This maternity dress will become a summer favorite.
Made from cotton with a touch of stretch, this crinkle gauze dress is as easy to care for as it is to wear. The universally flattering faux-wrap silhouette accommodates your changing body, while the V-neck provides for easy nursing or pumping access after your baby arrives.
Add a cardigan or jacket for a relaxed office look and strappy sandals with a bold necklace for the weekend.
Gap’s Maternity Crinkle Gauze Wrap Dress is $99.95 full price, but today you can take 30% off regular-price styles at checkout. It comes in sizes XXS–XXL and is available in sage, red, and true black.
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!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Sales of Note…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 2,100+ new markdowns!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything; extra 30% off orders $100+
- Eloquii – $39 select styles; 50% off select styles
- J.Crew – 25-50% off wear-now styles; extra 50% off select sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 50% off women’s dresses; extra 60% off clearance
- Loft – 60% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale: Extra 50% off markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ 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
- J.Crew – 25-40% off kids’ styles; extra 50% off select sale
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all kids’ & baby clothing; PJs on sale from $25; up to 75% off clearance
- Carter’s – Rule the School Sale: Up to 50% off; up to 40% off baby essentials
- Old Navy – 50% off back-to-school styles; 30% off your order, even clearance
- Target – Backpacks from $7.99; toddler & kids’ uniforms on sale from $5
- Pottery Barn Baby – Summer sale: up to 50% off
- Nordstrom – Limited time sales on brands like Maxi-Cosi and Bugaboo.
- Strolleria – Free infant seat car adapter with any Thule stroller; 30% off all Peg-Perego gear in our exclusive Incanto Collection
Anon says
Do you think 5 is too young for the little mermaid? Debating whether my 5 year old would enjoy it!
Anonymous says
It’s 2.5 hours. That’s my concern.
Cb says
Yeah, I’m not sure my nearly 6 year old could hang for 2.5 hours. Although he’s going to live Aladdin in the autumn,but that has an interval at least.
Anon says
At the end my 5 year old said “It’s over?? Why was there no intermission!?” LOL. You can tell she’s seen more live theater than movies. Fwiw, I think they’re totally different, my kid has always had a way better attention span for live theater, so I wouldn’t worry at all about Aladdin!
Cb says
Kindred spirits. I’ve seen one movie in the last 7 years but loads of live theatre. It’s just a totally different experience. And in the Uk, there are tiny pots of ice cream at the interval.
Anon says
!!! Clearly I need to move to the UK.
Anonymous says
Agree. My almost 8 year old got pretty bored in the middle. As an aside, I agree it is about 25 minutes too long but still really enjoyed it.
Anonymous says
OMG why would Disney make a 2.5-hour movie for 5-year-olds?!?
Anon says
Because it’s not really for 5 year olds, it’s for their moms who grew up on the original Little Mermaid.
AIMS says
depends on the 5 year old. It’s long and the shark part is a bit scary b/c it’s very good realistic graphics, and then there is all the Ursula.has your kid seen the animated movie and been fine with it? My 5 y.o. son refused to go but a friend’s daughter who is 5 went and was happy.
Anon says
On the other hand, my 5 year old saw ~15 minutes of the animated version at home before declaring it boring and making us turn it off, but really enjoyed the live action film. I think live action and the movie theater environment can both be more engaging for young kids. I agree though that if they find the animated one really scary, the live one is not a good bit. The shark part is very realistic.
HSAL says
My nearly-5s did great with it. It was long, but they were engaged. Snacks helped. This was their third movie in a theater.
Anonymous says
My 10 year old saw it with a friend and I asked her what she thought for my younger two (just turned 5 and 7). She said it was good, with a few really scary parts (at the end there’s massive thunder and Ursula kills triton? Idk I wasn’t there) but also that it was really, really long.
The fact that she didn’t give it a clear “of course” has us waiting til it’s on Disney plus.
Anonymous says
My 5.5 year old (and 2.5 year old) enjoyed it, although 5 year old was scared at times. This isn’t unusual for her– most movies have part that she finds scary, but we cuddled through them and it was OK.
Anon says
I just took my 5 year old! We both enjoyed it a lot, although yes it is a bit long (2h15) and she got restless in the last 30 minutes. We didn’t have to leave the theater or anything though, and this is not a kid I think of as having a particularly great attention span (she rarely watches more than an hour of a movie at home).
anon says
I took my (ADHD) 6-year-old and she asked to leave right after the scuttle song which I think was about 2/3 of the way through? She reportedly enjoyed it but was done. I would have liked to stay for the whole thing, but anticipated this so shrug.
govtattymom says
My 6 year old loved it and has been singing the songs nonstop for the past week!
Anon says
The soundtrack is SO good and I’m not a fan of Lin’s other Disney stuff.
TheElms says
4 year old is at a new camp today, in a new place (that we couldn’t meaningfully visit), with all new people and teachers. Also they provide all the food and she is used to food from home. This is not her strong suit (new anything, but especially new people and places in combination), so hoping it goes passably ok. It definitely feels like I’m asking a lot of my 4 year old, which is making me feel guilty. Typing it out I’m wondering why I picked this camp, but I know its because it has an excellent reputation, has lots of water activities (which she will love), the location and hours worked with our jobs. Thanks for listening to my drivel.
Cb says
I bet by the end of the day, she’ll be exhausted and happy!
Vicky Austin says
Oh, big hugs – but I bet Cb is right and she’ll surprise you!
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Sounds like you made a great choice with the information and factors you had in place! I also think the water activities, location, and hours make it a slam dunk!
Anon says
I am a camp veteran — I can confirm it will be fine! And if not, then you can pivot and figure something else out.
My pro tip, however, is to be extremely on time – even a few minutes early for the first few pick ups at a new camp. I’ve seen many a kid who did fine seem to crumble a bit if they feel like they are waiting a long time to be picked up (or see a lot of other kids picked up before them). There’s something about being the first or one of the first kids picked up to have them feel very secure there. Also, generally kids don’t seem to get homesick during the activity part of the day, but at pick up, they are tired and excited to tel you about the day, so even minutes matter.
Clementine says
This is true on so many fronts.
My kids didn’t care about being the first kid at daycare… they LOVED it. Conversely, they would sob that I had forgotten them if they were the last kid.
Anon says
Agree with this advice, if you can swing it. My 5 year old absolutely loves daycare and playing with friends and appears to be way more extroverted than I am, but she still loves early pickups for a bit of special time with mom/dad/grandparent. And if she’s the last kid picked up, she cries like we shipped her off to North Korea.
Breckenridge with Kids says
We are thinking of taking our girls (8 and 5) to Breckenridge, CO this fall. This is our first time with kids, and it’s been years since we’ve been. Having a difficult time deciding whether to stay at one of the ski resorts or near Main Street. Will gladly take any recs for places to stay or pros/cons of resort v. downtown! Thank you.
Anonymous says
In the fall there’s no reason to stay at the resorts – though many resort hotels/condos are really close to Main St. Look at Mtn Thunder Lodge or any Airbnb near Main St.
Anon says
My 2.5 year old refuses to wear shorts now. He doesn’t like to expose his legs in case he falls (which he does frequently). It’s very hot. I wish he’d wear shorts.
Anyone else have kids with particular clothing preferences?
Anonymous says
Can he wear prophylactic band-aids? Kind of like knee pads :)
Cb says
All the clothes preferences over here… He only wore proper shirts for awhile, because he didn’t like anything over his head. He looked like he’d escaped from happy hour.
He prefers the cardigan to the pullover in the uniform selection.
Re shorts, he referred to them as “sticky outy trousers” at that age, and refused to wear them. At 6, he’s now wearing them to school as part of his uniform but not on the weekends? I got the super light joggers that come in a 5 pack from H&M for the “no sticky outy” period and bonus, it reduces your sunscreen requirements.
NYCer says
My younger daughter (age 4) also wears long leggings all the time right now, always under a dress. I just go with it. I bring shorts in case she gets too hot and asks to switch. My older daughter went through a similar phase that she has now outgrown.
My mom says I only ever wanted to wear tank tops and shorts when I was a kid. Moral of the store is I think it is pretty normal.
Mary Moo Cow says
For sure. This morning my 8 year old tried to wear the same shirt she’s worn for 2 days and nights in a row because it’s the “only one that’s soft.” She only wears tie dye school logo t-shirts and a rotation of about 3 shorts. She’ll wear a dress occasionally, but only two Lily Pulitzer dresses. She only wore dresses from about age 2-3.5 and only shorts (no pants!) from age 4-5. (And yes I did get side eye from other parents in the winter.) A dental hygienist very helpfully told me to accept it and move on because her 20 year old daughter still has clothing sleeve length issues.
anonM says
I don’t totally blame him. My kids’ pediatrician calls the scrapped-up toddler knees “learning legs” lol. DS last year would only wear short shorts. I had to hem all his shorts. Not joking. Not sure I’d fight the pants, but I would pack extra shorts for daycare in case he changes his mind (maybe after outdoor time?).
Anonymous says
Mine went through this phase at the same age! We like Hanna Andersson’s Active MadeForSun Jogger (though they keep going out of stock). They are buttery soft and thin, so I feel better when he wears them in the heat.
My son’s biggest quirk is his need for a hat at all times.
AIMS says
My kids have so many preferences! Including no shorts for my son at around the same age. Two things helped then – he would agree to wear swim trunks so we just started calling all shorts trunks and bought a few colorfully designed ones. Also, we would send shorts to school when he insisted on pants and the teachers would usually do a better job of convincing him to change because it was hot. In fact, the most successful was a male teacher who himself changed into “hot weather clothes” before going out to play and then my son would follow suit.
Now he’s 5 and again refusing shorts for some reason, and it’s much harder. I’ve been buying a lot of very thin cotton pants at Old Navy and H&M to at least put him in something a bit weather appropriate but it’s way harder dealing with an unreasonable 5 year old.
Anonymous says
My daughter refuses to wear dresses, which is fine but we struggle when trying to do “formal wear.” Which luckily is extremely rarely. I was doing a polo shirt and shorts, but she didn’t like that either (her idea of formal wear is a spiderman suit, which unfortunately just does not work when going to a fancy tea with grandma). We got a dressy jumpsuit kind of thing which she does seem to like for now but I’m sure she will outgrow that quickly.
AIMS says
Janie and jack has a lot of pretty shorts, pants and tops. My daughter won’t wear anything but dresses but if your daughter doesn’t object to floral prints, there is no shortage of dressy separates that would work for fancy tea with grandma.
GCA says
Kid formal-wear: My kid will happily wear a jumpsuit or a cute button-down and shorts like her brother, but we also solved this challenge with a Pikachu tutu-dress from Target!
Vicky Austin says
Ha! I’d like to see the fancy Spiderman tea with Grandma where a Spiderman suit would be appropriate.
OP says
Thanks all for these great replies. I chuckled at all the funny things kids say!
Clementine says
GapKids often has cotton pants of t-shirt material. I don’t fight the fight, I just pack a weather appropriate alternative and let the natural consequences happen. If he’s hot, he’s hot.
My 3 year old scraped her foot at the pool and has insisted on wearing a single snow boot on that foot ‘to keep it safe’. Fine girl, it’s 90 degrees but I’m glad it’s protected.
AwayEmily says
First kid: zero clothing preferences, now 7 and doesn’t even want to pick out her own clothes in the morning (“Mama, can you just do it?”).
Second kid: has refused long-sleeved shirts since the age of two (will wear a jacket or hoodie outside if it’s cold, but only short sleeves inside). Wore only dresses to school since the age of 4 and still does (he’s a boy), but NEVER on the weekend (weekends are for pajamas or shorts and a t-shirt, obviously).
Also, although he is five he prefers 3T shirts (the others are “too loose”). So. Many. Preferences.
GCA says
Haha I love his approach! Weekends are for loungewear, OBVIOUSLY.
anon says
At what point do you start calling doctors for lab updates? I had an amnio four weeks ago and was told full results would take 2-3 weeks. Doctor called two weeks ago with some results and said the remaining would be ready in ten days, which would have been the Friday that just passed. I don’t want to be a nag but these are some really important results to get back
NYCer says
No direct experience, but for something important like this, I would probably check-in with them tomorrow. Fridays can be hit or miss IMO, so I would give them all day today to call you with the results.
Anonymous says
Today right now
anon says
After having to fight for myself (specifically in the context of fertility clinics/treatment) I am unabashed in following up with and/all medical providers. So much gets lost in the shuffle, it’s shameful. This internet stranger tells you to do it.
FWIW, I tend to use the online patient portal messaging system as a first step because my care teams are active on them. But, if I don’t get the answer I want or have a specialist without such portal, just make the call.
anon says
Wow, okay, that is a really long time! Applause for your patience. My limited results — what we were specifically testing for — came back in 48 hours, and the full array a week later. Yes, definitely call.
TheElms says
Absolutely, 100% call. And don’t feel bad, you aren’t being a nag. Nagging is when someone forgets to put a plate in the dishwasher. Medical results are about the health of your baby and you.
Hi, this is anon. Dr. said my results would be ready on Friday. Can you please check my record to see if they are available? (The receptionist may not be able to give them to you on the phone). If they say yes they are available ask that the doctor call you today or her/his nurse call. If they aren’t available yet, ask the doctor / nurse to call and tell you when they will be available.
anon says
I absolutely would call now for something like an amnio.
anon says
OP here. Thanks all. I just called and was told “yeah we don’t have the results back yet, sorry.” No indication as to why it’s taken so long…cool cool.
anon says
That’s wildly frustrating….if you didn’t ask to escalate to an office manager or Doc I might do that so they can apply pressure where needed.
Anon says
If it’s labcorp, you can call them directly to get results. They will sometimes only provide the results to your doctor/the portal until all are ready, but they will deliver partial results over the phone/email them to you.
Anon says
I would call just to see if you can get your results before the holiday weekend. I had one a few years ago. We got the basic array results back within a few days but the specific genetic test we did took nearly a month to come back.
I know the waiting period can be really stressful. Wishing you peace and a positive resolution here.
Trampoline says
Please just tell me what trampoline we should buy. I know there is an inherent risk and we are willing to accept that! We want safe, durable, and high capacity to the extent possible. We are not looking at springless trampolines (unless anyone wants to make an amazing argument) but otherwise, I’m almost anything in the $600 – $1200 range is fair game. There are so many options that all look similar and I just need someone to say “this is a good one.”
Thoughts and Prayers... says
We begin potty training this weekend.
Anon says
Good luck!
Anonymous says
My mom and husband are traveling for work today so I have no backup care which I realize o should have planned for but here we are…my twins are sick, and I have a morning full of meetings because my team decided not to work on Friday or answer any of my emails but now the thing I tried to get done Friday is an Emergency [tm]. Sigh. Serenity now.
TheElms says
Are plastic/rubber Birkenstock Gizeh’s comfortable or dupes of them? I have some Target two buckle slides that are dupes of Birkenstocks that I bought when I was pregnant and my feet were swollen and they are so comfortable but I can’t get over how unattractive I find them. I have wide feet to start with so they tend to exacerbate that. I have some thong “Fit flops” which are fine, but nowhere near as comfortable, especially if I am chasing kids all day. (Need to be plastic because I’ll be in and out of water in them.) Or anything else you like that is super comfortable and looks slightly better than the two buckle ones?
AIMS says
I just tried some on before buying a new pair of Arizona plastic slides again. Much more comfy than the gizeh.
Anonymous says
I love the Olukai rubber flip-flops.
Mary Moo Cow says
I prefer my foam Arizonas to my foam Gizeh’s and I wear leather Gizeh’s almost every day in the summer. Something about the placement of the thong rubs uncomfortably on my big toe in the foam ones. As to looks, I want some Big Buckle slides but I can’t justify it since I have 3 pairs of leather birks that are in fine shape.
Anon says
I had the lavender Arizona Evas and they were so comfortable, but I lost one of them in the ocean at a beach resort :(
kristenaknapp@gmail.com says
I guess I’m not alone in thinking the Arizona’s are really just that comfortable. Maybe I will try harder to get over my feelings about how they look.
NLD in NYC says
Anyone have any crossbody/satchel with strap purses they love in the $100-200 price range that fits Most of The Things? I don’t need to carry a laptop, but would be great if a tablet fits. Bonus points if it has a zipper closure. TIA!
Anonymous says
Out of your price range, but the Clare V. Moyen Messenger otherwise fits the bill. I love the dual strap option. You might be able to find one at resale.
Anon says
Quince has some purses like this– I got one and really like it. Fits a Kindle, wallet, phone, keys and still room to spare.
https://www.quince.com/women/quilted-italian-leather-camera-bag?color=cognac&g_acctid=978-058-8398&g_adgroupid=&g_adid=&g_adtype=pla&g_campaign=&g_campaignid=18325121260&g_ifcreative=&g_ifproduct=product&g_keyword=&g_keywordid=&g_merchantid=128669708&g_network=x&g_partition=&g_productchannel=online&g_productid=43233465139370&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7uSkBhDGARIsAMCZNJuuZexCWJIcV6K1SDzvh8dNn5yJUnrOylpvlOQkBpOgVZQGT3KDCfYaAgSMEALw_wcB&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_source=google&utm_term=43233465139370
Vicky Austin says
I want like 90% of Quince’s current inventory.
Anonymous says
Its a casual style, so it might not be what you’re looking for, but I love the Baggalini Everywhere Hobo. Fits my ipad neatly and will hold a lot if I need, but also looks ok with almost nothing in too. It’s very lightweight too. A nice amount of interior pockets.
Anonymous says
Don’t own this but spotted it the other day in the Cuyana sale https://www.cuyana.com/archive-shop-bags/recycled-sling-bag/10010063.html?dwvar_10010063_color=black
Anon says
we are getting ready to go out of town for 4 weeks and i really need to start getting everything together, packing, etc. usually i don’t mind packing, but this time i wish someone else could do it for me and i could just show up.
Cb says
Ugh, me too. We leave for 3 weeks on Saturday and I keep reminding myself that if I’ve forgotten anything, there’s C&A or H&M. Everything is stacked on the guest room bed, just waiting for a few more things to finish drying.
I hate the tech side of things and I’m tempted to give my husband a list (he’s not joining us until the last week) and have him do it. I’m always buying overpriced chargers at the airport.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Sometimes, I don’t like doing the thing (packing) but I do love making lists – it helps with my anxiety and then cuts the packing time shorter as well. YMMV – but some unsolicited advice!
NLD in NYC says
Hmm…Packer for Hire. That might be my second act : )
OOO says
What kind of blanket would be good for nap time at school? We were using baby blankets but they are getting too small now. A lot of the blankets and throws I am seeing are for twin-size beds, which seem too big. DS is almost 3 and sleeps in a cot at school. Looking for something that is sized for a crib or toddler bed.
Anon says
I think the thing you want to search for is “toddler comforter.” We got this one when my daughter was 3 and it served us well until the end of preschool: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y83D8KF/
Anonymous says
I splurged on a large Aiden and Anais blanket and one of my twins is obsessed: https://www.adenandanais.com/organic-cotton-dream-blanket-animal-kingdom-adbo10003. Alternatively, you could buy a nap mat, which is what I did for my twins at day care but I don’t think they have a full cot.
AIMS says
We got a soft throw at IKEA.
Anonymous says
Most families at our daycare use a Wildkin nap mat or similar, with the pillow-blanket convo.
Anonymous says
IKEA has a toddler crib comforter plus duvet cover. It’s very inexpensive. Still big enough for my 4 year old on trips.
anonM says
Definitely ask school! Our daycare explicitly wants twin sized sheets and complain if you send a crib-sized sheet. I also love love the Urban Infant Tot Cot Kids Nap Mat but will caution based on prior roasting on this website to check with your school first, as some apparently don’t allow this. But, for me, it has held up well for years of weekly washing, and is all in one piece, and has a carry handle so DD carries it herself. I just googled and it looks like it has come down in price too.
Anonymous says
Just a regular throw blanket, the kind an adult would use on a couch. Target has cheap fleece ones.
Anon says
Best Florida resorts for elementary age kids? We don’t have a Ritz/Four Seasons budget…hoping to keep it under $400/night. Preferably a short drive from a major airport, e.g., not the Keys.
anon says
We’ve enjoyed Marriott Harbor Beach in FLL with the kids. Just incredibly easy to get to from the airport, on the beachside of A1A, and outside of the Miami scene, which admittedly is just not my scene.
Anon says
Our youngest child will be 6 months next month, and my husband wants to keep waiting to do indoor, non-masked activities with our toddler until the baby is fully Covid-vaccinated (so, mid-October for the 3 shot Pfizer series). Sigh. This is such a slog. I hate thinking about all of the things she is missing (even though she doesn’t know she is missing them).
Anonymous says
Tell him no. You shouldn’t be keeping you and your kids imprisoned to his anxiety.
Anon says
Yeah I agree. It’s not 2020 anymore.
Anonymous says
Why? Complications of Covid for small children, especially with less severe variants, is extremely rare. My children are not Covid vaxxed and we’ve never gotten a positive Covid test on anyone in our family (yes, we test them if symptomatic). The pediatrician thinks DH and I may have some weird genetic immunity to it. But anyways, no one else I know is delaying life for Covid anymore. It sounds like he needs a therapist for his irrational anxiety over this
Anon says
Caveat that I’m more Covid cautious than most, but what is the toddler missing out on? You can go almost everything except indoor dining with a mask on. If the toddler can’t or won’t wear a mask, then I think having only the adults wear masks seems like a reasonable compromise.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I don’t see what the big deal is. I would be happy to have an excuse not to be tortured with toddler activities. Everything we did before pre-K age was pretty much a waste of time and effort. She doesn’t need any programming beyond day care at this point.
Anon says
Waste of time? Geez. You sound like a kill joy.
Anonymous says
Toddler activities are for the parents, not the kids.
Anon says
MIL used to live near us but moved 2 years ago to a plane ride away. Now, when she visits, she likes to stay with us. She comes for a week at a time. The last time included father’s day weekend. My father has cancer and may not be around for much longer, but I agreed to the visit, because she wasn’t supposed to be staying with us and was supposed to have other plans. The other plans fell through and she was with us all week. Now I just found out she is coming in a couple of weeks with my nephew, staying with us, apparently, to attend my kiddo’s 5th bday party. They’ll be here at least 5 days (I don’t know when they’re leaving, but they’re coming several days before the party), most of which, my kids will be at camp. Am I wrong to feel like this is too much and we need to set some ground rules? I know I am not unbiased due to the father’s day thing and various other similar episodes between us, so I don’t want to overreact.
Anon says
I think it’s reasonable to tell her you can’t host her on such and such date and suggest she get a hotel. It’s harder to tell someone they can’t visit if they’re getting their own hotel, imo.
NYCer says
This doesn’t seem like too much to me, but my mom in particular is around a lot, so it seems normal to me. That being said, my mom has her own apartment, so she does not stay with us.
How much space do you have? Does MIL have a guest room and bathroom, or is she imposing on your office, kids’ bedrooms, etc. when she stays with you? What kind of other accommodations do you have nearby?
Anonymous says
Frankly I’d love if my mother in law came to stay for 5 days! Our family begrudgingly visits a few times a year for 2 nights. Does she have a guest room? This sounds like a fun time with a cousin for your kids. Also what does your DH think?
OP says
These perspectives are helpful. DH is working every day and I am in higher Ed and have the summer off, so I will be entertaining MIL and cousin, and just did so for a week. When she stays with us, she doesn’t go anywhere except where we go and is moderately helpful with the kids (she doesn’t take them places and give us a break, but she’ll entertain them while I make dinner). I’d rather her live nearby and see her more frequently for less time. She talks about getting a condo nearby, but never actually looks.
Anon says
Oh I think this is the problem. You shouldn’t be having to entertain her, especially without the kids around. Make DH take time off or tell her you have work commitments of your own (even if it’s a white lie).
Vicky Austin says
+1,000 to this. “Something came up at work! Oh, but the splash pad on 47th street is really fun! OK bye!”
Anon says
Perfect time to set up an afternoon with a realtor so she can look at condos…
Anonymous says
I feel this way also but it’s because my MIL and my mom both don’t need to be entertained, and when they come they cook up a storm, clean the whole house, clean up after the kids, buy me flowers and bring veggies from their garden. It honestly feels like a break for a week for me and DH. I would not feel so inclined if your visitors ADD work to your plate!!
OOO says
I don’t think MIL’s visit should have prevented you from spending time with your dad on Father’s Day. She stayed with you for a week this month and will visit again next month. It’s a lot but not unreasonable so far, unless her visits become longer or even more frequent. Think of her visits as free childcare while you check in on your dad, run errands and meet up with girlfriends. Have her help set up the birthday party. Keep her busy and make yourself scarce.
Anon says
I think you feel how you feel. Not having boundaries/setting expectations will probably lead to overreacting when you feel overextended and resentful. Can you make other plans while MIL is there and just say, “I’ll be out of the house from. 9am til 1pm; I’ll see you guys when I get back!” Or offer to drop them somewhere while you run errands? Also whenever my husband’s family comes to visit, he takes at least one day off to hang out with them. It’s worth telling your Husband that he needs to help relieve you of having to be host the whole time.
Anon says
This.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I come from a culture where you are literally told to take care and treat your in-laws as well as/better than your own parents. And despite all the impolite bordering on crappy things my MIL has done to my parents, they never wavered with this, until her emotional immaturity started to hurt DH and I…so it’s been a lot to unlearn for me.
And even with ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL of this baggage…I want to stress that, barring anything you may want to do with/for your nephew, IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO ENTERTAIN HER ALL DAY DURING YOUR TIME OFF. It will likely only build resentment. Ask me how I know.
Pick a few things where you have focused time together and book yourself up doing other things, even if the other thing is going to get a pedicure or working on some low-priority home improvement project.
Anonymous says
What does your husband say? IMO this is too much. If it’s a money thing on her end, just get her a hotel room.
She probably likes the quality time in your house (mine does). We have a mutual understanding of a 3 night max and that is often with a late flight in and an early flight out.
Anon says
Agree with what others have said about getting yourself out of the house, even if it’s just to a cafe or library with a book.
But a couple other ideas:
1) If she wants a condo, can you (or DH) help her look? The logistics of house-hunting may be daunting, especially for an older person.
2) Can you suggest she do stuff with the kids? Individually, if she finds it hard to handle more than one kid at once? If she’s clear she doesn’t want to, obviously don’t force her, but I think some grandparents want to but aren’t sure it would be ok and need a nudge.
This amount of visiting would be a lot for me too, and I consider myself close to my family of origin and get along well with my MIL.
Anon says
I think you should think about how to make it workable — can your husband take time off to entertain her, can you plan specific outings that you would enjoy too, can you request her help with childcare or other things, can you plan time for yourself like an evening away with a girlfriend so you can fill up your bucket? It’s tempting to dismiss in-laws as a burden but you may be one someday too, and how would you like to be treated? Life is finite. These years will pass.