I use the pen, let it sit, then wash in the sink with Dawn and try to keep any bleach/soap/water away from the embroidery to retain color.
anon says
Oh, good question – we are going to have to start with this for preschool. And, LO’s skin is super sensitive (broke out in a weird rash where his skin even touched the oxy-cleaned onesie!). Does anyone have suggestions for sensitive skin options?
Anonymous says
There is a fragrance-free version of OxyClean that may help. The Puracy stain remover is also very effective and gentle on skin.
AwayEmily says
My kid has sensitive skin, too, we mostly just gave up. When things got stained, I pre-treated with regular laundry detergent, and if the stain came out, great, if it didn’t we either lived with it or demoted it to pajamas (note I would likely do this differently if I were dealing with expensive uniform shirts!).
Anon says
There is a sensitive version of Oxi that does not irritate my super sensitive skin! Highly recommend that and all free and clear (which I like better than Tide free and clear). You can also use Fels Naptha, which I have never reacted to, and I think my mother has a goat milk stain stick she uses but (IMHO) it does not work as well as shout or oxi. Also, for any grease based stains, dawn dish soap is excellent!
Anon says
The most allergy-friendly laundry detergent is seventh generation. It works OK but it’s not my favorite. We use Tide or All and set the washer to use extra rinse cycles.
Anonymous says
Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus is really great at removing stains.
anonamama says
I just discovered OxiClean WhiteRevive and it’s done wonders for stained white things. I also added Folex carpet spray to my stain fighting arsenal and highly recommend.
AnonName says
Anon for this: How do you like this name combo?
Martha Sophie Nguyen.
Leaving the last name because it is so common. Due in a few days with a daughter and second guessing our choice all of a sudden.. hormones?
Anon says
I like it! For some reason it conjures an image of a little girl at the beach with pigtails. But I have also worked with a really impressive Martha, so it fits both mental images.
I’ll also say – name double thinking is REAL.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I like Sophie as a middle name. I also like the two syllable first name with a one syllable last name. Honest opinion though, I don’t really like “Martha” as a name – it sounds old timey and I haven’t seen any little girls recently with the name Martha. However, that’s just me and if you love it, great!
Anokha says
I think it’s lovely!
AwayEmily says
I love the name Martha. Adorable but also commanding. Perfect combo.
Anonymous says
Martha is excellent.
On trend with the girl names ending in A sounds (Nora, Ella, Hannah, Sarah, Lydia, Lila etc) but not one of the common ones (3 Nora(h)s in my 2nd grader’s class) and also a classic name not a ‘made up’ name that will date quickly (looking at you ‘Karsyn’ for a girl)
Sophie is nice classic choice if she doesn’t like Martha. Too common for a first name but a solid middle name.
AnonIVF says
I like it. Congrats!
Anon says
I love it. For some reason, when I try to say it, it keeps coming out Sophia instead of Sophie. Something about Martha Sophia rolls off my tongue a lot more naturally than Martha Sophie. I’m only flagging in case you’re planning to have her use both names.
anon says
Agree that Sophia “flows” more nicely than Sophie.
anne-on says
+1 – I think this flows more nicely with the ‘a’ sounds. I’ll also plug my favorite girls name – Sylvia (or Sylvie) – as an alternative if you feel Sophia is becoming too popular?
Anon says
Beautiful. Congrats!
GCA says
I like it! Martha feels like a classic mid-20th-century name, and I think you’d be at the front of a wave of old-school names that are coming back a bit.
I have seen a lot of 1-3yos with similarly midcentury names like Judith, Violet, and Esme — it sounds like a confab of little old ladies who sit around crocheting. But really they’re named for the parents’ grandmothers or great-grandmothers or aunts.
Anonymous says
Yes the girls in my son’s first grade class are Vivian, Louisa, Lucy, Phoebe etc.
Anonymous says
Congrats, and don’t trust your hormones, this is a beautiful name. I listen to lots of classical music on the radio, and it instantly made me think of Anne-Sophie Mutter, who is an amazing violinist.
Mary Moo Cow says
I like it! But then again both of my girls have “classic” names— names your grandparents would recognize!
anon says
Love it! My first has a classic, somewhat “old” sounding name and I just love it. (Like George). It’s unique but still recognized enough it should be easy to pronounce/spell. Her initials would be MSN but that wouldn’t be an issue to me. If you’re having second thoughts, though, bring your short list of names to the hospital. When we met our first LO, we both settled on a name quickly — but it wasn’t the one at the top of the list pre-birth. I don’t think my husband love loves our second LO’s name, I kind of feel bad now that I didn’t listen to him as much as maybe I should have??? (too late though now, and I love it!).
Anonymous says
It’s perfect. Older names are back. I regret not going with my first choice name (Virginia called Ginny)- I had last minute doubts and went with a more mainstream choice. I sometimes call her Ginny in my head though ;).
Pogo says
I love it! I second guessed both right up to the minute they were born. But I stuck with our choice and now I couldn’t imagine them w/ any other name!
I also have known a real life Martha who is awesome.
Curious says
We are due in 3 weeks and the name second guessing is real :). This is beautiful.
FTM Anon says
Any tips for a first time mom whose baby is about to start daycare at 5.5 months? We’ve got the logistics figured out (dad will do drop offs, I will do pickups) but I’m just so nervous that she’s going to be sad and need some words of encouragement.
Anon says
It’s hard! If possible, I think it’s really nice to ease in a bit. Is there any way to start with half days at daycare, with you or dad or even a grandparent or friend picking kiddo up around lunch time? Just a few to ease in.
Anonymous says
If you can, I’d ask daycare if you can do this for 2 days before you go back to work. Then you can have a couple half days to yourself to do whatever you need…rest, a little shopping, etc.
Go for it says
First week can be emotional for the grown ups. Little one may be cranky from the change. Plan easy meals~ Trader Joe’s, take out, bagged salad. It takes longer to get out the door!
Boston Legal Eagle says
5.5 months is a nice time to start – a little easier than starting later actually, when they will really feel the separation anxiety. Even if she is a little sad at drop off, I bet she will be fine once she’s there during the day. You can ask the teachers to send you pics of her having fun during the day to confirm! Also, depending on how she naps there, she may be really tired when you pick her up, so immediate dinner and early bedtimes (like 6:30 if possible) may be something to consider. It will not be forever and you will have plenty of time to see her at night later on.
AnonATL says
I cried my first day of dropoff, but my son loves daycare and he has really thrived. I think of it like I’m sending him off to school, which helps me feel less like I’m abandoning my kid.
The biggest logistical issue for us is who packs the bag, making sure to restock diapers, backup outfits as they grow out of them, and bottles/snacks.
There will be a transition period where baby is probably overtired, but they’ll adjust
ElisaR says
such a hard time for parents! keep that in mind. baby will be fine, but there will be tears on your end. remember baby is getting exposed to good germs and new people. i found the daycare teachers so helpful because they knew so much about babies! oh my kids needs shoes??? gee, i did’nt think of that. oh wait, he does well with whatever food? who knew! they were very helpful. good luck!
anon says
We started daycare at that same age! Like others said, it is a good age because they don’t really understand what’s going on. LO is now 7.5 months and LOVES daycare. He is always happy at drop off and pickup. Your baby will love it too! There may be some tears initially but baby will have so much fun looking at the other babies and playing with all the toys.
We did three days of easing it in before I went back to work. More for me than for him. I had never spent more than two hours away from him (breastfeeding baby problems) and so **I** had to get used to being away from him!
Also, maybe do a quick call with the school to figure out how they like bottles (mine wanted all the milk in one container and to leave bottles at daycare), how they want diapers/change of clothes, etc.
Lastly, my baby suddenly started sleeping through the night when we started daycare. His naps there are great. Some babies don’t nap well at daycare but mine takes 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon, which he NEVER does at home. All hail daycare!
Anon says
Will be starting daycare in 2 months when my maternity leave is up and this makes my Mama heart so happy. Thank you!
Anonymous says
My daughter started day care at 4.5 months and we both loved it! The infant room at day care was basically Disney World for babies. What could possibly be better than spending the entire day crawling around on a padded floor furnished with objects designed specifically for pulling up, surrounded by toys, with three loving teachers within arm’s reach at all times to read books, sing songs, and play pat-a-cake? I practically skipped out of the building after dropping her off in anticipation of being able to go to the bathroom whenever I wanted to and eat lunch with two hands for the first time since she was born. Day care was my salvation and provided my daughter with so many wonderful experiences that I just wouldn’t have had the time and energy for if she’d been home with me.
Young babies don’t know that they are “supposed” to dislike day care unless their parents signal it. Make drop-off quick and calm. Don’t linger or smother her with hugs and kisses. Put her bag in her cubby, hand her to the teacher, say “Bye-bye! Have fun today. Mommy will be back at the end of the day,” wave, and get out of there quick.
Aunt Jamesina says
Love this! I’m honestly pretty optimistic about going the daycare route and will remember this the next time my MIL comments about it.
AwayEmily says
My MIL was initally skeptical of daycare but changed her mind very quickly when I started sharing the photos they’d send me of my kid playing with toys, fingerpainting, spending time outside, cruising around the play area, getting snuggled by teachers, etc.
Aunt Jamesina says
The best part of this is that my MIL worked full time and my husband and BIL went to daycare! She even told a story a few years ago about how much my husband loved playing with other kids there, so I think she has some weird revisionist history going on with this future grandchild, especially since my SIL left her job to stay at home with my MIL’s other grandkids (although she has Opinions about SIL “not contributing” to her family’s income, so clearly there’s no winning here!)
GCA says
Aunt Jamesina – good grief, your MIL!!
And yes, modern daycare infant rooms are bright, happy, stimulating, lots of cuddles and snuggles. They often have miniature kid-sized furniture, tiny padded climbing structures for wee toddlers, and pretty much everything is safe to chew.
Anonymous says
For more encouragement, day care taught my daughter so many skills much earlier than I ever imagined was possible. The kids were properly washing their own hands in a toddler-height sink and throwing away their own trash in the 1-year-old room, putting on their own coats in the 2-year-old room, etc.
Aunt Jamesina says
Yes, it seems like the positive peer pressure from other kids and strategies of the workers can help with this so much!
Anon says
It’ll be sad but I promise it’ll be OK. :). After the first dropoff I went out and bought a few lottery tickets.
Pogo says
Echoing everything here! Great age to start – around the same time both my babies did. I loved that they were no longer fragile little lumps, but they also won’t have separation anxiety yet. Babies love other babies, too, remember that – the first time I got a video of my youngest and his buddy reclining in their little bouncy chairs “talking” (cooing and shrieking), I just about melted.
More caregivers means more love for your kiddos – even as a baby, I saw my youngest recently get SO PUMPED when he saw his caregiver after a week of her vacation – like reaching for her to pick him up excitedly. My oldest this morning declared he wanted to give his teacher a painting he’d made for her. It doesn’t mean they love you less, it means they are getting even more love during the day!
FTM Anon says
I can’t thank you all enough. This is exactly what I needed to hear today.
Anon says
What is everyone’s strategy for the child tax credits? We received the smaller amount in July and August, and after running our most recent paystubs through the IRS Tax Withholding Calculator, it seems like we’re just taking this money now and will need to pay at least half of it back in April — I worked hard to pretty finely tune our withholding to not pay or get anything back at tax time before we started getting these payments. I’m thinking about turning them off — but also, interest free loan? I just don’t have the bandwidth to think about this decision right now.
Note — I am in full support of these payments in general and know that it’s really helping some families around the country that need the help! I just wish that I didn’t have to deal with creating the IRS account to turn off this money, and we are in the fortunate position of not needing it.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We are in a fortunate position too of being pretty high earners but still qualifying for some payments. So far, we’re just going to keep the deposits going and then see where we are tax time. To be honest, I’m not the best at maximizing withholdings so tax time is always a bit of a surprise but I try to save part of my bonus (from March) in anticipation of a potentially high tax bill. We’ve ended up with refunds the last few years so we might just even out this time but we’ll see.
HSAL says
We’re also fine-tuned tax-wise. Between the increase in the child tax credit and the dependent care credit, and me quitting my job, I’m fairly certain we’ll end up with a refund, but I still don’t want to treat it as “free money” right now. I’m sending about 3/4 of it to savings, so if by some chance we end up owing a little, no big deal.
Anonymous says
We also have very precisely set withholding and will end up paying back all of the advance at tax time. I was originally planning to stop the payments, but the site requires you to set up two-factor authentication with your cell phone AND both parents must register and decline the payments separately. It was just too much of a pain. I’m putting the money in savings to pay back when I file our taxes.
Anon says
We deactivated them (unfortunately after the first one, but I expect it will cost more than the $30 payment for the accountants to sort that out). We will (I expect) be over the threshold based on my salary increase this year, so 2020 taxes are not accurate for us for eligibility. They are a royal pain to deactivate, because I did not have the proper account and had to go through a verification process that rivaled getting a passport (including a video chat with a government call center because they couldn’t validate me otherwise, my theory being due to my name change because DH only had to upload documents and that was good enough). AND the kicker, if you file jointly, both spouses have to unenroll, which was in mouse print on the confirmation page with an “oh by the way”. So know that going in.
Anonymous says
I’m not fine-tuned for taxes, but usually get a refund of a few thousand if we’ve met our charitable giving goals. We’re not eligible for any of the expanded credit, but still getting checks for the regular credit and I’m just keeping it. We always have enough in savings that it will not be an issue if we owe a few k at tax time. It’s not worth the effort to me to make adjustments and get closer to 0.
Anonymous says
The easy solution to this would have been to send advance payments only for the expanded portion of the credit, not the original credit. People have their withholding set up to accommodate the original credit but not the expanded credit, so only sending advance payments for the expanded credit would prevent most people from having to repay the advance payments. Apparently the folks in charge wanted to trick upper-income people who are not eligible for the expanded credit into thinking they were also getting an increased benefit, but that seems short-sighted.
Anonymous says
My strategy is apparently to mean to opt-out, forget about it until I see something in the news or on here, deicde I’m too busy to do it right this second, and repeat. But, really, I want to opt-out of the rest of them.
OP says
Ha! This sounds like me.
Deodorant says
My 9 y/o daughter’s armpits have gotten stinky. I mentioned to her that it may be time for deodorant, and she said “okay!” My question is what kind or brand to buy. I don’t want her to use aluminum deodorant, at least until she’s old enough to understand the risk and decide for herself. Any recommendations for what the tweens are using these days? I’m guessing not teen spirit anymore :)
Anonymous says
IMHO, the only aluminum free deoderant that works is men’s Old Spice. But I’m guessing a 9 y/o girl won’t go for that.
Deodorant says
Ha! I’ll try this for myself, but probably not for my kiddo.
Anonymous says
I dunno what tweens are using, but I like the Native aluminum-free deodorant. I recommend the “sensitive” kind, because regular has sporadically been irritating. Major brands like Secret and Dove have aluminum-free versions now, too.
anon says
My tween is using Native.
Anonymous says
Native irritates some people’s skin. The Tom’s of Maine deodorant is nice and gentle.
Deodorant may help with the smell, but only an aluminum-based antiperspirant will stop the wetness.
Lydia says
megababe? rosy pits or beachy pits…they have it at Target and Ulta and online.
Anonymous says
Dove 0% aluminum works well for my 7 year old with very stinky pits. I have actually started using it myself and although it doesn’t last through exercise for me, it works well for my daughter.
Alanna of Trebond says
This may be too expensive for a child, but I use Sanoflore Vent de Citrus and it is the only thing that works. Also, men’s old spice comes in less “manly” scents.
SC says
I just found this article on meal planning, and it is so spot-on! https://virginiasolesmith.substack.com/p/the-tyranny-and-misogyny-of-meal
FWIW, my husband and I share meal-planning duties, I grocery shop, he cooks. I’m supposed to do dishes, but he probably ends up doing them half the time. By far, meal planning is our least favorite chore.
Anon says
I think I missed her point around misogyny. She said that she and her spouse have an equal division of labor so I don’t see why meal planning would be different from any other chore?
Anonymous says
Her assertion is that meal planning is invisible labor that is ignored and doesn’t even get counted in household labor surveys that ask about grocery shopping and cooking but not meal planning.
SC says
+1 to 11:23, plus the misogyny embedded in diet culture when you turn to the internet or social media for meal planning help. That drives me crazy.
Anonymous says
Meal planning is optional – and it’s a great way to destroy your precious weekend time. If you can teach yourself to be okay with very simple, pantry- and freezer-friendly meals, you can get a healthy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with kids around without spending your Sunday chopping vegetables instead of spending quality time with your family. We only get 52 Sundays a year and spending ALL of them preparing food is a hard nope from me, especially if it’s introducing division of labor issues into your relationship. You can see why, too – which spouse, male or female, is going to jump at the chance to waste a weekend in this way? Obviously I feel strongly about this and it’s because I’ve been told time and time again that I should meal plan, that meal planning is so great, check out this Instagram about meal planning – but it feels like just another burden on me as a woman and a way to cut into my limited free time. I choose to opt out.
Anonymous says
Meal planning is not the same thing as meal prep. Meal planning can just be planning out those simple, quick meals for the week and buying all the ingredients so you don’t have to scramble to come up with something at dinnertime.
Anonymous says
True, my gripe is definitely more with meal prep overall, but I also don’t spend time planning meals. I have a rotation of easy, healthy dishes, I buy the same things every week (and have them delivered), and make what sounds good on the day of. The only time I plan/prep for real is for the holidays.
Redux says
I’d be curious what your rotation entails if you want to post your dishes!
SC says
Yes, for us, meal planning is planning out meals for the week and creating a grocery list. It takes us about an hour to check the calendar, come up with 4-5 meals, check what we already have, and make a grocery list. We usually do it sometime on Saturday, and I go to the grocery store on Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. It’s just a terrible process that we both hate, and DH doesn’t enjoy being ruled by a meal plan during the week.
If we don’t meal plan, we end up going to the grocery store twice as often, dinner is sometimes served half an hour after Kiddo’s bedtime because DH got a little too creative, and we run out of steam at the end of the week and order twice as much takeout as we can afford.
Anon says
Honestly- meal planning is 80% of the reason why we get those meal delivery kits once a week. I cringe over the expense but spending 5 minutes once a month to pick out meals is amazing.
TheElms says
Agreed! Also it means that if one of us has a last minute call the other person can easily step in and finish dinner. And its much more cost effective than delivery which is what our alternative is.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I actually enjoy cooking, so I don’t mind this task. I will say, I still keep it very simple, I believe the internet calls this “templates”.
I agree this whole 15 meals prepped ahead of the week has gotten out of control. When I’ve spoken to my MIL, she “fixed” a lot of her kids dinners in the 80s and 90s – basically a lot of cans, a lot of boxed, processed stuff, not the high-quality items available today (e.g. pre-chopped veggies, frozen rice, etc.). I have often wondered if “meal-prepping” is like…the generational shift away for people who grew up eating the way my MIL cooked? I’ve been fascinated by this because it’s so different than how I grew up. In my immigrant household of 2 working parents, we had a mix of from-scratch fresh meals and Taco Bell (because, Indians love TB) during the week, and pizza on Fridays almost ALWAYS (because, America).
Anonymous says
My mom “cooked” that way in the 1980s and now cooks real food from scratch, although it’s much blander than what I cook. I think everyone’s tastes have evolved.
Anon Lawywer says
My (white) mom cooked from scratch in the 80s and 90s because she was a SAHM in kind of crunchy granola circles. Now that I have a kid, I fail to see how it’s even remotely possible to replicate with a full-time job, even one that ends at 5.
GCA says
This is such a fascinating conversation! I have a very different life from my childhood. My parents, who both worked, did not cook; my paternal grandparents lived with us and my grandmother did the cooking. And I mean Asian family-style meals, with rice and a soup and a veggie stir-fry and a braised pork something or other, etc etc.
In contrast, we have no nearby family now. I do 100% of what I consider pretty low-key meal planning (no advance prep other than maybe pulling out chicken to defrost in the morning; 90% of our dinners are ‘templates’ assembled from fresh and modern high-quality frozen foods, with occasional weekend takeout). It’s labor all right, but I don’t think it’s invisible to DH, who pulls his weight in the mental load department (well child visits, camp enrollment, etc). I don’t think I could meal prep all meals ahead of time for the week — I like variety and having the flexibility to change up the menu on the fly.
Anon says
Meal planning is not invisible labour at my house because my husband does the shopping but i make the list so he actually makes sure i have time to do it on Saturday mornings.
I feel like my takeaway from the article is that people need to be more upfront about how they spend their time. Just because one likes to meal plan, doesn’t make it any less work. I’m not sure about the misogyny bit, though. My husband loves to garden and maintain our yard and i’m sure he spends as much time thinking about the yard as I do thinking about what we are going to eat.
ElisaR says
best book for starting kindergarten?
Pogo says
We have one called Look Out Kindergarten, Here I come! and LO seems to like it. Despite the fact that Kindergarten is over a year away.
Anonymous says
Unless your child has expressed apprehension, I wouldn’t read any books or watch any shows about it. Daniel Tiger and his ilk tend to signal that there is something to be worried about and make these transitions a much bigger deal than they need to be. The best introduction is the meet-the-teacher day or open house before school starts.
My favorite book about kindergarten is Ramona the Pest, but it’s funny for slightly older kids and would make a very bad “what to expect in kindergarten” book.
AwayEmily says
It probably depends on the book (I don’t have any Daniel Tiger ones and indeed had not realized he graduated to kindergarten! Tigers grow up so fast!). We have “King of Kindergarten,” which is a really sweet book about a little boy heading off to kindergarten and having an awesome time. We also got a bunch of random kindergarten-related books in our library pickup orders over the summer — I wish I could remember the names they were mostly just about kindergarten being fun. Anyway, my kid (who starts K in three weeks!) ADORES reading books about kindergarten, and talking to my partner and me about our kindergarten experiences, etc. It prob varies by kid — I can totally understand how Anon at 11:27’s kid was made more worried/scared by reading about it, but mine seems to love the opportunity to chat about it and ask questions.
Anonymous says
I don’t know whether Daniel Tiger has gone to kindergarten yet in the current series, but I do remember being puzzled as to why the original Daniel Tiger was so worried about starting kindergarten with his platypus friends in the Neighborhood of Make Believe 30+ years ago!
AwayEmily says
Right??? My kids have been watching Mr. Rogers lately and everyone in Make Believe is basically an emotional basketcase. They’re constantly on the verge of tears about something. It’s kind of startling, because the rest of the show is so even-keeled.
ElisaR says
interesting. no he has is super excited and i thought a book might be enjoyable for us as we embark on this exciting year. obviously i don’t want to kill the joy though!
Anonymous says
In that case I’d pre-read and choose a book where kindergarten is super fun and none of the kids is worried.
Mary Moo Cow says
We like the “Night Before Series,” specifically the Night Before Kindergarten and the Night Before Kindergarten graduation. Not K-specific, but I also like “The Day You Begin” and “All are Welcome Here.” If your kids like Clifford, there’s also a Clifford’s First Day or Clifford Goes to Kindergarten (I don’t remember the exact title.) There’s probably a display of back to school books at your local library — there is at mine!
TheElms says
The Berenstain Bears Go To School is one that is mostly about all the exciting parts of kindergarten and only slightly touches on being nervous. I liked the balance. I’m reading it to my toddler who starts preschool soon (and changing kindergarten to preschool).
DLC says
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates.
I don’t know if I’d call it “best”, but it’s definitely amusing and heartfelt.
Anonymous says
Has anyone else found herself doing aspirational clothes shopping lately? I only wear shoes to walk the dog and run errands, yet somehow I have just bought a pair of cowboy boots and a pair of platform sneakers. I have no in-person meetings or business travel currently scheduled, yet I had two dresses from The Fold in my cart that fortunately sold out in my size while I was waffling. Now I am trying to keep myself from purchasing a dress that is only suitable for a cruise or a tropical vacation, neither of which is happening in the foreseeable future. My closet is already full of lovely things that will be ridiculously outdated by the time I have the opportunity to wear them again. I would be thrilled just to have the chance to wear shoes. Sigh.
Pogo says
This is why I started going back to the office part time, even though I don’t have to. I see virtually no one, but I like putting on clothes and shoes and makeup. I just bought some new Cole Haan flats.
Can’t help you on the tropical vacation dress though.
PistachioLemon says
Me for sure
Anonymous says
Follow-up from overwhelmed working mom post on Wednesday: Our school board, in defiance of the governor’s interpretation of state law requiring school districts to comply with CDC COVID guidelines, made masks optional. In response, the governor issued an executive order mandating masks in public schools. The school board put out a statement that it would comply with the executive order. I breathed a sigh of relief. Now a right-wing milita group is organizing armed protests at county schools on the first day. It’s too late to opt for on-line instruction, which we don’t want to do because it was a disaster last year, and I don’t know what happens if you don’t send your child to school on the first day. What the actual eff is happening here.
Curious says
That is terrifying. They should not be allowed to have arms in the vicinity of the schools. Is there nothing to prevent that?! How awful.
Anonymous says
Whether or not the sheriff’s department decides to break it up, I don’t want my child anywhere in the vicinity while it’s happening.
Anonymous says
I don’t blame you, and I’m so sorry. How terrible for everyone. Where do you live if you don’t mind saying?
As for what happens if you don’t send your child to school the first day: Almost certainly nothing. If they’re young elementary kids, the whole first week will probably have extra staff out in the hallway to help kids remember the way to their classrooms. In class, they’ll miss some ice-breakers and chit chat about summer vacation. Desks will likely be assigned before any kids show up, so they won’t get stuck with a bad spot just because they aren’t there. And if this is the environment, I doubt you’ll be the only one keeping your kid away from those planned protests. Send a note to the admin office that you’re concerned about your child’s safety and to expect them on day 2.
Anon says
I am so, so sorry this is happening! Will they actually be able to protest with firearms near school grounds?? I still just can’t believe how terrible people can be. Sending all the virtual hugs to you and your family.
Anon says
I’m so sorry. This is scary and absolutely shouldn’t happen. Could you reach out to local law enforcement and to get their expectations of how this will go down? Like, is it a handful of people who like to talk big on the internet, but will be persuaded to stay away? Or does law enforcement expect that people with guns will show up outside of schools to terrify children, teachers, and parents?
I would absolutely keep my kids away from unhinged people with guns (and I think people who bring guns to intimidate children are absolutely unhinged) and just tell the school we’ll show up when it’s safe.
anonamommy says
In May when things were looking better, we bought plane tickets and made plans to go to a national park in the West the week before Labor Day (coming from outside NYC). We have a rising K-er and school would start a few days after we return. She’s unvaccinated obvs but good with a mask. In thinking it through, the primary risk points would be the airport to/from, perhaps less so the 4-hour plane ride, though there’s always a chance some idiot refuses to mask near us.
We are at odds over whether to take the trip. It would be good for everyone’s mental health but I don’t want to risk having to quarantine — or worse, get sick — with the first day of school so close to it. WWYD?
Anonymous says
I would do something within driving distance instead. It will be just as fun, a lot less stressful, and safer for all of you. The Finger Lakes are supposed to be nice.
anon. says
In a similar situation, we canceled. It was hard and sad. But we didn’t want our kids to have to miss the first week of school (one of them is at a new school) and that tipped the balance.
anon says
In a similar situation and we took the trip (my kids started school yesterday). FYI, if someone isn’t masking properly on the plane, a quiet word to the flight attendant is all you need to do – at least on Delta, they will take it from there and they have a LOT of experience handling it by this point.
Anonymous says
My Delta flight attendants were among the offenders on my flights this week.
Curious says
Would the smoke/ fire situation decide this for you, or have you found the one part of the West that’s not burning yet?
Signed, AQI is 137 in Seattle today.
Blueberries says
+1. Don’t go if there’s smoke/likelihood of smoke. Wildfire smoke is really, really bad for a person, particularly a child, both in the short and long term. In the short term, a lot of wildfire smoke exposure symptoms are also Covid symptoms.
If there’s not smoke, where in the West are a you going? I would love to have a vacation destination to keep in mind where the air is reliably safe at this time of year.
Anonymous says
Wildfire smoke is also linked to greater risk of COVID infection! It just does a terrible whammy on your lungs.
Anonymous says
Aside from the health risks, you won’t really be able to enjoy the park if there is a lot of smoke.
Mary Moo Cow says
I would go. You said it would be good for everyone’s mental health and it sounds like you are aware of the risks, ways to mitigate risk, and benefits.
Anonymous says
I don’t think missing the first day of school is THAT bad – you’re likely to have to quarantine at some point this fall due to exposure, at least if my experience last year is any guide (NYC public school). I would focus less on missing the first day and more on the overall level of risk you are comfortable with and go from there. We personally made a decision not to fly with our son until he was vaccinated since we’re so close, but I am not adamantly opposed to it either. One thing to keep in mind re: the plane – people will take off masks to eat/drink, and some (many?) will have masks that are very loose/below the nose/possibly pointless. My son also would not be cool with skipping the plane snacks, especially for 4 hours, to keep his mask on.
Anonymous says
Are you camping or staying in the lodge? For camping, I’d worry about exposure in the bathrooms and showers. For the lodge, I’d worry about dining unless you can do that 100% outdoors.
AnonATL says
My husband are going on our first “real” date tonight (without the baby) since February 2020! I’m breaking out my cute jumpsuit and even some wedges.
I am super excited. We’ve been trying to have a regular at home happy hour, but it’s not the same as going out in the wild. I’m going to enjoy my overpriced cocktail and appetizers :)
TheElms says
That sounds lovely, I hope you have a wonderful evening!
Cb says
Oh man, my kid’s last real holiday was 2.5, right before lockdown and he is simultaneously over the moon and confused by the concept. “Why didn’t we bring the cat with us? I don’t want other people in our house (b&b)”
We are two hours from home by the sea so nothing too exotic but funny to see him react.