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These washable pants from Boden caught my eye because they are my favorite type of bootcut. They’re somewhat high in the waist (described as sitting at your natural waist) and fitted through the leg with a bottom opening somewhere in between a straight leg and a bootcut. I love how they look styled with the heels, and you can get a better idea of the opening in the version styled with the sneakers. I like how they balance out a slimmer top — and of course, a million bonus points for being ponte. They are $98 and available in navy and black in petite, regular, and long sizes up to 18. Hampshire Bootcut Pants For plus sizes, try this ponte bootcut from NYDJ at Zappos for $83 on sale. Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. 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
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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?
dress recommendations? says
anyone have recommendations for flowy/ roomy linen or cotton/gauze dresses they love? trying to find some easy summer looks for weekends and my very casual office. example – i love the miranda bennett “everyday dress” but it is too expensive for me right now so other ideas like that? thanks!
anonymous says
Not linen or cotton, but I have multiples of the Old Navy jersey swing dresses.
TheElms says
Uniqlo
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-linen-blend-a-line-sleeveless-dress-417695.html?dwvar_417695_color=COL09&cgid=women-linen-collection (without the belt or the belt done loose)
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-linen-blend-sleeveless-dress-414437.html?dwvar_414437_color=COL01&cgid=women-linen-collection
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-extra-fine-cotton-a-line-sleeveless-dress-417907.html?dwvar_417907_color=COL31&cgid=women-dresses-and-jumpsuits (without the belt)
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-mercerized-cotton-a-line-sleeveless-long-dress-413806.html?dwvar_413806_color=COL07&cgid=women-dresses-and-jumpsuits (maybe too long unless you are quite tall)
Cb says
I feel like this is something COS might do?
anon in brooklyn says
I have a similar dress from Uzi NYC and have also bought similar things from NotPerfectLinen on Etsy.
Anon. says
Ooh, I love these!
Anon says
Gap has a ruffled wrap dress in a linen cotton blend that I bought last year, and they seem to have brought it back again this year. I wore it at least once a week all season, as it was comfortable, washable and great for pumping. I even wore it to a business casual client meeting.
lsw says
On the subject of Boden, do they ever re-stock styles? I am obsessed with a pair of pants from 4-5 years ago, and have checked periodically to see if they carry them again, and they haven’t. My beloved pair is getting a hole in them. At this point it feels unlikely I’d see them on ebay or poshmark new.
Mama Llama says
This is so funny because I also have a pair of holy grail Boden pants that are probably coming to the end of their life. I have actually considered trying to get a seamstress to copy them for me or hiring a personal shopper to try to find a close replica. They are just black ponte pants, but the fabric and the shape is perfect.
lsw says
I have also thought of the seamstress idea! Have you ever tried anything like that?
These have a panel down the side of each other leg that’s in a different fabric, so I felt like it might just be too difficult to replicate.
lsw says
*outside of each leg, not each other leg
Mama Llama says
I haven’t tried it, mainly because I think finding the fabric would be very tough. Do your pants have a stripe down the side that’s kind of like a grosgrain ribbon? I have one pair like that.
lsw says
It’s a wider panel that is sort of a sueded canvas. Maybe 4-5 inches wide. The style of the pants was called Skinny Minnie.
Anonanonanon says
I have some holy-grail dresses from there from about 3 years ago that unfortunately have not returned to stock, so I feel your pain :(
Cb says
How do you manage stains on kid’s clothes? Judging by his attire, my son plays outside in the mud all day and then rolls around in his lunch and I’m struggling to stay on top of it. Do you embrace the stains? Have some sort of secret chemical? I know some staining is normal but I hate dressing him in stained clothes and pass my hand-me-downs to a friend who fosters and I’d really like things to be in as good as condition as they can be for kids who show up with nothing.
Anna says
I use baby oxy clean. Also I’ve found that buying slightly higher quality stuff means it washes better, eg I can’t get stains out of old navy stuff but GAP clothes wash up pretty well. Also I buy darker colours.
AwayEmily says
YES to darker colors. I make it a rule to never buy anything white or pastel. Makes shopping easier, too!
Anonymous says
Fels naptha is a miracle worker! I also soak in biz if it’s a tougher stain (like oxiclean but better—and has never discolored my clothes!).
If it’s REALLY bad, soak in biz. Then apply fels to the stains directly and stick it in the sun.
But honestly fels alone is usually enough.
Mama Llama says
I consider laundry stains to be my personal nemesis. Here is what I do: rinse the stain with cold water as soon as possible. This makes a huge difference. Then I will spray with Shout and soak in a sink with oxyclean. (I typically have a ton of stuff to soak because: baby and preschooler.) Then it gets washed with regular detergent and a scoop of oxyclean. I find that this process works for most stains. But, here is another key: Make sure to check stained items before they go in the dryer because the dryer sets them in. If they still aren’t out, I will try another round of soak + wash. Or I might go straight to The Arsenal, which includes dish soap, Tech, K-2, and Grandma’s stain remover, depending on the type of stain. I will treat with one of these and then wash again.
anon says
this seems very time consuming! how do you manage to do all of this? do you rinse, soak and wash all immediately or do you rinse and soak immediately and then wait a day to wash? or do you do laundry every day?
lsw says
I do a similar trick and it’s not too time-consuming – I throw stuff in a bucket with oxyclean, and the next day either do laundry or take them out and drape them on the side of the sink until I do the next load. I toss oxyclean in every load of my kids’ clothes.
And the dryer tip is key. I’ll usually spray it right then with whatever stain remover I have, then leave it in the laundry room for the next time.
Mama Llama says
I try to rinse my older child’s things as soon as she takes them off, but it doesn’t happen all the time. Everything stained gets tossed in the laundry sink to get treated and soaked all together at some later date. Husband does the actual washing (and drying and folding) of kid laundry most of the time. He is not great about catching stained things before they go in the dryer but if I can I will pull things out for subsequent rounds of treatment.
Anonymous says
Ohhhhh you have a laundry sink. So jealous.
Mama Llama says
Yes, I do love the laundry sink. Our system is also easier because our laundry area is by our bedrooms. In my old house, though, I just did it in a bucket.
Anon says
In the newborn days, I tossed clothes that were on the receiving end of poop explosions. I don’t worry about food or mud stains. It doesn’t seem worth the time.
octagon says
Depends on the stain. My laundry arsenal is oxyclean, Fels Naptha and Dawn dish soap.
For most stains, a soak in oxyclean mixed with hot water is enough. For really tough stains (I’m looking at you, neon tempura paint), I might soak things for 1-2 days. For dirt, Fels Naptha, scrubbed with a stiff brush. For grease, a tiny dab of Dawn rubbed in with hot water before washing.
octagon says
To add: This trio, plus directions taped to the soaps and a soaking tub for laundry, is now my go-to baby shower gift.
Mama Llama says
Hmm, I need to get in on this Fel Naptha. I actually have a bunch of bars for making soap spray for the garden, but I’ve never tried it on laundry,
IHeartBacon says
I only dress LO in darker colors that don’t show stains.
Anon says
Darker colors, dawn, oxyclean free and clear soaks. I soak in hot water in the bathroom sink, usually only one item per sink because I’ve had issues with bleeding, usually for 8-12 hours. We do laundry probably twice a week, and I will do a small extra load if needed (I wash my clothes and toddler’s clothes together, DH is on his own). For grease stains, I coat with dawn (and only once have I had that stain something blue, and a subsequent oxyclean soak took the blue right out).
Annie says
Seconding everyone who soaks in the sink with oxyclean (in hot water, overnight — need a solid eight hours or so).
Anonymous says
Ditto the oxyclean soak that others have stated. Also, I try to put kids in 100% cotton—it’s the best at releasing stains in my experience.
Anon says
If you live in a warm climate, the sun is an amazing stain remover (seriously!). I just spot-treat with stain remover, wash in warm water, and lay in direct sunlight to dry. If the stain is still there after drying, I’ll repeat the process and it’s gone.
avocado says
Seventh Generation Ultra Power Plus detergent is amazing.
Anonymous says
Stain spray and soak for 5 minutes before washing. If that doesn’t get the stain out, then — oh well. I don’t have time to be bothered by this, and I buy dark colored and/or patterned clothes that are not very expensive for this reason.
anon says
Oxyclean stain remover (in the squirt bottle) is awesome. I spray it on stains about 20 minutes before washing. I’ve gotten rid of most stains this way. I also hate laundry stains even though I know I shouldn’t care.
Emily S. says
I recently switched from OxyClean to Puracy stain remover, and I’m impressed. The Oxy smell was starting to get to me, don’t know why. Puracy has no smell, works just as well, if not better. The key is leaving it to soak for a while, though, so I bought an extra laundry basket that lives in the laundry room. Instead of tossing it in the kids’ baskets in their rooms, when they change out of stained clothes, I take it right to the laundry room, treat it, and toss it in the basket.
Cute work tops? says
Has anyone recently purchased any cute tops? The flowy style is really not flattering to me so I am looking for tops that are either tailored or rather close-fitting. TIA!
anon. says
Modern Citizen has a few lovely ones that could work for you right now.
Anonanonanon says
I recommend giving Nordstrom’s Trunk Club a try. It was a MUCH different experience than Stitch Fix and other similar services. They actually chatted back and forth with my beforehand, sent me what I asked for, and sent around 13 items instead of just 3 or 4. Also, I got to see everything in the trunk before it was shipped so I could decline anything I knew I didn’t like.
I’ve done it twice and among the things I said I wanted were good white tshirts, a weekend blazer that hit around hip length, skinny jeans, thin gold necklaces I could layer, and a gym bag I could strap my yoga mat to. I was sent multiple options of each of those items and it was awesome. If you provide details about what you’re looking for (colorful or not, work or weeknd, your body shape and that you prefer tighter tops, etc.) they can prob help you out. Caveat being I don’t think they always do a great job of respecting the cost limits I indicate for items.
shortperson says
i love trunk club so much but it so much $$$$. i do try to respect my stylist and i do not buy what she recommends elsewhere but i have definitely turned things down as too much $$$ and then run into them months later on nordstrom rack and bought there. also her eye has led me to more successful shopping at nordstrom rack.
Potty Woes says
Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my post about my daughter having issues making a mess when she goes #1 (avoiding moderation!).
We tried a combo of everything—sitting far back on the seat, legs slightly apart, leaning forward. It worked!
Anon says
Has anyone found herself in a cycle of sort of screwing up at work? I feel like every time I turn around the past few weeks, I have screwed something up on a case with this specific supervisor. In reality, I know that I am doing a lot right and also that I am juggling a lot but I can’t help but feel like this supervisor thinks I am constantly messing things up…
IHeartBacon says
This definitely happens to me. There are just some cases I have where nothing goes smoothly.
Anonymous says
As a supervisor, I have seen people go through these tough cycles and I have, too. Short snapshots of time don’t change my view of an employee. Hopefully, you can if what’s causing trouble (not enough sleep, life stress, new responsibilities) and work to mitigate it.
Anon for this says
Need to vent…had my 8 week OB / pregnancy confirmation ultrasound appointment yesterday. The OB doing the ultrasound said the sac looked smaller than 8 weeks and wasn’t growing right. Likely a chromosomal issue, so I began crying. He then called in his ultrasound tech and moved me to a newer machine….she found the baby, said it’s right on track and heard the heartbeat. This is great, what I wanted! But all afternoon I couldn’t stop being sad about the almost miscarriage. I realize how lucky we are, but just felt genuinely sad about it. Not sure what I’m looking for…just needed to share since we haven’t told anyone IRL yet…
Anon says
Hug. That is awful and totally traumatizing. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.
rosie says
Hugs & gentle congratulations. Mind-boggling to me as to how OBs aren’t more sensitive in these circumstances (I have experienced similar…I feel like my derm was more compassionate when she explained how she would biopsy a mole than my former OB when talking about miscarriage).
Anonanonanon says
Oh jeez, how scary! They should really confirm things before they open their mouths! I had a similar incident with my first pregnancy. It turned out I was just much less pregnant than assumed by my last date of menstruation, but it was kind of scary to get referred to the hospital for the “stronger” machine. Of course you’re a bit shaken!
Pogo says
I have a friend who had something similar happen with her first beta to confirm pregnancy – the dates were off based on how pregnant she thought she was, and the nurse who gave her the results was like, “yeah these numbers aren’t as high as they should be. you need to see the doctor on Monday” and left it at that! She thought she was losing the pregnancy when really they just needed a dating ultrasound. I think providers often forget what is so obvious/routine to them sounds terrifying to patients.
Anon says
I’m glad all is ok, but that’s awful. Doctors can be in such a hurry to jump to bad news. A vet once told us that our dog almost certainly had bladder cancer because there were crystals in her urine. My husband flew home early from a work trip because we were distraught about our probably-dying dog. It turns out she had a UTI. You know, something you treat with antibiotics…
Anonymous says
I think sometimes the threat of a miscarriage can be traumatic. I had a very dramatic bleeding episode in my second trimester, was certain I was having a miscarriage (I wasnt). But I was pretty emotionally traumatized for a week, mostly from the amount of blood gushing through my pants. And my husband crying on the phone while he was rushing to the doctors. So anyways, you’re feelings are normal but congrats on the pregnancy!
shortperson says
a good friend of mine just had her divorce finalized. it was years of deciding and waiting so this is one that calls for celebration. any suggestions on good gifts? she lives in another state.
Anonanonanon says
Congrats to your friend!
I have a few follow-up questions about the situation before I make gift recommendations. What is her financial situation? Was her partner living with her until very recently (aka is she left with a house to maintain completely by herself etc.)? Basically, are you looking for practical gifts to ease the transition, or just fun gifts?
shortperson says
fun. she makes more than he does and they do not have kids (bc entire marriage was her figuring out whether to divorce). they just sold house and she is living in an apt temporarily while looking to buy her own place.
Anonymous says
Champagne?
shortperson says
sadly it is not so easy to ship alcohol to her state
Irish Midori says
Does this signal any other changes in her life (new residence, freedom to travel, etc.)? Something meaningful about that (housewarming gift, thing from exotic place, suitcase) might be cool. Something symbolic to celebrate her new chapter or the restoration of life before the bad marriage. Or a gift card to her favorite dress shop to get a smashing outfit so she can be smashing and single again.
Redux says
My daughter has her first ballet recital pictures tonight. Her class is ages 3-5. Should I put her in makeup? Just a little lipstick or do I do more? Recommendations?
Anonymous says
Yup. She may look washed out without it. I’d do lipstick, blush, and mascara if she’ll tolerate it. Also fill in her eyebrows with a powder/pencil if that’s something you do on the regular. But if you feel uncomfortable putting her in makeup, which is also legitimate, then don’t!
Anonymous says
Also I’m someone who danced until 18, so having hair done and makeup as a 4 year old was normal to me. Which probably skews my perspective. I wouldn’t put makeup on my daughter at other times though.
Anon says
Do the teacher/studio have requirements or recommendations? We started toddler ballet lessons at one studio that required full makeup for kids as young as 3 for dress rehearsals and recitals. For some reason, that really rubbed me the wrong way (I’m not sure why, because I fully lean into all the girly things my kid likes, including ballet!). Anyway we switched to a studio that has a “matching costumes are enough” attitude and lets the kids wear hair and make-up as they like. I’d say most of the girls wear buns and probably at least half wear some make-up, but there are definitely bare-faced kids in ponytails, which I love.
Mama Llama says
I wouldn’t, but I think I am an outlier.
Pogo says
Ask her what she wants! My guess is she’ll be psyched at the chance to try mommy’s makeup. I’m not sure I’d do anything on the eyes as getting it off might be more battle than it’s worth at that young age.
AwayEmily says
This is a great approach. If she says no thanks, then nbd. If she says yes, then you guys can have fun with it!
Anonymous says
We always did, it was part of the costume even at a young age. FWIW, our stage makeup was always hideous and tackily applied, big eyeliner wings and all that. I wouldn’t go there unless everyone else is. Lipstick, blush, maybe eyebrows are pretty tame but still fun.
Emma says
Also, maybe test it before the big day. I got (cheap) makeup done for ballet as a kid and broke out into a major allergic reaction and missed the recital because we had to go to the hospital. Not to be a bummer, but I am very cautious about makeup for kids now.
Anonymous says
Ok real talk – how much fast food does your toddler/preschooler get? We get our daughter (2 years old) McDonalds or Chic Fil A once a week. Her other 20 meals during the week are home-cooked by me, and 90% healthy, because we don’t eat out much to save money. She’s a good eater and loves veggies/fruit/whole grains/beans/etc… Also tries new things and will eat Indian/Thai/middle eastern food. She also likes sweets but obviously those are limited by us. Is once a week too much? Should I pull back to once a month? I know some families who literally never get fast food.
Anon says
My toddler probably gets fast food once a week. We also eat out at sit-down places 1-2x a week, and the rest of her meals consist of leftovers from whatever I’ve made (I try to cook 1-2x a week with enough extra for 1-2 days of leftovers), yogurt, cheese, grapes, banana bread, waffles, steamed frozen vegetables, box macaroni and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets. I nearly fell over Sunday night when she happily ate three quarters of a sliced red bell pepper while I was prepping for korean beef vegetable bowls. We’re in full on toddler swings (so last week she ate her weight in bananas, this week she won’t touch them) and I just roll with it.
Anonymous says
My answer is not helpful (we get fast food as an exception not a rule, but we do other stuff that’s not optimal like dessert every night and probably too much pasta and pizza), but I must share that my son recently won a Chic Fil A gift card in a little competition. We go climbing sometimes, so he knows the word “belay”. But he is not familiar with Chic Fil A. He has been carrying it around everywhere calling it his “Chicken Belay”. He is very proud and serious about it, so I have to try hard not to crack up.
farrleybear says
As a climbing and Chick Fil A fan, I love this! Too cute.
Pogo says
We’re one of those families that never gets fast food, but my equivalent to fast food is mac n cheese, which I try to only do once a week.
anon says
For me, that seems fine! The only thing I would worry about is sodium. I think fast food tends to be very high salt which can pose problems for babies and toddlers. If it were me, I would look into which foods are high-salt at each place you eat often and avoid giving your kid those. Or do things like take the breading off the chicken, etc. Other than that, I would be fine with this. I’ll post a link to a fun story about fast food for dinner that may make you feel better about this. :-)
anon says
Here is the link to the story! http://www.dinneralovestory.com/my-mom-was-a-fast-food-cook/
Anon says
I have a preschooler and a school-ager. We do restaurants or takeout probably twice a week (and if it’s only once a week, we “make up for it” by having lunchables) because of events right after we get home from work (like swim lessons or school open houses or whatnot). And we always do pizza on Fridays – sometimes it’s homemade with Trader Joes premade dough, but usually it’s a local pizza joint or a take n bake from Aldis.
My kids are great eaters and we often say horrible things like “no more fruit cup until you eat some of your nuggets” or “you can have another serving of peppers when you take a bite of your pizza” because we worry about them getting enough protein.
I don’t have any plans to change this so from my perspective, you sound just fine.
Spirograph says
Ha! My husband literally once told the kids they needed to finish their french fries before they got any more broccoli. I gawped at him.
I lump fast food in with other acceptable but not nutritionally ideal options like restaurants, take-out, pizza (frozen or delivery), and mac and cheese (box or homemade) and typically don’t plan to have more than one of those on any given week. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes we go a couple weeks without eating any of that stuff. It’s a long game, and I figure as long as my kids have a healthy relationship with food and eat items from all the food groups on a regular basis, they will be fine.
Anon says
No fast food, but plenty of restaurant food, which is probably not appreciably better, especially on the sodium front. We eat out at least twice/week normally, way way more when we’re traveling (which is a lot – family and friends all over the country, and when we visit them we eat out basically 100% of the time). We also rely pretty heavily on freezer/canned foods even when cooking at home, but we do make an effort to check labels and by things with real ingredients and less sodium. The saltiest thing we do at home is probably frozen turkey meatballs and we try to do only do those once/week. Plus our daycare food isn’t the healthiest (canned fruit, juice, lots of bread products). If she’s getting 20 home-cooked meals per week and 90% of them are healthy, that sounds absolutely amazing to me.
Anonymous says
Listen, feed your kid. Life is hard enough without feeling guilty about fast food once/week. Sometimes you have to do what works in a busy schedule.
One way I try to soften the fast food (that, let’s be real, is occasionally the only way we’re going to make it to our stuff AND eat dinner) is to get EITHER fries OR a soft drink. The kids know that water is the default, and a sprite is a treat.
Anonymous says
You’re nicer than I am, I refuse to let my kids drink sprite because I don’t want to deal with the sugar rush. Not that chocolate milk or juice are really much better, but meh.
I will say, McDonalds happy meals aren’t terrible these days. Gogurt and apple slices are in addition to/ instead of french fries, so you’re really left with only the burger or nuggets that is a total nutritional wash. Chick fil a fruit cups for the win, as well. Those are our two most frequent fast food places, but I assume other kids meals more or less follow suit.
Anonymous says
Maybe twice a year. Only when we are traveling and that’s our only option. Same as me before I had kids! 52 fast food meals a year sounds dreadful to me but there are all sorts of ways to find balance.
Mama Llama says
My oldest is 5, and I think she’s had it maybe 10 times in her life. She eats plenty of mac and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets and fries at home, though, so I’m definitely not here to judge.
Mama Llama says
I will add that she is a very picky eater, and for the first 3-4 years there wasn’t anything at a fast food restaurant that she would eat, so that’s definitely part of it!
HSAL says
Probably only once or twice a month for my 3.5 year old, but that’s not for any “health” reason, mainly financial, and the fact that getting fast food ends up taking longer than slapping a pb&j together. My aim is “whatever she will eat” over “healthy.” Pizza Fridays, mac and cheese probably once a week, a piece of chocolate or cookie a few times a week, and mainly premade stuff, honestly.
IHeartBacon says
1 meal during the entire week is not a lot of fast food. Of course, 1 meal every other week is better; 1 meal once a month is even better, and so on. It sounds like your LO is a good eater and gets a lot of healthy food and the 1 fast food meal per week is really just a treat.
I know McDonald’s offers milk and apple slices now so if you’re getting your LO a hamburger with milk and apple slices, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. On the other hand, if you’re getting her the Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger with a coke, fries, and apple pie every week, that’s a lot of anybody (not just a 2 year old).
On the extremely rare occasion we have to get LO fast food, we just get the healthiest option on the menu (e.g., grilled chicken) with water (or milk if it’s on option).
SC says
Probably once a week, on the weekends while we’re out doing some other activity (so, Chic Fil A or Costco pizza while running errands, pizza at a birthday party, or chicken tenders/fries at the zoo or wherever). Then maybe once a week, we pick up pizza or get takeout or a restaurant meal that’s not much better, nutritionally speaking. I’m comforted that my kid eats most of his calories early in the day, and his school serves a great, nutritional hot lunch that he apparently eats a ton of. DH also cooks fairly balanced dinners 5-6 times per week, but Kiddo is rarely hungry at dinner time.
avocado says
Fast food grosses me out so we almost always go fast casual instead when we need a quick meal out, but I don’t think Chick-Fil-A is much more of a nutritional disaster than a lot of quick meals people routinely serve at home–frozen nuggets, bagged stir-fries, jarred pasta sauce, etc. All of these things are loaded with sodium, even if they’re organic. I wouldn’t give her high-sodium processed food, whether from Chick-Fil-A or the freezer case, every day, but once a week doesn’t seem excessive.
McDonald’s is a whole other story. Pink slime. Eeeeeeeeew.
Anonymous says
You’re doing great. Did you see the big study that came out about a month ago now that came to the conclusion that the bigger diet-related detriment to health is the absence of healthy foods, not the presence of bad foods? One “bad” meal a week in combination with twenty healthy meals plus snacks is really fantastic. You’re teaching balance, which is awesome.
Seafinch says
I definitely take this approach, our priority is the presence of healthy not the absence of treats. I make everything from scratch, even things like yoghurt, BBQ sauce, salad dressings etc. I cook fairly elaborate meals every night and they eat really high protein/fat/fiber in each meal and they devour vast amounts of vegetables. Nothing processed comes in the house at all with three exceptions; 1) we started to allow high protein/low sugar cereal two mornings a week (Kashi or steel cut oats); 2) about once every six weeks or so I will buy a box of “treats” like Fig Bars or apple sauce at Costco for my son because he feels very ostracized and left out at school without something in a package; 3) and I have recently bought a box of sugary cereal for them for dessert because they begged to be able to taste it, so they got the Frosted Flakes on the understanding it is only dessert. Otherwise, we go with the flow and don’t deny ourselves. If we are out, we will get them Happy Meals or fried chicken if they ask. If one of them is running errands with me there is often a Starbucks treat involved or an ice cream cone. We virtually never go to sit down restaurants anymore (food is disappointing given the cost and trouble with four small kids). We might order pizza four times a year. So overall, loads of healthy and sporadic spikes in treats like German Xmas cookies or extra chocolate kicking around at Easter/Halloween.
Anonymous says
OP here – thanks for this reminder, I did see the study! We are an active family and I’m one who honestly believes that lack of diet/exercise causes a lot of problems. I guess I assumed fast food 1x/week wasn’t that bad since we do minimal processed foods and my child is not a picky eater. She literally can’t get enough of roasted broccoli or edamame. I hear a lot of toddlers only eating Mac and cheese/pizza/or nuggets and everything else is a battle.
Seafinch says
Oh yeah, you’re good! I think it is fine. My kids are the same, very balanced and nothing like nuggets, boxed mac and cheese, even falvoued yoghurt, or freezer food, ever. We don’t do fast food evey week but sometimes every second week and it probably amounts to the same after the Starbucks etc. Diversity and overall balance is what matters.
GCA says
As long as she’s eating a balanced diet, I wouldn’t worry, really. We don’t do actual fast food mostly for financial reasons, but hot dogs are an essential part of any summer cookout and home-assembled pizza was, before kid 2’s milk protein intolerance, its own food group.
Emily S. says
My answer is, more than I would like. 2-3 times a week, we’re at Chick-Fil-A (called the Rooster Store in our house so DD doesn’t hear it and demand it) or Panera or Chipotle. I worry worry worry about the kids’ sodium and sugar intake, especially because they get fed at daycare, and I know that the vegetables and fruit are coming from a can. On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about lunch 5 days a week, they’re getting a fruit and veg with every lunch, and they’re eating things that I don’t make/wouldn’t expose them to at home (bc of my own dietary dislikes.)
I like the mantra, “listen, feed your kid.”