It’s not that easy to find a nursing hoodie that looks like your favorite pre-baby sweatshirt.
This hoodie from Nom comes pretty close. Made from their soft, Cloud Knit fabric, it features an elastic band at the bust and a discreet panel for nursing/pumping. Add their matching joggers for an easy outfit for hanging out at home or going for walks with your little one.
Nom’s Jojo Maternity/Nursing Hoodie is $88 and available in sizes XS–XL at Nordstrom (in oatmeal) and Bloomingdale’s (in the pictured gray and oatmeal). The matching joggers are also $88 at Nordstrom.
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Sales of Note…
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- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles
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- Zappos – 28,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
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- Hanna Andersson – Up to 60% off; up to 30% off select styles
- Carter’s – Summer kickoff deals from $6; 40% off baby essentials
- Old Navy – 30% off your order; girl/toddler/baby dresses $7
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- I think I suffer from mom rage…
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- 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?
Twin vaccines says
Twin moms, any advice on logistics of managing/comforting two babies after shots? Our two-month appointment is today. With my first kid, I think I immediately nursed her post-jabs until she conked out. Is that doable here? Should I bring my nursing pillow to the appointment to prop them both up? And any thoughts on how to time the shots, to the extent I can weigh in?
Anon says
Bring a partner if at all possible – extra hands are really useful in this situation. Otherwise, paci and strapping the one not getting shots into the stroller is more useful than a pillow, but YMMV. Two month shots they’re still so small, so mine got over it quickly. They generally do one twin then the other, but you’ll have time to comfort the first one before they do the second. It was awhile (after 1?) before the second twin realized what was about to happen and freaked out.
Anona says
Agreed on the extra hands, if possible. If not, my best advice is to just GTFO after. Make sure you are fully paid/have scheduled the next appointment so you don’t have to stop at the front desk on the way out. Dress them in something so they can expose their leg/arm without having to get fully undressed – just pull down the leg or up the arm.
I held Baby A while Baby B got shots, then switched. As soon as I was handed Baby B, I just got him ready to go, and as soon as they handed me Baby A, I was basically ready to walk out. 9 times out of 10 (especially at 2 months), when you leave either the exam room or the doctor’s office, they immediately stop crying, but trying to calm them down inside the office is a fool’s errand.
Full disclosure that I also have embraced the mantra with twins that “sometimes, someone just has to cry.” If you can keep yourself calm and relaxed, they will chill as soon as you are out of the office. Good luck! I found these appointments much, much harder to do solo when they were 12 months and older. You should be just fine!
Anonymous says
Even with a singleton, “sometimes, someone just has to cry” is a good thing to remember. With things like shots, the less of a big deal you make out of it the faster they tend to calm down.
There is research demonstrating that sugar can dull the pain of shots. For infants the researchers used a pacifier dipped in some sort of sugar solution. With toddlers I gave them a lollipop to suck on during the shot instead of waiting until afterwards.
Anonymous says
+1. With my one, the crying usually stops as soon as it’s clear that we’re leaving. Lingering in the exam room to comfort her just makes the crying worse because she thinks the nurse is going to come back with more shots.
NYCer says
You may get lucky and one or both of your twins will find that shots are nbd. My younger daughter (especially when an infant) barely has been phased by shots. I never did anything special, and to date at age 3 has always bounced back quickly.
Anonymous says
Just another vote to take someone with you, if possible. Two month shots were NBD for my twins: subsequent shots were harder, but you can medicate. Good luck!
anonamama says
2yo has taken to hiding and scaring the crap out of me. The most recent one, at home, found him in the closed workbench room where he turned off the furnace. (That is now better secured). Our home is still pretty babyproofed, too. I try to check all the danger spots first, but he is super quick and my mind goes to worst case scenario pretty quickly, too. Any help/tips appreciated!
Anon says
Make sure they cannot get in the clothes dryer.
Pogo says
Yikes… fridge or hope chest comes to mind from after school specials.
Anonymous says
At this age we gated off the family room and the playroom (adjacent to the kitchen) so we could keep them contained in the same room as a parent at all times.
Anonymous says
I have tons of baby gates in my house. Some people think it’s excessive, but it has made my life so much better. If you have baby gates limiting 2 year old to certain rooms, it will make hiding much less scary.
Anonymous says
Can I just say that I am impressed with your child? My son liked to play hide and seek at that age, but when it was his turn to hide, he would stand in front of us giggling while we counted to ten, and then say boo when we opened our eyes to find him. When it was our turn to hide, he would instruct us as to where to hide (usually in his bed) before counting to 10.
anonamama says
He’s the same way when we “play”! Can’t stay under the blanket long enough to jump out and surprise us. I love him tremendously, but it seems he created a spinoff version, “Scare the Sh*t out of Mama, Bonus Points if She Cries.” We still have gates installed, sounds like we need to be more vigilant about closing them and locking down additional problem areas.
Realist says
Put a Tile on ankle bracelet or clipped on their back?? Kidding. Maybe b
AwayEmily says
Re: nursing hoodies…I really, really like the Latched Mama “heavy hoodie.” It’s super cozy and has side access that I found very easy to use. It’s also thick and soft enough that you can wear it with no bra underneath, which I like for lounging-around days. I would definitely order a size up, though.
AIMS says
I always thought a nursing hoodie was just a regular one with a zipper.
Anonymous says
Yep. I lived in zip hoodies for the first few months.
AwayEmily says
I dislike zip hoodies while nursing because the zipper is always either bothering the baby or bothering me. The feel of a zipper on my bare skin gives me the heebie-jeebies, but I get that this is a weird Me Thing and likely not common.
Anonymous says
I would never wear a zip hoodie without a shirt underneath. I liked zip hoodie + nursing cami. With the cami you can open the hoodie more so the zipper falls away from you + baby.
DLC says
I bought this on your rec here and love it- still wearing it even though not nursing anymore, it is so cozy. My favorite thing (pre airpods) was I could put my phone in the pocket, plug in my earphones and run the cord up through the nursing side access to put my earbuds in.
Anon says
I would love one of these but color selection seems to be really limited in L-XL. Are these restocked frequently, do you know? Would love the Peacock or Charcoal. The rose and sea foam colors would make me look so washed out and are frankly not my favorite.
AwayEmily says
Yes, in my experience they are restocked pretty frequently. I have the peacock and it’s a really lovely color in person!
Anon says
There’s an Old Navy nursing hoodie that I love…I’m still wearing it at 11 months pp and it looks/feels like a comfy, oversized sweatshirt, but the side “panels” give it a bit of shape. Search Maternity Vintage Cross-Front Nursing Tunic Hoodie
AwayEmily says
I’m wearing this one right now! I agree, it’s surprisingly nice. I do wish it had pockets.
Anonymous says
I really liked Latched Mama clothes because POCKETS. They are usually pretty soft, too. The hoodie I have is also long enough that it is fine with leggings.*
*between pandemic and postpartum I would never judge anyone’s leggings even if paired with a crop top which seems like maybe a great nursing option for warm weather
Anon says
My 7 year old is having anxiety at bedtime with increasing frequency (“I can’t sleep, I’m worried about tomorrow, I can’t stop thinking, etc.”) There doesn’t seem to be anything objectively wrong about his day to day life – he’s happy during the day but has these thoughts at bedtime. I remember also being like this as a child (and frankly still am but have developed techniques to help, some of which I could maybe do, but there’s the aspect of “Thinking about your own thinking” that I’m not sure he quite has yet). Does anyone else have a child like this or any suggestions?
anon says
I don’t know if this will help, but I took a sleep class with Dr. Becky and it had some really good tips for calming anxiety at bedtime in kids, including a recordable button with your voice on it, and a great book called “Bedtime Meditations for Kids” by Cory Cochiolo. I find them really relaxing to do with my four-year old!
Pogo says
I started letting LO listen to the Calm app – they have kids’ “sleep stories”.
Realist says
Same. Though my kid likes some of the non-kids sleep stories, like the train rides. Whatever works.
Anon says
Play a meditation/sleep story after you turn out the light. There’s plenty on YouTube, and there’s podcast versions, too. Or you could get a Zenimal. We had a nightly problem with my 6-year-old earlier this year and this 95% solved it. He doesn’t even need the meditation most nights anymore
Anonymous says
I would go with calming sleep stories or meditations first, but What Fresh H*ll just mentioned putting a TV in the bedroom and allowing kids to fall asleep with it if it works. Not a thing that will win you parent of the year, but it is easier to control the content. Plenty of adults fall asleep this way. Sleep is important and TV in the bedroom seems like a much better option than a tired and anxious kid if they are still struggling after you try everything.
Just something I never thought about. They put it on a segment that was something like “parent tips that shouldn’t work but actually do.”
Anonymous says
I cannot fall asleep without the TV. It is the only way I can turn my brain off. The key is that it must be unexciting and familiar so I don’t really have to pay attention. I generally watch my favorite old sitcom. Just hearing the characters’ voices now makes me sleepy.
Anon. says
Same. I have been watching The West Wing on repeat to fall asleep for roughly 15 years now.
Coach Laura says
Yes, same TV show on repeat. It has to have even volume (no crashes or loud commercials) and soothing voices. I like Murder She Wrote or Columbo from the oldies channel.
OP says
OP – thank you all. This is so helpful!
Anonymous says
Do you pray together? In my tradition, prayer allows us to give our burdens to God. It can also be an opportunity to focus on good things, like gratitude and the people we love.
Anon says
I experienced this as a child (starting around age 8-9). I was a happy child with a great life. However, my insomnia and nighttime anxiety became severe. After trying a few different things, my mom contact the pediatrician and I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. I ended up in therapy and on a small dose of Zoloft and it worked wonders for me in solving my sleep issues. I tapered off after a year or so. Sometimes it really is a chemical imbalance and you need a little more support.
I don’t say this to freak you out! I’m a happy, healthy, successful (sometimes anxious) adult now. Meds and therapy have worked wonders for me when I’ve needed them throughout my life, and I’m so grateful I had a family of origin that supported taking care of your mental health vs. making me ashamed of it.
Fallen says
Late in the day but I am psychologist and work a bit with kiddos that age and i would suggest getting the Coping Cat book/workbook – lots of helpful tips for kiddos to manage anxiety (even if minor/just at bedtime). Some of the things you can work on (the book helps with this) are labeling feelings, noticing when we are anxious, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, belly breathing, changing the way we think, etc. And of course if it doesn’t work better consider a psychologist – kiddos can make so much progress so quickly in my experience working with a professional.
anonM says
Anyone find some good deals on winter gear for next year and/or spring rain jackets? Also a fleece zip up? Looking for my 4yo specifically. Love bright colors/unisex that I could pass down to DD. (Found a great discount on a winter jacket from Reima for DD- such a great yellow color and close to half off!).
anon says
I’ve been eying some Reima stuff but have never ordered from there! Any tips on sizing?
Also waiting for that magical Patagonia sale (unless I missed it?!! ugh)
anonM says
I’ll try to remember to follow up once I get it in the mail/try it on DD!
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I love Primary for this, and I believe Patagonia is having a sale as well.
Cb says
I think they ship to the US but I’ve been super impressed with the quality of Mountain Warehouse. It’s a UK outdoors store, not Patagonia, but I think the quality has been really good. Sometimes they have fun colours in puffers and coats. I also love Lindex, got the nicest raincoat from there. Fun scandi prints and patterns.
anonM says
Thank you, this is what I ended up using! Found some nice bright colors.
Anon says
Lands End has some good sales on squall jackets. I picked up DD one for end of this winter and early next winter (the kid seems to grow sizes mid winter, which can be frustrating) for $25.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Welp, masks are officially optional for all teachers/staff at my kids daycare/pre-school. Our local school district as well. We’ve all been exposed likely multiple times and just got through Omnicron a few weeks ago, but it still seems a touch early IMHO given that our county positivity rate is barely <10%.
anon says
So what’s the worst that happens? You get omicron again? Not the end of the world
OP says
Eh, true. Just feels a little early for where we live given the positivity rate. Then again, I’m quickly going to “does anything matter anymore?” levels of risk assessment…
Anonymous says
“Does anything matter anymore” was where we ended up when our school mask mandate was dropped in the middle of the omicron surge. Up until that point we had been following the “risk budget” philosophy. During the surge we went into total lockdown except for school. After masks went away at school and infection seemed a certainty no matter what, we figured that the risk budget approach was no longer useful and started doing some masked things again.
In your situation, I would feel pretty safe if everyone in the household had already recovered from omicron, at least for the next couple of months or until the next variant emerges.
Anonymous says
The real worry here is probably more frequent classroom closures and quarantines, which are terribly disruptive.
Anonymous says
+1. Masks are no longer required here, but the quarantine/isolation/testing for every illness rules are the same. (And I have an isolating asymptomatic toddler at home right now)
NYCer says
My daughter’s private school officially announced masks optional as of tomorrow. I am thrilled. I hope that our younger daughter’s preschool will be next.
Anonymous says
I’m waiting for this day. Our private school has finally relaxed cohorting rules for playground time and after care. With the caveat that I’m not a public health expert or a doctor, I’m officially at the “does anything matter anymore?” point. The risk to school age children is low, and I am beyond ready to let kids’ see each others full faces and interact with more than one classroom worth of peers.
Our county mask mandate dropped last week, and while it’s still common to see 50%+ of people in public spaces with a mask on, my 5 year old (who is fully vaccinated and had asymptomatic omicron last week) was THRILLED to walk around a grocery store with no mask this weekend. We’re done with masks unless required or by expressed preference of people we’re spending time with.
Mary Moo Cow says
If anecdotal evidence makes you feel better, our school has been mask optional for 4 weeks, and we have had 0 cases and 1 in precautionary quarantine from outside school contact. Zero cases. All the teachers are vaccinated; I don’t know stats about kids, but it is PK-8th.
Mobile sibling problems says
How do I respond and what do I do when my four-year old sets up elaborate toy-scapes and says her 9-month old sister can’t touch them? I don’t like spending all of my time with the two of them keeping the baby away from the paw patroller and assorted missions. Four-year-old is not interested in playing alone in her room with her toys (fair) and baby is only interested in destroying what her sister builds. I’m tired of the four-year-old tantrums and tired of intervening with the baby in the playroom. If I leave the baby to play on her own (while right there of course!), the four-year-old ends up pushing her away from the set-up toys, and the baby ends up (very mildly) hurt and then tears for all ensue. All the book about sibling stuff just say to validate the feelings of the older one, but like, what do I physically do in the situation?
Anonymous says
Get one of those portable plastic play yards for the baby.
AwayEmily says
Or for the 4yo…we ended up designating the inside of the play yard as the place that the older kid could do their stuff undisturbed.
AwayEmily says
(I will note the older kid, who was 3 at the time, was not trapped in there, they were perfectly capable of opening the door themselves!)
Redux says
When my kids were that age, I told the older kid that if she was doing something that she did not want baby brother to touch then she had to do it somewhere he couldn’t reach. This worked out to the kitchen table most times, and has remained her go-to spot for crafting even though he is no longer a grabby baby. The lesson is that it is more or less unreasonable to expect that the little one won’t touch her things if she sets them up on the coffee table or the floor. And as you said, it’s no fun for you to have to referee that. I vote kitchen table!
CCLA says
Similarly, we told older kid that if she wanted to make something that baby sister couldn’t touch, she could make it in her room (we were in an apartment at the time so it’s not like she was banished to another floor by herself, she was around the corner). Agree that designating a space is key. In the living room it was free for all!
Anonymous says
Let the 4-year-old have the playroom and take the baby into another room with some toys.
Pogo says
We have this same problem. I did find it got better when the younger one started walking, because he tends to be more interested in playing by himself or following me around. At 9mos we put the younger one in a playpen.
We have had some success with drawing a line on Legos being in big kid’s room only because of choking hazards. This helps. I also will say, “Let’s find something that [little bro] *can* play with – can he have this car?”
We also try to divide and conquer if both DH and I are around to prevent this as much as possible.
Cb says
I only have one but for things like Lego etc, maybe you could do them on a big tray that could be played with on the dining room table and then moved?
sg says
We have our older one build and then make a game out of it where baby destroys everything- like “oh no baby-zilla coming to town”
That doesn’t solve how you let the older one build – but might make the baby-destroying a bit more fun.
Anon says
Same. We always say rebuilding is part of the fun. My kids are 7, 5, 2 and 0 so we’ve had years of this and at this point they just kind of sigh and start rebuilding.
GCA says
My kids have the same age gap. We ended up with the tiny Legos on the table and/or only while baby was asleep. Kid 1’s elaborate Lego planes were easy to stow in a tub that lives on a high shelf – not sure if this is true for your kid’s toyscapes though!
Swim stuff for Skinny/Chilly Kids? says
Do any of you have any recommendations for swim stuff for kids who are beanpoles and get chilled during swim lessons? I recall reading on here there’s some suits that are designed to keep them warmer but I can’t remember what they are called…TIA.
Anonymous says
What swimsuit style do you have? We have found that more fabric = colder because the suit stays wet and clammy. The sun protection suits are the worst offenders, especially the baggier ones. For girls, a tank or racing style swimsuit is best for indoor or cool-weather swimming.
NYCer says
+1. Definitely just a regular swim suit for swim lessons, no rash guards!
Anonymous says
We did long sleeved rash guards and just made sure to have a big towel and do a hot shower after.
Anon says
As a counterpoint, I switched my kids over to all short-sleeved rash guards because the long-sleeved ones seem to make them colder! I’m guessing because they sleeves stay wet and cold
Anonymous says
Exactly. For indoor swim lessons you don’t need a rash guard. They just make the kids so cold. Tank-style suit for girls, trunks only for boys.
Anonymous says
I would guess that rashguards keep you warmer when in the water but make you cold when you are out of the water. So if they are getting in and out a lot or sitting on the pool deck a lot, they may backfire.
Anon says
We got our kids shortie wet suits for swim lessons. They’re not that expensive on Amazon.
New Mom of 2 says
I am due to have my 2nd baby next month. My daughter is 3 years old (will be almost 3.5 by the time baby arrives). She is obsessed with claiming the new baby books/toys/gear as her own. We just had a little Sprinkle and got a handful of books and she keeps begging to take these baby-ish books with her to daycare and read them every night. In the long run, it really doesn’t matter if she uses these books before baby arrives, but I do want to prepare her that not everything we get for the baby is “hers.” I tell her that most of the toys in the house are hers, but baby brother will have some things that are his too. This goes in one ear and out the other. How much should I hold the boundary that baby toys are for the baby, or does this really not matter?
anonM says
I wouldn’t worry yet. Both my kids read the young sibling’s board books — there are so many rules around a new baby in the family that making all baby toys off limits seems unnecessary. Save the NOs for the big things – hitting, baby bottles, etc. And newborn won’t know for a long time whether big sibling is “taking” their things. Sounds like normal reaction to big life change – trying to assert some control. You might want to have baby “give” big sister a gift- she might really like that. And vice-versa– she might really get a kick out of picking something for baby. For DS, we let him play with something special (read- it had little parts that couldn’t be around baby) during nap time. It really was great for getting him to not wake baby because he loved the special toy time.
Pogo says
Sometimes this happens and the board books end up in big brother’s room. I ‘migrate’ them back surreptitiously and he forgets about them. I have success with us doing a little bro book in the nursery, then put him to bed and then I try to make big brother’s books seem special and more grown up sounding and just a mommy/big bro time.
When my mom gives the kids books, we actually label them. That really helps now that big brother can read his name, he knows ‘his’ book vs brother’s.
I let him play with baby/toddler toys BUT I set a timer for him to give back to little brother (especially things like the learning farm, which is annoying when used properly but EXTRA annoying when a 4yo is running around with it at full speed). If he refuses to comply, I take it away and it only comes out when big bro is not around.
Anon says
I only have one child, so I don’t have advice on the sibling rivalry front, but my 4 year old still loves board books when she comes across them, so this might be less about “wanting to take sibling’s things” and more about “hey, this looks fun!” She recently found a stack of board books I was planning to donate to a library and has reclaimed them as her bedtime reading.
Anona says
Strongly, strongly, STRONGLY advise you to absolutely let this go or even lean into it…..this falls hard into the category where resisting hurts the kid who is right in front of you but doesn’t actually help the kid who hasn’t arrived yet. If you lean into it, and let her take the books to school, read them to her friends, encourage her to play with the toys, you resist her feeling resentful. Think of it from her perspective! Toys go into a room, where no one plays with them, and she can’t touch them? I’d be angry at this unknown kid too! But let her play with the toys or read the books and she will feel inclusive of the baby, not like she is being excluded. You can periodically ask her if she’d be willing to read to the baby, but don’t be surprised or offended if she says no. Figuring out that not everything is hers will be immediately apparent when the new baby arrives, no need to force the issue with something that doesn’t really matter, like a toy the baby doesn’t care about.
Anecdotally, we let our older kids open, inspect, and commandeer basically every toy that was given to our twins, up until the twins were probably 2 years. A few things happened — 1) big kids realized that many of the toys were babyish and they gave them back quickly; 2) it becomes apparent how much baby stuff is ridiculous b/c babies don’t use toys or stuffies for a very long time anyway; and 3) my big kids couldn’t get enough of giving their stuff back to the twins. They might grab a new lovey, but it would eventually end up in a crib or a big kid would hand over a teddy bear they haven’t used in a while. Again, the baby doesn’t know any different, but the big kid does.
Anonymous says
Agree 100%. On both this post and the one about the baby knocking over the 4-year-old’s toys, I am squarely on the side of the older sibling. Let her play with the baby’s toys now; it will be months before the baby can even hold a toy. And don’t let a baby take or mess up an older sibling’s things.
Anona says
Also agreed. We’ve also found that being super respectful of the older kid’s feelings and things especially at the beginning cultivates an older kid who is far more tolerant of a younger kid. When they feel respected and like they have control, they are far more likely to pay it forward when dealing with the baby. We never had luck telling our older kids how to behave with the babies, but we always had luck when we treated the older kids how we wanted them to treat the babies.
New Mom of 2 says
Thanks. This is what I was struggling with mentally. I have the gut reaction that I need to teach her that baby brother will have his own things too, while balancing the fact that in reality this really doesn’t matter. She is super excited about the baby, and I don’t want to change that so I think I will lean in to sharing all the things with her. If it becomes a problem of not sharing with brother down the line, we will cross that bridge then.
I think this internal conflict may stem from some guilt I have around being the older sister in my family and knowing through actions that I was the favorite/ knowing that my sister has had some major resentment toward me because of that. I don’t want to over correct, though! So thanks for the reality check.
Anona says
It’s so good to check your own biases! My own internal struggle was that the giver of the gifts for the twins would often appear upset or remark “but that’s for the twins!” The people pleaser in me wanted to appease them, but with some perspective, I realized my older kids needed me to look out for their feelings more than I needed to make, for instance, my 75 year old neighbor feel comfortable. This perspective helped tremendously, and after a while, I realized I really didn’t care if an adult thought I was coddling my big kids. 3 years in – and my big kids really and truly adore the twins, so I feel like I played the long game.
Anon says
+1 Once they get older (like age 5-7) I start to enforce that certain things are for each kid alone because they belong to them, but when they’re younger everything’s fair game.
Exception would be if 3 year old decided she wanted to start using baby’s pacifier.
AwayEmily says
I know there have been discussions of this before but in our house the only “property” that kids have (in the sense that they can demand it back at any time and dictate whether other people can touch it) is their loveys. Everything else, they have to ask “can I have it when you’re done?” (this is how daycare does it and we copied). So, if the 4yo got a race car for Christmas and the 6yo is playing with it, the 4yo still needs to ask “can I have it when you’re done.” It being “his” does not preclude his sister from playing with it, nor does it mean he can take it from her any time. This may change as they get older but for now it works well.
Anonymous says
I like “can I have it when you’re done” because it means that the kid asking doesn’t just get to grab the toy away from the one who is currently using it. A lot of parents interpret “sharing” to mean that one kid can just demand something the other is using and get it.
anonM says
THISSS yes! My kid isn’t a “bad” sharer because he doesn’t like things ripped out of his arms, just like any adult would balk at that. Daniel Tiger has a great jingle “Before you take something away–Stop and ask if it’s okay”. DD is 2 and will put her hand out and sing this song if DS tries to grab things away from her.
Anon says
For anyone who hasn’t traveled on a plane due to kids being under 2, are you going to continue waiting it out until there is a vaccine or when they turn 2 and can wear a mask? Or as omicron subsides and most people seem to have gotten covid now at this point, are you going to be more comfortable to take a flight with an unvaccinated kid who can’t wear a mask? We’ve made it this far without traveling but it’s starting to wear down on me that we still haven’t been able to travel to the midwest to see my parents (fortunately they have visited us but they are old and I don’t want them to do all the traveling and plus would love to visit home as well). We have thought about driving but would take two full days of driving and I think I learned from this board that a kid shouldn’t be in a carseat for more than a few hours at a time but would love to hear if anyone has done a two-day car trip with a kid under 2.
AIMS says
This is a personal decision obviously, but I wouldn’t think twice about going. We’ve only recently taken a plane trip with our little ones (inc an unvaccinated 4 year old) but that’s because we don’t have close family to visit. If we had any grandparents, esp. older ones, in flying distance I wouldn’t hesitate to go. Planes have good air filtration and adults are mostly all in masks. I was comfortable with it for taking vacation.
Anon4This says
+1 to this. We moved near my side of the family in 2019, but if we were still a plane ride away, no way in hell I would not be travelling to see them (not saying this with judgement, I am just being emphatic because…love my fam!).
DH’s family is a few states away and they have driven and flown to see us, and DH and our older DD (4) are going to fly to DH’s home state for a long weekend in April. DD had been on like 20+ flights by age 2, and then…pandemic life. Meanwhile, DD #2 is 14 months and has never been on a flight….
Anon says
Same. We have flown twice to visit aging grandparents with our 18mo. Adults were masked and we stayed away from people in the airport as much as possible.
Anonymous says
I think we cannot take masking on planes for granted for much longer, unfortunately. So if having adults around your family be mostly masked is important to you, I’d go ASAP.
Anon says
yes, it ends March 18th and may not be renewed.
Anonymous says
Even before the pandemic, we mostly drove with little kids instead of flying. We got tired of cancelling trips because of day care illnesses, so we finally quit booking flights or any other reservations where we would lose money for cancelling or changing dates. We did several long road trips with kids under 2, including some two-day and three-day drives. If your kid doesn’t get carsick it should be fine. Plan around naps and mealtimes. Look for rest stops with playgrounds. Instead of getting off the road in the early evening and doing the whole bedtime routine at the hotel, we liked to put them in PJs at dinnertime, keep driving, let them sleep in the car for several hours, and then just carry them in half-asleep and dump them in the hotel bed.
Anon says
As a counterpoint, I found flying much easier than driving before 2. My kid loved people-watching on planes and was always pretty content on plane flights, barring specific issues like ear pain. She hated being confined to a car seat in the car and traveling by car did not get pleasant until she could zone out to screens which didn’t happen until age 2. There was one car trip as an infant where she screamed the *entire* way because she was so mad about being restrained in her car seat. That trip was only 4 hours, mercifully, but if we’d been planning a 3 day road trip we likely would have had to give up and turn around for our own sanity. It just depends on the kid.
Anon says
2 is just an approximate guideline. I know plenty of people who got kids as young as 18 months to mask. But to answer your question, no I wouldn’t fly with a kid who couldn’t mask and isn’t vaccinated. We flew a few times last summer with an unvaxxed 3 year old but she was really good about masks.
Anon says
We did a 20-hour trip in our Pacifica with our nearly-2 year old and 7 year old. Stopped about halfway to stay in a hotel for a night. We did it, but it was A LOT, and honestly my husband and I decided it was easier for us to have me our children fly back home and he drove back solo. That trip was much more enjoyable for him, and my kids did fine on the plane. I was probably the most stressed. If you have the tolerance for it and honestly would prefer to drive, that’s fine, but it wasn’t for us. I did my absolute best to pack enough books and toys and snacks but it was rough. If I were to do it again, I’d just fly both ways. IIRC there have been studies to show air exchange on the plane itself is fine and Covid risk while flying is pretty small, and it’s the extended time in the airport that is more risky.
Anon says
There was data released that the vaccine basically doesn’t protect against infection in the 5-11 group…not to mention all the boosters expiring after four months…so I would not base decisions on vaccines right now, honestly. They work against severe illness for most people, but odds are already very much in favor of little kids not suffering severe illness (I am a pro-vaxxer, caveat caveat etc, but have become disillusioned with the new variants). And before long the mask mandate might be totally lifted, so this could be as safe as it’s going to get for a while
Anonymous says
How old is your kiddo? My youngest was <2 when COVID hit and has always worn a mask. 95% because her older siblings did and she didn’t want to feel left out.
If you have an infant, I’d baby wear and keep her close to you/away from others. That’s really all a mask is doing anyway on a young kid.
Cornellian says
Mine just turned five and got vaccinated, but we were putting off traveling until he turned 5. It looks like the younger kids may be vaccinated by May, so if you’re planning summer trips you should be fine. THe flipside is that by then masking will probably be gone, so, I’m not sure which you’d prefer…
Anon says
Very dumb question from a non-parent: My friend/former boss is expecting and I’d like to send her a gift but I’m not sure what would be useful. What were your favorite useful baby products?
CHL says
I think a nice safe gift that I’ve received and found useful for many years was one of the hooded animal towels from Pottery Barn Kids.
AIMS says
I love these. I would recommend the kid size over the baby one – just as useful but will last longer (and they may have some baby sized ones already).
anonM says
Was just going to say this. Even the hooded beach towels – so cute. And not a gift that is annoying to get duplicates of.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1 million to this. We still use a hooded baby towel for DS #1 (who is a tall 4 year old) at swim class. We have 2 PB Kids embroidered ones (one for each kid) are we literally use them everyday. I would definitely encourage buying the kid size vs. baby (great idea!) because it can be used…….forever.
Mrs. Jones says
Thermometer and diapers. If she has a registry I’d check that out.
Anonymous says
I would be so confused to get this as a gift. Don’t do this!
AIMS says
I think this is a know your gift recipient type of situation. I also totally understand people wanting to be practical, but to me this is what gift receipts from stores with easy and generous return policies are for. I got some diapers when I had kids and it was well intentioned but I liked the brand I liked and didn’t really want others. Also I have like 12 thermometers at this point.
Anon says
Yes. Diaper brand preferences are VERY specific and varied. If you got me non-my preferred brand diapers they would have gone to waste. (And hooray for gift certificates when needed, but please don’t give someone something with that mentality like “oh they can just return it if needed” – you’re basically giving a new mom an errand).
Anon says
*i meant gift receipts
Anon says
Yeah, most moms I know have strong feelings on diaper brand so I never buy diapers as a gift for this reason. Although people register for diapers, and I’m not sure how you could know your diaper preference when you register, especially for a first baby.
Cb says
I’d get some fun board books – go to a local bookstore for a steer on what is new and hip, as everyone tends to buy Goodnight, Moon.
Anon says
+1 we got multiple copies of classic books, including five (!) copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Its a great idea to go to a local bookstore and ask for off the beaten path book recs.
I got a lot of personal care items from my hospital (including a thermometer and a nose sucker) so I’m really against giving those. My opinion is you should give books, clothes or something off the registry if she has one.
Anon says
See if she has a registry by searching her name at all of the regulars: target, Amazon, buy buy baby, and babylist
Anonymous says
For someone you’re not super close to, I personally don’t think you can go wrong with an outfit or two and/or a cute little book. Otherwise, I agree with others that if you want to get something more “useful,” you should look into whether she has a registry.
Aunt Jamesina says
I feel like everyone I know got way too many outfits as gifts. I would avoid clothing.
AIMS says
Eh, I would just buy in size 6 month or 9 months, mindful that it should be relatively weather neutral. I got a lot of clothes but anything in bigger sizes ended up getting used. The only thing I always consider with clothes is don’t just buy the cutest thing – look for stuff that is soft, easy to wear, etc. Don’t get something scratchy.
Anon says
Huh, we barely got any clothes as gifts. My BFF with a kid a few months older sent me some really cute but ridiculously impractical outfits that I just put on her for photos and another friend gave us a couple 3-6M onesies that definitely got worn regularly. And my office gave us some pajamas that we used. But that was it for clothes – most people gave us books or toys. Newborn clothing would have been the only thing that went to waste for us, since my daughter almost 9 lbs and in 0-3M clothing from birth, but fortunately people looked at her two giant parents and figured out she was unlikely to wear newborn clothes ;)
Anonymous says
In this situation I usually go with fun over utility. A onesie related to her favorite band, hobby, or alma mater, or a picture book by a songwriter or about a musician.
OP says
Interesting! I was going to do an outfit, but I thought it would be better to get something useful so that she could shop for the fun stuff. Glad to hear from real parents though
Anonymous says
A cute onesie is still useful. An “outfit,” not so much.
Anonymous says
After reading a lot of disdainful posts here from wealthier parents who are extremely picky about the gifts they receive, I now hesitate to buy anything that isn’t on a registry.
Aunt Jamesina says
I’m definitely not wealthy and wasn’t at all disdainful of off-registry baby gifts we received, but nearly all of them got donated because either 1. they were clothes or blankets and we already had way, WAY too many and a lot of the clothing we were gifted didn’t align with size/seasons 2. it was a different brand of something that was on our registry (and we selected that exact item for a reason, I’m thinking of my cousin who gave us a really nice smart baby monitor when we don’t use IOT items in our home) or 3. It was an item we didn’t want to have at all.
I was and am very grateful for the gifts and lovely sentiments (yes, it is the thought that counts), but it made me sad for the gift-givers and from a consumption perspective that their gifts weren’t going to good use. I’m hoping since we donated a number of items with tags still on to a women’s shelter that they won’t be wasted. It’s just safer to stick to the registry and maybe throw in a small toy or book if you want to put a personal spin on things. Of course you can give whatever you’d like, but *if* you’re concerned about giving something they’ll definitely want, the registry is the way to go.
Anon Lawyer says
I found that I could always use clothes and blankets but I don’t live somewhere with very extreme seasons so as long as it’s not a newborn size fleece suit for a summer baby, it should be fine. Yeah there’s a ton of blankets but as the kid gets older, it’s nice to be able to just grab one for whatever and have it be a meaningful one from someone we love.
I agree for big items you should get the brand the parents want for the reasons you state but I think for most people, low stakes stuff (clothes, toys, books) will get used by most people.
Aunt Jamesina says
Interesting! Among my set of friends, we all got positively inundated with newborn clothing. We’re also in Chicago, so seasons matter. The six month sized snowsuit I got for my December baby def won’t work!
Aunt Jamesina says
… I’m wondering also if the fact that my friends and I had Covid era babies and didn’t have showers, so people were less likely to buy off the registry…
Anon says
Yeah, I’m surprised by having to donate a ton of unworn clothes. I’m in the Midwest with real seasons, but you can make most clothes seasonally appropriate by layering or keeping the indoor temperature slightly higher or cooler than you would otherwise. The only thing I can think of that would actually be impossible would be like a snowsuit in the summer months, but clothes like that generally have a lot of size flexibility and can be worn slightly too big or too small. My daughter definitely wore all the practical clothes we were gifted, although I didn’t have any issues putting her in something that was slightly baggy or too short. The only things that got tossed after minimal wear were fancy dresses, because…baby. But I did manage to work most of those into a family photoshoot so at least they gave us some cute memories.
Anon Lawyer says
I think everyone I know had heard not to get newborn clothing so I mostly got 6-12 month stuff and actually had to buy some extra newborn stuff when my baby was tiny. But it was really nice to have some older stuff already in reserve to sort through when my baby went up a size for the first 18 months. I had hand me downs too but nice to have some cute “new” clothes.
But I definitely agree that you shouldn’t get winter gear out of season. But like onesies and footie jammies seem reasonably safe.
Anonymous says
Same. I eyeroll when people are against clothing as a gift. If they are not close enough to be invited to a shower/ haven’t been given a registry link then what the heck else could you possibly get? You will end up getting something “useful” that they already registered for, or have done research on and know exactly what brand they want. I personally loved getting clothes as gifts and did not end up with too much.
Aunt Jamesina says
I’m not at all against clothing as a gift (and most of the people who gave us clothing did have our registry info, hah!). Just something I didn’t get much use out of. We didn’t find out the sex of the baby or have a shower, and it seemed like a lot of people held off on buying gifts until they knew if it was a boy or girl… by which time we had already purchased necessities (but we did still have some items left on the registry). once she was born, we got a bunch of special occasion wear and Christmas themed clothing for newborns. Not super useful for a pandemic baby that has gone almost nowhere outside of the pediatrician’s office! The larger size stuff we did get was very seasonal (sundresses and hat and the aforementioned snowsuit) aside from a few onesies. Now that I think about it, people in our age bracket largely got the useful stuff, while my older relatives were the ones who went hog wild with the baby clothes.
I feel like most of my friends were swimming in baby clothes, so it’s interesting to hear otherwise!
Anonymous says
I had a friend get me a bunch of cute seasonal stuff in 12-18 month size so my baby could wear it a year later. Everyone always gives the newborn stuff. Another friend got me the lovely Hanna Andersson one piece zip-up pajamas and they were a favorite after that.
sg says
Snack box from a local shop/grocery store or non-common books
Anonymous says
I would do a picture book you loved as a kid and a cute onesie/ pajamas (babies basically live in onesies for at least the first six months). Clothes are always useful, as long as they’re not designed for special occasions, and a picture book makes it personal. Depending on your friend’s personality, there are brands with cute modern patterns (Monica & Andy, Tea) and brands that are more traditional (Kissy Kissy, etc). Maisonette has a lot of cute stuff as well.
CHL says
Does anyone have recommendations for a Yellowstone Park hotel / cabins with an 8 and 10 year? All the online articles just basically list all the park hotels and I can’t tell why one would be better than another. Thanks!
ifiknew says
We’re buying a house that’s going to have a long skinny side yard of about 1000 SF and a large backyard that has a pool and paved stone area. The pool will have a fence of course, but do you have ideas of small backyard / side yard toys that would be a hit for 3 and 5 year olds?
I was thinking a chalkboard wall on the side yard fence and a small playground set, but maybe a climbing dome would be better. I don’t know if its worth just getting swings (we’ve had tree swings since my 5 year old was a baby).
CHL says
We set up a wooden “counter” and then put Ikea kitchen storage rails on our fence and hung things like shovels, rakes, colander, buckets, etc. on it for fun kind of like an outdoor kitchen. A water table might also be fun or a small planter for digging in the dirt or trying to plant actual plants.
Anoner says
Does anyone have sneaker recs for a kiddo (5) who is just incredibly hard on sneakers? Previously have had new balance, nikes, see kai run and vans and all have gotten holes. From scooter and otherwise. Even the osh kosh bump it got a hole. We’re almost out of boot weather (see kai run from target) so need some sneakers. Thank you!
Anonymous says
Have you tried hiking shoes? Those tend to be sturdier with thicker toe bumpers.
Spirograph says
+1 Merrell hiking shoes worked well for my kids EXCEPT the little elastic-y laces, which needed to be replaced once. Under Armor sneakers were better than Nike or New Balance. I call it a win if the kids outgrow them before they’re destroyed, and luckily their feet are still growing pretty fast.
jz says
we had merrells and the laces broke after a month. they actually just sent us a brand new pair.
Anon says
I don’t have a brand comparison but we buy my 4 year old Adidas and they seem to hold up pretty well. Although she only just started scootering so maybe that will be a game changer.
Anon says
Try Plae. My son was ROUGH on his shoes and nothing holds up like Plae sneakers.
Anonymous says
You can definitely try Merrill’s or hiking shoes, but we only buy my daughter good brands from a independently owned children’s shoe store (not stride rite) and we find new balance and sauconys to hold up the best. Followed by stride rite and nikes last. The nikes have fallen apart the easiest. I definitely wouldn’t buy Vans. My daughter is almost 5 and extremely active. My son is 2.5 and crazy coordinated, but with wide feet so he can only wear new balance wides. The See Kai Run Atlas II (for the winter) have been great, but once my DD was past 2 See Kai Runs weren’t tough enough for her
GCA says
Following for an older kid (6+) who is incredibly active and sporty and wants only ‘fast running shoes’ like mom and dad. The soles of his New Balance sneakers just fell off. Maybe we should try Under Armour? Adidas? (Through daycare age he grew so fast that he would just barely outgrow his sneakers before they fell apart.) I’m starting to think I need to treat shoes like consumables and set up a budget for kid shoes, the same way I go through a couple pairs of running shoes a year.
anon says
My older kid is hard on shoes and his Adidas running shoes have held up well! Under Armour is hit or miss depending on the style. Some held up great, others were falling apart within a few weeks.
Anonymous says
I think so. I mean imagine how many more miles kids put on their shoes than average adults. Especially if they’re getting adequate free play time outside. My 2.5 and almost 5 year old RUN 2 miles in the woods on a weekly basis with me. Like legitimate trail running only stopping to catch their breath or take a drink of water. I know that’s not the norm but those miles add up!
GCA says
Yeah, this is us too, especially in the warmer months. I’ve been tempted to sneak a Fitbit onto him to see how much he moves in a day!
Anoner says
Thank you all! Going to check out these recs. The new balance we bought from going to an independent shoe store and getting him measured and spending $$$. So disappointing.
Anonymous says
Hope this reply isn’t too late. But check out Tsukihoshi sneakers!! I’ve gotten them from nordies and Zappos and on sale one time on zulily. Pricey but they seriously wear like iron and can withstand scootering.
Anonymous says
BTW, my other points of reference for the “wear like iron” comment are Nikes and See Kai Run sneakers. TBH, I have a love-hate relationship with SKR sneakers (especially the ones with the flat Converse-style soles)—so cute! But the soles and sides of soles show wear quickly.
Anonymous says
Any tips for teething? One of my twins (12 mo) has been up for four hours the last two nights because he’s sad/uncomfortable from teething. I give ibuprofen: it doesn’t seem to do much. Room is dark, cool: he doesn’t take a paci. This is the second round of teething and I’m hoping it goes better than last time.
AIMS says
YMMV, but I had great success with Boiron’s camelia drops. It’s a homeopathic treatment & was recommended by a pediatrician friend. I was super surprised to find it worked on both my kids.
NLD in NYC says
+1
Anon says
My older kids responded better to ibuprofen but my current baby does better with Tylenol for teething pain. Try that?
Anon says
Or we actually alternate the two!
Anon says
Tylenol always worked much better for my teething for my daughter than Ibuprofen. I feel like a lot of people don’t know this, but Tylenol has mild anti-anxiety properties. So while Ibuprofen may help with inflammation in a way Tylenol doesn’t, Tylen can help a kid who is being kept awake by the fact that they’re anxious/sad about the pain more than the pain itself (which in hindsight was definitely my kid’s issue). I think my ped also said you can give both if you want, since they don’t act on the same parts of the body.
anon says
Kat, there is a Hyundai ad autoplaying on the right hand sidebar. I’m using Chrome on iPad.