This post may contain affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I need to stop posting about sweaters, but there are piles of snow outside as I write this, so please indulge me. There’s nothing cozier than a sweater dress in the winter — they’re perfect for working from home with comfy socks, or at the office with a pair of tall boots.
I’ve been eyeing Quince’s Mongolian Cashmere Turtleneck Dress for some time now. Perhaps this company is only new to me, but it’s a direct-to-consumer company so its products are priced lower than traditional retail.
Their cashmere turtleneck dress comes in three work-friendly colors (oatmeal, heather gray, and black) and is made from 100% Grade A Mongolian cashmere. While Quince recommends hand washing, I often wash my cashmere in a lingerie bag, delicate cycle, with Woolite.
The dress is $89.90 in sizes XS–XL. For a similar (non-cashmere) look in sizes 0X–2X (3X is sold out, unfortunately), consider Vero Moda’s Gaiva Cowl Neck Long-Sleeve Sweater Dress for $47.99 in “light grey melange.”
Sales of note for 3.28.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – Up to 40% off your full-price purchase; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything plus extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off 2+ items; 40% off 1
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- Lands’ End – 10% off your order
- Loft – 50% off everything
- Nordstrom: Give $150 in gift cards, earn a $25 promo card (ends 3/31)
- Talbots – 40% off 1 item; 25% off everything else
- Zappos – 37,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off entire site
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all swim; up to 30% off HannaJams
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; 50% off select swim; 50% off kids’ styles
- Old Navy – 50% off Easter deals
- Target – 20% off Easter styles for all; up to 30% off kitchen & dining; BOGO 50% off shoes & slippers for the family;
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
Click here to see our top posts!
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?
bedtime says
bedtime with my almost 3 year old has become a nightmare. It takes a good 30-45 minutes and its constant tantrum, running out and hiding, wanting another story, etc. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t even do it without the help of my husband. anyone have any ideas on how to improve this?
Ifiknew says
You are not alone. It seems like all of us with preschoolers are really struggling.
Is he napping? Is it too long?
Sticker charts with a significant prize after 5 days and serious sweets bribery work mostly for my 3 year old.
She has a munchkin nightlight and is allowed to look at books if she’s not tired but she can’t bother us.
It’s so painful because there’s no sleep training a preschooler. Just so painful, right there with you along with night waking for the preschooler and my 1.5 year old. Miserable times.
Cb says
My son’s bedtime has gone mad as well. No tantrums, just constant demands for one more thing (cuddle, story, song, potty). I put on an audiobook for him the last two nights and that seems to help him relax.
No Face says
My 4 year old’s bedtime is also a nightmare. So I made it my husband’s job!
octagon says
Hugs. There were times when kiddo was 3, I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. Here’s what worked for us. We have a rigid list of tasks that need to get done without fuss: Bathroom, brush teeth/wash face, put on PJs. The starting point is 3 bedtime stories. Any task that involves fussing, that story gets taken away. It only took one night of complete delays and losing all the stories (with a meltdown, of course) for him to understand that we were serious. If he did them all promptly, sometimes (but not always) we would reward with an extra story, or something fun like getting to jump on mom&dad’s bed for 1 minute. Now 2 years later we still largely stick to that, though the additional carrot is he gets to read in bed with a lamp on for 10 minutes after the stories if he behaves, which is a huge motivator.
Anon says
so i have a question about this. what do you do if you do bedtime for two kids at once who share a room? i have twins and it seems unfair to take away books from both if only one is being uncooperative, but i am often by myself at bedtime and they share a room.
Spirograph says
In my house, getting to choose a story is the privilege. So we don’t take away books, but kids who are acting up don’t get to choose a story. If they’re all being good, they each get to pick one and we read 3 books. If they’re all being jerks, *I* pick one book (and it’s a short one).
Anon says
How old are your twins? Our 3yo twins can earn an extra story (a chapter of whatever book we’re currently on) in addition to their shorter bedtime story by being cooperative while cleaning up their toys and peeing and brushing their teeth without fussing. If both kids are good, we read the extra story in their room. If both are being disasters, no extra chapter for anyone. If one cooperates and one doesn’t, that child gets an extra book in our room while their sibling has to either wait in their room or wait by the door (so gets to listen but not see the pictures).
Anon says
thanks! mine are 2.75. we’ve never even attempted a chapter book. they still like some of the ‘baby’ board books. what kind of chapter books do you read?
Anonymous says
It is totally normal for a 2.75 year old to like board books. My kids generally do not enjoy chapter books until close to 5.
Anonymous says
My 3 year old loves board books. I think it’s because she doesn’t enjoy being read to as much as she enjoys reading to us, and board books are easier for her to “read” since they’re easy to memorize. She also just doesn’t have that great of an attention span.
buffybot says
This is perhaps the blind leading the blind as my own 3 year old can sometimes be a handful at bedtime, but here is what makes it run better: (1) He has to be truly tired. No naps. Apparently we have reached that stage where no nap means he’s a bit frazzled by 5pm, but any nap (no matter how early) pushes bedtime back to 9 at the earliest. (2) My husband has had success reading to him in a soft monotone voice from various chapter books. (3) Lots of physical activity prior to dinner, and then quiet activities and a warm bath in soft lighting after dinner. (4) Hard line on if he wants stories or cuddles, he needs to cooperate with the bedtime preparations so they don’t drag out and get INTO bed. Otherwise into bed without the perks. (5) Willingness for one of us to lay there in the dark (we can stare at our phones) as he drifts off to sleep. Not all the time, and not usually for more than a couple of minutes.
Anon says
I agree that this can be a symptom of not being ready to sleep. Maybe he needs to drop the nap or have a later bedtime? Otherwise I think you just have to be firm even if it makes the kid upset. Things are better now but we went through a phase when my daughter was 2.75 where she cried herself to sleep every night because we wouldn’t read her another story or let her run around naked and screaming or whatever. It sounds bad but she rarely cried for more than a couple of minutes before settling down and sleeping or talking to herself. She’s the kind of kid where she calms down fast when we’re not in the room though, ymmv.
Pogo says
Right there with you. Down to the specifics of running in and out, demanding all kinds of stuff, only calming down when I lay with him and sing. I have to stay until he falls asleep. He naps at school, which is unavoidable. They offer, kids can lay down and just be quiet and read or they can sleep. He always sleeps.
My solution: I booked an intro with a sleep consultant. I can report back, but also will read through all of these tips!
Anon says
Have you tried a flashlight and books? My kid didn’t want the day to be over (kid is now 4, but we gave the flashlight at 3), but I was done. With a flashlight, the kid can stay up and read and I can peace out.
AwayEmily says
Lots of echoing what others have said. My newly 3yo is also just Not Tired at bedtime (he still naps for a long time at school). He shares a room with his sister. Getting him into bed is fine, it’s the hour or so after that was tough. Here’s what we do:
1) Books and and the Munchkin owl light in bed (and we let him pick out a few different to take with him each night — it’s part of the routine)
2) A “sleepy” story from the Calm app, played on the speaker in their bedroom.
3) Incremental checks to tell him how proud I am of how quiet he’s being.Honestly, this has been the real game-changer. I go in every 10 minutes or so and just give him a quick hello and tell him I love him, and that I’ll be back to check on him again in a bit.
Usually lights-out is at 7:50 and he is asleep about an hour later. I don’t think these methods make him go to sleep any earlier, but since we implemented them, we no longer get the screams of “MAAAAMAAAAA” and “DAAADDAAAA” that were irritating us and waking up his sister.
Pogo says
Thank you – these are helpful!
Friday says
You have gotten a lot of good advice. I just want to add mine as it seems counterintuitive, but works for us. 1) DH and I trade off bedtime routine (we only have one kid so YMMV). So even if bedtime is a disaster, as it often is, I get a break the next night. 2) When I have reached my limit, I get down on his level and calmly tell him what’s going to happen next. “We are going to put on your pjs, read one book, then brush your teeth. If you lollygag, don’t listen, or leave the room, bedtime will be over and I will put you in your bed and leave. Do you understand?” Then, I follow through. Last night I stopped in the middle of the book and said “Since you are not listening, we will brush your teeth and then you will get in bed.” I don’t know if he was tired or could tell I was DONE but he complied. Good luck. It’s so frustrating!
AIMS says
I hope this doesn’t sound obnoxious but the only thing that works for us is repetition of what needs to happen no matter what tears or screaming happens until they give up. If they run out, just walk them back without engagement. If they call ypu, try to make it boring. No answering silly questions, you want a sip of water here you go, goodnight. It’s exhausting but eventually it does get easier.
We got into the bad habit of sitting with the kids while they fell asleep and it was torture breaking that habit. What finally worked was explaining early and often that we weren’t going to do that anymore because now they are big kids, and then checking on them every minute (literally), then every two minutes, and now every 5-10 minutes until they fall asleep.
We also got them an OK to Wake clock and it’s been amazing. I had so many doubts! But it’s very helpful to go “Mr.Clock is asleep, go to bed! “ (it’s also been brilliant for mornings, but that’s another story).
Clementine says
We had a really bad period right around this age and what got us over the hump was a Melatonin gummy. It just helped kiddo fall asleep and we used it for maybe 3 months.
(We had tried all the other things people are mentioning here – part of the issue was that daycare wouldn’t wake kiddo up from naps because they said they weren’t allowed to and kid was taking epic 3+ hour naps. It was a nightmare and this helped break the cycle.)
Anonymous says
+1 Melatonin is my answer for all kid and adult sleep issues. And now there’s evidence that it’s associated with significantly reduced Covid risk (could very well be correlation not causation, but I still found it fascinating!).
Anonymous says
I love everything about this dress except the fact that it is cashmere. So itchy. The Vero Moda option contains some wool, so that’s out too.
Anon says
yesterday someone posted about how they aren’t the most confident parent and sometimes wonder if their child would be better with another parent…and i just wanted to say that anyone who bothers reading this site cares enough about their kid(s) to want to seek out advice and/or read tips, etc. which makes you a good parent
No Face says
Amen. I will also add that the belief that we would be better of without him is usually a signal that my husband is depressed, so if that poster (or anyone else) feels that way, it may be time to call a doctor or therapist.
anne-on says
Irritability/snappishness is the #1 sign my anxiety is acting up. I am WAY more able to roll with minor annoyances/setbacks when properly treated for my anxiety.
Pogo says
Thank you for this. I think the other thing that bothers me as a high achiever/type A person is that I read his behavior as a performance review on my ability as a parent. I know in theory this is not true, but it’s where my brain goes. Like if I were a really good parent, he wouldn’t be running around naked screaming. A good reminder to reframe this!
Anon says
I think I’d be concerned if there are any parents out there whose kids AREN’T running around naked and screaming! Certainly happens at my house on a regular basis!
Anonymous says
Oh yeah. Naked running around several times a week here from our tiny lawyer (who the last time it happened, stated that he wasn’t naked because he was wearing socks. And only socks).
TheElms says
Thanks for the laugh!
Anonymous says
We had the EXACT same conversation yesterday morning, when i informed LO that putting on new (clean) PJs just to eat breakfast was not reasonable. We had breakfast in socks.
(generally I would prefer bums to be covered in the kitchen….. but ….)
Anon says
what i think is funny as a parent is that on the flip side, if your child always complied with every single thing you said instantly, you’d probably be worried reading this site, thinking that your child isn’t independent enough, etc.
Anonymous says
Agreed. We all have our struggles and bad days, but we are all good parents.
Anon says
I’ve been feeling down about my parenting abilities lately too. It doesn’t help that our only outlet on the weekend is the playground and it’s freezing out right now.
anne-on says
This, SO much this. I have heard way too much ‘we did the best we could’ from my not-great parents and commiserated with close friends with also not-great parents. The consensus is that actually reading parenting books/seeking out help/trying to do things your kids actively enjoy is the BIGGEST difference our generation is trying to make. Not to mention we’re all baffled that it is something our parents now often denigrate about OUR parenting (when you were a kid I didn’t do x/y/z and you turned out fine!! uh, no…). If you are trying to actively improve your parenting, listen to your kid, and actively engage with them I PROMISE you are an awesome parent.
Anonymous says
This is actually very depressing. I am doing the best I can and my kid constantly reminds me that it’s not enough. I guess when she grows up she will commiserate with her friends about how inadequate my parenting is.
Anon says
Agreed. I feel like parents (especially mothers) aren’t allowed to be human, even though we all inevitably make mistakes and have other challenges and stress in our lives that can make it difficult to always be the people we want to be.
Anon says
But we always have the opportunity to apologize and repair the relationship, and that is nearly as impactful as the original interaction. We absolutely can be human and model for our children how to come back from a low point. The problem is when we know we mess up/yell/etc and sweep it under the rug; admitting you made a mistake is very powerful for a child.
GCA says
+1. So much this. ‘You turned out fine’ is not a great endorsement. Anyone who recognizes the need to try and do better is already doing better.
CPA Lady says
I mean I think my parents did do they best they could. And their best was really terrible. My best is probably going to be better than their best, but in some ways its going to be terrible. The thing is, I’m aware of my flaws. I think the thing that is going to separate my parenting from the way I was parented was my ability to admit that I am wrong sometimes and to apologize. Just hearing that from my parents would have been helpful. I don’t need them to be perfect, I need them to admit they’re not perfect.
anon says
This, exactly. My parents did so many things right and raised four productive human beings. But now that I have kids of my own, I see how many times they invalidated feelings and squashed emotional expression. In their minds, kids’ emotional expression or less-than-ideal behavior = they were doing something “wrong,” which caused them to overreact at times. I don’t recall them ever apologizing for much of anything. On the other hand, I make a habit of apologizing to my kids when I legit mess up.
Anon says
+1 This is one of the biggest differences I’ve noticed with this generation vs the last. There was a big focus on “punishment” and basically telling kids they are fine, get over it when they were expressing feelings in even a slightly uncomfortable manner. I think that’s part of the reason so many adults struggle emotionally and mentally these days.
Now there’s more of a shift toward “discipline” that is based on connecting and respecting our kids, and seeing bad behavior as (often) a sign of emotions gone sideways
anne-on says
This is SO important. I would be thrilled if my parents were simply able to say ‘you’re right, we didn’t do a great job with thing x, we can see how that must have hurt you, and we’re sorry’. That is simply never, ever going to happen (thank you therapy for making me realize that!). Apologizing for errors (both to a child and an adult child) is just not ever going to be a thing they think it necessary to do.
If you can apologize to your kid when you’re wrong and empathize with their feelings when they’re grown than I think you’re doing a pretty good job.
Anon says
Just coming to whine that the states around me have pregnant women on their current vaccine eligibility schedule, but my state does not. So frustrated. That’s all.
Anonymous says
Can you go to a different state? Some states allow non-residents to get it.
Anonymous says
“Eligibility” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The priority groups are so huge that there isn’t enough vaccine to go around within a priority group, or even within a category of people in a priority group. Our state has more than 50% of the population in group 1b, which is the group supposedly eligible for vaccination right now. The only people who are pretty much guaranteed an appointment are health care workers and teachers. Health departments are starting to bring in a few people over 75, but they are prioritizing based on age and pre-existing conditions. So I don’t think it really matters whether pregnant women are in group 1b or not–nobody who isn’t a teacher, a health care worker, or very old is going to be vaccinated before summer anyway.
Anonymous says
This is just false. I’m sorry your state is a mess, but I know tons of younger people with underlying health conditions (pregnant, obese, etc.) who’ve gotten the vaccine and some people who got it because they have an elderly person living in their home and have “caregiver” status. My state has an easy-to-use online appointment system and anyone who is eligible can get an apartment pretty much ASAP. Maybe you have to wait 1-2 weeks if you aren’t willing to drive an hour. All the people here I know over 65, including my parents, were vaccinated last month.
Also supply is going to increase dramatically in the March-May timeframe – the US should have enough vaccine to vaccinate every adult by June. And not every adult is going to want it. The recent surveys suggest only about 60% do. I have no special priority and expect to get my shot by May at the latest.
Anonymous says
I need to move, then. In Virginia you can only get vaccinated if you’re a health care worker, a teacher, or old.
Anonymous says
I mean, most states are still focusing on healthcare, the elderly and teachers, that’s true. It’s quite a leap from that to saying nobody who isn’t in those categories (two of which are incredibly narrow) is getting vaccinated until the summer. There are four more months until summer and supply, which is now the limiting factor pretty much everywhere, expected to increase significantly during that time. I’m pretty confident someone who isn’t a teacher/healthcare/old will get vaccinated in Virginia before June.
Pogo says
In MA I don’t know anyone who is not healthcare or teacher or really old who has been vaccinated. I know one person who got it as a caregiver because her daughter has cancer, and that’s it.
Anonymous says
@Pogo, yes, but it’s early February. Saying you don’t know anyone outside those categories who’s already gotten it is a very different statement than nobody outside those categories is getting it before summer.
Anon says
Huh? I have three pregnant friends (not teachers or healthcare) who’ve already gotten vaccinated.
Anonymous says
That’s just completely false in my state.
Anon says
My state (PA) has been terrible – I signed up but question whether I’ll even get the opportunity get vaccinated before 9 months are over.
OtterMom says
Same. Pennsylvania has over 4 million residents in group 1A, and last I heard, only received enough vaccines for 1/4 of that. It will be a while. In my county (without a major metro area) they still have not gone beyond health care workers, and those are being distributed through employers. It hasn’t been opened up to the public yet here, even for people in group 1A. I’m thinking of checking to see if I can drive to Maryland (they’re already in 1B!)
Anon says
The 1A/1B etc designations are meaningless if you’re comparing different states. Some states only put healthcare workers in 1A but other states put all their elderly in that group, so the group sizes vary wildly even if you’re using percentage of the population rather than raw numbers. There are a few outliers but most states in the US have vaccinated roughly 10% of their population, so the discrepancy between PA and MD probably isn’t as large as you think it is. Ultimately what matters for when you get vaccinated is what percent of the population comes before you, not what group number you’re in. If you’re young and healthy it’s probably around 40% of the population that will come before you (assuming 20% of the population is decisively anti-vaccine, 20% is tentative and in no hurry and 20% is children who aren’t eligible to vaccinated).
OtterMom says
Thanks, Anon. I’m actually in 1A in Maryland, and 1C in Pennsylvania (I wouldn’t have posted if I did not already know how I fit in – I could have said any other border state (OH, NY, WV etc.)). Sorry that you presumed I wasn’t aware that different states have different systems; I am aware that you need to look to both states’ systems. The MD CovidLink website states that they are “prioritizing MD residents but will not turn others away” but I have not determined if there is a site where I could go to.
Tweeter says
This just isn’t true. I’m 1b in NJ due to being pregnant. I already have had 1 shot. It was relatively easy to make an appt through my county (you just can’t be at all picky about day/time). New spots open up every day.
Pogo says
It really does vary so much by state. Also, my doctor is in a different state than my residency, but I can’t get vaccinated there. So I got a call being like, you are in group 1B! But I’m not actually, especially because within my state, I don’t have a healthcare provider to flag me as having underlying conditions. I’m not especially worried and I don’t feel I need the vaccine ASAP because I can wfh, but it is a total cluster.
Anon. says
It varies state by state and even county by county. My parents are in a state that has pushed it out to 99 different county health departments who are all administering things differently and managing their own wait-list. It is, predictably, a disaster.
Anonymous says
Iowa? The 99 counties was a giveaway :) If they’re within driving distance of the Des Moines area, Polk County seems to have the best rollout and updates their social media with appointment availability info constantly. My 69 and 71 year old parents got the vaccine at one of the Medicap pharmacies in DSM a couple weeks ago.
Anon. says
Yep! (I thought it might) My parents have already had COVID and their county has to be approaching herd immunity at this point given the infection rate and population base so the vaccine feels less urgent (still absolutely necessary, but less urgent than for many). Sadly not an easy drive to DSM so they’ll wait until county health calls back to schedule their appointment.
Anonymous says
Ah yeah that makes sense. I’m glad they survived it. My dad is really high risk and my parents were being incredibly cautious but he has to go to the doctor all the time for non-Covid stuff so they were very very anxious about getting the vaccine ASAP especially with the governor lifting all the restrictions (their city still has a mask mandate, at least).
Anonymous says
Did the registration form ask whether they’d already had COVID?
Anonymous says
I think it varies because the retail outlets each have their own forms. The Medicap form asked if you’ve had a positive Covid test within the last two weeks or if you’ve received convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies within the last 90 days. But there was no “have you ever tested positive for Covid?” question.
Anon says
Right there with you– my home state (next to mine) is currently vaccinating pregnant women and attorneys. The state I live in isn’t vaccinating either.
Redux says
Attorneys, really? Which state?
Anon says
Mass is vaccinating public defenders and criminal prosecutors.
Anon says
I’m not pregnant but I have a condition (asthma) that sone states are prioritizing, but my state is not. I don’t feel like I deserve to be first in line with the elderly, but it’s frustrating that I have to wait until the “general public” group. So I feel ya!
Anon says
My state (NY) is opening it up to anyone with basically any comorbidity, including obesity, next week. I think it will take a long time to get through that group, so who knows when the rest of us young/no comorbids folk will have access (not that I’m complaining to be healthy…)
Anonymous says
My in-laws are in NY and don’t have appointments until April, even though they’re 75. I think it’s ridiculous to open it up to younger people with common conditions like obesity and high blood pressure when the elderly can’t get appointments for months. Age is the single biggest predictor of severe illness/death by far. My state still hasn’t expanded beyond 65+ and healthcare but everyone I know who’s 65 or older has been able to make an appointment before the end of February.
Redux says
NY is a disaster. Though I’m not sure I know which states are doing it “right.” All I hear are (justifiable) complaints.
AIMS says
NY is not a disaster necessarily. It’s not always easy to get an appointment but you can get one if you keep trying. I know many people who have gotten their first and even second shots already and not just thru hospital jobs, including two elderly neighbors who are far from tech savvy. A friend who is eligible because of her job just got an appointment last week (on a Tuesday for that Friday). Part of it was lucky timing but new appointments are being made available ALL the time. I also know people who got appointments for April and are complaining about it but haven’t really tried to keep looking. I think it’s what you make it at this point.
Anonymous says
@AIMS, my husband or I checks for my in-laws multiple times a day and haven’t been able to find anything before April. Their primary care provider told them he would have a space for them probably in May. I don’t know what else we could be doing short of refreshing the webs1te literally all day, and it’s kind of insulting to be told we’re just not trying hard enough. I definitely believe you that plenty of eligible people have gotten the vaccine, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to schedule appointments just because you’re eligible. NYC also canceled tens of thousands of appointments a few weeks ago, so many people who had succeeded in getting appointments lost them (I think they did get prioritized for rescheduling, at least). I don’t know any other jurisdiction that has mass-canceled appointments like that.
tl;dr I’ve gotten people appointments in seven different states now and NY has been by far the hardest. I stand by the statement it’s a disaster.
Anon says
Indiana is pretty good! It’s going in reverse age order through 60, then onto co-morbidities and then essential workers. Still limited to 65+ for now. The state has an online appointment system that’s easy to use. Eligible people can currently book a couple weeks out if they’re choosy about day and location, but you can book almost immediately if you’re willing to travel a bit. The teachers are PISSED they didn’t get it first, but most of our hospitalizations and 93% of our deaths are in people over 60, so the reverse age order makes a lot of sense to me if the goal is preventing hospitalizations and deaths, which I think ultimately it is. I do think teachers **who are working in-person** should have high priority after the elderly and not have to wait until every obese person is vaccinated (especially because that is SO many people here). But while there’s room for argument about the priority tiers, the actual rollout and appointment scheduling has been super smooth and I appreciate that the elderly are actually getting prioritized, not having to fight five other concurrently eligible groups for appointment times.
Redux says
Yeah, I mean I know people who have gotten it, too, but the idea that you need to be (a) clued into the seemingly random announcements of who’s in the newly-announced priority category (i.e., there is no PLAN for people to know when they might get it) and (2) hover over a website all day to hopefully lucky-click on an appointment is madness. My parents (not in NY) registered with their local department of health months ago, filled out a questionnaire that sorted all the priorities (i.e., age, occupation, caregiving roles, comorbidities, etc.) and THEY got a call from their county to tell THEM when to appear for their appointment. You can also check the county website to see when your estimated vaccine date is based on where they are in the roll out and what you entered on your questionnaire. It’s crazy to me that in NY this is so catch as catch can, and some people report an easy time of it while other people (who have less facility with (1) and (2) above) flat out do not.
AIMS says
I guess my definition of ‘disaster’ is different. Certainly not trying to say anyone who doesn’t have a vaccine isn’t trying hard enough (at all!), but I think it’s not unreasonable that at this early stage it will not be so easy to get an appointment and what makes me happy is that if you put your mind to it, it seems possible. I know people who have gone to some big lengths to get an appointment and I know people who have decided they are okay with waiting a bit longer. The point I was making is that it’s certainly possible without some extraordinary effort or connections, which is really all I expect from my govt at this point. And i don’t think it’s fair to compare NY to other states that are not like NY – Manhattan alone has roughly 3 times the population of Wyoming and just a teeny bit less than all of W Virginia. Anyway, hopefully this all improves everywhere sooN and not saying there a lot of room for improvement!
Anonymous says
I don’t think population matters. The bottleneck is now supply pretty much everywhere and if NYC is three times the population of Wyoming, they get three times the amount of vaccine. It shouldn’t make a difference to the percent of the population they can vaccinate unless they’re having trouble distributing the vaccine they have, which I don’t think is really an issue any more.
I dunno, I just feel like you have to get really really lucky to score appointments in NY, at least in NYC. Not that other states are doing it perfectly by any means, but like I said, I’ve used a bunch of different states’ systems by now and NYC definitely seems like the hardest to get an appointment in a reasonable timeframe. It may just be because they have expanded eligibility to lots of different groups (elderly, essential workers and now apparently people with lots of different co-morbidities) but the more eligible people there are the harder it is for each eligible person to find an appointment.
SBJ says
Anyone have any recommendations for a kids silverware set to pack for school? Our daycare is asking us to provide utensils for our kids and I’m taking any recommendations rather than aimlessly browsing A-zon.
Mary Moo Cow says
Do you want plastics or metal? We have cat and jack/target brand and planet box brand, both metal. My only recommendation would be to buy a few so you easily have one on hand when daycare sends home a note that the fork is missing or the spoon got thrown away, etc. (Both my 3.5 year old and 5.5 year old have graduated from the baby and toddler utensils and at home, mostly use salad forks and dessert spoons that are part of our regular flatware suite, fwiw.)
Anonymous says
The PB Kids Utensils and Carrying Case set is fantastic. Ours has lasted for more than 7 years of daily use and trips through the dishwasher. Even the case has survived.
anon says
+1. It’s great.
GCA says
I like the Target Cloud Island silverware – forks with metal tines help the toddler actually pick up her food as opposed to chasing it helplessly around her plate and dropping it in her lap. The handles will get food-stained, but it’s not something I care a ton about.
AnotherAnon says
Both my mom and MIL bought us a set of these one Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Silverware-Toddler-Flatware-Utensil/dp/B07J433GND
I really like them. They do get lost though, so I’ve started sending them only when I’m including food that actually requires silverware. I’m not sure whether that’s an option for your fam but just sharing a learning experience :)
AIMS says
We love this set for home. For nursery, I like the OXO fork/spoon with the plastic base and the metal tip. I am able to put a name sticker on the plastic part and it has survived several months on dishwasher now,
Anon says
We have the Oxo tot ones and a few others, but they all seem pretty interchangeable from my kid’s perspective.
Anonymous says
For those with kids physically at school, what is your system for sending enough food? My kindergartener will start soon in person – his preschool provided food and now he’ll have been home a year before school starts. Kiddo struggles to eat breakfast but will eat like three eggs, three pieces of bread, four pieces of fruit, cheese, vegetables, nuts AND MORE between, say, 10 and 3. Has always had a huge appetite and is very tall. Do you try to fit snack and lunch in one lunchbox? Send a lunchbox and a whole separate snack box? I can’t quit picture it. Not counting on being able to convince him to eat breakfast and definitely has mood issues if doesn’t eat enough- a pack of pretzels and a string cheese isn’t going to cut it for a snack.
Anonymous says
Do they get a snack? There’s no snack time in our public schools and with Covid they can’t just start munching on something in the classroom.
Anonymous says
There is a dedicated morning snack time.
Anonymous says
Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you! I just didn’t know that many kindergartens did snacks because ours doesn’t. If there’s a dedicated snack time I would definitely pack the snack separately. It might even be a requirement since they don’t want kids eating all of their lunch at morning snack and having nothing to eat at lunchtime.
Anonymous says
(And that comment scared me more than anything I’ve read recently!! Trying to manage this particular 6 year old all morning on zero food sounds like a recipe for being expelled.)
Anonymous says
Keep trying with breakfast, pack a separate high protein and fat snack, and a big lunch. Starting K is actually a very long time away for kid developmentally so start getting into the routine of offering breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner at set times with no food in between now.
Anonymous says
I read her comment as the district is switching to in-person teaching soon, not that her kid is going to K in the fall. But I agree, get on a snack schedule ASAP at home and stop the all day grazing.
Anonymous says
Correct, district switching to in person school. My kid is 6.
Mary Moo Cow says
In private K, each family signs up to provide the snack for the week. Parents don’t know what the snack will be. It’s nerve wracking for me, for sure, because I have a picky but voracious eater. So when the snack is a cheese stick and she doesn’t eat cheese, I don’t know what happens! I leave that to the teachers. I don’t get much info out of her and the teachers haven’t called me, so I am taking that off the mental load.
I send in a pretty big lunch with a variety of proteins, fruits, veggies, and grains, and have a snack in the car, so she can eat as soon as she gets in the car. (And after that, she still wants food right up until dinner!)
Anon says
We send lunch in a lunchbox and a separate bag for snack, per the direction of our teacher – maybe you can email him/her and ask if he/she has a preference/recommendation. The lunch time is short, though, so there’s not necessarily time to eat a ton. For snack I focus on something protein heavy, like a protein bar + something else (string cheese, yogurt, applesauce pouch, etc)
Pogo says
Our school does am/pm snack but our previous caregiver did not. I sent a Bentgo box with: sandwich (or quesadilla, or pasta or some other carb-heavy main), fruit, vegetable, protein, and then dried fruit in the little center thingy. I would also send a small container of yogurt and a container of cheddar bunnies or crackers. It all fit inside the Packit lunchbox. Our school also offers milk (as did previous provider) and mine loves milk, so that helps, too.
Anon Lawyer says
Ugh, having to get all that together is my nightmare. I wish everyone could just offer well-balanced meals.
Pogo says
I’m so used to it now, it’s not bad. We have rotating options for each section of the Bentgo and that makes it really easy for me. For vegetables I just put frozen veggies or slices of bell pepper. For protein, my husband will poach a whole chicken breast at the beginning of the week (or we do salami or something). I slice up a pear quickly in the morning or toss in some berries. etc. It takes maybe 5min.
Anonymous says
OP – I appreciate the ideas. Definitely stressed about it as we had some pretty significant behavior issues in preschool and kid is fine if he eats, really really not fine if does not. Luckily kid is a year older now than he was the last time he was in preschool so hopefully has matured some! But we’re also working on trying to get him to gain more weight so there’s a lot behind this. Focusing my stress on the actual lunch containers, ha.
Anonymous says
Would he do a breakfast shake in the car maybe?
Anonymous says
Or a banana? My 3 year old has never been a breakfast person but she eats a “car banana” on the way to school every day.
Anonymous says
Thanks. We used to do the car waffle plus breakfast at early care, but recently just not hungry until more like 10, particularly if any stomach butterflies from nerves. And our drive is one minute – only driving vs walking because drop off is now in the middle of my work day.
anon says
We have a lunchbox from PBK that has two separate pockets, so we could separate snacks and lunch. I think you’ll settle into a routine fairly quickly once you figure out what he needs. I will say, my kids eat differently in school than they do at home.
Anonymous says
We recently dropped the pacifier for our toddler, and now he’s constantly putting his hands in his mouth. It’s driving me nuts both in terms of pandemic hygiene, but also b/c he’s developing eczema outbreaks on his hands and face (further aggravated by his mask). Anyone have ideas for stopping this behavior? Or ideas for managing the eczema without him ingesting lotion/ ointment?
Pogo says
Commiseration. I put lanolin on my kiddo’s hand eczema because it is safe to ingest. I was really diligent about 2x/day and it cleared it up in less than a week.
Anon says
Is he putting his whole hand in the mouth? My daughter sucks her fingers but we use lotion on the backs of her hands and her wrists without worrying much about her ingesting it. For the pandemic, anytime he’s out and about he’s wearing a mask, right? So that should block him from putting his hands in his mouth. It didn’t take my daughter long to learn that she could only suck her fingers at home after washing hands and removing her mask. (This is the primary benefit to masks for kids, imo.) Since she now wears a mask all day at school except when eating and sleeping, she dropped her daytime sucking habit and even on weekends only sucks her fingers when she’s trying to fall asleep.
Anonymous says
Maybe try socks over lotion at night. I did not use one, but in retrospect a chewy necklace might be useful.
Anonymous says
+1 socks with lotion overnight. And literally Vaseline slathered on. (Also fan favourite Acquafor)
Anonymous says
His eating habits may change at school, but he’s probably going to have to start embracing breakfast, which he may be more into if he isn’t eating so much during the day. My son would often not eat that much at school lunch because he chatted a lot. His school had a snack time in K-2, and we would pack a lunch and a seperate small snack bag. I used a Bumpkins reusable bag for the latter.
Anonymous says
+1. I would not expect him to eat much at school. Lunch time is likely to be very short. Some kids also don’t like to bother opening a lot of containers, so you may get him to eat more with a bento where he only has to mess with one lid. Be prepared to offer a large after-school snack.
Chapter Books for PreSchoolers! says
RE: bedtime for 3 YOs above – someone referenced the “current chapter of the book we are reading” for 3 YO.
My heart was singing this morning, as we has a long discussion about 3YO wanting “books like yours” (e.g. novels). Months ago we had some luck with a Magic Tree House book over a weekend at Grandmas. Any good recommendations that will engage a three year old and not make me want to poke my eyes out?
Mary Moo Cow says
The Mercy Watson series! They have color pictures and short enough chapters to keep my 3 yo engaged. (Note the Deckawoo Drive series is black and white, fewer pictures.)
Also, not chapter books, but longer and my 3 yo loves them: the Frances series by Russel Hobart.
SC says
+1 to Mercy Watson!
SBJ says
Yes! Thanks to someone here we discovered the Rabbit & Bear series and my kids LOVE it and I also do. It’s full of good life lessons I try to teach my kids, but wrapped in adorable kid-level humor (uh… gentle poop/fart/burp jokes…). You definitely have to be the kind of parent who’s willing to laugh at a good poop joke with your kid, but all three of us (me, 3 yo, 5 yo) were cracking up and truly enjoyed reading together. We also really liked The First Case by Ulf Nilsson, which is part of a series. Other chapter books we’ve tried recently: Mr Popper’s Penguins (lots of editing of dated, sexist language), Charlotte’s Web (some editing), and the Ramona books (a little editing). Graphic novels that worked pretty well include Pete & Ernesto (got that rec here, too!), Castronauts, Jedi Academy, and Owl Diaries (which my kids like but I find grating).
Anonymous says
What did you have to edit in the Ramona books? The only possibly objectionable material I can remember is the dad’s smoking, and it is presented as a negative thing.
not the PP says
there’s a lot of sexist stuff in the Ramona books (what would a boy want with a ribbon? x is being a girl! etc. not counting the mom’s very traditional stay at home role with dad at the office) – I frequently make it less so. I also sometimes edit Ramona’s name calling because I don’t want my kid repeating it.
Anon says
+1 I have to do a little of this with the Henry Huggins books. There was also a scene where he dressed as a Native American for Halloween with some very cringey descriptions, but I left that as a conversation starter.
I looooved the Ramona books as a kid but she is a huge pain the Henry books…very hands-off parenting lol
Spirograph says
Rabbit and Bear was me! Aren’t they cute? I really like them, and glad you do too.
RE: sexism in kids books… We were reading some Arthur Goes to Camp story the other night and there was a cringey boys vs girls story line where the boys camp had a beefy drill sergeant-like counselor trying to make men out of the boys and he was embarrassed that the boys were getting trounced by the girls at all kinds of woodsy and athletic pursuits. I interjected something along the lines of, “well that’s weird, why do you think he’s so upset that the girls are doing better?” hoping to nip any thoughts about boys supposedly being stronger or better at that stuff in the bud. My 6 year old daughter responded: “Probably because if they’re not better at *anything,* it means he’s doing a bad job teaching his campers, so it makes him look like he’s not a very good counselor.” and older brother agreed. So! Not to say that I never edit, because I definitely do, but it’s worth leaving in sometimes as a conversation-starter to confront rather than just avoiding sexist ideas. That particular exchange made me feel a lot better about my kids not having internalized a bunch of sexist ideas (yet).
Side note, Arthur is kind of terrible and I’m slowly disappearing those books. I don’t need to give my kids ideas about how to pick on people, and that seems to be a large part of every single story line
Anonymous says
I actually like how when the dad lost his job, the mom went back to work and the dad took a job as a grocery clerk. I also find it interesting how the world ages about 10x faster than Ramona. The books were written many years apart and each seemed to be set in the present day at the time when it was written, but Ramona only got a year older. So in one of the earliest books 5-year-old Ramona walks to school alone, but in one of the later ones her teacher is worried about environmentally friendly lunches.
Anonymous says
In the Arthur example, isn’t the counselor the bad guy? I don’t see anything wrong with the negative portrayal of sexist ideas.
Cb says
We’ve been reading some of the Helen Peters animal books, An Otter Called Pebble, etc. I was surprised how much my 3.5 year old seemed to absorb. I think it was helpful that it was an existing interest (otters) that we built on. Our library is doing click and collect, where you say what your kid is interested in and they put together a selection, which might be a nice option.
AwayEmily says
My kid got really into the Princess in Black series when he was 2.5. I’ll also note that my kids were interested in chapter books at wildly different times — my son at around 2/2.5 and my daughter not until after she turned 4.
Anon says
Even 4 is early, I think! My 3 year old still prefers board books to regular picture books. I can’t even imagine reading a chapter book.
Anon says
+1 I started with my son around 4, and IMO he was somewhat “advanced” in terms of story time attention span (he’d sit for 30-45 min straight at 15 months old). But he still really enjoyed picture books, and good picture books are often “better” for kids at young ages (they use more advanced language than early chapter books, have beautiful images, etc.) So I was conscious of not rushing it too much – I think even 4 was probably pushing it, but we really enjoy reading chapter books at night together so, meh. And we still read plenty of picture books during the afternoon!
A lot of the books above do have images and are more basic for younger ages, though. I’ll add in the Frog and Toad books – not conventional chapter books but still cute. And maybe the classic Winnie-the-Pooh
Cb says
Yes, my son is the same. I’ve cleared out the board books and we tend to read more advanced picture books. Sometimes in the afternoon, we’ll climb into my bed and read a “pile” of books, and can easily read for an hour or so. Not something I enforce, normally we just do 1-2 books before quiet time, but also the most special time.
AnotherAnon says
My dad used to read us Robinson Crusoe. I think I was six, so my brother had to have been three. I remember thinking once “Is this book even in English? I have NO idea what is happening” but I enjoyed hearing my dad read, so I just sat there. To be fair, he read me the Care Bears books about a million times and adult me can totally see “Now I will read you guys something that *I* will enjoy!”
Anon says
Little Bear books are nice
Anon says
Maybe she’d like anthologies, and each story could be “a chapter”? There’s a James Herriot one with gorgeous illustrations. I’ve also heard good things about the Little House Treasury.
Anon says
I am reading the Clementine series to my three year old and we’ll move on to Ramona Quimby next. We discovered when my sister read her an American Girl book while she was visiting her grandmother’s that DD likes chapter books. I hear her repeat things we read about, and she will comment on the story or the sketches in the book (and laugh at appropriate times) while reading, so I think she is comprehending. In any event, I’m enjoying it much better than the actual preschooler books I have memorized (although explaining she has to “snort sparks” like dragons who eat spicy tacos is excellent for nose blowing).
Anon says
Dragon Masters, Narwhal and Jelly, the Pedro and Yazmin series, Henry and Mudge, and Nate the Great were appealing to my 3 year old (in addition to Princess in Black mentioned above.) We also did a chapter a night of The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory around that age, but it took a lot of say-and-repeat to get the gist. Junie B Jones was better around age 4. We also read a lot of little golden books and sometimes treated those like chapter books – read half one night, half the next.
Anonymous says
I still love reading the original AA Milne Winnie the Pooh stories.
Anon says
For my kids, the best books have fairly short chapters interspersed with illustrations. We’ve done a mixture of recent books and older ones from my childhood.
Zoey and Sassafras is a major hit with my 3yos, as is Princess in Black. They liked the one Junie B. Jones we read, but it was so annoying we haven’t sought out any others. Diva and Flea is another good random one as is Emma and the Blue Genie (a little scarier but fine for my kids who can’t handle villins in Disney movies). My Father’s Dragon is a little dated, but has been a good first chapter book for my kids and many of their friends. Ditto Mr Popper’s Penguins. We’ve read some Winnie the Pooh, but the writing style wasn’t as engaging.
GCA says
Both my kids (5.5, 2.5) are into Mercy Watson, Princess in Black, Magic Tree House (I think the toddler thinks the ‘Annie’ from Magic Tree House is the same Annie as in Jan Brett’s ‘Annie and the Animals’, judging by the yelp of joy with which she greets each Annie) and Magic School Bus books. Magic School Bus isn’t chapter books, but they have lots of pictures and lots of interesting tangents for both big and little kid.
OP says
Thank you for all the recs.
“gentle poop jokes” 100% sign us up…..
As an aside: when daycare was closed my lovely mother volunteered to read aloud on facetime. Very quickly the calls increased to 1 hour + (THANK YOU MOM). I think that this helped grow his attention span because he counted quite as easily point to things and ask questions that breaks up the flow of the book. Also probably he was entranced a little by the IPAD screen. This was of course facilitated by the fact that my mom has boxes of our old picture books. We are heading into a 4 days weekend in sub-zero temperatures….. I think the first order of business Friday AM is a curbside book pick up. (I have a library pick up this afternoon)
Anonymous says
How many of the same t-shirt dress in different colors is too many for WFH this coming summer? Asking for a friend.
KH says
The limit does not exist.
Pogo says
if this is a mean girl reference, I am here for it
Anonymous says
This is amazing.
Friday says
Yesterday I ordered SEVEN of the exact same sweater in different colors. So apparently my answer is seven?
Anon says
I don’t like to wear dresses unless I’ve shaved my legs (personal preference, too scratchy), so for me the limit is 3 since I do laundry weekly and do not shave more than 3 times a week.
Friday says
Probably too late in the day but I have a question. I’ve sort of painted myself into the role of peer with my four year old, and I’m not sure how to get back to…parent. He ignores me, then yells when I ask him to do something like put his shoes on so we can go to day care. I don’t want to arbitrarily say no to him all the time, but when I give him what he wants, say…take him to the park or make his favorite food, he is a jerk to me. Throws a tantrum at the park, doesn’t eat the food. Any advice, for those of you who have been through this? Last night I tried getting on his eye level when I asked him to get his pjs. That seemed to have some success. I’ll be speaking to his day care teacher later today, but just wondering if any of you have advice.
Anonymous says
My daughter is a bit younger (just turned 3) but I think you can talk through and enforce consequences for this kind of bad behavior. Throw a tantrum at the park? Leave the park. Make their favorite food and don’t eat it? I would say to her “since I went out of my way to make you mac and cheese tonight and you didn’t eat it, tomorrow you won’t get a special meal.” For ignoring/yelling when asked to do something important, I say “I’m going to ask you one more time and if you don’t do it, then I will do it” (she wants to do everything herself so this is usually effective).
I do give my daughter a lot of choices (including generally asking what she wants for dinner and making it, within reason) and I know some of my friends think I’m spoiling her. But I have zero tolerance for whiny or angry behavior and I feel like she’s less demanding than the average three year old. I actually see positive improvements in behavior when we can give her more control over her life and to me “spoiled” is about how a kid behaves, not how much flexibility the parent offers.
EB0220 says
I don’t always love 1-2-3 Magic but it really helped me with my child who is similar to this (now 6). I have to remind myself FREQUENTLY to enforce the punishment, even when it makes my life harder.
Clementine says
Actions have consequences. I repeat that a lot. I do a modified version of 123 consequences combined with a lot of positive parenting stuff. When kid yells like that, my current response is, ‘Try again.’
I have lots of good Instagram suggestions if you’d like, but in general I have consequences that are clear and logical (natural if possible!). You yell and scream that you want the TV on? “If you yell and scream to turn on the TV, you’re telling me you can’t handle watching TV. Your choices are to ask politely or scream and not watch TV. You have until the count of 3.’
Step back and evaluate. You have some really positive things going on here – namely connection with your child! It’s a matter now of taking those strengths and helping to teach your child.
OP says
Thank you (and EB220). I think what I struggle with is: you yell at me at the park, consequence is we leave the park, but *I* don’t want to leave the park – I’ve been stuck inside WFH all day! Instead I should find a way to carve out some me time, so the onus isn’t on him to be my fun time buddy. That will make consequence enforcement easier.
Clementine says
That’s a punishment for you! I pick things like ‘no YouTube for x’ or ‘no dessert’. I really try not to make my life harder…
FWIW, my husband goes too big on consequences to the point where he tends to cave. Like, he goes straight to ‘No TV for a WEEK’ while I take it away in 5–10 minute increments.
Anon says
Yes, sometimes it’s so painful for the adult but hopefully the kid catches on after a time or two. Or maybe the consequence is he has to sit in the car (strapped in) for X min, and you stand outside in the fresh air and don’t listen to him? It’s best if the consequence is immediate and directly related to the offense, so taking away a future privilege wouldn’t make sense (and veers into “punishment” territory vs constructive discipline)