This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
As you can tell from my past posts, I love shirtdresses for the office. Here’s one for moms-to-be!
This maternity shirtdress from Gap has all your favorite shirtdress features (button front, collar, crisp yet soft cotton fabric, curved hem), but a smocked empire waist for your growing belly. Layer with a cardigan or blazer for unexpected spring temperature swings.
This dress even works for dinner out (add some statement jewelry) or the weekend (add your favorite white sneakers or flat sandals).
The dress is $89.95 full price, but today you can get 40% off plus an extra 10% off with codes FLASH and GAPDEAL. It comes in off white, black, and sugar pink and is available in sizes XS–XL.
P.S. Happy Eid to those who celebrate!
Sales of note for 3.26.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything plus extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off all workwear
- J.Crew – Annual Spring Event: 40% off sitewide; extra 40% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – 10% off your order
- Loft – 50% off Lou & Grey; 30% off new arrivals
- Nordstrom: Spring Sale: Up to 50% off
- Talbots – 25% off your purchase, including markdowns
- Zappos – 37,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 40% off everything; extra 10% off your purchase with code
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 30% off swim; up to 30% off HannaJams
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 40% off sale; 50% off kids’ styles
- Old Navy – 50% off Easter deals
- Target – 20% off Easter styles for all; up to 30% kitchen & dining; up to 25% off TVs; BOGO 50% off shoes & slippers for the family; $100 off select Apple products
Cb says
Talk to me about toy clearouts? My husband moved the downstairs toy cabinet to paint and despite my minimalist intentions (my child will only have 6 wooden toys! no toys in the living room!) there is a fair amount of stuff. Only child, nearly 5, Lego obsessed. Ideally I could clear enough space in the downstairs cupboard so Lego can go in there. His room is pretty small and it’s easier to have Lego downstairs as he doesn’t love being upstairs on his own.
We’ve boxed up the Duplo to go to a friend, and I’ve done a cull of puzzles etc which he’s clearly outgrown but do I do the rest with him? Or just gradually squirrel things to the charity shop?
buffybot says
I think it’s kid specific. In theory I love the idea of teaching my kid about the importance of donating things when you no longer use them but the actual fact of those conversations with him is that I prefer the sneaky stash followed by a waiting period followed by donation. Otherwise I have to have an hour-long convo about how that tiny plastic tchotchke is the best and most favoritest of all of his toys and how DARE you mother, how very DARE YOU. Talking about a kid that hoards balloons way past their wrinkly date and who will still occasionally mention his baby toys with longing.
He is just like his father, btw.
Anonymous says
Some friends we haven’t seen since the pandemic (three babies ago now) are flying in from Boston and I think one of my twins needs to be hospitalized (again) for respiratory distress. I know the universe isn’t punishing me but it sure feels like it is.
Jolene says
The way I handled it at that age was just to clear out things that I didn’t see my kids playing with EVER. A few times, it led to questions of, “Where is XYZ?” to which I would give an honest answer: “I noticed you never played with that, so I passed it along for another child to enjoy.” They’d be disappointed for a few minutes, then move onto the next thing. I was just very matter-of-fact about it. And this was never anything they had an emotional bond with, of course, just like wooden Melissa & Doug toys or the like. And 90% of the time they never noticed or cared.
Cb says
Someone gave us a very annoying plastic Thomas train set that sang and I “gave it to a little boy who didn’t have any trains!” 2 years ago, and I still get asked about it. I took it to the charity shop on the bus and it started singing midway and I totally brazened it out, “nothing to do with me!”
Anonymous says
Some stuff I know just needs to go I box up and put in the attic. If nobody has asked about it in a year it gets donated/sold.
Other stuff I talk to them about. My youngest is 4 and I really want to get rid of the play kitchen. We talked about it and she’d like to keep it (she never plays with it). Our compromise is we are keeping the food, and moving the play kitchen outside as a mud kitchen.
Other stuff all 3 kids have said NBD to give away. We have a neighbor that is a toddler so a lot of our stuff we “give to Lucy.” Some we actually do; most we give away on FB marketplace.
I have also had luck suggesting we donate toys to their old daycare. They like knowing their stuff has a good home.
Cb says
I think we’re going to bring the play kitchen food in as a “present” on the last week of daycare. He’s got loads of food and it’s all in really good condition as he’s super careful with things.
Anon says
+1 We’ve had an easier time getting my 4 year old to part with stuff when she knows it’s going to daycare. She likes to say “we’re giving this to the babies!”
Mary Moo Cow says
We’ve also given a lot to our beloved daycare and that softens the blow. Like others have said, I like the idea of a thoughtful, calm, and rational conversation about having too much stuff and being privileged, but it often devolves into HOW DARE YOU. So, a few times a year, I do a major clean out when they are out of the house and stuff that I really like, I put away (looking at you, American Girl.) When they ask for it, we pull it out. If they don’t ask for it, it quietly goes away. With stuff like Paw Patrol vehicles that were hot for 2 years and haven’t been played with in a year, I hype it for giving away to daycare: you loved it so much, they’re going to love it so much! I also intercept gifts. I might put 3 or four things from each gift haul aside for a month or two and then sprinkle them and rotate out older toys.
EDAnon says
I have a kid who is also obsessed with legos. I tell him I will give him $1 toward a lego kit for each small toy he gets rid of and $5 for each big toy. He earned $100 that way! He loved it, and the new lego set take up way less space than the toys he got rid of.
Anonymous says
Are there recruiters who specialize in remote in-house positions? Any recommendations? Thanks!
Anonymous says
Not really.
Anon says
Oof. Marriage/parenting/life is hard and I need to just emote into the void. 2 parents + 2 jobs + 1 baby = a lot of unmet needs and I’m just not sure how to make it better. Woof.
Cb says
Oof, I hear you! I convinced myself that my marriage was fatally doomed when my son was 18 months. Not because anything was fundamentally wrong, but because we were so wrung out that we had nothing left to give. Now, 2 parents + 2 jobs + 1 preschooler, things are so much better.
Anonymous says
Yes to this. It gets better!
Anon says
I feel this.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Reminding myself that this is a hard season, that can last years especially if you add more kids, but a season nonetheless that will pass and you will get through it. Also: outsource as much as you can afford. We have a biweekly cleaner and get prepared meals for us adults 2x a week. And family nearby and paid sitters.
Anon says
I hear ya. Parent to only 1 nearly 2 year old and I feel so physically worn out every day. I have so little emotional energy left for my husband.
OP says
Yes! And we’ve gotten into a bad habit of being on our phones at the end of the day which we both recognize is a bad habit and needs to stop, and yet we continue because we have nothing left to give.
Anonanonanon says
During these periods, we try to commit to watching a mindless show together not on our phones. Right now it’s “Help! I wrecked my house!” on Discovery +. Sometimes we watch in silence, but usually someone cracks a joke once in a while or we see tile we both like or something dumb, but it’s at least doing the same thing at the same time together.
Pogo says
Yep. This weekend there was a lot of score-keeping going on, as I’ve been travelling a bunch and most everything fell to DH. Trying to get on the same page about what is actually high priority, and also what can be outsourced, is sometimes a battle in itself. And having more “whose job is more important” conflicts lately. It’s no wonder why women drop out of the workforce.
OP says
+1 to the scorekeeping and battle of the jobs
Anonymous says
+2.
Spirograph says
I’m not sure how old your baby is, but I’m here to say that I see you, and it will get better. The first two years are hard, because for a lot of us (definitely for me) it’s the first time we’ve had to really get ruthless with priorities and time commitments, and take other people’s needs into account day-to-day. My husband and I obviously loved each other and enjoyed each other’s company before we had kids, but a baby forced us to really start thinking and acting as a unit/team, and that was an adjustment.
OP says
Yes!!! Husband is my favorite person and I love spending time with him but wowza am I realizing how much our support of each other was letting the other person do their own thing, which doesn’t work now.
Spirograph says
Yup, yup, yup, this was me and my husband, too. Parenting a baby is a crucible, for sure, but the good news is, being each other’s favorite person is the best place to start! Come emote into the void as much as you need.
Father's Day gift? says
DH has an amazing knack for improvising adorable bedtime songs for our newborn. I’ve secretly recorded several and I’d like to surprise him with some memorabilia for father’s Day, but I don’t have a clear idea exactly what. He’s very sentimental so I think he’ll enjoy the reminder not those moments, but he’s also very self-deprecating so I don’t think he’d even listen to just plain recordings of himself singing.
Cb says
Ooh, I wonder about some sort of build-a-bear esque animal for your baby with the recording?
Anonymous says
You could consider getting a Tonie box for your child, you can record your own stuff on their creative tonies. Your husband might enjoy seeing your baby interact with it/recognize the songs as your baby gets older and can use the Tonie box more. I have mixed feelings about the Tonie box generally, but I think it’s cute especially for the younger age set, as long as you are ok w/the cost.
If there are special lyrics, you could get them printed on a mug/dishtowel (maybe something to use as a burp cloth)/etc. — could even probably get it in your handwriting to make it more sentimental as a you + him + baby.
Anon says
idk if this is too corny, but i think with a build a bear you can record some of your own messages. and actually if you google it looks like you could buy the recording part yourself. one toy we have for our kid is a toni box and while a newborn most certainly does not need one, there is one type of tonie that allows you to record your own stuff. also- this is the sweetest thing ever
AnonATL says
I’ve seen cute wedding artwork on Etsy that is a print of a recording of peoples wedding vows.
Anonymous says
Forgive this very basic gifting question this teacher appreciation week:
I bought some gift cards from the grocery store to various restaurants/stores, so they’re in those paper hanger things that say the amount and “no value until activated” etc. Do I leave them in the packaging and put them in a card, or take them out of the packaging and just put the plastic card in?
Cb says
Keep them in the packaging and stick them in a card.
Mary Moo Cow says
I also keep them in the packaging, and if they don’t have the dollar amount written on them, I hand write the dollar amount on the back of the packaging.
And, from a PTO board member and Teacher Appreciation Week committee member: thank you for remembering. I know some disagree and see the week as just one more thing to burden parents, but things like a thank you card or a small gift card, even simply acknowledging teacher appreciation week, goes a long way. It doesn’t make up for toxic work environments or low pay, but no matter what profession we’re in, getting noticed and thanks gives us a boost. Our PTO has done so much work to secure donors for lunch and prizes for teachers and getting school-wide parent buy in means so much.
Boston Legal Eagle says
The beauty of having a kindergartener now is that he wrote his own cards all by himself!! I hope it brings a smile to his teachers’ faces to see these kids working hard to write, and their funny spelling at this age. I also hope I imparted some wisdom on making the effort to show gratitude.
Cornellian says
OH, cr@p, there’s a teacher appreciation week? Is a gift card in a card customary for preschool?
Anon says
In the absence of more specific directions otherwise, yes.
Anon says
my kids have some bug and no sleep was had in my house this weekend. one was up yesterday from 3am-9am, and then fortunately fell back to sleep for a few hours. hopefully their brains are not permanently destroyed by the amount of tv they watched this weekend. to say im struggling at work today is an understatement. and they are at home with our nanny, but really wish mommy was there. also, thank goodness i didn’t have a driving commute when my twins were newborns or i probably would’ve gotten into many accidents.
Anon says
There’s a family (the Smiths) that our family is friendly with. They have kids similar in age to ours (4 and 1) and we get together every couple of months with the kids. DH and I like both the adults a lot and the older kids have historically gotten on well. The last three times we’ve hung out, the Smiths have invited another family with similar age kids, the Johnsons. The first time I didn’t think much of it since we were just meeting at a park, where it’s no big deal to add more people. But then it happened twice more, including for dinner at their home and to a gathering in our backyard. I can be sensitive, so maybe I’m overreacting, but it’s starting to feel like they need a buffer to hang out with us. And from the conversation it’s obvious they see the Johnsons regularly without us, so it’s not like they’re just super busy people who try to maximize the number of people they see at once. The Johnsons are fine people, but aren’t people we’d ever see without the Smiths and I think they feel the same way about us. It’s also kind of a rough dynamic for the older kids with three of them. Someone usually ends up feeling left out and crying, usually our kid since the Smith and Johnson kids now know each other better than they know my kid. Is there a tactful way to tell the Smiths we want to hang out with just them without seeming possessive? Or do we just accept that they’re just not that into us and back off? After the last get together my kid is refusing to see them again unless she knows the Johnson kid won’t be there and after observing the dynamics among the kids I can’t say I blame her.
Cb says
Could you invite them to your house? Then they can’t bring the Johnson’s along?
Anonymous says
+1. We have some friends who do the same thing, and we’ve just resigned ourselves to the fact that if we don’t want to see the Johnsons, we’ll have to do the hosting.
Anon says
it sounds like the OP said that the Smiths once invited the Johnsons to OP’s home – which is weird!!! who just invites others to someone else’s home without asking.
Anonymous says
I noticed this too and wondered whether it was a larger gathering, where it would still be rude to bring along uninvited guests but would be more understandable, or was intended to be just the Smiths and OP’s family. Either way, I’d probably drop the Smiths because they are clearly not that into OP’s family.
Anonymous says
Oh wow, I completely missed that. Yeah, that’s super weird.
Anon says
So we invited them to our house (yard, because we’re all fairly Covid cautious) and they did bring the Johnsons. I was pretty taken aback by that, although in their defense the plan was to order pizza and they showed up with extra pizza and extra people so it’s not like they put me in the position of having to cook last minute for others. But it was kind of awkward in other ways – we didn’t have enough patio seating, for example.
Anonymous says
Uhhh that’s incredibly awkward on many levels.
Spirograph says
They just showed up together? Not even a “hey, is it OK if we bring the Johnsons, too? We’ll bring an extra pizza!” text to give you a chance to say no? sheesh.
Anon says
Nope. Thanks y’all for confirming this is weird. I would never bring another person to someone else’s house without asking permission, even if the plan was to eat outdoors.
Mary Moo Cow says
That’s really bad manners. I would never presume it is okay to bring along another family, even if I did bring extra food. Not even an “I’m so sorry and this is so weird but Johnsons ambushed us and didn’t get the memo we were leaving so can I bring them?” text on the way over? Yeah, I would let that relationship wither.
Like you, OP, I had friends with same age kid and after the 5th time we were invited as the only family only to arrive and find out there were more families (nice people but not people I would go out of my way to hang with), I said politely but firmly this isn’t working and maybe we can get together just us sometime in the future. 2020 took care of that!
NYCer says
Super weird! Honestly that would really rub me the wrong way, and I would be tempted to phase out the Smiths…
Anon says
That’s suuuper weird. So yeah, I’d let this one go.
Eek says
That is the strangest thing I’ve heard in awhile! I think I’d accept that these people are, for whatever reason, a package deal, and just phase them out if you don’t want to deal with all of them. Very bizarre.
I think if you ask to hang out with “just them” it’s safe to assume they’ll mention to convo to the other family and it will then be even weirder for everyone.
anon says
That is really weird. I’m sorry, OP. I wouldn’t love this dynamic, either.
Anonanonanon says
Just chiming in to say that is incredibly weird and rude. They should just say no if they don’t want to hang out with just your family.
Anonymous says
Just invite the smiths over.
Spirograph says
Wait, they invited other people to a gathering in *your* back yard? That’s weird.
I wouldn’t assume they’re just not that into you — I take a “the more the merrier” approach to hosting, especially informal things like pizza dinner and backyard get-togethers. But I can see how this would feel awkward. Invite them to your house if you’d like to hang out with them, and if they ask to extend the invitation to the Johnsons, say that you’d rather not “this time” because your daughter has been feeling left out and upset when Johnson and Smith kids gravitate to each other. It’s not impolite to be honest about that! If they don’t want to hang out with you without the Johnsons, I think you have your answer.
NYCer says
I mentioned above that I would phase out the Smiths, but I actually think this is probably the better way to handle it. Address the issue head one with one of the Smiths, and if they aren’t interested in hanging out without the Johnsons, then phase them out.
GCA says
+1, this is roughly where I fall too. I can see it if you’re organizing an outing – ‘let’s all take the kids to the science museum on Saturday’ – and you invite a couple of families who invite others and everybody pays their way. Which I’m cool with. The more the merrier. But to a gathering in someone’s backyard…that’s a little stranger. And I think this approach is a good way to handle it.
Anonymous says
Invite the smiths over. Don’t invite the other family.
Anonymous says
Not sure why this hasn’t come up by my read on this is that there’s a kid issue at play. My guess is that the older Smith child prefers hanging out with the older Johnson child. Absolutely not saying there’s anything wrong with your kid – kids are kids and they have their own friends, preferences, etc.. But it sounds bringing the Johnsons along is a way of encouraging their older kid to continue hanging out with your family. That’s probably flowing through the whole encounter because the older Johnson/Smith kids aren’t super excited about hanging with your kid who then gets upset.
Anyway, I would approach this with them by talking about the kid issue specifically. I would mention whatever dynamic you are seeing to the Smith parents (“Hey, have you noticed that when we all get together with the Johnsons, Older Kid [feels left out][gets made fun of]. Do you have any suggestions for next time?””) I’d also host and make it extra clear you don’t have space for them to bring others along.
Anon says
That’s not really the dynamic I observed, but it’s possible. The Smith and Johnson wives are close, and my read is that it’s the Smith wife that’s the one that wants the Johnsons there. I totally admit I’m bringing my pro-daycare, pro-working mom biases to this, but our kids and the Smith kids go to daycare and generally are good about sharing and taking turns. There is an occasional squabble but usually nothing major that can’t be resolved by the kids on their own. The Johnson kids are raised by a super crunchy, attachment parenting SAHM (this is admittedly a big part of why we don’t click with the Johnsons) and their older kid is in my opinion kind of bossy and bad at sharing (both toys and the Smith kid). Johnson kid definitely has a very clear preference for Smith kid over my kid, I think in large part because Smith kid is more laidback than my kid (and also probably encouraged by her parents to accept this behavior?) and goes with the flow of Johnson kid being in charge of everything better than my kid.
Anonymous says
Sharing toys isn’t a SAHM parent thing. It’s not like attachment parents don’t teach their kids good manners. And now it sounds like this child is under 5. So I’d let this friendship go.
Anonymous says
So I’m somewhat on the other side of this, so I hope this is helpful. There’s a couple we’re friendly with, but it’s a weird dynamic. I have one kid, 6, and they have a 6 and 8 year old. My kid plays well with the 6 year old but the 8 year old has no one to play with and doesn’t want to play with the 6 year olds and ends up latching on to mom the whole time. I like mom, but dad is… A LOT. He spends a lot of time asking detailed questions about my job and does not respond well to changing the topic (he changes it right back). The specifics means that I don’t want to talk about my job with him except in generalities, (think — I work for a government agency and he’s a reporter who covers the agency), but he’s relentless, even when I say things like, “oh lets not talk about work on the weekend!”. If the two families end up together, it ends with the 6 year olds pressing my husband into playing with them, the 8 year old latching on to his mom, and the other dad talking to me. So we now only hang out with them with other families there, which spreads out the negative dynamics, or I hang out with the mom 1 on 1. Consider if there are any weird dynamics going on when its just your family and the Smiths.
Boston Legal Eagle says
What are y’all doing for Mother’s Day? I’m going to take my mom out to dinner the night before and then will be sleeping in on Sunday and I think my husband is going to take the kids out somewhere for the morning. If you had a morning to yourselves, what would you do? The last two years have consisted of mostly staying around here (my 2020 day consisted of hanging out in the bedroom and watching TV solo), or somewhere outside, but I’m comfortable enough now to hang out at a coffee shop or somewhere else, but don’t want to go anywhere too crowded either.
Anon says
Mother’s Day is also my birthday this year so I had hoped it would be a big thing. But we’re being super Covid cautious because on May 13 I’m supposed to leave on a big trip with family members (who don’t live in our house and would go without me if I got Covid, so the opportunity to reschedule isn’t really there). We had planned a weekend getaway a couple hours away but the weather at the destination looks awful and since we don’t want to do anything indoors we canceled it. Now we’re hoping to just do a patio brunch and maybe a visit to a local botanical gardens.
If I had a morning to myself and wasn’t worried about Covid, I’d read a book in my favorite coffee shop and get a massage.
Pogo says
My best mother’s day was when I went to a fancy gym w/ a spa and took a hot yoga class followed by a massage and mani/pedi.
We’re doing brunch with friends and then I’m taking my mom out to dinner.
Anon says
Reading these always makes me feel like a weirdo for wanting to hang out with my kid on Mother’s Day :) (and I really do mean that in a zero judgment way – happy for everyone to spend the day as she pleases!)
Anon says
It’s kind of hard not to read judgment into that despite the disclaimer.
Jolene says
Lol, literally! Esp since OP said they were spending “the morning” kid-free. Pretty big leap to go from that to “I guess I’m the only one who wants to see my kid on Mother’s Day!” Because god forbid a woman should get 2 hours “off duty” as part of the celebration of her motherhood before (presumably) “hanging out with” her kids for the rest of the day.
Anon says
On the flip side – god forbid a woman not feel a need for kid-free time?
Sometimes it feels like motherhood is a club of cool moms and you only get to join if you complain about your kids, hated being pregnant, had a bad experience with ___________ (childbirth? nursing? sleep? etc). If those things don’t apply to you, then god forbid you let it show or people will assume you’re judging them for having a different experience.
I legit don’t care what other people do on mother’s day. I just said that i feel like I’m in a minority for not wanting X hours of kid-free time.
Pogo says
I do see what you are saying – I notice that dynamic particularly w/ SAHMs in the local moms group. There is also a pretty significant ‘my husband is a baby who can’t do anything’ subculture that I don’t buy into along w/ being sick of your kids. But definitely no one wants to hear about it if potty training (or whatever) was super easy for you – it’s a communal b*tchfest most of the time.
Spirograph says
I don’t think it’s a cool moms’ complaining club, but it’s like if I’m venting to my husband and he points out solutions when I just wanted to scream into the void. At a different time, that might be germane or helpful, but read the room. When someone’s struggling, that’s not the time to volunteer that XYZ was easy for you; just listen sympathetically. In this case, OP specifically said “If you had a morning to yourselves, what would you do?” Totally fine if you aren’t interested in alone time, but interjecting it into this conversation comes off as judgey, even if you didn’t mean for it to (and I believe that you didn’t!).
Anon says
I think what feels judgy to me (and even moreso in your follow-up comment than your initial post, honestly) is the implication that women who want to do something special for themselves on the ONE day of the year intended to celebrate moms are somehow looking for an escape from their kids. I adore my kids. I love spending time with them. But I see my kids almost literally every day. I get a massage basically never, especially in Covid times. Wanting to spend a couple hours doing something special for myself before spending the rest of the day with family doesn’t mean I’m trying to get away from my family; it means I don’t have an opportunity to do this special thing for myself on other days and I want to seize the opportunity. Lumping this in with the culture of women complaining about their kids and only being able to talk about the hard parts of motherhood is what feels so judgy to me.
Anon says
To extend your analogy about mom venting, I have a child who is a naturally good sleeper so we never had any sleep issues. If I’m asked “Was Nora a good sleeper as a baby?” by a new acquaintance, I don’t lie or downplay it in an attempt to be modest. I just smile and nod and say “Yup, she slept through the night early and never had any regressions, we got very lucky.” But if I hear a group of moms talking about sleep problems and how their babies won’t sleep, I don’t pipe in to say “My daughter was such a great sleeper, she slept through the night at 5 weeks old and never stopped.” To me, chiming in about how you can’t bear to be apart from your little darlings on mother’s day in a discussion about what moms would do with a free morning is akin to the latter situation.
Anonymous says
Anon @ 1:36, I agree with this caveat: I will speak up even though I had a good sleeper if someone tries to tell the venting moms that their problems are their own fault and that they should just have sleep-trained their babies. With most kid issues, it’s 99% personality and 1% parenting. I have no problem putting the smug advice-givers in their place by saying, “Actually, I also had a good sleeper and I’m sure it was all luck. Sleep-deprived moms, it stinks and it is absolutely not your fault!”
Anon says
Oh yeah, totally. I’m fortunately not in a situation very often where sometimes is acting like they deserve credit for their kid being a good sleeper, but if I was I would totally chime in that it’s 99% luck.
Mary Moo Cow says
I get that. A friend wants to spend the day in a hotel; I want to spend the day with my kids. I honestly feel like good for you but not for me, but it does get read as judgmental.
Boston Legal Eagle says
No problem! I like doing things solo on this day because it’s a nice change of pace and makes the day feel special/unique and all about my needs and desires. I don’t mind going somewhere fun with them, but all of the usual work of getting them ready, making food, cleaning up, is a pain.
GCA says
I get it! I personally like a balance – I like the little boogers, but I’m an extreme introvert and get tapped out easily. Luckily my husband is pretty good at reading the signs. A kid-free morning plus a fun activity hanging out with the munchkins on Mother’s Day would be the right balance for me. With a (longish?) morning to myself… I would go for a long run, get some coffee, hop on the T with a book, hit up a museum (the ICA and MFA are both open Sunday!) for an hour or two, and read my book while enjoying some sushi for lunch.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I honestly hadn’t even thought about leaving my suburb! (Thanks Covid, and also having small children) That’s a great idea on the museums, or even just wandering to a coffee shop where we used to live closer to the city.
So Anon says
Well, I just learned that my 8 year old has two lacrosse games beginning at 9 am and 10 am on Mother’s Day. This is her first year playing rec lacrosse and she has two practices per week and two games (generally back-to-back) every weekend. I’m pretty taken aback by the commitment level required for rec lacrosse for 3rd and 4th grades. I anticipate that I will be going to her games, grabbing some breakfast and hanging at home for the rest of the day.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Kindergarteners around here doing T-Ball have two games per week, during the week (so Tu/Th). I am honestly not prepared for this level of activity although I know it’s in our future. I’m hoping my kids have at least a few years before this. I hope you pick up a nice breakfast at least!
Mary Moo Cow says
I’m going to a kids birthday party at a trampoline park mid-day. At least lunch is taken care of. We’ll have my MIL and FIL over for dinner that night.
If I had the morning to myself, I would either stay home in a quiet house and read a book or tackle a closet. Going out to the world, I would wander Target with a drink, no agenda, and no ginormous kid cart, or a local hike.
Anonymous says
Who schedules a birthday party on Mother’s Day? So rude of those parents!
Anonymous says
haha I love that this comment showed up right above mine (11:21). For the record, I did an informal poll of the invited kids’ moms before we scheduled the party, and every one of them was cool with it! We’re doing later in the day to steer well clear of brunch.
Anon says
I think a drop off party is very different than a party where parent participation is expected. Most moms I know would jump at the chance to send their kids to a party that didn’t require their attendance ;)
Anon says
I think any kind of take my kid and entertain them party is fine, even if I have to stay. Because actually I’m not doing *anything* while my kid is jumping away and burning off energy.
Spirograph says
How is it rude? An invitation isn’t a summons… people are free not to go if it conflicts with their Mother’s Day plans. One of my son’s friends had a birthday party during Spring Break, and we just RSVP’d no because we were out of town. nbd.
Anon says
I do’nt think it’s rude. Risky maybe, because you might get a lot of people who would otherwise like to come RSVPing no. But +1 to Spirograph that an invitation is not a summons and people will decline if they don’t want to attend a party on mother’s day. Personally I would not care.
Anonymous says
I signed up to wrangle a Sunday School class at church, not realizing the date. And my son is having a birthday party-ish thing with his friends later in the afternoon. Low key, we’re just ordering pizza to the ice rink and his and my husband’s hockey friends are going to do stick-and-puck… but I’ll need to hostess and/or wrangle my other kids. So I guess I am facilitating a more-relaxing Mother’s Day for other moms? I might escape for a few hours in the early afternoon and go for a bike ride alone or read a book at a coffee shop.
Cornellian says
Designate another day of your choosing as mother’s day. You get a do-over, ha.
Anonymous says
I would go wander the art museum without anyone whining (kids) or trying to rush me past the art (husband), then order a latte at the museum cafe and drink it in the sculpture garden.
Pogo says
lol I am the rush you past the art person in my family. I would argue that I don’t rush, I spend an appropriate amount of time, and husband gets absorbed in reading every detail on some obscure plaque.
Anon says
Our (Jewish) Sunday school is having their end of year party/performance. I think it’s kind of weird that they scheduled it for Mother’s Day, but I don’t mind, except that we normally like to go out of town this week and now we’re not able to fly out until Monday.
anon says
Is it terrible that I kind of dislike Mother’s Day? There are so many expectations on all sides. I want a mix of quiet time and time with the kids. MIL wants to see us. My mom wants to see us. I have sisters who want all of us moms to be together. All lovely ideas, on their own! Crammed into a single weekend, not so much. And I know I need to get over this, but I have a hard time just stating what I want because I don’t want anyone’s feelings to be hurt.
At some point, I drew a hard line on brunch. No freaking thank you to that. I love brunch food, but not the brunch experience on Mother’s Day weekend.
Anonymous says
I hate Mother’s Day. My husband wants to impress me, but he can’t manage to make restaurant reservations or any other plans on his own because he invents too many obstacles (“It can’t be a place we’ve never been before,” “What if it rains,” “I don’t know how to use Resy”). He ends up buying cheap flowers at the grocery store and then being mad at me because he couldn’t live up to his own expectations.
ANon says
i also dont like mothers day. my first mothers day was 48 hours after i delivered. i was still in the hospital and hadn’t yet met one of my twins, whose birthday always falls around mothers day. my mom passed away two years ago and it is hard to celebrate myself as a mother without thinking of her. and my dad likes to visit for my kids’ bday which is lovely in theory, but often also involves being there for mothers day and sometimes i wish it could just be the four of us, so it could be a bit more about me and less about missing my mom (who i was super close with). my favorite so far was mothers day 2020 when we couldnt have any visitors
Anon says
Aww hugs.
Pogo says
Be kind to yourself, this is a lot!
Anon says
I love it but I think it’s because I have very low expectations (I want flowers and a day off from kid responsibilities) and we don’t have local family who would want to be part of our celebration. I definitely don’t envy my friends who have to juggle a MIL, mom and sisters.
So Anon says
Nope, not terrible at all. There are many folks for whom mother’s day brings out our pasts (or the present) in a way that is not great, or the day is hyped to an extent that is not possible, filled with family drama or conflicting expectations.
All I really want for mother’s day is not to make dinner. That would involve either going over to my mom’s house, who doesn’t seem to “get” that I don’t eat dairy, or out to a restaurant, which is tough with my oldest who has Celiac’s (and got gluten in last week from a restaurant that we typically trust).
Anon says
I like that it’s an opportunity for me to send gift links to my husband and get something fun, but other than that I do think it’s kind of a racket (like all the “minor” holidays that seem to have blown up in recent years/decades). I am very lucky to have a low-sleep needs husband who lets me sleep in every weekend, though!
Mostly I hate that every post/comment/conversation about Mother’s Day has to come with a huge disclaimer (in a way that Father’s Day does not…)
Pogo says
I definitely hate having to plan and cater to everyone else on a day that is supposedly about me. Lowering expectations helps so much.
Mrs. Jones says
I dislike Mother’s Day and all the other “hallmark” holidays. I include Valentine’s Day in this. Just the worst.
JoJo says
Celebrating with my mom and sister and our families on the day of. This is only my second Mother’s day, but I have decided to “give” this day to my mom, and I pick a day a different weekend for me. So the following weekend, I am checking into a local hotel by myself where I am going to order room service, watch whatever I want for as long as I want, and get a mani/pedi the next morning.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I love this idea! Everything is so busy on Mother’s Day weekend, I’m all about picking another weekend.
A friend and I kicked around the idea of doing something on Saturday. Sunday I’ll do something with my Mom, and I know she’ll want to see the kids so we’ll figure that out. I reminded DH it was Mother’s Day so he’d send my MIL something, and truthfully, as long as I’m off the hook for dinner and bathtime, and get a solid workout in with some alone time as well….I’ll be thrilled.
Anono says
OOooooo I really like this idea. Genius. Maybe I’ll ask my husband for yoga class time the following weekend, and I can still cater to other people’s needs the day of Mother’s Day. That would make me happy. This is when I love the internet for giving me inspiration.
anon says
I also pick a different day. My birthday is a couple of weeks before Mother’s Day but also the day before Kiddo’s birthday. My birthday is often taken up by Kiddo’s celebration, so I just pick the next weekend to do something for myself, and roll it up with Mother’s Day. DH and my niece both have birthdays around Mother’s Day, so we end up with a lot of family events on the second and third weekends of May.
AwayEmily says
I am doing for what I always do for Mothers Day, which is to live the day as a 1950s dad. All the joy of hanging out with my kids but none of the work. My husband usually plans some activities for us and I enjoy no diaper changes, no figuring out dinner, no making sure they potty before they go, no making plans, no resolving sibling conflict, and a cold beer at 5pm sharp.
(I will note that my husband usually gets the same treatment on Fathers Day — it is legit awesome)
Anon says
This is what we do too (plus flower’s because I like flowers) and it is indeed awesome.
Anonon says
I honestly can’t imagine that working out in my household. I would have to leave the house for my husband to step up into that role. My two littles always come running to MOMMMMYYY.
Anonymous says
I’d either go get a fancy coffee or ask DH and kids to bring me a coffee before they go do their thing. Then I’d watch tv in bed with said fancy coffee for a while before working out and showering before they get back.
So our tradition is that kiddo always wants to go out early and get me a coffee. (Clearly she knows what I like.) We go to church at 9am on Sundays, so there won’t be much sleeping in, but I will get to lay there leisurely for a bit while they go get the coffee. Then we’re going to play it by ear. It is supposed to be nice here, so I’d kind of like to spend some time outside and then make my way to a specific brewery/restaurant about 30 minutes away with an amazing outdoor space. Probably at an odd time so it is less busy. DH asked if I wanted to go to our regular brunch, but I’m not feeling it. We just did said brunch for Easter. So hopefully just enjoying some sunshine. Typically DH and kiddo pick out gifts on their own, but this year there were two things I really wanted, so I suggested them to DH. I’m guessing I’ll get them – he welcomes suggestions :)
This will be my first Mother’s Day since my mom passed. And while I’m doing okay so far, I’ll reach out more than usual to my sister. We’ve been doing our best to step up for each other since her passing.
Anon says
I was hoping to get a patio meal (lunch or dinner) at a restaurant we like but that has closed their patio all winter. Purportedly it opened this weekend, but they were having staffing issues last summer and often closed the patio because of it so TBD if that pans out. I also hate how you can’t make patio reservations at any of our local places; it is all first come first serve. If not, we’ll try for an off hour patio meal at one of our other stalwarts. Looking forward to when DD can get vaxxed and eating indoors for the first time in ages by end of summer (August 5YO birthday, so she’ll get it either way by then)! Other than that, I have no specific plans. I already picked out my gift and DH thoughtfully tweaked it and it is being shipped. My aunt organized a group gift for my mother and all I have to do is write her a check for my share. I’m not on speaking terms with MIL and DH is not a planner, so I have no idea what is going on there, but not my circus, not my monkeys.
SC says
I’m going to brunch at my in-laws’ house for Mother’s Day. I have two sets of local in-laws, so I’m hoping DH takes Kiddo to the other house later in the day so I can spend the afternoon reading. I have a book I’m really looking forward to, but I need time and space to sink into it.
This past weekend, I took Saturday morning “off” for my birthday. I got a massage and pedicure, using a birthday gift card. Then I went to the plant store and bought herbs for our garden.
Anon says
O wise moms, what am I supposed to do for teacher appreciation week at daycare? Is this a card and Target gift card occasion? How much? I usually do $100 per teacher for Christmas/winter holidays.
Anonymous says
I think this varies by region, but I definitely live in a community where a card and a gift card is appropriate, and cash would probably make people uncomfortable.
Anonymous says
I should add that we contributed to the daycare’s teacher appreciation week fund for lunch/treats for the teachers, so we’re doing smaller Starbucks gift cards (there’s one right around the corner from the building) and thank you cards.
anon says
+1. The suggestions to give cash are just wild to me. That is Not Done here.
Anon says
Does daycare give any guidance? Ours specifically says not to bring money. They have themed days like “bring a flower” etc. I wish they’d just let us give cash. If no guidance, I think you can give similarly to what you give at the holidays, although $100 is extremely generous in my opinion. We gave $50 per teacher and from talking to people it seemed like that was at the upper end in our LCOL Midwest city.
Anonymous says
I hate the themed days. “Bring a flower” is the worst–to get one flower you have to buy a whole bouquet, and you have to do it midweek.
Anon says
I never mind having fresh flowers around the house and we can buy a bouquet from the grocery store with our curbside pickup order, so that doesn’t bother me too much. My least favorite is the “make a homemade card” because my 4 year old can’t do that without heavy supervision.
Cb says
One thing I’ve started doing is buying the packs of small blank cards and handing them to my son when he wants to paint. Then I have cards ready. I’ll also cut out a heart from a picture he’s brought home from nursery and glue that to folded construction paper.
Anonymous says
Cb, that is a genius idea. Filing that one away for when my kiddo is a little more capable of drawing/painting on paper and not my leg, her forehead, a plant, etc.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We did a card for each of his 2 main teachers + cash ($45, about half of what we usually do for the winter holidays). The daycare is also doing some raffles and other treats to celebrate the teachers. I threw in some money for that.
JoJo says
Our daycare has planned small gifts each day of the week, plus we gave some money to the overall treats, plus we are doing a $20 gift certificate to Target for each teacher in DD’s room. It’s a lot, but daycares in our area are closing because they can’t find employees so we are leaning in this year.
Pogo says
Card + gift card and contribute to the SignUpGenuis for teacher treats. Sorry I don’t have the time to create cute gift baskets of all your favorite things (they actually send out a survey of the teachers’ favorite things) because I am… a working parent. Which is why I send my children to your daycare.
I did appreciate that a lot of them put alcoholic drinks under “favorite drink” because honestly I would need it if I watched a room full of 4 year olds all day and stayed sane.
Anonymous says
Our daycare did that around the holidays. I was so relieved that kiddo’s main teacher put that she loved Target and fun socks.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I’m doing $25 in cash (usually do about $50 for the holidays) + their favorite candy (per the “favorite things” worksheets they fill out). I put the cash in an envelope, write their names on the envelope in a pretty pen, and then tie it to the treat.
Caveat is that I enjoy the hand lettering/tying aspect, otherwise I wouldn’t do it.
Spirograph says
It’s kinda surprising to me that your school didn’t plan anything! This year, we have bring-a-flower and a card shower, plus a suggested donation ($10-30, depending on the class) to a classroom pool so the room parent and any motivated helpers can buy gifts, treats, etc out of that money
At previous schools there have been teacher favorite things lists, and I’ve done a small gift card + handwritten card/kid art + a small tangible item/ candy if anything easy was on the list. I usually gave around $100 for holiday gifts to preschool teachers. TAW was less, more like $10-25
One year my kids glued googly eyes and ribbons on succulents and gave their teachers a classroom “pet.” It was kinda fun, but admittedly Extra.
Happy lawyers? says
Are there any happy(ish) lawyers here? If so, would you mind sharing your secrets, what sort of law you practice, etc.?
Since having kids, I’ve realized that I don’t know any moms (or dads who don’t rely heavily on their partner) in my practice area who don’t seem completely miserable and stressed all the time. That can’t be a good sign. I don’t know if this is the work itself, the people, or something else, but it doesn’t make me feel good about ever reaching a place where I’m content with my job.
Anon says
Do you know happy childless lawyers? Because I think lawyers are just unhappy regardless of whether or not they have kids.
Anonymous says
I did about 5 million informational interviews when I was considering leaving law, and 90 percent of the lawyers I did informational interviews with were miserable. I left law.
Anon says
Same here.
anonforthis says
I’m happy! But only since I switched to a really chill in-house gig. I used to be a big law litigation associate and was miserable for 7 years. I make 60% of what I used to, but still good money and totally worth it. The best part is that when I use PTO, I don’t work and I don’t think about work. Oh, and I enjoy the work (not a litigation practice) too.
Anonymous says
+1 to all of this. I’m a government attorney in a regulatory area and I’m pretty happy with it. I miss the BigLaw pay, but being able to take time off and really be off is so nice. I think if I’d stayed at my firm and pushed for partner, we would have either had to have my husband step back from his career or hire a lot more help.
So Anon says
Same. I went from big law associated in litigation to a few year reprieve clerking for a federal judge then to in-house. My in-house job can be intense, but I don’t mind when it is because it is generally an issue where I can help steer the company on its response. I make about the same now that I did as a very junior associate in big law 10-15 years ago, but I’ve also paid off my student loans, my company has an amazing 401k match and great benefits. I’m a single parent, and I have the flexibility to be present with my kids and the resources to take care of us. I enjoy the work that I do and my colleagues.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I’m a lawyer with two small kids (6 and 3.5) and am relatively happy! Are you at a law firm? I am an in house corporate lawyer with a really supportive boss and good team. My job definitely has busy days and I work nights and weekends when needed, but I have a lot of autonomy and have built up a lot of good will here. My husband isn’t in a “big” job either – he works hard, but not nights, weekends or travel. He’s a very hands on dad and supportive partner, and that allows me to give more to my job when it’s busy. But again, I have enough flexibility that I am with my kids from 4:30-7:30 almost every night and then log in later if needed (it’s still exhausting, but it’s more on my terms I guess?) Not all in house is easier but if you can find a good team, then I think that will go a long way in making this more manageable. Also government work if that’s an option.
Even with the above, Covid and the lockdowns were hell and I still have PTSD about March-June 2020, but I don’t know if that was specific to being a lawyer.
Anon says
I have a 9-5 low stress non-law job and have major PTSD from the five months in 2020 when we tried to work full time without any childcare. I definitely don’t think that’s a lawyer thing.
anon says
i’m pretty happy. in corporate (emerging companies venture capital) but my husband is a SAHD which allows me to do my job but before then when we both worked, i liked my job. i can honestly see myself doing this at a firm for at least another 5-10 years (i’m about 9 years in).
Emma says
I’m pretty happy (corporate, in-house). I generally like the practice of law. I don’t always love the politics, but I have a good team and reasonable work life balance. I liked corporate big law for a while but like so many people I suddenly found myself very burnt out and have more balance (but less $$$) now.
Anon says
Hi, I am happy most days most of the time. I am counsel at a big-law firm in M&A and expecting to be up for partner in the next two years. I typically bill around 1900 hours a year these days, give or take. My “secrets” are below.
First and foremost, DH is a SAHD, which takes so much pressure off in so many ways (although being the sole breadwinner is its own type of pressure) and allows me to be flexible about when I am spending time with my kid (e.g., slow afternoon weekday park date, sure, even if I might be working through bedtime later that week).
Second, I genuinely like the people I work with and the office I work in. They are people I have formed friendships with, and the vast majority of the people I work with have children. We cover for each other’s commitments and support each other (whether related to childcare, family illnesses, or otherwise). DH tells me it is a unicorn job and he is probably right.
Third, I genuinely like the work I do. It is exciting, interesting and fun. I like my clients. For the most part, they are really good people to work with, and I work with a lot of repeat clients so I get to know them and they get to know me.
Fourth, I get paid (IMHO) a ridiculous amount of money and I use it to make the most of the freetime I do have. We have a weekly housekeeper who also folds laundry, eat at restaurants or do takeout or meal prep for the majority of meals, a lawn guy and a handyman. When I am not busy, I am not doing thankless chores but rather am having fun (although, TBH, yesterday I laid on the couch most of the day reading a book while DH watched TV and both of us intermittently chimed in to admire the magnatile towers and barbie escapades, so my idea of fun is probably a much lower bar than most people).
We also only have one kid, and due to secondary infertility issues, the age gap if we do manage to have a second kid will be over 5 years. I suspect that is also a factor in terms of how stressed I feel, particularly now that she is so self-sufficient these days, but since she still doesn’t sleep through the night, at least that won’t be a change if we get lucky enough to have a second!
Cornellian says
I don’t mean this in a snarky way but I think you may be literally the only mother M&A attorney I’ve met who seems happy with her life. Maybe it’s the SAHP thing? I was a funds attorney and used to do both public and private M&A through fourth year, and it seemed basically impossible. Either way, good job! genuinely impressed.
Anon says
I’m a public defender and only do appeals. I am happyish. I do get stressed about my caseload or clients at times, but most of my work related stress is related to childcare woes and not my actual work.
I think the key to my happy-ish-ness with my job is:
1) i work part time in a flexible unicorn job.
2) 1 is only possible (and necessary) because my partner works A LOT and makes enough money for us, so there is no financial necessity for me to work and thus one less source of stress.
3) I could have chosen a different type of public interest law career that would have had a similar goal/mission but I specifically chose this because I already knew what would be a good personality fit: litigation, but not trials; working alone; being in charge of my day to day; doing lots of research, writing, and thinking; and some client interaction. I would have been unhappy doing impact lit, civil rights litigation, trial level public defense, family defense, etc etc. (FWIW I became a lawyer in my 30s so I already knew what worked for me in terms of an ideal work environment).
4) I have very few meetings.
I hope you can find something that may be a better fit for you!
Anonymous says
Wow. I could have written every word of this except I work in civil appeals, and I work full-time. I thought my list of requirements to be happy in a job was unique to me – glad to know there are others!
NYCer says
I am happy(ish). Big law T&E. I am in a senior counsel type role with no real desire to make partner and I’m not concerned about getting a big bonus, so I don’t have a lot of billing pressure. There are very few emergencies in T&E, so I work normal hours for the most part and rarely on the weekends.
Anon says
I was recently promoted from associate to counsel and it’s way better. I’m still kinda miserable but after this many years I can compartmentalize better and enjoy other aspects of life at the same time I have this job. I think a lot of mom associates don’t hang in long enough to get promoted and that’s ok but some probably owe themselves hanging around long enough to find out if a promotion helps.
Anonymous says
I am a midlevel associate (NYC) nearing the end of my maternity leave. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on things I should be thinking about as my return date approaches.
I haven’t lined up care yet, but there’s not a time crunch as we have some family care lined up for a time after I return. We’re planning on a nanny – I figured daycare would be impossible since I didn’t line it up back in 2021. Definitely thinking daycare when the baby is a bit older though.
I have the option to return on a flex work schedule but I’m leaning against it since my understanding is that, sure, you can go down to 75-80% hours (and the corresponding pay cut), but it’s not as if you can suddenly say you’re no longer available one day a week. I think maybe just better to try to avoid overloading myself, and expect I’ll miss my bonus this year? I’m in corporate.
For what it’s worth I do actually kind of enjoy the job. I don’t know that I have partner ambitions but I do want to stick around for a few more years (and one more child). For the person who asked if there are happy lawyers, I would say I actually am one, if you have specific questions about what that’s like, haha.
anon says
I know a handful of people who have gone part time during my time at a firm and 0 who have done it happily or successfully for more than a year.
FWIW, i think you should assume you won’t make bonus and just not overload – at least in the beginning if you find that you get into a groove and can take on, you can always do that. I set out very clear guidelines once I was back that I would be offline from 6-9 every night to do dinner and bedtime. I say this to partners on every new deal when they try to staff me. Like, yes, i’ll take this on, but be aware of this. No one has ever had an issue. Of course, on nights when I have deal closing stuff to deal with, I make exceptions but that’s really only happened a handful of times since I have been back from leave 2 years ago. Your boundaries may vary but I think that has made my job a lot more sustainable (I don’t mind working late after bedtime) but i think you should figure out what your preferred schedule is and stick to it and be clear about it.
Anon says
I only billed 80% for the first 5 months or so that I came back, without officially taking a reduced time schedule (and did not get a bonus that year, but still continued on track with rave reviews). No one noticed or cared. Some of it was just being slow to get reintegrated into deals, some of it was having a lot of long-term clients that were sold in the year before I went on leave (so I had to go find new clients to work for, some with the same partners and some with new partners), and some of it was me not seeking out more work if I was already around 80% (but I will say I did not turn down work if I had availability and was specifically asked to do it, so that probably protected me reputationally). I would do the same all over again.
Cornellian says
I did the “official” 80% thing and all it did was lower my paycheck and get me fast paced menial work suited for a second year for a while. I think the “soft leaning out” approach is probably right, although probably also dependent on practice area.
Even if you don’t want to do daycare for a while, get on some waitlists now. you can research more fully later if you want, but have you or your partner get on five of them. Some folks preferred to have baby near home, some liked baby near the office and to commute with them. You don’t have to take the first spot that’s offered to you, but it’s nice to start having options. Figure out how you’ll do withholding and all that for your nanny.
If you’re pumping, figure out your logistics and make your firm buy you needed equipment like curtains and/or a fridge. Buy way too many sets of tubes and flanges etc because you will inevitably leave them at the office or to spoil in your bag, ha.
I’d also put on some old work clothing (if you’re in person) and see how it fits. Go shopping and/or send to tailor as needed.
If you have stray health stuff to take care of (dentist, eye doctor, etc), get that taken care of soon.
Good luck!
Anonymous says
Don’t do the official reduction in hours. Better to be tracked and not hit your target.
Anon says
For those of you had Covid recently, how long did it take to go from person to person within your household? I posted above that I’m supposed to go on a big trip on the 13th that can’t really be rescheduled. We just found out kiddo was exposed to Covid at daycare today and since there are no masks anymore and my family hasn’t had Covid yet, I’m assuming the odds we’ll get it are pretty high. Any anecdata about the odds I’ll test positive by the 8th and be good to go by the 13th?
Anonymous says
Anecdata from my household is that my toddler was exposed at daycare, tested positive on day 3, and neither me nor DH ever tested positive or had symptoms. Toddler’s symptoms were minimal to nonexistent (maybe slept a little later due to fatigue, but not sure if that was from a lot of active playing or illness) – we only tested on day 3 so we’d be less likely to be surprised by a positive PCR on day 7. Toddler is very into naming body parts and so is always jamming a sticky or slimy finger in our faces to point out our noses, mouths, eyes, etc., so we were definitely exposed, and we’ve come down with everything else she’s brought home this winter and spring. My fingers are crossed for you!
Anonanonanon says
Just piping in with encouragement, two kids in my daughter’s preschool class have tested positive since they went maskless and she has never gotten in. They do test to stay so she was tested pretty frequently after. Fingers crossed for y’all
Anon says
Thanks, that’s good to hear. They told us it was a “low risk exposure” but I don’t really understand what that means in this context. Even if the infected kid is one who’s voluntarily masking, the kids still have their masks off to eat and sleep.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Same here! I think my son’s class has had around 3 cases in his class in the last month or so and so far he’s been negative (also test and stay, so we tested him every day).
LadyNFS says
For your timeline question – DD tested positive on a Sunday (started with a low grade fever). Tried to keep kids apart, DD and me in a mask, etc. but they are young and damage was mostly done at that point. DS started fever on Tuesday night and tested positive on Wednesday am when we were able to get to ped. I masked for a time, but by the time DS (who is too young to mask) tested positive, I had been solo parenting 2 sick kids myself for days, and my masking efforts and disinfecting admittedly was not great. I tested positive that Thursday. I am vaxxed and boosted (and was at the time), but I think being in the trenches with 2 sick, unvaxxed (due to age) kiddos and it could not be avoided. My nanny caught it as well and tested positive on Monday. Fingers crossed for you!
Anonymous says
You should know by then. Also chances are good you won’t get it! I know many May families where 1-2/ 4-5 people ultimately got it.
Anon says
Thanks for the reassuring anecdotes, everyone. It turns out the exposure was actually Friday and she has no symptoms and tested negative tonight so fingers crossed we will avoid it.
Anon says
My son also recently had exposure at daycare and never tested positive. Fingers crossed for you!
Cb says
My dad had a positive test whilst we were all staying together and none of us (my mom, my unvaccinated kid, immunocompromised me, my husband) ever tested positive. I read that the odds of household spread is only 50%.