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Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Ok to Wake Clock says
How young can I start using an ok to wake clock? My son is 15 months and I’ve started with just turning the Hatch light green when I go in his room and making a big deal about the light being green and it’s time to wake up. What is the best way to implement this? Do I need to use a light at night to indicate it’s sleep time? Right now he sleeps in the dark and I think any light could be distracting.
anon says
The way you’re doing it sounds like a great idea. I also wouldn’t add light at night unless the ask/want it. What you could do with Hatch is set a half hour at bedtime to have another color on and quiet music to further signal “it’s bedtime now,” and then it would just go off as he’s getting into bed. That way as you hit other sleep challenges/regressions in the next few years, he’ll already be used to the light. (We always have to kind of go back to the basics and “train” — using that word lightly — after illness or vacation, etc.).
Anonymous says
I think it’s very child dependent. My daughter is 3. We started trying the OK to Wake clock when she was 2.5. She has never cared one iota about that green light.
Hatch user says
We started at sixteen months. In the evening, the Hatch light turns red and lullaby music plays when it’s time to put on PJs and pick out a book (it’s programmed around 6:30 pm). After reading, together we manually turn off the light and turn on the white noise (washing machine) before setting him in the crib. In the morning, the blue light and twittering birds come on when we want him to wake up (it’s programmed about 6:30 am). He learned quickly (2 or 3 days) that we don’t come in the morning until the blue light and birds. When he wakes up early around 5:45, he’ll roll around and talk to himself and his stuffed animals until the birds twitter. Then he jumps up and yells for us. We’re trained, too, I guess!
After avoiding covid for two years says
How much time are those of y’all with Nannies waiting to have them back after a kid (under two) tests positive? I’m having trouble understanding the current CDC guidelines! Everyone else in the house negative.
Also for older siblings who are vaxxed, my first graders school allows her to attend with a negative Pcr. Not sure on sending her to ballet – her ballet studio has them mask of course and the rules are “follow the cdc” which would actually mean she could go…!
OP says
Def decided not to send to ballet today when I remembered her best ballet friends mom is an oncologist who specializes in tricky lung cancer cases.
But nanny question still holds!
Anon says
i dont understand why what the best friend’s mom does should have any impact on her going to ballet. its nice that you are trying to be considerate, so i suppose you could ask the best friend’s mom if you really wanted to.
OP says
I did. She said “thanks for looking out for all of us! see her next week!”
This is going to be a looong endemic!
Anonymous says
That sounds like a nice way to say “Thanks but you really didn’t need to keep your daughter out of class on my account.”
EDAnon says
It sounds to me like she’s glad you are keeping her out.
Sigh says
Anonymous at 10:57, how on EARTH did you glean that from OP’s comment?
Anonymous says
“See you next week” is only 7 days from now.
Anon says
Unless your positive toddler can wear a mask consistently and correctly, then you’ll need to wait the 10 days. I suppose your nanny might have a different comfort level…but per CDC it’s 10 days from symptom onset
Anonymous says
Oh man, in the same boat!! Our infant tested positive on 1/6 and a FULL WEEK later her 4-year old sister got sick. Our ped said that ten days after the start of symptoms and we can have our nanny back. I was like, but the CDC and the masks and five days!” and the nurse said she thought that was not conservative enough. Big sigh. So yeah, we haven’t had childcare in two weeks. We will have our nanny come back tomorrow, so one week after the 4-year old symptoms resolved and we will all wear masks for Thurs/Friday and then back to unmasked on Monday. My big thing was not wanting to get our nanny sick of course, because that’s awful, and also, if she gets sick that’s another 1-2 weeks without childcare.
Anon says
our ped said the same thing since kids are not the best mask wearing and kids under 5 aren’t vaccinated
ElisaR says
5 days is only if someone is asymptomatic. your child was sick!
Anon says
When we had a Covid-positive family member (not kid, fortunately), we had our nanny stay home for 10 days. We would do the same for a sick kid. I have two under 5, so I’m mentally preparing myself for 14+ days of no childcare should one kid test positive.
OP says
Oof. Ten days is probably right. My big problem is my office is in person and even if others have exposures no one has kids as young as me so under current CDC guidance they can come in masked.
So far DH has been slammed so I’ve done all childcare. Out of the office with no childcare and a baby and a toddler for two weeks plus extra time for rescheduled doctors appointments after I’m back…then regular holiday days for spring break coming up. I see why millions of people (women) quit their jobs recently. I’d say DH could do more but honestly he makes 6x more than me so while my job is just as important, his is more important for our family!
Anonymous says
Has your nanny had covid? If you have a good relationship with her, I would ask her comfort level… being clear that you will pay her anyway for the week that she can’t work due to the positive test.
My daughter didn’t go to ballet last week because we had a positive case in the house they have a policy that kids need a negative PCR test 7 days after the positive test in their household in order to come back to class. (She actually DID have a negative PCR test that would have fit the bill, but unfortunately we got the results a couple hours too late.) Otherwise, I would have sent her. The class is small in a large space, masks are required, and all children are over 5 and I assume they are all vaccinated based on demographic and vax rates in my area.
Your choice was considerate, though. To me, that’s a lot of hops to go from your vaxxed close contact daughter to another vaxxed close contact to another vaxxed close contact to a cancer patient, but as long as you’re within the policy, I’d go with your personal comfort.
Anonymous says
Your Local Epidemiologist addressed how long to quarantine today, and the upshot is don’t stop after just 5 days without a negative antigen test, despite what the CDC says, as there is wide variation in how long people are infectious.
Anonymous says
I believe that wide variation thing: assuming my kid got it from me – likely, because it was during school break and he didn’t go anywhere else, he PCR’d negative on my day 10/husband’s day 8 and positive on my day 14.
Anon says
What are your tips for getting your kids to “use their words”? My almost 4 year old has perfectly normal language skills when she wants to talk, but lately it seems like more and more she just communicates in squeaks or baby talk or whispers that are barely intelligible. It happens especially when she’s upset about something, but it’s happening more and more when she doesn’t seem particularly upset. It drives me absolutely crazy but I try not to show that because I know if I reacted she would probably just do it more. But I feel like I say “use your words” 100 times a day and it’s just exhausting. Also can anyone give me a sense of is this normal? I feel like in many ways she communicates worse now than she did as a 2 year old, even though she obviously has far more developed vocabulary and grammar now, so I’m a little worried there’s something going on here that might be concerning.
Clementine says
I think this is really common, particularly if you’re around babies/have younger kids. I see it as a way for kids to get attention (which… not a bad thing!). It’s also the age kids start to figure out what’s ‘cute’ or ‘funny’.
I do a couple things. Sometimes I just say, ‘I don’t understand’ and then repeat that. Alternately, my favorite parenting phrase is ‘Try again.’ No emotion, but just… ‘try again’. Kid yells about peas? “Try Again”. The third thing I’l do is just… indulge the fantasy. Play baby or let them be the grownup and you are the baby (I love being a toddler when we play this). They’re looking for attention so give the positive, focused attention at a time that works for your family.
AwayEmily says
+1 to all of this. My 5yo started this when she was two and still does it semi-regularly and it drives me INSANE and it’s always tough for me to not over-react (my go-to line when I’m not overreacting is “Can you say that again in a way I can understand?”). It helps me to try and see it as a sign that she needs some extra attention, which I try to indulge exactly as Clementine says, by finding times to lean in to it with pretend play.
Cb says
My son does it if he’s experiencing big emotions (friend leaving a playdate, feeling sad or poorly) and we just kind of work our way through it. He did spend his entire 4 year development check pretending to be a cat… “yes, yes, he’s hitting all his milestones, he speaks perfectly….ignore the fact that he’s meowing!”
I prefer the meowing or bear voices to the dinners we have where my husband and son speak only in bs… ie. bi bobe boo…bass the betchup…it breaks my brain and they can go on for the length of dinner.
Anonymous says
+2 IMO emotionless “try again” is a foster mom’s secret super power. My husband got a lot of mileage out of asking our son to repeat the request in a Cookie Monster voice. Sometimes though, I’d have to stop what I was doing, get on his level, make eye contact and say “I want the help you, but I can’t understand your request. Can you ask me in a normal voice? I will help you with whatever you need.” Good luck! It seems to be a phase, so it will end at some point.
So Anon says
I think this is totally normal. Also, I find it helpful to “help” them find the words that they may be looking for, especially when a kiddo is upset. “I may get this wrong, but it seems like you’re mad/angry/sad that ___.” If I do get it right, it often looks like my kid’s emotion visibly deflates and they kind of collapse and say a loud, “YEAH!” Or if I get it wrong, I get a teenager-esque “that’s not it!” I think its helpful to remember that at that age, there are still so many big emotions and so little that they control in their worlds. I know that when I am thoroughly angry/mad/sad, it can be hard for me to articulate what is going on. Having someone else see what is happening, and put words to it can really help a child (or adult) feel seen and validated.
DLC says
My best friend is a preschool teacher and gives me the best box text to use with my kids. When my kid is using a funny/odd/ unintelligible voice, she suggested that I say, “What you’re saying is super important to me, but I can’t understand when you speak like that. Can you try again?”
I can’t speak as to if there is a bigger issue for your kid, but I know with my kid it’s usually boundary pushing or having fun or being too upset to regulate immediately.
Anon says
thank you to all who chimed in yesterday on our parents trip. i was not intending to start a heated debate. i will say that i do realize that covid is still very very real and impacting many people’s lives. i have a friend whose younger daughter is immunocompromised and her doctors told the parents not to send the older daughter to school last year. this year the older one was all set to go back to school when Delta hit, so they waited until it calmed down a bit. She was finally back in school and then now with Omicron, the older one is home again. Another friend was put on bed rest in the hospital with her pregnancy for a couple of weeks. Her child could not visit. She also had to make the difficult decision to keep her daughter out of school because if she was exposed to Covid, then my friend would be alone for the delivery (and thank goodness she wasn’t alone because she lost 80% of her blood, and ended up with a hysterectomy and many blood transfusions). now baby was born and is in the nicu and they are sending the daughter back to school, but if she gets exposed to covid, the parents cannot visit the baby. these decisions are really hard for these parents. I realize that this is an anonymous board, but to say that your family did your part by getting vaccines and so now covid is ‘over’ for you, completely ignores what is still very real for many people. all of these people are dealing with both the physical and mental health impacts of the pandemic. i am not suggesting you stay home forever, but at least acknowledge that there are others out there.
p.s. if we go away, we will do something within driving distance otherwise there are too many variables at play. and i realize we are lucky that we are in a position to be able to consider doing that
Anonymous says
Your friend got the blood at least! But blood banks are running on empty so please, if you can give, please consider doing so soon!
Anonymous says
I keep seeing this, and there are zero appointments within 50 miles of me until late February. And I live in a large city.
Anon says
I read the shortage is partly because labs are too understaffed/have so much COVID stuff to do/are suffering supply shortages from supply chain issues. The outcome is that they haven’t been able to process some of the blood that’s already been donated. So if there are no appointments available, it may be because they’re trying not to end up with piles of blood they cannot process or use anyway.
(Conversely, if appointments ARE available, presumably that means they are ready for more donations.)
OP says
i should’ve added that to my post. i cannot give blood for medical reasons, but you are right. i know there is a huge shortage and she was lucky in that regard. donate if you can!
Anonymous says
Yes — this is a “you plural” situation to be sure. All youse and all y’all: please donate! I gave last weekend and have to wait 8 weeks to give again. Eat some burgers or some hummus or have a bean burrito, get your iron up, and make an appointment! You-youse-y’all can do it!
EDAnon says
I take an iron supplement and drink a TON of water. It always takes a few weeks to recover but it’s worth it
Anonymous says
I’m glad you’ve found peace in your decision. I don’t think following up with a very judgmental post is helpful. Deciding to travel doesn’t make you a bad person who thinks Covid is over and doesn’t care about others. Staying home forever doesn’t make you a good person.
Anon says
agreed. i do think deciding to travel to a place with an overrun hospital though has the potential to add to the other community’s problems, so be mindful of where you are choosing to go
Anonymous says
+1.
Anon says
I’m the person who said I did my part, but I NEVER said Covid was “over” for me – very very far from it. We are still wearing masks every time we leave the house, and avoiding many situations where the risks outweigh the benefits for us or where there is a good lower risk alternative, including the grocery store, indoor dining, and many other crowded indoor things. I have friends and family members that are immunocompromised too, but now that we have widely available vaccines for the vast majority of the population it’s not realistic to label everyone who doesn’t want to stay home forever a “selfish jerk,” as the one poster yesterday was doing. A flight in a KN95 to a rental home where you have minimal contact with people outside your household is objectively very low risk and responsible. People are quick to shame all plane travel but flying to a VRBO and hiking and going to the beach has a totally different risk profile than a college spring break-like trip where you’re bar-hopping and mingling with lots of strangers. I hope you have a nice trip, whatever you decide to do.
OP says
i completely agree with what you are saying! i will say though i was on a zoom bookclub last night with new neighbors (i’m actually the new one on the block) and there was a woman who works in the hospital and she was so down and basically said to do everything you can to avoid needing medical care in a hospital right now. they are full, short-staffed and low on supplies. do i think this means you should stay home and not leave your house – absolutely not. but perhaps it is not the best time to decide to try riding a unicycle for the first time
Anonymous says
This is why we are skipping skiing again this year. Sigh.
Anonymous says
You are really not doing a ski trip on the off chance you might get injured badly enough to need a hospital? This had not even occurred to me. My husband and I have been snowboarding for a combined 40+ years and aside from when he broke a bone playing in the park as a teenager, it has never led to medical care. knock on wood, since we’re planning a long weekend at a driveable mountain next month.
Anonymous says
We are a plane trip away from good skiing (often any skiing) and we know people who got COVID either on the way there or on the way back. The plane thing is making many of us hit the pause button (I get that the plane can be made safe, but we have vax refusing inlaws who insist on eating the whole flight to keep their masks off, so the people factor is the one more concerning to me).
Anon says
I’m supportive of responsible travel, but skiing is statistically one of the riskiest activities out there. If hospital overwhelm is at all a concern where you’re going, I would not ski.
Anonymous says
Ah yeah, I’m not comfortable with planes yet, either. I realize that statistically they’re probably fine, but I don’t want to spend my vacation being nervous. Though… we got covid on our winter break ski trip (we drove and rented a house, so indoor lunch is the likely culprit. I would make the same choice again because there was a frostbite warning), so maybe now’s the time!
Anonymous says
Yes, we are not doing even day trips for skiing because we have an injury-prone daredevil child and hospitals are overwhelmed.
Anon says
Agreed. I do think this is also highly dependent on where you’re located. In my county, cases are higher than what they were last winter but not dramatically so and there are significantly fewer hospitalizations. I know that’s not the case everywhere, and certainly it may change and it’s important to stay informed of the hospital situation in your home as well as any place you’re considering traveling to.
Anonymous says
This is why we cancelled our road trip to a beach house in FL during the Delta surge last August. Local authorities were begging residents to conserve water so they could divert liquid oxygen normally used for drinking water purification to hospitals. Even though we were planning an extremely low-risk vacation (curbside grocery pickup and hanging out on the beach), we didn’t want to take scarce resources away from residents or end up needing medical care for some random non-COVID reason.
Cb says
Yeah, we went for Christmas to my parents, a 3 hour flight. We had to be vaccinated and have a negative test to get on the plane, and once there, we hung out with my parents, had 2 outdoor meals, but basically just went to the beach and went for walks. I’ve been super cautious but mentally I needed some time away and some brighter weather to survive my Northern winter.
But I have to fly for work most weeks so I think flying seems less dangerous than lots of other things people are doing.
Anon says
I think flying IS a lot less dangerous than a lot of things others people are doing, it doesn’t just seem that way. I’m glad you got to go to Portugal and see your fam and get some sun :)
Cb says
Yeah, I guess flying just seems riskier more generally, so we’ve applied that to Covid as well. I use a proper mask, know where the deadzone is between the two gates so I can eat my lunch/have a cup of tea, and then just leave my mask on the whole flight.
My classroom is probably riskier – 19 year olds who are living their best lives and don’t realise that the mask needs to cover their nose – and we’re not allowed to call them out.
Anonymous says
To me flying seems exceedingly risky not so much because of the risk of being infected during the flight, but because if you come down with COVID at the destination you are in a pickle. If you are a jerk and it’s a domestic flight, you just get back on the plane and take the miserable flight home and expose the whole plane. If you are a responsible person, you rent a car and drive a loooooong way home while sick or extend your stay and quarantine at the destination. For a foreign destination, you’re stuck abroad in some awful quarantine hotel at your own expense.
Anon says
i agree with you as well. but the people bar-hopping and mingling with strangers and then going to the grocery store or pharmacy unmasked – they are the selfish jerks.
Anonymous says
I think people who are having unmasked multi-household gatherings right now are also selfish jerks. 14 people in my extended family caught COVID from each other at two separate family gatherings over the holidays. Everyone eligible was vaxxed and boosted. Some of those people got on planes, went out to the library and stores, and went back to work while experiencing symptoms, including some teachers who went back into classrooms where masking is a “parental choice.” I’ll say it out loud–my family is a bunch of selfish jerks.
Anonymous says
Yup, lots of people having gatherings where people have “allergies” and no one is bothering to test before getting on planes, going to stores, etc.
Anonymous says
Congrats on being perfect
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1 million to this.
I don’t know anyone IRL that is as “perfect” as many of the womxn on this board. I do get the frustration of dealing with this for now entering in on year 3. Folks we see are typically triple-vaxxed, have gotten their kids vaxxed as soon as eligible, etc. etc. I think most people are taking the risks they deem appropriate based on their tolerances and needs (e.g. my kids go to school AND regularly see grandparents). My cousin is having a milestone birthday party next weekend, and we will assess risk (how many people and vaxx status) before going.
I don’t expect everyone to be the same, nor do I expect everyone to lockdown to 2020 style when we didn’t have vaccines and were wiping down groceries with bleach spray. That year almost broke my family and marriage and we are still dealing with the mental health ramifications. I’m glad those of you that have perfect partners that do 50% of everything are also able to be COVID-perfect. The virtue signaling and shaming needs to stop. The folks to blame are those that are not getting vaxxed, not wearing masks, and the former administration, not those taking precautions while trying to get some sense of calm and normalcy.
Anon says
The current administration needs to own its own astonishingly profound failures. They said they would follow the science, and then this is what we got instead.
Anonymous says
That’s what’s driving me bonkers. The CDC is falling down on the job. Come up with some clear guidelines for adjusting precautions based on what’s happening in the community, and communicate them clearly. Be honest about what’s motivated by science, where the science is unclear, and what’s motivated by practical considerations. Have these people learned nothing over the past two years?
The total vacuum of public health leadership is what’s actually keeping my family at home and sending our stress levels through the roof. If masks were required in public places during surges, we might feel a little safer about going out. If masks were required in schools, and if schools required sick kids to test before coming to school with “just a cold,” we wouldn’t feel like the sword of Damocles were constantly hanging over our head. If hospitals weren’t completely overwhelmed we wouldn’t worry about what might happen when my FIL has his next mini-stroke. If teachers and students were required to be vaccinated we wouldn’t have as many quarantined teachers teaching over Zoom to a classroom packed with germy children. If rapid tests were readily available we might feel comfortable getting together with family. Etc. This “every man for himself” environment is great for the selfish antimaskers and antivaxxers and the indoor diners who just don’t care, but it’s he11 for those of us who actually do care.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
100% – I should have said this too. I was astounded when the CDC announced that all vaxxed people could be unmasked indoors with the assumption that would be a carrot for people to get vaxxed. Like…really?! And how there’s been 0 guidance for small children as well as been a major failure. And how there’s no national strategy (I get some governors, like mine, are idiots, but please, c’mon), and…
Anon says
Yeah the Biden admin has done a terrible job. Home tests and masks should have been mailed to everyone on Day 1, not Day 365. For the better part of a year they had no strategy except telling people to get vaccinated…which worked out super well when we got a variant that evades the vaccines very well.
Anonymous says
One of my 11 month old twins will not sleep through the night. He naps 2 hours in the morning, 30 minutes in the afternoon. Then he wakes 1-3 times every night. It’s dark in his room, he has a sound machine, he has a humidifier, what am I missing? I’m going to move his brother out of his room this week (mostly to benefit his poor brother). I’ve tried moving bedtime earlier (6) and later (7, 7:30, 7:45), giving pb toast right before bed, dream feed at 9 – nothing works. He’s happy when he wakes at 1AM and 4AM; I’m the grumpy one. He doesn’t need a diaper change. He doesn’t seem hungry (will slowly drink 4-6 oz of formula): mostly just wants to be awake. Should I start subbing cows milk? I’m at a loss here. We’re seeing an ENT for multiple ear infections: I’m wondering if this is the root cause. I’m going to push for ear tubes but any strategies until then are welcome. His older brother and his twin both sleep like a dream (I know I’m lucky there but he wakes the whole house with his nighttime screaming and I’m tired).
anon says
Sounds like you’ve tried a lot, and sounds very tiring! Just a thought, and at the risk of suggesting something you’ve already done – could it be that he wants to be awake for alone time with Mom? Maybe you can make as unstimulating as possible and try to cut any snuggling, rocking etc. that isn’t needed and save that for the morning?
Anonymous says
Is it time for him to consolidate to a single nap?
Anonymous says
This. One of my twins went to 2 naps at 6 months and 1 nap at ten months. The other twin was 3 naps until 9 months and then 2 naps until 14 months. It was a PITA but everyone is miserable without enough sleep. They are 7 now and the lower sleep needs kid still gets up like an hour before his brother in the mornings.
Try 1 two hour nap between 12-2 and then bedtime at 7.
OP says
Thank you!
Anon says
Is this a new development, or has he always woken? Some babies just take a while to sleep through the night (says I, whose 9-month-old has woken every 1.5-2 hours since the four month regression…)
You could try some form of sleep training or cutting out night feeds entirely (I know part of my issue is the continued breastfeeding but I’m not ready to night wean yet). It’s totally developmentally normal for babies to wake at 11 months – not desirable, possibly able to train it away, but definitely normal.
NYCer says
+1. It seems like you either need to sleep train or ride it out. If you fall somewhere in between, you could try cutting down / cutting out the formula in the middle of the night, and see if he keeps sleeping once he knows there won’t be a bottle coming.
Anonymous says
It’s a sort of new development as of him reaching 9 months. It’s like the 8 month sleep regression turned him into a baby who doesn’t sleep. Right around that time he got really sick (spent the night in the ER). Since Halloween he’s had either a respiratory infection or ear infection literally every week except the week after Christmas, so I figure it’s that? I’ll ask the ENT for advice. His pediatrician basically says “yeah that sounds tough” when I bring it up with her. Eye roll.
Anon says
I am so tired and out of it that my heart just dropped when I saw an email from our daycare director because I immediately assumed there was an exposure and school has closed again….. even though my kid is currently quarantined and didn’t go to school today because her classroom is already closed. Facepalm.
Pogo says
the ptsd is real
Piper Dreamer says
When should we move the kids into one room? Any trick?
We have a 9 month old that is waking up 1-2 times a night and goes right back down after a brief nursing session so not bad. The plan (now given how crazy the housing market is) is eventually moving her into the same room with our older boy (4.5 years old). The room is small and will fit the pack and play but it’ll not be feasible to divide into two halves effectively.
Any tips/experience/success stories? Thanks!
anonM says
Our kids share a room. I’m struggling to remember the timeline exactly but the younger one ended up in our bed a lot in part because I was nervous to sleep train and wake up the older kiddo. My older one was surprisingly fine with sleep training – as long as it was at bedtime and he was sufficiently worn out, or middle of the night, he’d keep sleeping. It was a relief. The hardest was near to wake-up time, like 5:30- then the whole house would wake up and we learned to take the awake kid to the basement during rough sleep patches. If it doesn’t work now, maybe give it a little bit more into spring when the 4.5 yo can run around outside more and hopefully be ready for bed, but while it’s still dark at bedtime. Might be the sweet spot!
AwayEmily says
We moved our kids in together when they were 1 and 3 (crib and toddler bed), then switched to bunk beds when they were 2 and 4. For the first year the baby would go to sleep first and then they’d wake up at about the same time. When we switched to bunk beds we also introduced a Hatch light, which was helpful: purple means they can talk to each other, yellow means quiet/sleep, green means they can get up.
My advice would be to stay flexible…what works at one point might not work at another, so you just have to keep problem-solving (e.g staggered bedtimes, playing stories to help them fall asleep, etc). i’ve gotten tons of great advice from people on here about room-sharing when i’ve run into problems. Overall it’s been wonderful — I’m sure it won’t always be this way but they adore sharing a room. It helps that my older is a very solid sleeper (younger not so much).
Anonymous says
If the room is small and doesn’t have most of the 4 yo toys in it, I’d look into a half height bunk and a floor bed. We did a floor bed for our daughter and it worked fine. When she turned five we got the half height bunk so she could have a reading nook (since she’s an only).
With a floor bed you do have to make sure the room is quite safe! We attached all furniture to the walls, only clothes and stuffed animals were typically within her reach (as a baby, that changed as she got bigger). It’s definitely not for everyone, but we didn’t have to worry about transitioning to a bed, we saved money on a crib and toddler bed, etc.
If you search for Montessori floor bed, you’ll see lots of ideas and tips. Good luck!
Anon says
If you go the floor bed route, we love the IKEA Kura. We have one kid on the lofted bunk and one on a mattress and slats underneath. It works well for our space where two beds would take up a lot of room, but the ceiling is too angled for a full-height bunk bed.
GCA says
Our kids have always shared a room – we used to live in a 1BR apartment and then a 2BR. They have a similar age difference to yours (3.5ish years), and by the time the baby came along, the big kid was a solid enough sleeper that he slept clean through whatever the baby was up to. Older kid might surprise you by sleeping through it, especially if you have got over the hump of sleep training. We never did sleep train as kid 2 simply coslept till we moved to the 2BR, then we put her on a floor bed and big kid in a loft bed. I’d say just bite the bullet and be prepared to keep adjusting your strategies till you hit on something that works for you. It also depends on your kids’ circadian rhythms – eg. my first is a short-sleeping lark and my second has more average sleep needs and timing.
Anonymous says
Hopefully this doesn’t double-post…
My kids have “always” shared a room, and we had no issues with night waking. We did need to get creative when kids went through the screaming bedtime resistance phase (usually let the non-screaming one start off in our bedroom), but otherwise it’s worked very well for us. Don’t worry about dividing the room into two halves, just make sure everything you need is in there. I’m not sure how small is small, but our 10×11 bedroom had a toddler bed, crib, shared dresser with changing pad on top, glider, and a 2×4 kallax shelf for books and toys. It didn’t have a ton of play space, but was fine for small children, plus we had more in the family room.
All three of my kids now share a big room, and it’s a free-for-all. Their actual beds (bunk beds for the boys, my daughter’s bed is tucked in an alcove that she’s convinced is “her own room”) are their own space, but the book & toy shelves are shared, their dressers are all in a row, and they usually like sharing and think it’s totally normal. Pandemic has helped, here, since they haven’t seen many friends’ houses. Oldest is in 3rd grade so we’ll probably need to think of a different setup in a couple years, but it’s been a good run!
Anonymous says
How old are your kids? We’re trying to decide if we can move baby into the room shared by 6yo twins, or if we need to rearrange the house to put him in his own room once we kick him out of ours.
Anonymous says
Mine are pretty close in age, and none of them remember a time when they didn’t share… but current age range is 5 to 9-next-month. I think you could probably sell the 6 year olds on it! That would be an easy choice for split bedtime, which is sometimes a little tricky for us. We try to split the difference and have them all go to sleep at the same time, but the 5 year old probably doesn’t get quite as much sleep as he should and sometimes needs an early bedtime catch-up.
DLC says
All three of my kids share a room (ages 2, 4 and 10). I feel like we are going to have to move the 10 year old to her own room soon, though.
The baby moved in with the older two kids when she was about 18 months. We put her on a floor bed so that if she woke up, she wouldn’t be screaming to get out of her crib. (Though now when she wakes up she comes to our room which is a whole other problem.). They used to sleep on futon, full bed and crib mattress on floor and now they sleep in bunkbeds (twin over full) and baby on the futon mattress.
Things to think about: bedtime routine- staggered or not, how heavy a sleeper you kids are (mine are pretty heavy sleepers, except the baby), privacy for dressing/undressing (we had to make a schedule for getting dresses in the morning), where kids can go if they need alone time, if the room will have toys/ reading nook or just beds and clothes, sharing the space or each kid has their own space…
anne-on says
For parents of kids with ADHD – I found this article to nicely outline/articulate some of the strategies we’ve found most helpful for routines (homework and otherwise). Hopefully it is useful to others!
https://www.additudemag.com/following-directions/?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=school_january_2022&utm_content=011922&goal=0_d9446392d6-44a9f745f0-307784834
Anonymous says
Thank you!
Air Fryer says
I think I’d like to buy an air fryer. Recommendations? Thanks!
Anon says
Get one that looks like a toaster oven – you can probably also use it as a convection oven if you’re cooking for 1 or 2. (small size pans). My mom has one of the round ones and vastly prefers the toaster-oven style one that we have.
It sounds like you have already done the analysis, but be sure you think you would use it! (Also why I do not have an instapot, despite everyone I know having one). I did not think we would use an air fryer either, DH and I discussed, decided we would not buy one, and somehow we got one from my MIL for Christmas because she was convinced it would cause her son to cook healthier instead of order takeout (newsflash, maybe if you taught him to cook when he lived with you (or at least ate homecooked food regularly), he would not have such a kitchen allergy now! He seriously would prefer McDonalds than even my best homecooked meal (and I am objectively a good cook!)). Anyhow, due to REASONS, returning anything they give us (they are local) will cause more issues than I have the emotional bandwidth to solve, so it lives in our dining room on a roll cart, collects dust and playdoh creations and gets used once a quarter when we have an appetizers for dinner night.
Anonymous says
Thanks! That is helpful. I’d sort of narrowed it down to a Ninja or a Cusinart, with the latter being a toaster oven type. I don’t know that I’d use it all the time, but I have been thoughtful about it. We’re in a rut, and it seems like the thing that interests me most for a variety of reasons.
Party Animal says
We have the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven (the one that looks like a toaster oven) and love it so, so much. Highly recommend. We use it all the time- much more than I thought we would.
Anon says
My in-laws want to do a family trip for a milestone anniversary later this year. Originally there was talk of doing a cruise which I was actually kind of looking forward to, because DH, DD and I would have had our own cabin and the included meals and activities would remove a lot of the decision-making or lack thereof about what to do. But now given the pandemic situation the plans have (understandably) changed and the idea is to just rent a big house somewhere in the woods, likely in the south in the summer because my in-laws ignore weather when choosing vacation destinations. This is pretty much my version of hell. I hate heat and humidity, the constant togetherness and having to share public spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, the lack of structured activities which will result in everyone just doing nothing and me being labeled bossy if I try to plan something, having to cook or constantly haggle over where to eat and listen to them complain about how much a meal at a mediocre chain restaurant costs, having to clean up after eight people or accept a much lower standard of cleanliness than I’m used to etc etc. It really just sounds completely awful to me.
So I have two questions:
How rude is it for me to skip this trip and just let my husband take our daughter? I think they will be offended, because they’re people who always look for reasons to be offended, but I also think they really only care about my husband and child’s presence and if they were being honest they’d tell you they prefer I stay home.
And second, for those of you with narcissistic or verbally abusive family members, how do you and/or spouse set guidelines about what behavior you will and will not tolerate, especially in front of your kids? DH has historically not been great about removing our daughter from situations I consider inappropriate, so there’s part of me that feels like I have to go on this trip just so I can be there to remove our daughter in case there’s sustained screaming or something else I really don’t want her seeing. I don’t think her physical safety is in danger, but I worry about their words and behavior hurting her, especially now that she’s getting to an age where memories formed now may stay with her until adulthood. Perhaps I’m overreacting, in which case feel free to tell me that, but this is all so foreign to me. My parents were certainly not perfect but they were warm and loving and they never bullied or verbally abused anyone the way DH’s parents do.
Anon says
i agree that trip sounds awful, but i think you do have to go. is budget an issue? there are some resorts where you can almost get little Villas to yourself so that you can take advantage of the activities at the resort without staying in a regular hotel room. otherwise what about a house on the beach instead of in the woods so there is a built in activity. also, covid changes all the time, things will probably be different by then. i personally am anti-cruise, but seems like it could be relatively safe by summer?
Anonymous says
eh, for your first question, I think it’s about a 5 on a 1-10 scale of rudeness. This is also my version of vacation hell, but I’d probably suck it up for a couple of days because I am very much The Obedient Daughter when it comes to family obligations. Any chance your family could stay somewhere nearby and just come hang out during the day before going back to your own space (and also have somewhere to escape to if the in-laws behavior warrants)? Or, your husband and daughter stay for the whole time, you “need to work” during the week, but join for the weekend?
I can’t help with your second question, but I’m sorry.
Anonymous says
Don’t go on the trip at all. Any of you. You don’t have to agree. “A house in Louisiana in summer doesn’t work for us. It’s too hot and we’d rather not share a house where we need to be cooking and cleaning on vacation. We’d be happy to do a resort on Cape Cod.”
OP says
DH wants to go and I’m not going to ban him from going or taking our child. The only question is whether I go (and for how long, where we stay, etc.)
Anokha says
YMMV, but in my family, it would be virtually unforgivable for you NOT to go. I would suck it up and go. And plan something super nice for yourself afterwards as a reward for surviving it.
OP says
You’re probably right, but it would be much much worse if DH opted out as well, as the poster at 10:50 was suggesting!
Anonymous says
1. It sounds like they will be offended no matter what, so it seems reasonable to me for you to stay home.
2. Or what about renting a separate cabin nearby for your nuclear family so you can have your own separate space and meals?
3. A cruise (specifically, a Disney cruise) is really the ideal extended family vacation for all the reasons you state. Could you postpone until 2023 and book something with a liberal cancellation policy?
anon says
So, I think your last point is most illuminating here. This sounds less of an issue about shared bathrooms and more of an issue of who it is with. Can you get DH on board to rent another airbnb/hotel room nearby, and join them for dinners/activities? Might be the easiest way to show your support for the milestone anniversary while avoiding verbal abuse.
Here’s my tip if you do stay with them. We share a family cottage, so I have learned that for group time like this, it’s best to make your plans and invite others. I.e., kids and are going to the beach at 10 am after breakfast tomorrow. Everyone’s welcome, but we are going to leave right at 10! BYO sandwiches, towels, sunblock, and water bottles! And then you leave at 10. I’m taking care of 2 kids, I’m not camp director for my grown family members. I get less irritated with dawdlers this way. If they join us at the beach 2 hrs later, that’s fine because I wasn’t waiting around with cranky kids.
OP says
It’s really both. The fact that they’re so difficult certainly makes it worse, but honestly this kind of vacation sounds really miserable to me even if it were with my own parents or close friends. I’m introverted and really need my space, and I don’t enjoy large group vacations where there isn’t a lot of built-in structure like you have at a cruise or nice all-inclusive resort. I think you and others are right that the compromise may be DH and I getting a separate cabin nearby. We also have a wildly different budget than my in-laws, which is another reason I would prefer our own separate (nicer) space.
anon says
Yeah, and we managed this largely by having so many kids that we have to rent our own car (and can’t share).
Anonymous says
Re: #1 – you need a good excuse, like needing to work. I think a “work emergency” could be plausible.
Not what you asked, but how do you feel about renting a beach house? Going to the beach cools things off and is something to do. If they are annoying you can always go for a beach walk or get in the water. My family does a big reunion in Duck, NC on the Outer Banks every other year, and it is crowd-pleasing. There are also some local activities–indoor and outdoor–if you feel comfortable doing them. I assume other beach towns would work.
OP says
Duck sounds lovely, and the beach would definitely be much better than the woods from my perspective! And I think that’s a reasonable suggestion to make. They would not take kindly to a suggestion to postpone a year, and although I feel like cruising may be relatively safe by summer, they’re 75 with underlying health conditions so I’m not going to pressure them into taking Covid risks they’re not comfortable with.
Anonymous says
This is not a popular opinion, but I cannot stand the OBX. So tacky and boring and crowded. There are much nicer beach vacations.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I’m the poster who suggested Duck at 10:54, and I recommended it primarily because it is the devil I know. My parents build a house there in 1983, and it was not crowded at all then. We also lived in the DC area at the time, so it was reasonably convenient. The northern OBX are much more built up now, so it is much more crowded and traffic is a real issue. But it is still a lovely beach and the house rental focus there is good for family gatherings. I’m not sure there are better options close to the DC area (there may well be though). Anyway, I would not necessarily travel across the country for it but was trying to recommend going to any family-oriented beach where renting houses is a thing and that won’t be miserably hot in the summer. My siblings and I don’t live that close and have already made it clear to our parents that they should not keep the house for us because we’re going to have to let it go when they are gone.
Anonymous says
The version of this we do with DH’s family is to rent condos at the same smallish condo hotel at the beach. I can escape in the evenings because I stay with kids at our condo after bedtime. Everyone has their own condo with kitchen. DH will often visit with his parents while I get some quiet time. I also manage to ‘forget something’ and go back to the condo to get it at least once a day. I am not actually that forgetful. I also ‘love’ beach walks with the kids (aka in laws are being weird and I take the kids for a walk down the beach while they cool off)
Individual breakfasts and lunches and then we alternate dinners, we host, restaurant, MIL hosts, restaurant, SIL/BIL host restaurant. Post covid the restaurant night was replaced with take out.
OP says
That sounds great. I’ll see if we can do something like that.
Pogo says
Do you have suggestions about where you can each get a condo in the same resort? I’d love to do something like this, but not sure where. Inlaws are all about us renting one Airbnb together and I’m kinda done with that after last summer.
Anonymous says
We’ve done this at Martinhal in Portugal, Roccamare in Italy and outside Innsbruck in Austria. Friends have done something similar at Sanibel Inn in Florida and I think it would likely work at a few spots on Anna Maria Island in Florida (that was an individual family vacay but it looked like a few good spots nearby from a beach walk). Many resort hotels have options for accommodations with full kitchens. Florida keys might also have some spots as they tend to have smaller accommodations than like Miami or something.
When my another friend did this with her in laws last year, the in laws got a very nice regular room because they don’t like to cook and then just order room service for breakfast/lunch.
Spirograph says
Please tell me more about where you stayed outside Innsbruck. It is my favorite city I’ve ever visited, and I need an excuse to go back there!
CCLA says
Those places sound way cool. Along the lines of the resorts that have full kitchens, Westin appears to have many of these. I’ve seen them, but not stayed, in Maui. We are going to check one out in Palm Springs (if we don’t lose daycare quarantine roulette) in the next few weeks. It does also look like they have several locations that have the condos but are not adjacent to a typical hotel resort, so the amenities at those would presumably be less. They also seem quite cheap relative to normal hotel rooms, so I’ll be curious to see what the experience is like. I’m normally a hotel and restaurant/room service person but these days want more separation from other guests.
Anonymous says
Spirograph – Innsbruck spot was in Seefeld – apartment something – it was about 8 years and I can’t remember the specific name but there are a few hotels that have a mix of rooms and apartments
NYCer says
A group of friends (all with kids) did this at Honua Kai in Maui. Also the Four Seasons Jackson Hole allows for a similar set up.
FP says
Watercolor in 30A in Florida also has condo areas that are good for extended families.
Anon says
Yes, I think you go for your daughter’s sake. Whether you stay at a different place or not, you plan activities to get you and daughter out of the house each day and just invite others along. “We’re going to local museum at 10, anyone want to come?” “We’re going to check out a restaurant on the beach for lunch, leaving at 11:30 if you want to come with!” “We’re going for a walk, probably be gone for a few hours. See you at dinner!” Etc. If you’re going to be called bossy anyway, then embrace it and do what you want.
Similar to someone above, there’s lots of value in being the aunt/ uncle who just “loves” to play with the kids. Gather the kids for literally any kind of game or activity to get them away from the adults. Bring a board game and play in one of the bedrooms, bring some chalk and color the driveway, take them all for a long walk, help the kids make ice cream floats for everyone (you stay in the kitchen to scoop it out, send the kids to take orders and deliver), etc.
If it were me, I’d plan two things each day – one activity with daughter, and one activity with all the kids. Others can join you or not, you can choose to skip or not, but you know you and daughter have two built in reasons each day to get a break from the chaos.
OP says
My kid is the only kid in the group, unfortunately. I wish there were other kids! I would love to opt out of the adult conversation and just play with the kids.
Anon says
That doesn’t stop you from kid activities. If you’re taking your kid on the trip, obviously you want to plan activities she’ll enjoy as well! You can just be the one who supervises. Still do the chalk, still do the ice cream floats, still go to the museum, none of that changes because there’s only one kid.
Anonymous says
I would have said fine for you to skip, but I think you probably need to go to protect your child (or your husband needs to put in lots of boundary work so he can do it himself….). Since it sounds like the location isn’t nailed down yet, I would suggest places where you can have your own space, like condos at a resort or something. It doesn’t solve the meals and activities issue — although I think having your own space to do your own thing certainly helps — but not having it would be a dealbreaker for going. I think your husband needs to be on the same page with you, too.
Walnut says
Definitely jump in NOW, be excited about celebrating the milestone, and provide several options that will check your boxes. I would also consider engaging a travel agent to assist – since you know the ballpark cost on the cruise, you should be able to assume a budget.
I’ve found in these situations that it’s better to plan the solution that works for me than to get stuck with a problem.
OP says
Tbh I think half of why they backed out of the cruise idea was sticker shock over the prices. And these were not luxury cruise lines – the price was going be well under $1k per person all inclusive for a week. We will have a bit more wiggle room now since we’ll drive and won’t have to purchase flights, but their budget is very tight which definitely complicates things.
Anonymous says
Ugh, I love a nice cruise but a cheap cruise sounds awful. A cabin sounds better.
Walnut says
Ah, yeah, that is a challenge. I would still consider engaging a travel agent and trying to influence the amount of days. Is everyone really set on a full week together or perhaps you can advocate for a long weekend? If the reservation is for Thursday through Monday, then it’s easier to show up a day late, cut out a day early and naturally it doesn’t lend itself to everyone stuck together M-F and then driving on the weekends.
For anecdotal support, my family frequently hosts family gatherings at a state park in the Midwest. Some people rent cabins, some people bring a camper, some people show up for the day. The cabins are basic, but have the critical items like bathrooms/showers, AC, kitchens, and basic items. The prices are reasonable, so the biggest challenge is snagging the bookings on the day it is available.
Anonymous says
Is this a situation where you and your husband could give your in-laws the “gift” of planning and paying for the accommodations?
anon says
Or chip in, or “split” it — no one else has to know you paid 80% and they paid 20%, everyone is happier and the parents still get to say they provided the trip. Money, ego, and families, always tricky.
weight lifting to fight incontinence says
Dr Jen Gunter had a piece recently in NYT re weight lifting to fight incontinence. She said it’s no better than Kegels. However I HAAAAATE Kegels and can’t get myself to do them consistently on my own or when enrolled in PT (and I def have a much weaker pelvic floor after having twins)…so I’m thinking maybe I should look into the weights as an alternative? Was wondering if any of you have done them though, and if so, whether or not you’d recommend. Tx!!!!
Anonymous says
I also detest Kegels and was happy to learn that there is evidence they can be counterproductive for some. I discovered purely by accident (pun not at all intended) that yoga can be very helpful in this area. I had been practicing yoga maybe twice a week for a solid year and suddenly noticed that I could jump without issues. You could also look into Restore Your Core, which I would have tried if I’d known about it when I needed it.
Anonymous says
Strength training has tons of other benefits, so what’s the harm in trying?
Anon says
I would say weight lifting is effective for pelvic floor issues if you are following the right program for it. I would recommend trying to find a specific pelvic floor or postpartum program to start as my understanding is that if you go about it the wrong way, you may make your issue worse. I was lucky enough to not have incontinence issues post c-section but had a lot of general pelvic floor weakness and function issues. I did the Ab Rehab course from Move Your Bump and post-partum weight lifting and could do light jumping by 6 months post-partum. I am about 10 months post-partum now and am still having some issues with endurance for jumping– so keeping my pelvis stable while running is still difficult. I am still doing weight-lifting but added in additional yoga and pilates about a month ago and have already seen improvement in core stability.
Anonymous says
This. Weight lifting will make it worse if you bear down on your core. PT to get your pelvis stable and then weightlifting to add strength. PT is not just kegels. I needed release in one muscle group that was messed up by the twin pregnancy and how I carried. Overtightening tight muscles via unsupervised kegels can worsen pelvic stability.
Pilates is a great option. Both core stability reminders and weight bearing.
Anon says
This. Running was making my tight muscles tighter and caused my dysfunction to come back. Weightlifting does not do that for me. Pilates has been wonderful.
anon says
This. I had six weeks of pelvic PT after a physically traumatic forceps birth. I went in assuming I would need to do kegels to strengthen but nope. We spent five weeks releasing incredible amounts of tension in my hips and back and doing a lot of core exercises, and then at the end a little bit of direct pelvic floor contracting. I feel way way way better now. If I’d just done kegels or random weights on my own, I’d probably have made things worse.
weight lifting to fight incontinence says
To be clear — this isn’t general weight training at the gym. It’s inserting a specially designed weight into your v*g*n* and holding it there, and eventually increasing the weight as you get stronger. :)
Anonymous says
Oh, yikes, that sounds even worse than Kegels. I would not try that without advice from the correct type of PT. I had incidental results with normal core strength work.
Anonymous says
That’s kegels with adding weights isn’t it? Impossible to know if that will help or hurt unless you know via an assessment what is causing the issue.
Anonymous says
I don’t think this is a good idea. I think a lot of pelvic floor issues come from muscles needing to expand and relax. Much of my pelvic floor PT was working on expanding fully not just contracting. Contracting + weights seems potentially very counterproductive.
GCA says
oh no, that sounds like a dreadful idea. I would definitely see a pelvic floor PT to get help for your specific issues, or at the very least a dedicated program like Recore Fitness (the founder works with elite-level athletes postpartum) that walks you through very clearly how to expand and contract, how to feel the right alignment, and how to strengthen other parts of your core besides the pelvic floor.
Anon says
That’s a thing that can be part of pelvic floor PT but it seems unnecessary to jump to that over kegels unless it you prefer it. If that’s what works for you, it’s not like it’s a terrible or weird thing to do but you would have an extra cleaning step which I am too lazy to do. There are also pelvic floor trainers, some of which have gamified apps. I use an basic app for doing kegels that tells me when to expand or contract – I need something to tell me what to do so that I can multi-task because I agree, kegels are boring AF. It sounds like you’ve already been to PT and know what you’re supposed to do, so seems to me like there is no problem here if you want to go that route?
Anon says
What’s the app?
Sf says
Yesterday someone posted about their child having been diagnosed with encopresis. I think we’re dealing with this and I’d like to ask you some questions. Could you post a burner email?
anon says
Recommendations for Bermuda with a toddler? I’ve been as a single gal but this would be a solo trip with my then-two-year-old. Looking for advice on hotels, things to do, etc. Trip is in July, and I’m aware of their COVID restrictions already. Budget is not an issue. Thanks!
Anonymous says
We like the Fairmont Southhampton. Do the boat ride into the sister hotel in the city on one of the days. Their beach has buckets and shovels for kids and great for swimming. Public beach next door is nice for beach walks. Kids loved the hotel trolley up the hill to and from the beach. Spa is also decent.
NYCer says
Second this recommendation for a trip with kids – except that I am pretty sure the Fairmont Southampton is currently closed for renovations! As an alternative, I think Elbow Beach would be a good option with kids too.
Anonymous says
Pick a resort with everything you need on-site. We stayed at a really nice hotel the one time we went (the Loren), but it was far away from everything and our taxi bill was $$$$ because we were interested in exploring. In general I don’t think I’d go back to Bermuda… the convenience is great in terms of getting there, but it’s not set up for the way we like to travel. Maybe I’d feel differently if we had known to just embrace the resort mindset.
Anokha says
My almost 6 year old loved the Dory Fantasmagory, Princess in Black, and Zoey and Sassafras series! Any other recommendations?
GCA says
For reading on their own, being read to, or both? I got this from a recommendation (or perhaps several recommendations) here – Dragon Masters. My 6.5yo and 3.5yo are just the right age and the big kid is starting to read them independently. Mia Mayhem is about the same level.
Anokha says
Oh, for me to read to them. But I love the sound of Mia Mayhem by name alone! Thank you :)
Cb says
Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue. We’ve also been enjoying Narwal and Jelly and Catstronauts.
Anom says
Dragon Masters or Kingdom of Wrenly are both similar. Mercy Watson is same difficulty level.