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& Other Stories’ mock neck blouse is $99 (some prints on sale). It’s available in sizes XS–L.
Another more economical option is this one from JCPenney’s Worthington line that’s available in sizes XS–XXL as well as petites. It’s $21.74 on sale.
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
Sales of note for 12.5.23…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Holiday sale up to 50% off; 5x the points on beauty for a limited time
- Ann Taylor – 40% off your purchase & extra 15% off sweaters
- Banana Republic – Up to 40% off select styles; up to 40% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything & extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – Extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off your purchase with code
- Lands’ End – Up to 70% off everything; free shipping (readers love the cashmere)
- Loft – 50% off your purchase with code (ends 12/5)
- Summersalt – Up to 60% off select styles & free scarf with orders $125+ (this reader-favorite sweater blazer is down to $75)
- Talbots – 40% off your regular-price purchase; extra 50% off all markdowns
- Zappos – 34,000+ women’s sale items! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- Crate&kids – Free shipping sitewide; up to 50% off toy + gift event; free monogramming for a limited time only (order by 12/15)
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off your purchase with code
- Pottery Barn Kids – Up to 50% off toys, furniture & gifts
- Graco – Holiday savings up to 35% off; sign up for texts for 20% off full-price item
- Walmart – Up to 25% off top baby gifts; big savings on Delta, Graco, VTech, Fisher-Price & more
Anon says
I’m struggling with finding pants for my 6 year old son. He is SKINNY with long legs, 4 in the waist and about a size 7 in length. He prefers jeans to sweatpants, which I don’t relate to but try to support :). Until now, toddler slim jeans or jogger khakis from Cat and Jack with a drawstring worked great, although a bit short, but now that I need to shop in the boys section, I can’t find anything. Any suggestions for slim jeans with drawstring waists in boys sizes?
EP-er says
Do you need a drawstring or can they be a regular waist with the adjustable elastic? We used to buy the Levi’s 511 Slims for my string bean. They already have a smaller proportion, and then there are the elastics/button inside the waist band to make them even smaller in the waist. We’ve had some luck with Old Navy slims, also, but they seem a little bigger (or inconsistent?) than the Levi’s.
OP says
I’ve never been able to find a pair with the internal adjustable elastic that I could make small enough for him unless they were in a length that looked like capris. But I’m definitely willing to give the Levi’s a try! Thank you!
Anonymous says
Land’s End has kids slim pull-on jeans. The ones we have are kind of heavy, but good for colder weather.
(Side note about kid sartorial choices made for reasons other than comfort, in preK, my son had a friend who insisted on wearing a suit, or at least a blazer, several days a week. His parents got him a tuxedo T-shirt in hopes of convincing him to be both fancy and slightly more practical, but sweatpants were an abomination to him. Meanwhile, my son refuses to wear anything except sweatpants to school.)
Boston Legal Eagle says
I had to bribe my kid to ditch his shorts starting after Halloween and wear pants (athletic pants! still comfy!) It’s not shorts weather here anymore…In kindergarten, he used to let me dress him in cute skinny jeans, sigh.
Anonymous says
We find GAP to run the slimmest.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Primary skinny jeans in size 7-8 should work for him. Not a drawstring, but has an adjustable elastic in the waist and button.
GCA says
Old Navy, and look in the ‘girls’ clothing aisle as well for slim-cut jeans with adjustable waistband.
Anonymous says
Gymboree! They go up to size 12 at least and they are quite reasonably priced when on sale. I usually leave them tied at a size that allows son to pull them up and down without untying but not so loose that there is a risk of falling off.
HSAL says
Hey. I appreciate all the support last week. We live in Indianapolis and my friends and neighbors have really been amazing, but all my family lives in IL, so that’s tough. His family went home over the weekend, my mom will be here until Friday, and then I guess we just kind of…start doing things on our own. I quit my job a couple years ago when my oldest started K and money isn’t a huge concern, but I’ll likely need/want to work again at some point. I don’t know. It’s hard. I’m sad for myself and sad for my kids and so incredibly sad that my husband won’t get to see the kids grow up.
Mary Moo Cow says
HSAL, thank you for writing. You and your family have been in my thoughts all week. I hope this community continues to be a source of support for you.
EP-er says
You’ve been my thoughts… so many hugs to you. One day at a time — if money isn’t an issue right now, don’t worry about a job right now. Sometimes just getting through the day is a success.
Anonymous says
Aw, HSAL, thank you for the update. We have all been thinking of you. I know it is daunting, but you and your kids will find your way to a new routine that won’t be the same but will be comforting in its own way. I’ve seen it happen over the past year with two families in my orbit. You don’t have to have it all figured out now, and it’s okay not to know what you want in the long run. It will unfold. Sending all the virtual hugs.
Anon says
I’ve been thinking about you HSAL. I hope this can be a place for you to grieve. We are here for you.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Big hugs, HSAL. There are no words to make this better, but just know that we’re all thinking of you and supporting you as best we can. I hope there are some of us in your area who can reach out for a closer connection. It’s unfair for your kids, but they will get through it. I can’t recommend therapy enough for when you have a chance (outsource the finding of this to your community).
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Thinking of you and your family, HSAL. Sending you all the love and light. Just know it’s okay to sit in the sadness for yourself, even while you’re helping your children grieve.
Spirograph says
Thanks for checking in, I’ve been thinking of you, too, and I’m so sad for you and your kids facing this huge loss. You’ll get through it together one day at a time, and I hope you feel the love & support from your real-life and virtual community!
GCA says
Heya. Thanks for checking in. I’ve been thinking of you this week. Sending love. I’m glad you’ve had family and friends to help – please lean on them and on us when you need.
Clementine says
Much love to all of you!!
Vicky Austin says
I haven’t been here in a minute, but I’m so sorry for what sounds like a massive loss. Thinking of you.
Abby says
Thinking of you. Sending you & your kids all of the hugs
CCLA says
You and your kids have been on my mind and in my heart. I’m glad you’re getting support locally, and know that this community will continue to be here for you. Sending you so much love.
Anon says
I haven’t stopped thinking about you and your family. I am not sure if you read my post, but my sister’s husband passed away unexpectedly this summer. If you ever want to chat, I’m happy to post a burner email so we can exchange information. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and I’m glad you are getting support from your family and friends.
Active Evening says
DS is 3.5. We pick him up from preschool every day around 4. He gets home, and we basically feed him right away. He’s usually so tired until about 5 when he perks back up but by then it’s pretty dark outside.
Any tips/ideas for getting some of his energy out in the evening while its dark? We do have a fenced in backyard.
Anonymous says
Does your house have floodlights? Every house in our neighborhood has floodlights that illuminate the backyard, usually controlled by a switch in an upstairs bedroom. Those provide plenty of light for outdoor play. Just remember to turn them off before bedtime because they will interfere with sleep for you and the neighbors.
Spirograph says
Do you have a floodlight back there? We have one on the top of our shed, which I’m sure served a practical purpose for the previous owners, but my kids use it to illuminate their soccer games.
Or, get a bunch of reflective / glowing gear and go for a family walk around the neighborhood.
Anon says
For my kid, we’ve never found a great way to be active at home when it’s cold and dark outside, and the best solution has been classes outside the home. But I’d hesitate to overwhelm a 3 year old with organized activities, particularly if they’re acting tired right after school.
AwayEmily says
Flashlights! My kids thought night walks with flashlights were AWESOME at his age (and honestly still do). And I’ve mentioned this before, but when my kids are reluctant to go outside at night because it’s “tooooo cooooold,” I offer to do a “jellybean walk,” where at some point I hide a couple of jelly beans for them to find (usually by wedging them into the bark of a tree; weird but it works).
Anonymous says
We have lights in the garden and the kids also have toques with usb rechargeable lights built in. Soccer ball, swings, jumping in leaf piles all involve lots of running around which tires them out.
anon says
I live north of Boston so it gets dark early around here right now. “Flashlight Walks” with our 5.5 year old help burn a little energy and get some fresh air before bedtime routine. Something about handing her a large flood light is really exiting to her (and they’re not all that heavy), and she gets to try to find things with the flashlight, etc.
OOO says
Tangle Nightball makes soccer balls and kickballs that light up when you kick them. Flashlights are good too, but get regular maglites because kids’ flashlights aren’t bright enough.
Would it be possible to pick DS up from school a little later, after he has had his second recess? At our preschool recess ends at 4:30.
Anon. says
Indoor options that work at our house:
Laps around our first floor, sometimes parent chasing, last night it was “MarioKart Racing”
Creating an obstacle course, usually in our finished basement with various household things to jump on, over, crawl through etc.
Nugget play – typically jumping from our ottoman onto the Nugget
Indoor mini trampoline
ifiknew says
Does anyone else have advice from coping with a kid getting in trouble in preschool? I posted last week about my sons preschool saying he will have to find a new program starting in January if his aggressive behavior doesn’t improve. We’ve had a few good days since but I am just constantly holding my breath and feel so anxious about all this because I’m worried he’s going to struggle in school and I’m not sure how to best help him. He is great at home or in small groups, but the class is also filled with a bunch of boys that are always touching and roughhousing. For example, I observed through a window (where he couldn’t see me) on Monday and there were multiple kids just walking around touching other kids etc during circle time and depending on the day, my son is doing that too. They said that’s not cause for explusion though and it’s the aggressiveness/maliciousness that would get him removed. He hangs out with the handful of boys that are the touching/rough housing type, so while he has those tendencies, I feel like they are amplified in this environment, but isn’t that just school? There will always be these types of boys?
I hate to switch him for 6 months before public kinder, but would you switch him if you were me? He loves his school and is learning a lot. I wrote that it was academically rigorous last week, but in the sense that they teach phonics and math but in a very “fun” way i.e. sing songs, do hands on activities etc. They do a single 5 min worksheet a day, so it’s not at all the sit at a desk and do worksheets type program, but it is far more structured than the Montessori program our daughter went to. I felt like she wasn’t as prepared for kindergarten in our “high achieving” suburb in that program because i don’t think she was picking work that was challenging and that’s why we switched him to a more structured environment.
Anonymous says
Could you do a combo? In the year before kindergarten our boys were a bit bored with their generally well regarded daycare. I put them in preschool two mornings a week. I dropped off in the morning and DH got them at lunchtime and brought them to daycare.
Is there a local forest preschool? That might also be a great option to change things up and get out some energy.
Could the teachers have him sit closer to them at circle time so he’s less distracted by the other boys?
I would focus on trying to make it work/improve the situation to get you through until end of April ish and then you can look at camps or a university student nanny for the summer.
Anon says
I was also going to say camp could be a good option for the summer, but that likely doesn’t start before Memorial Day weekend unless your public schools end really early.
Anonymous says
Our area doesn’t have a ton of options for pre-k camps but there are a few. Combining with a part time nanny might work.
Anon says
In my area, rising kindergartners can attend the standard elementary school camps (parks & rec, Y etc) if they’re 5 and have been in full-time daycare.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I can’t comment on what is happening now at your son’s preschool, but I’m so sorry you and your family are going through this. I’m a firm believer that – even in preschool – not every environment or teacher is for every kid (and vice versa).
Have you had to sign any documentation (e.g. DS hit classmate), or had to apologize to any families? When my kids have been involved in anything where there was one party being “aggressive” (e.g. hitting, biting), I’ve always had to sign something. (The teachers would never share who other party was, btw – it was just figured out and apologies were exchanged).
I wouldn’t worry about it transitioning to public K. So much will happen in his growth and development between now and Aug-Sept 2024 (!).
Anon says
Oh wow. I never apologized to anyone, nor did anyone ever apologize to us. It’s normal kid behavior, it seems unnecessary to apologize.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Eh, a kid threw heavy, wood blocks at my kid’s head (fortunately my kid ducked), and that family apologized. We appreciated it. The school didn’t share my kid’s identity, but I presume that the throw-er let their parents know.
I asked more to see if the school had established documentation/pattern, though.
Anon says
Oh interesting! I don’t know that we were even notified in that situation. We had to sign injury reports (usually because my clumsy kid tripped and fell, but once or twice when she got stung by a bee or hurt by a classmate), but I’m not sure we would have even known if a kid had thrown something at my kid and missed.
anon says
I think the school is telling you that they don’t have the skills to be a great place for your son. As much as this throws a wrench in your plans, I think the school is being helpful in their forthrightness that they can’t do a good job for your son.
Even if they don’t kick him out, I’d move him to a program that can help him with his behavior for his own sake. He’s likely getting the message that he’s aggressive/bad and not getting the help he needs to do better, which is a lot harder to fix than picking up some early academic skills.
I’d look for a place that will help him with behavior. The kindergarten teachers I know all say that social-emotional readiness is more important than academic skills. They’re really well equipped to teach academic skills, but they don’t have the staffing to do a great job with children who aren’t socially-emotionally ready. Preschools tend to have lower student/teacher ratios because helping children with these skills requires a lot more individual attention.
Anon says
I agree with all this. I would not get a nanny. I think it’s important to keep him in group childcare to keep working on social-emotional stuff. I know nanny kid have play dates, classes, etc. but it’s not the same as a school environment, and for a kid who is already struggling with the behavioral piece it doesn’t seem like a good option.
OP says
Thank you, that’s good advice. I’m not sure if the behavior challenges are related to his current environment with the other boys he plays with or if he would have it in any environment. If its the latter, I’m like should I give him a chance to work it out here because there will be boys like this anywhere he goes? We just have never had issues until this last month when he started playing more with these other boys that are also getting in trouble in the same ways.
Anonymous says
There will be boys like this anywhere he goes, but the teachers’ ability to help him navigate the situation appropriately will vary. It doesn’t sound like the current teachers are helping him learn the right skills.
Anon says
“The kindergarten teachers I know all say that social-emotional readiness is more important than academic skills.”
This is definitely true in my high-achieving but not uber wealthy school district, but anecdotally, I’ve heard from friends in very wealthy suburbs (e.g., parts of the Bay Area, some of the very posh suburbs near Boston) that there’s a much greater degree of academic emphasis at a young age. Unfortunately I think this is one of the big downsides to fancy schools.
Anon at 12:04pm says
I live in one of the most expensive parts of the Bay Area. The teachers here really care more about social-emotional readiness than academic skills to start kindergarten. The local public schools have the resources to help kids who come in without some academic skills, like recognizing all letters. They don’t have adequate resources to help kids who aren’t socially-emotionally ready.
The most privileged children in my community attend play-based preschool/daycare programs that philosophically don’t do academic work. In my community, there exist parents who are intense about academics for their young elementary schoolers, but they’re not the norm and generally regarded as misguided by others.
Anonymous says
Yeah, the current rich-people trend, especially among white people, seems to be resisting academics until later.
Anonymous says
I live in Wellesley. We dump money into SEO like crazy. It’s insane how many “feelings” teachers my kids have!
Anon says
so one of my good friends had to deal with this last year with her son. the school never threatened to kick him out, but he got into trouble a lot, and it was starting to impact his self esteem. he liked school, but there was a group of boys that just weren’t the best fit for him. my daughter was in his class and i don’t think it was the fault of the teachers. my friend decided to pull him and not send him back after spring break. money for them wasn’t really a huge issue, so he was at first in weekly OT to work on some of the emotional regulation piece + some tutoring + nanny (they already had the nanny). the place where he did OT also had a preschool and they managed to get a spot for him there. He is now a few months into public K in a class of 21 kids with one teacher and is doing great! at parent teacher conferences their only feedback was he should work on coloring between the lines. for whatever reason, this environment just isn’t working for your kid. i think you said this prek class has 28 kids and personally i think that is way too many kids in one class. no matter how many teachers that’s just a lot of chaos and really should be two different rooms. sending lots and lots and lots of hugs. i know it was really stressful for my friend and i imagine it is for you as well.
Anonymous says
Pre K class with 28 kids is huge! Even our K class only had 14 kids.
Anon says
Our K was not that small, but agree 28 is really big for a Pre-K class size. My daughter’s pre-K went from 16 to 20 as Covid restrictions eased and the increased noise and chaos in the classroom was very noticeable. Some of the teachers seemed to really struggle with the larger group. I can’t imagine making the class almost half again as big.
OP says
Yes the class size is a real issue especially when theres a few kids like my son that are disruptive to some degree. I am so torn because I know he loves his school but hes very social and makes friends easily so I think he’ll be fine if we switch as well.
Anonymous says
Wow. I have 3 kids. My oldest is 10. None of them have EVER been in a class that big. PreK was capped at 14, with two teachers, and even then one of my kids had 10 in her class.
Kindy here is capped at 21 with a full time aid. My kids are in k (19 kids, teacher, aid, and 1:1 ABA for a student), 2nd (18 kids, teacher, two ABAs) and 4th (teacher, 50% math coach, one ABA).
Anonymous says
I think you need to face reality. You have to switch him because he is about to get kicked out. And in a boisterous class his aggression stands out! That doesn’t mean he is a bad kid but I do think you’ll need to talk to your pediatrician about getting him some help.
Anon says
Oh my goodness, help with being a normal 4yo? They’ve had no issues until the last couple months, in a class that doesn’t seem to be working for him (adults or peer group). In a different environment, or with another year maturity, this may be a non-issue.
Anonymous says
We have gone through this, though our kid is neurodivergent so that added to the issues. I wish we had started looking for a new program when the school started raising issues with us and not waited until the school fully asked us to leave. We also had a classroom with several kids with behavioral issues, the school just decided our kid’s was the most severe so we were on the chopping block. We found a new program (with a 4 week gap of cobbling together babysitters) and all is well now. I think it’s a combination of our kid growing/learning/maturing and a new school providing new rules and structure that worked for him.
Op says
thank you, this is helpful. what do you think changed in his new program to whete hes doing better? what should I be looking for? honestly this week hasn’t been anything crazy but stuff like kicking another child’s nap mat, touching others at circle time, saying “poop” in line but whether it’s unusual or not, I need to switch him.
Anonymous says
I a haven’t had this exact issue, but I’ve had other Big Issues with kids. This sounds crazy but…what about a vacation? Go away for 3-4 days, then have him stay home for a few more with a sitter. Get him out of that school for 1-2 weeks then start again. See if anything changes.
It worked like a charm to kick the bad habits we were dealing with. A complete re-set.
NLD in NYC says
Anyone have a virtual/online strength training program they like? Now that I’m in my early 40s, my back is telling me I need to get serious about getting stronger. Preferable one with short sessions (20 min or less) because mama doesn’t have a lot of time. TIA.
Anonymous says
I’m a big fan of MommaStrong. Max time is 15 minutes, and there is a lot of education. Minimal equipment, mostly body weight resistance functional strength and HIIT.
FVNC says
Not a program, but I like the workouts from The Modern Fit Girl on Youtube. I think almost all are under 20 min in length and are meant to be done at home with minimal equipment.
Anonymous says
Pilates is fantastic for back issues. I do Kristin McGee’s Peloton classes and the longer ones are hard!
Anon says
For something free, Nourish Move Love.
NLD in NYC says
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Anonymous says
Materra method
Anonymous says
Vent. After three and half years of dual WFH, I’m over it. I am likely to be WFH for the rest of my career because my entire field was headed in that direction before 2020 and the pandemic just pushed it over the edge. My husband’s company sent everyone home in March of 2020 and then decided to move and retrofit a new building, which now won’t be ready until the middle of next year. The togetherness is driving me absolutely bonkers. 90% of my husband’s day is meetings, during which he mainly yells business catchphrases so loudly that I can hear him through two closed doors. During the rare times when he doesn’t have meetings, he doesn’t know what to do with himself and comes to talk to me. He always wants to have lunch together and tell me about his company, his projects, and his many co-workers in minute, irrelevant detail. I recently stepped back to a job with irregular part-time hours and feel like he’s constantly watching how much I work or do housework. I can’t run errands or deal with packages or do paperwork or cook without feeling guilty for not billing or worrying that he’s going to barge in and ask annoying questions. I have tried using this opportunity to show him how much time and mental energy I use managing the household and the kid stuff, but whenever I mention anything about a kid issue he tells me I’m stressing him out and he has to focus on work. Is it too much to ask to have the house to myself during school hours so I can work or do housework in peace?!? If I go back full time, will he leave me alone to work and let me hire a housekeeping service? (No, because that didn’t happen when I was full-time and is a big part of why I went part-time). I am desperate for him to go back to the office, but on the other hand the new office is open-plan and he refuses to wear a mask so we will be sick all the time. Arrrrgh.
Anon says
On the one hand, I get it. My husband is currently on a call in the kitchen and we have an open floorplan so the sound drifts right up into my office. He has his own home office with a door but says he can’t be in there today because his computer wasn’t working in there (!?). He’s really loud, and it’s disruptive to my work. Our marriage improved a lot when he finally went back to the office part-time in fall 2022.
On the other hand, I agree with the person below that this is about much more than just WFH. There’s a lot about your husband’s behavior that sounds very controlling. He’s monitoring how much you work? He won’t “let” you hire a cleaning service? That is not ok, unless he’s happily doing 100% of the cleaning.
Anonymous says
If lack of wifi in his office happens frequently, definitely get a wifi booster or a wired connection in his office. His working in the kitchen doesn’t work for you so he needs to figure out another solution. Can he go to the basement or another main floor room in the meantime?
Anon says
Yeah our wi-fi is crap. I’ve had problems with it recently too, we probably need some kind of upgrade.
Our whole main floor is totally open, unfortunately. We loved the house when we bought it, but it’s a bad setup for WFH. Fortunately our dual WFH days are not that frequent anymore…hence our marriage improving, lol. Even with a better work setup, I don’t think 24/7/365 togetherness is great for a marriage. You need a chance to miss your spouse! But it sounds like there’s a lot more going on in OP’s situation.
Anonymous says
Have you restarted your router recently? That always helps ours in a pinch.
We had to upgrade during the pandemic because our previous set up did not like two VPNs and like 5 videoconferences (between us and the kids) running at the same time.
Anonymous says
So it seems that there are larger issues going on in terms of his respectfulness to you. You may need counseling to address that. For now I would accept that he is not going to appreciate or respect you and work within that context to improve your life.
In things that you can do literally today/tomorrow:
– get ipods and play some light classical music in the background or whatever you find not distracting
– order soundproofing panels from Home Depot for his office (they hang on the wall like pictures and can be painted to match wall color
– leave at lunchtime to run errands. The errand may be dropping something at the post office and eating lunch in peace in your car.
– keep your door closed at all times when working
– reorientate your office so he cannot see your monitor when he enters.
– if he comes into your office – you are just about to hop on a call. Fake a call if needed.
Basically Maxine Walters him – reclaim your time. And set up counseling to get this fixed longer term.
Mary Moo Cow says
Seconding sound proof panels. I just bought some from Amazon for the laundry room and they really do make a difference. I’ve also ordered some sound filtering curtains from IKEA.
Another option would be to find a co-working space you can rent part time or if your work lends itself to this, occasionally working at a library or coffee shop occasionally. If you do drop off, go from school to the third place.
Set some boundaries around lunch: can you commit to one lunch together a week? (DH and I do Mondays.) Then try to mentally reframe it as “day time date.” Because DH is also needy; I get it.
Finally, as others have said, there are some deeper issues here that got my hackles up. I’m not in your marriage, so if it works for you, who am I to judge, but you sound unhappy with the current state of affairs, so I would consider whether counseling (solo or couples) is worth it to get through this patch until he’s out of the house. Even if it is just to get some words to use to describe to him what you’ve said here.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1 to the deeper issues I sensed – and I could be wrong. A few things:
1. DH and I have BEEN THROUGH IT. We had both collected a lot of resentment over various (big and small) things and it essentially blew up in our faces. Therapy helped us SO much, individually and as a couple.
2. DH and I overlap on WFH days 1-2x/week and he annoys me. He doesn’t do anything to or at me, but like, I’ll hear him loudly talk to our dog between meetings, or vent into the ether (about work), and…I just want silence!
anon says
Do you like your husband? Honestly some of your complaints seem a little petty, like wanting him to mask in the office. No one is really doing that.
Anonymous says
I think I’d like him more if he weren’t here 24/7!
Anonymous says
Agree that no one is masking in the office but the rest of the stuff is not petty. DH and I both WFH sometimes. There is no random wandering into my office. Occasionally I get a text that he is making a sandwich for lunch and asking if I want one.
Anon says
I don’t know that it’s petty if someone in their family has a serious health condition. Certainly most people are not still masking, but I know several families who are because one person has a health issue.
But OP fwiw it’s not a sure thing that he’ll get sick all the time even without a mask. We wore masks in many situations until this summer, and so far our mask-free fall has actually been shockingly light on illness (knock on wood). My professor husband always brings home a bunch of crud at the start of the academic year, and this year we managed to avoid it even though it was the first year since 2019 that he taught sans mask.
Anon says
Yah, I’ve got two kids in school, a toddler and a husband that commutes via public transit and works in an open office and we haven’t even had a cold yet in our family this fall.
Anon says
Masking in the workplace is still the norm for households that remain high risk and want to stay out of the hospital.
Anonymous says
And are those households likely to be posting about wanting people to go back to in person work when it isn’t required?!
Anon says
Well, two things can be true at the same time. In 2020 I was nervous about my husband returning to in-person work because I have asthma and an autoimmune disease, but I was also sick of being around him all the time and looking forward to getting some space and quiet time in the house. I don’t think it’s terribly unusual to feel conflicted about a return to office.
Anon says
My cousin has 18 mo old twins who were born 4 weeks premature and have some developmental delays. They aren’t talking yet and one of them still isn’t walking. I know this is within the higher end of the “normal” range. Is this typical for babies born prematurely? They are now receiving early intervention services to help families address developmental delays in children under 3. Can interventions help them reach developmental milestones, or will they always be behind in these areas compared to their peers? This family is low-income and has had several awful things happen to them lately and I am hoping for them that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Anon says
Yes, early intervention can help them catch up. That’s the whole point of it. And I believe it’s common for premature kids to be a bit delayed, although 4 weeks early is only mildly premature.
Gently, I know this is well-intentioned, but when you’re a parent of a kid who’s delayed or even at the bottom of the normal range in early milestones it can be really hard to hear speculation and advice from friends and family who aren’t medical professionals. At 18 months, my full term child wasn’t walking and was only talking a little bit. Our pediatrician was never terribly concerned, and was convinced my kid was just lazy and would come to things in her own time without any interventions, which is indeed what happened (she’s now a very active, talkative 6 year old). The hardest part for me was hearing comments from friends and family speculating about what could be “wrong” with my kid or questioning why we weren’t pushing the ped harder for various therapies. Unless you have some reason to think they’re not receiving good medical care, there isn’t anything for you to do in this situation.
Anon says
I’m the Anon at 3:44. I think having a ped like yours is SUCH a blessing. Around my kid turning 2, I found a ped that was a good balance of wait-and-see/interventions (like yours) and it has helped immensely.
The peds we had seen before were quick to refer or recommend intervention for anything seemingly borderline.
OP says
Oh I don’t intend to get involved, I will mind my own business and support them if asked. Just wanted to hear some hopeful stories
Anon says
Following with interest. I’ve heard twins/smaller babies do take some time to catch-up to regular milestones.
My own experience: I have a kid that is almost 3. Not a preemie, but was low birth weight (no complications, just tiny), and seemingly does stuff “later”. Walked at ~19 months. We engaged a private PT, and there was no underlying reason – kid was just doing it on his own time. We even saw a ped neuro and they didn’t have any concerns.
We had an early intervention eval around 19-20 months, which in hindsight was probably not well done, and at the time they engaged us in some cognitive services which were…not doing anything he wasn’t getting in daycare, so we dropped those after a few months. I pushed early intervention for speech when he was two because he wasn’t putting 2-words together…well, we got a speech virtual therapist, who I liked, but the sessions were tough and not as productive as I would have liked because of the model and it being online (I know the model is that the parent/caretaker helps facilitate, but I felt like I was doing the heavy lifting), and she also didn’t think he was delayed enough to continue to qualify if he got a re-assessment.
He is in private ST now – he speaks in phrases, but isn’t regularly pulling sentences together and has some articulation to work on. I’ve posted a bit about this here and everyone has been great and really helped me work on my own guilt and anxiety (therapy has also been great here). Conversely he’s “ahead” in some other areas for his age. We just got his Fall report from his daycare and it was actually pretty good!
Anon says
my best friend (who is a pediatrician) son walked at 18.5 months and is now 7 and is just as physically capable as any of his peers. i have twins who were born 4.5 weeks premature. one didn’t walk until 17.5 months, and the other one barely said a word until age 2. early intervention can make a huge difference! also, technically until age 2 preemies are often on a different growth curve/developmental scale
Anonymous says
My twins were born at 31 weeks under some very rough circumstances (they’re adopted). They’re 2.5 now and though on average they pick stuff up more slowly than a singleton, one is potty trained! One needed PT at 13 months for crawling delay; ironically he is the potty trained one. They both hit milestones at their own pace, but I think that may be true of many kids. I’m glad your niblets are getting services: that and time seem to make the biggest difference.