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I truly aspire to be someone who is able to keep plants alive. Unfortunately for me and the plants I come in contact with, I am not that person. Luckily, the house we bought came fully landscaped, because I have made many attempts to grow herbs, flowers, and vegetables at several points in my life with disappointing results. I think that’s also why I don’t have any pets. Haha. Anyway, I have a lot of respect for people who decorate with plants and I would love to have one of those trendy fiddle-leaf fig trees in my living room. For those that do, I like these “planter bags” that disguise the pots that hold the plants. These are reversible and come in a few sizes and many different patterns. I like that this is an easy way to blend your plant into the design scheme of your home. These bags range from $14.80 for a small to $37.05 for an extra large at Etsy. Reversible Hessian Planter Bag This post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 5.5.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off your purchase (ends 5/12); $50 off your $200+ purchase (ends 5/5)
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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?
EB0220 says
Black thumb all the way over here. Every spring my girls ask to plant something…and we do….and it never, ever sprouts. I am proud that I’ve managed not to kill an aloe plant that one of my employees got me for Christmas last year.
SC says
I don’t exactly have a green thumb, but if you want to keep trying, I would either buy baby plants in the nursery and transplant them or plant seeds in small containers with potting soil and plant indoors.
Waterproof? says
Looking for recommendations: I live in a rainy area and have a super high energy toddler, so I really need to get outside with her at the weekends, even if the weather’s bad. She has rainboots and a waterproof all in one so she’s fine, but what can I wear so that I’m not soaked and miserable? Any suggestions from more seasoned winter playground visitors gratefully received!
Anon says
LL Bean used to make a mid-thigh length goretex rain coat (looks like it’s just the hip length jacket now). With a similarly super active toddler, I’ve been browsing but haven’t found anything similar, so I keep squeezing into my pre-pregnancy one that’s far too small in the hips now. For ultimate waterproofing though, I stick to the goretex, both from a rain perspective and a skiing perspective. My Marker ski parka (also goretex) is great in rain when I zip the liner out, but it is only hip length. I think Marmot may have bought Marker’s apparel line. And I swear by my hunter rain boots.
EB0220 says
I liked the Eddie Bauer Girl on the Go raincoat. It’s about mid-thigh length and has a detachable hood. I returned mine because it was too small but I did like it. Then I would get some rain boots. You should be good to go!
anon says
Rainboots and raincoat for you, too. Any outdoor company will have good coats. I like my Kamik rainboots. They’re effective and a fraction of the price of Hunters.
EB0220 says
Yep, I like my Kamik rain boots too. My kids and I all have them and have been happy.
JDMD says
Seattleite here with two active kids under age four — I feel your pain. Agree with the long coat/tall rain boots formula. My go-to rain coat is from Nau, a Portland-based company (read: they understand rain). They have several longer hooded warm trenches that are perfect for rainy playground dates. I also like incorporating silk thermals (Eddie Bauer) for particularly cold days. Also gloves and a hat, even if you have a hood.
I also like to bring a thermos with a hot beverage for myself, and the Zojirushi brand seems to defy the laws of thermodynamics in its ability to keep hot things hot.
Lastly, bring some tissues (for runny noses) and a small dry super-absorbent towel (like the ones people use for their hair) to wipe off park benches, faces, etc.
Anonymous says
I found a poncho great for pushing a stroller – you can even drape it over your hands.
Blueberries says
Rain pants are great for rainy weather! You can sit on a wet bench or go down a wet slide without getting yourself wet. They’re not the most attractive, but they make rain so much more fun. They’re also really good for biking in the rain.
I recommend REI for a selection of good quality rain pants.
Blueberries says
Also a rain jacket and rain boots, of course.
ER says
This is what I do. If my toddler wants to splash around in her water table and it’s 55 and pouring rain, I am definitely putting on my rain pants. Signed, grew up in Portland.
anon says
I like wearing silk long underwear under my jeans, with boots on top. It keeps me from feeling the soaked jeans, and also keeps me warm.
Hiring a Nanny? says
I’m starting to look a nanny for the first time. I hire people at work all of the time, yet I find myself feeling lost on how to go about this process.
For those of you who have nannies, what does your typical “hiring/interview process” look like? I’m thinking phone interview > in-person meeting > paid trial > hire (pending background/reference checks). Is that too many steps? Also, what kinds of questions do you typically ask during the interview process?
Lastly, do you withhold taxes from your nanny’s checks? Do you use a payroll service or do you figure it out yourself? What else should I know about this process?
Anonymous says
Park Slope Parents is an excellent resource for the hiring of caregivers.
Yes, we pay over the table. I’m a rule-follower in general, plus DH’s and my profession make it extra-necessary. We use Homepay and I think it’s worth every penny. They direct deposit, make all necessary withholdings, keep track of employer taxes owed, and now track PTO as well.
SC says
We collected applications, did a phone interview and had an in-person meeting. We didn’t have an official paid trial because our nanny was an at-will employee anyways, but she started a week before I returned to work. I used the week to get to know her, walk her through routines and show her where everything was, and run out for errands to get myself ready to go back. (I’d want a paid trial if contracts were the norm in my area, or if I was using a service that required a contract.)
We didn’t have a formal list of interview questions, but we asked about background, experience, availability/reliability/scheduling, and what she would do in an emergency. Honestly, with the nanny we ended up hiring, it was pretty clear that she knew more about taking care of babies than we did and was very comfortable, and also warm and caring. We anticipated having a nanny for about a year (when Baby 3-15 months old), so we weren’t focused on discipline or parenting philosophy or things like that–not that we had any clue what our parenting philosophy was when Baby was 3 months old.
I would recommend a payroll service to withhold taxes from your nanny’s checks. That’s not what we did, but I wished we had.
Anonymous says
+1 to knew more about babies than we did. That was ultimately one of the reasons we went with our nanny; I remember when we met with her she immediately took DS out of his carseat and started holding him. At the time I was kinda floored (like, I didn’t tell you that you could pick up my child!) but I also felt like she was just SO comfortable with babies in a way I wasn’t yet. I could tell by the way she held and talked to him, and how confident she was that she knew SO much more about babies than we did.
Also, references.
Anonymous says
We did phone interview, in person interview, check references, hire. An in-person trial before hiring seemed too logistically complicated. Our nanny is at will and we can fire her any time for any reason so effectively her first couple weeks are a trial anyway. We pay on the books, it was non-negotiable for me and was hard to find a nanny for that reason.
We asked questions about her experience, what age kids she likes best, what a typical day is, how would she handle certain challenging situations, what sort of activities she’d like to do with our baby, what kind of housework she’d be willing to do while baby naps, and then logistical stuff like hours and her expected pay. I won’t lie, it was really awkward and made me deeply uncomfortable, but I just kept reminding myself I was doing this for my daughter so she could have the best possible care. Good luck!
Anonymous says
Also as SC says, DH and I took PTO the first 4 days (he took 2, I took 2) so we could supervise and show her the ropes. I’d definitely recommend that at the beginning.
Blueberries says
Apart from just fulfilling your legal obligations and avoiding potentially large penalties, there are a lot of benefits to paying over the table.
-the nanny gets Social Security contributions so she has at least something for retirement (and the ability to access SSDI in the event of disability)
-unemployment insurance if she becomes unemployed
-any state specific social insurance (California has a great paid family leave program that’s available only to those who have paid in to the system)
-Also, if the employer secures workers’ comp (legally required in California) that should protect the employer from a lawsuit and gets the employee access to care and payments in the event of on-the-job injury
anon says
I called about a dozen people for a short phone chat. Invited about half to come to our home for an in-person interview and to meet the kids. Checked references for one and hired her. We paid her to work the Saturday before she was scheduled to start so that we had an opportunity to go through a typical day partially with her and partially for her to do on her own and then to ask any questions that came up.
One realization that helped me during our search was that while we hoped to (and did ultimately) hire someone who was a good fit for our family, we met many caregivers who seemed qualified, caring, and safe if not quite what we were looking for. I felt a lot calmer when I realized that, if need be, we could hire one of them on a temporary basis while we continued to search for the right person to be with us long term.
Another vote for HomePay for payroll service. It is pricey, but worth every penny.
Anonymous says
I’d also add to this that for an infant, all you really need is someone competent and loving. We hired a nanny who did not share our cultural or political values or (lack of) religious beliefs and it really would have been an issue with a 3 year old. But for an infant, she was perfect because she was super attentive and loving.
RR says
I collected applications, had a quick call with my favorite, and went with my gut. I think it was stupid, but it worked out.
I absolutely withhold taxes–we use Homepay, which is through care.com (also how I found my nanny and a great back up sitter). They do everything for you. You just have to get on once a week to verify the hours and any mileage. I also had to separately purchase workers’ compensation insurance through my state because it is one of the few that Homepay (or a related arm, I can’t remember) can’t arrange for you. That’s a PITA to keep up with, but it is what it is.
Anonymous says
Plant-hoarder here. It’s really, really important to make sure your plants are well-matched for the amount of light you get in the location you plan to keep them. Succulents are often marked as low-maintenance and easy first-time plants, but they won’t do well without a lot of bright, direct sun. They won’t thrive in a windowless office; they even struggle in my west-facing windows which get intense light, but only in the afternoons and even then, not much in winter.
AnotherAnon says
My 19 month old is having a hard time, and I could use some advice. Hard time as in: screaming at Montessori drop off (this is week 2, he did not cry at drop off week 1). He also: refuses to eat anything dinner – just screams/throws food until I let him leave the table, seems exhausted when we get home from Montessori at 4:30, but if I put him down for a nap then he’s up until 9:30. We’ve had a lot of changes lately: we moved, he moved to a new day care that was a nightmare (kids biting him day after day) which resulted in me moving him to Montessori school (which I love) a couple weeks ago. He’s also been spending more time with his grandmother while we go to marriage counseling. So I know he’s probably just adjusting to all the changes, but I’m at a loss for how to help him without us both melting down at the end of the day (we do have a pretty straightforward bedtime routine). TIA.
Anonymous says
We had a similar sort of experience when our 18-month-old moved up to the ‘big kid’ room at daycare. In our shoes, we assumed it was exhaustion from the new experiences and just sorted of leaned into it by doing early dinner (5 pm) and early bedtime (5:30/6pm). Have you tried just doing bedtime earlier instead of the 4:30 nap?
I’m also all for teaching toddlers that they need to eat real food while sitting at in their chair the table, but when we’ve had a few days of complete exhaustion we bend the rules and will let him eat only cheese/yogurt/pouches while sitting on our laps. Maybe also give him a snack at pickup to fend off some of the hangry?
OP says
I talked to his Montessori teacher and she gave me some suggestions that are in line with what you’re saying. Honestly he’s been going to bed around 6:30PM and sleeping until 7:30AM so hopefully he’s growing. He’s underweight, so I’m concerned about the eating, but I give him a snack as soon as we get home and I think it’s honestly just too short a window for him to have a snack and still get hungry for dinner before it’s bedtime. Maybe I’ll focus on doing quick dinner as soon as we get home instead of a snack, and just let him sit in my lap for a while. Thanks for your suggestions!
Anonymous says
Can you bring a snack for him in the car on the way home from school? We run into this a lot, and my two year old actually suggested it. She was always so upset on the way home from school. One evening I asked if there was anything I could do to make her happier when I pick her up, and she asked me to bring her a snack. It has changed my life. She loves (and needs) it, laughs the whole way home instead of screams, and it gets it in her belly that much earlier so it isn’t as close to dinner.
EB0220 says
+a million for a snack and water on the way home. This has solved 90% of our dinnertime meltdowns. FWIW I also find Montessori is a bit less controlled than other types of daycare. Even at 18 months the kids make a lot of decisions for themselves, so maybe he is just all out of energy at the end of the day.
12:24 Anon says
And, bonus, she is super thrilled to eat anything I bring her in the car. So she eats better than if we were at home.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I totally get the stressed about underweight toddlers not eating! We try to make sure what we offer is calorie- and fat-dense (butter on everything!!) and otherwise not worry about it too much (especially at dinner when he’s exhausted), but that’s a lot easier said than done.
If you end up offering a car snack, you can try to make it have more fat than just a handful of cheerios or something. 100 calorie pouches with fat/protein are good, as are cheese sticks, peanut butter crackers, etc.
Anonymous says
Try baby wearing. I didn’t do it much when my kids were tiny but it was super helpful in the 12-24 month stage. I used a regular Ergo carrier, put kid on my back and gave him a sippy cup with juice. We don’t usually do juice but the snuggles and the little sugar kick helped the transition home. I cooked dinner with kid on my back while he rested and he was usually ready to get down and eat for supper time.
EB0220 says
Ooo good idea!
anon says
Just chiming in to say you’re not alone – we are on week 2 of preschool here after two years at home with a nanny, and evenings are ROUGH. I’ve been trying to lean into snuggles, reading, and accepting that bedtime is going to be early for awhile.
Is it possible to pick him up earlier, even temporarily? I shifted my work schedule 30 min earlier so that I can pick up earlier and get home sooner. Every 15 minutes seems to make such a big difference at the end of the day.
HSAL says
Next summer I’ll have two one year olds and a 3 1/2 year old. I’m thinking of getting a small climber/playset/slide that they can use next summer, but then bring in our screened in porch for the winter. So even if it’s cold I can send them out there to play. Has anyone else tried something like this? Any tips/product suggestions?
Anonymous says
Make sure the set comes apart if it doesn’t fit through the doors. I thought we’d put our child’s in the basement during the winter, and my husband told me it’s really not meant to come apart :(
Anonymous says
Your husband isn’t 100% right (or at least not for all models). They are definitely not meant to *easily* come apart as in fold up for easy storage, but the Step 2/ Little Tykes ones definitely dis-assemble (partially) once assembled. It takes some wiggling and encouraging and maybe a little cursing but you can definitely make it come in and out of the house seasonally.
I’d go for one of the climbers in addition to the slide. If nothing else, you have a platform for hanging out on/under in addition to sliding.
Anonymous says
This doesn’t shock me, but I’m totally not holding it against husband. I get it.
Anonymous says
We have one of the small indoor/outdoor slides and our twins love it, but it requires a fair amount of adult supervision to make sure no one gets knocked off the top headfirst onto the hard floor. (Outside on grass it matters less.) Our singleton friends seem to get better use out of using the same slide for independent play because there isn’t a second 1 yo to get in the way. (#twinproblems)
Aly says
This morning, my almost 2 year old kid spent ten minutes before we left for her day home saying “Alex, no! No, Alex! Alex bug me!” Alex is a slightly younger kid at her dayhome. So I asked about it when I dropped her off, saying this was weird for her – normally all chatter about her dayhome is happy and not agressive. Dayhome said that Alex is getting up in everyone’s space and, as he is teething, he is very drooling and spitting everywhere. My kid does not like this (not surprising). Now that the dayhome knows that I’m concerned, they said they’d make an effort to keep him away from her. Is there something else I should do? I have no clue how to get a two year old to be assertive – but I don’t want her to get spit on and bugged by this other kid…
Spirograph says
FWIW, this is already a success story in my book. both the Alex behavior and your daughter’s reaction to it sound totally, totally normal. Alex is basically a part-time sibling. My kids don’t get along with each other all the time, and sometimes (OK, often) one is doing something that bothers another. In my view, it’s not my job to prevent that, it’s my job to make sure that they all have strategies to deal with other kids bothering them that don’t result in physical harm. Your daughter has this — she’s using her words, she can tell the teachers Alex is bothering her so they can move him, she can move away from him on her own, etc. You’ve done everything you can. If anything, I’d be more concerned with making sure that the dayhome is washing the toys that get drooled on, and wash your daughter’s hands really well when you get home.
AnotherAnon says
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Now that you’ve addressed it at dayhome, the teacher should take the lead on preventing this as much as possible. It sounds like your 2 y/o is being as assertive as you can expect for her age. My son dealt with another child biting recently, and as incensed as I was that it happened repeatedly, it’s not completely the other child’s fault. He was in pain and uncomfortable and was not being given proper alternatives. The teacher is the adult and needs to handle this. I’d keep monitoring and having a dialogue with your daughter and if it keeps coming up, you can address it with the teacher again.
Anonymous says
Can a mom of older kids reassure me that the need to take things off for kids gets better as they get older? Looking over my time at work, I just realized I haven’t worked a 40 hour week since April! I’m getting my work done, but this isn’t sustainable. I have two toddlers and a spouse in big law. My boss is happy with my work productivity, but the constant need to take time off is creating a constant hum of stress in the back of my mind. Logically I think I need to let it go as long as my boss is happy. But maybe it’s time to either go part-time, or hire more help?
Anonymous says
It gets worse, at least in elementary school (possibly better in middle school?)
But if your boss is fine with it, I think you need to let it go. Between sick days (for myself and kids), vacation time for kids events or to volunteer in classroom and vacation time for actual vacation, I basically never work a 40 hour work. It is what it is.
Anonymous says
Right. This is why people work at night or early in the morning….to actually work the amount they need to.
anon says
I never spend 40 hours in the office, either. Just isn’t possible. What helped reduce my stress about this is I stopped sending emails to my team every time I’m going to be in late, leave early, whatever for kid-related tasks since I notice my male colleagues never do. If it’s a particularly bad week, I’ll send one email for the week bundling together work and non-work related absences (e.g., “This week I will be in late on Monday for preschool orientation, leaving early on Wednesday for a doctor’s appointment, and traveling Thursday for a meeting with Department of XXX. In the office on Tuesday and Friday and on email and cell other times.”).
EB0220 says
In my experience, they get healthier but also have more event and activities. I take off way more for my elementary school daughter’s activities and school events than I do for my preschooler. Elementary schools don’t tend to think about working parents at all so most events are during the workday. I either work from home and just pop over there for an hour or take a half day. But my daughter is also doing more activities as she gets older, which requires more driving, etc.
If you haven’t read Laura Vanderkam’s books/listened to her podcast, she talks frequently about how women often feel like you do (guilty about their work time even though their work product is still good). Women tend to go officially part time in this situation, whereas men tend to quietly lean out and feel zero guilt. It might be worthwhile to check out her work if you haven’t.
Anonymous says
This is it on point for me. (I’m the OP). I’m working early mornings/ nights after the kids go to bed, and I’m getting the appropriate amount of work done (at least enough for my boss to be happy). But since I’m not clocking 40 hours of actual work time I feel like I am failing at work! I think its partly because I am a government employee I have to fill out time sheets (even though I am a salary/exempt employee)
I appreciate the recommendation for Laura Vanderkam and I will look into her books. I have listened to a few of the podcasts she does with the Doctor and I do find them helpful!
MNF says
Should you be filling out the time card to reflect the time you’re working from home? Sounds like it’s actual work time and you are actually working 40 hours.
Anonymous says
Including my work at home I’m not hitting 40 hrs a week. I am fortunate to have enough PTO time that I can make up the difference with leave each week. Writing it all out I know it seems like I shouldn’t stress about this. But pre-kids I worked a lot more hours. Since kids I think I am much better at managing my time and workload (and shutting down some time sucking meetings!)
Thank you for your suggestions and I am trying to frame this in a new way. It’s also very helpful to know I really need deal with this and not just hope it’s all going to be better when the kids are X age.
Anonymous says
I think it’s really, really common to work fewer hours but more efficiently after having kids. I really would try not to stress about it, if you’re getting stuff done and your boss seems happy.
Anonymous says
It sounds like you are clocking 40 hours of actual work time; they’re just not during the hours of 8-5. Only you know if this is going to be a problem for you at your current organization. But from this internet stranger’s perspective, it sounds like you’re doing great but maybe in a little bit of a slump emotionally. If that’s the case, hopefully it’s just a phase!
Anonymous says
But you are clocking 40 hours? I know lots of people that don’t have a strict 9-5.
anon says
My parents never took time off for events during working hours when I was in school. I was planning for this to me my tactic too….
Anonymous says
I mean, I don’t think it’s the end of the world if you can’t. But if you can, it’s really nice. It also depends on the school culture and how many kids have a stay at home parent. I live in a very red state and my daughter is one of only a handful of kids without a SAHM in her class. It would be really hard on her if she was the only kid whose parents never showed for this stuff. If it’s a more even distribution between working and non-working moms it’s less of a big deal.
onlyworkingmomintulsa says
I just want to say this is exactly the makeup of my kids school as well.
Anonymous says
Not what you asked, but you should be making sure that your spouse is pulling their weight even though they are in biglaw. I’m in biglaw, and I do drop-off almost every morning and am usually home for dinner, although I almost always also pull a second shift of work after bedtime. I don’t do this every single day, but I definitely work hard to contribute to keeping the house running and being present at kid activities. I definitely don’t get a pass on household responsibilities from my husband. (I do, however, constantly feel like I’m not doing enough as an employee or a mom… Working on it.)
Anonymous says
Also, if your spouse is in biglaw, consider hiring extra help, like an au pair or a babysitter for help in the mornings or evenings. I also listen to that podcast, and one thing they say that made sense is that extra childcare help you hire is not replacing you (you’re already doing enough), it’s replacing your spouse if your spouse can’t commit to being present enough to handle the childcare that needs to be handled by them.
anne-on says
As someone with an au pair though, I’d caution you to make sure that you’re not replacing all your husband’s responsibilities with their labor, and none of your own – ie – HE gets to skip all baths/breakfast prep/meal prep/school activities, but your don’t. Childcare should help BOTH of you, and you should both have a conversation about balancing more without one of you getting a free pass to check out of the things that aren’t fun/easy.
I cover school drop offs and dinner almost every night when I don’t travel. He supervises mornings with the au pair so I can sleep in a bit. We BOTH get gym nights during the week and then use some of the hours for a date night.
FWIW – don’t underestimate the supervision your help will need – an au pair is a bit like an intern, helpful, eager, but needs A LOT of training.
Anonymous says
Yes, totally agree — I think I ended up writing a very confusing paragraph in an effort to be gender-neutral. In this situation, I’m the spouse who can’t always commit to being present, so we are hiring extra help mostly to cover for when *I’m* not around for the kid-related drudgery so that my husband can get a bit of a break.
Anonymous says
It changes, and you get used to it/ figure it out better. Mine are 7, 4, and 1.
The fact of the matter is, *someone* needs to deal with Life Things. There will always be drs appts, snow days, school projects, activities/events during the week, lunches to pack (or ensure are packed), parent/teacher conferences, etc. You don’t have to be Room Mom, but you will occasionally have to bring in a bag of oranges and your kid will want *someone* to be Special Reader.
That person can be you, or your spouse, or family, or hired help, or a combination. But someone has to do that stuff.
AnotherAnon says
I have no advice but the threadjack that we are all doing the best that we can with our finite time really encouraged me. Like others have mentioned, I rarely work 40 hours (but I’m a contractor so I bill my hours accurately and my boss doesn’t seem to mind). I had a bit of a freakout about this recently and the only other woman on my team took me to coffee and reassured me that the guys on our team are doing zero child care (none of them have children) and no one is “disappointed in me” and that I should be kind to myself and do the best job I can and then go home and forget about it. TL;DR – solidarity.
Anonymous says
Ugh our furnace broke and it’s supposed to get down to 32 tonight in our area. DH and I will be fine – it obviously won’t get to 32 in our house and we can pile under blankets. But what do we do about our baby? Is bundling her in hat and footie PJs and a fleece sleep sack enough? She normally just sleeps in a onesie and the sleep sack, so hopefully the footie PJs and hat add enough heat.
Also…get your furnaces inspected. Ugh, I was so lax about that annual checkup and now I regret it. :/
anon says
Ugh that sucks! I would do layers, like cotton footie PJs or long-sleeve onesie under fleece footie PJs (size up if needed). Do you have a space heater you can put in her room? Or, if that makes you nervous, put her and the space heater in your room?
AnotherAnon says
How old is your daughter and how cold does it get in your house? I bet she will be fine just bundled up…assuming it doesn’t get below 65 in your house at night. I would add mittens to your mentioned ensemble above, if possible.
Anonymous says
8 months. I think it will get below 65…it was 66 in the house this morning, and it only got to about 48 last night, so I’d guess it will be probably be somewhere between 50 and 55 in our house overnight.
Anonymous says
We always have our house 65 or cooler at night and our baby was always happy in just fleece PJs. You could put a onesie under if you’re really concerned or if it’ll get below 60.
Anonymous says
How old is baby? Fleece pjs plus fleece sleepsack is probably plenty! We put hats on our babies when they’re tiny, but once they’re older I don’t worry about it as much.
Do you have a space heater/could you pick one up tonight if you’re really worried?
Anonymous says
How about running over to Home Depot or wherever to pick up a space heater?
Anonymous says
That’s embarrassing…I completely forgot about the existence of space heaters. I will go get one today.
Anonymous says
Also, put baby in your room. The body heat of 3 people really helps! But yes, get a space heater or stay in a hotel if those are options for you :-).
anne-on says
Ugh, I am SO sorry, that sucks. I’d keep the space heater in the hall outside babies room but I’m always paranoid about them. I’d layer underneath a fleece sleep sack, and add a hat and baby mittens if you have them handy.
I would also shamelessly mention to the HVAC people that you have an baby, the local company we use absolutely prioritizes visits to the elderly and those with small children (and will kindly explain this when you call them, which I appreciate).
Anonymous says
We had some issues with our HVAC last winter. We would preheat kiddo’s room with the space heater. After that, we figured she’d let us know if she was cold. At 8 months, kiddo probably isn’t sleeping through the night. You could run it for a while in her room before bed and then when you’re in there for a feeding or whatever throughout the night. That will go a long way.
Waterproof! says
Can’t thread on my phone but thanks for all the recommendations for rain gear – I think I’ll be doing some shopping this weekend!