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Washable Workwear Wednesday: Reversible Wrap Sheath Dress

Machine-Washable Work Clothes· Recent Recs

This is a cool concept that you don’t see very often — workwear that is reversible! One side of this dress is animal print with black accents, and the other side is all black. I really like both looks. It seems from the way it is styled on the website that the model who is wearing the black side has the sleeves rolled up to show the animal print on the sleeves. I like how the animal print side is a little bit shorter so you see a black band at the bottom. I’d probably wear a black tank under the animal print and a tan tank under the black to play off of the animal print sleeves. This dress was originally $120 but is currently marked down to $84 — a pretty good deal for two dresses in one! Reversible Animal/Solid Faux Wrap Sheath Dress Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear. 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!

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!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Sales of Note…

(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)

Kid/Family Sales

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  • Carter’s – Summer kickoff deals from $6; 40% off baby essentials
  • Old Navy – 30% off your order; girl/toddler/baby dresses $7
  • Target – Outdoor toys from $3; 20% off Sun Squad items; kids’ summer styles from $6

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About April

April is a working mom, a longtime reader of CorporetteMoms, and wrote our morning fashion advice for working moms from April 2018 to October 2020. She has one child (born 2/17!) and she’s a public interest lawyer in NYC.

Comments

  1. Anon for this says

    Others on here with young children have described mood/rage and anxiety problems that I have definitely recognized in myself — looking to you guys for help. I have low-level anxiety about pretty much nothing in particular most of the time, and my anxiety spikes out of control when things actually get stressful. Sometimes but not always tied to those high-anxiety times are occasional bouts of rage about things that I should objectively be, at most, only annoyed at. I have a Mirena IUD that makes me have periods very briefly and rarely, and after many months I have determined that these problems are not reliably PMS-related.

    Both my mother (who has treated-with-meds anxiety) and my husband (who has treated-with-meds depression) have urged me to get medication to help me manage these issues. I am finally to the point where I can acknowledge that I am not managing them well on my own, and I have an upcoming appointment with a GP, whom I’ve actually never seen before. (We have Kaiser Permanente [HMO]; I first asked my OB/GYN, but she directed me to my GP.) No surprise, I have anxiety about how the appointment will go and how many hoops I may have to jump through to get on medication, so any tips for how to approach this appointment so that I can get started on medication quickly?

    • mascot says

      Maybe write down on a notecard a brief script/example of your symptoms and practice saying it before you go. You can even pull it out and read from it. The doctor won’t care, but if it feels awkward, then you can preface it with “this is hard for me to talk about so I need some notes” Once you get those initial words out, it will probably be much easier.

    • Anonymous says

      I don’t think you’ll need to go through any hoops at all. Describe your symptoms and your concerns.

      • Em says

        +1 assuming the GP is decent, and if they aren’t find another one. Lexapro was life changing for me in addressing the exact issues you describe.

        • Anonymous says

          +1. I had very similar symptoms (plus more depression symptoms) and found it very easy to get medication from my GP who was new to me. I’m on Lexapro now and it was life changing for me as well. I felt like a new person on it– the person I always wished I could make myself into: less ragey, less anxious, more confident, and just generally able to enjoy my life. Good luck!

    • Boston Legal Eagle says

      Agree that there are likely fewer hoops than you think. I’d describe your symptoms to the GP, let them know you’d like to try medication and they’ll likely prescribe it right then. You may need to try a few different medications before you find one that works or several different doses, and it generally takes a few weeks for these to kick in, so be sure to monitor any symptoms with the GP.

      Once you have a good medication, talk therapy could also be helpful.

    • CPA Lady says

      There were zero hoops when I went in for the same thing. I just said I was struggling with anxiety and the doctor wrote me a couple of rxs– one to take daily and one for breakthrough panic attacks. Thinking there are going to be a bunch of hoops is part of anxiety.

      I used medicine in conjunction with therapy. The medicine calmed me down enough to be able to make progress in therapy at getting at the roots of my anxiety. I don’t think I would have done as well on medicine alone because for me I was just treating the symptom of the problem. But therapy alone was also not enough for me, because my body was so out of whack I couldn’t make progress in therapy without medication.

      If you’re a reader, here are some of the books that have really helped me with my lifelong anxiety:
      – Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
      – How to be an Adult by David Richo
      – The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
      – The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmond Bourne

      All of these books are very different from each other, but they each get at different aspects of anxiety. Maybe they will be helpful for you too. Good luck! It’s horrible to deal with, and I’m glad you’re taking the first step to getting better!

    • anon says

      It is possible your GP will want to bounce you to a psychiatrist. Don’t get discouraged if that happens. I actually think it’s better–psychiatrists know what ALL the options are and are specifically trained to get you on the right med, in the right dose. Don’t hesitate to call for follow-ups to tweak things–you’re not being high maintenance, you’re just giving them the information they need to help you.

    • Anonymous says

      I also have kaiser and (1) there is a direct mental health number you can call without a referral (at least in my region) and (2) not knowing that, I also started with my pcp who referred me to both a therapist and a psychiatric Nurse practitioner— that was SUPER helpful because i could talk through (by phone!) the various meds, side effects my family members have experienced, pros and cons, etc. in my situation I decided to start with just therapy but had all the resources to make the decision.

  2. Anonymous says

    Wondering if you guys can help me figure out what my DS is asking for – he says his summer camp has some “connectors” that they play with but that are not legos. They are sticks and circles (maybe?) that they can connect. He doesn’t know the name and the summer camp is over. They are colorful and plastic and have small balls at the end that connect to tubes (aka the “connectors”). He requested this for Eid – any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

  3. anon says

    We have two nannies right now – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The afternoon one we’ve only had for about four months. Lately, my four year old is telling on them with each other. Telling the afternoon one that the morning one says she needs to do a better job with clean up (stuff that the four year old wouldn’t be doing, like kid laundry) and telling the morning one that the afternoon one lets her do things. Obviously addressing this with the four year old, but tips for handling the situation at home? The two have no overlap, just a hand-off. We let the existing nanny interview the afternoon woman to confirm she’d like her. But I think both are feeling insecure about it. I’ve tried just telling both we’re happy with them, but I think having two people watching my kids is just setting them up with two sets of rules and ways of doing things which is throwing everyone off if that makes sense.

    • Callie says

      I haven’t experienced having two nannies before (and I’m sure you have your reasons why you’ve set it up this way, so you’ve got my commiseration that having two people split the job sounds like it would make it a bit harder to manage, but I am going to assume you have your reasons for having it set up this way and that it makes the most sense for your family).

      Could you schedule a sit-down check in with both nannies at once? I’d do it under the guise of just a normal management sort of meeting–what’s working, what’s not, and then I’d mention that you know 4 y/o is being well frankly 4 and you want to make sure that everyone is roughly on the same page and all are happy. I overlap in the morning with my nanny about 10-20 minutes every morning so we have plenty of time to discuss but I still try to make a point to have a more “formal” is-everything-working-out-well-for-you conversation once a year or so and I’ve offered the advice to several friends that I think one thing that my nanny and I have managed really well (in the 4 years she’s worked with us) is that we have really good open communication.

    • AttorneyM says

      If two nannies works for you, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The kids I used to babysit would do things like that to me all the time. (“Mom lets me do xyz” or “I’m telling Mom you wouldn’t let me do xyz.”) And kids do this to their parents too. Just figuring out boundaries and pushing boundaries. The nanny schedule may be exacerbating this, but it doesn’t sound that far out of line.

      • OP says

        This is comforting, thanks. We’ve got two because our nanny of four years (whom we’ve loved) wanted to cut back her hours, so we have someone else filling in later afternoon and evening. I knew there would be complications but I didn’t realize how many feelings I’d be managing? Especially for the one who basically asked us to do this.

        Hearing this sounds developmentally appropriate makes me feel better, since her behavior is probably what worries me most of all.

    • Anonymous says

      My initial thought is to handle this just like you would parents generally having different rules (whether or not those two parents share a home). Kiddo needs to respect both nannies even though they are different. I do think this is a normal developmental thing, FWIW. I would continue to express to the nannies that it’s kiddo’s behavior/a developmental stage at issue and tell them you are happy with their performance. The nannies each need to have enough confidence to be able to tell kiddo to knock it off (in a better way than that, of course). It might be helpful for you to give them each a script. I’ve been a nanny a lot over the years and getting parent input on how to handle dicey situations was always appreciated. Of course, there will be on-your-feet thinking but knowing that “_______” is a parent-approved message (or admonition, when appropriate) is helpful.

      • OP says

        I like this. Thanks. I hate the idea that they are having bad days at work because of this.

    • Pogo says

      This is definitely an age thing – w/ the 4yo testing all the adults in her life. I was a nanny for a infant one summer and split hours with another young woman. We each did things differently but there was never conflict – because the infant couldn’t tell on us! I actually never met the other girl and I couldn’t tell which things in the house were the way the were because she did it, or the family did. I only know certain things she did differently because the mom would suggest them (“if she’s screaming inconsolably, Allie holds her in front of the air conditioner and it calms her down” was one I remember lol).

  4. H13 says

    Any advice on how to get through post-dinner, pre-bedtime dessert grazing?

    We eat dinner as a family and afterward we all enjoy something sweet, usually a square of dark chocolate or something homemade. Then I go back for seconds, shielding my loot from the kids. Then thirds while they are going upstairs to start brushing teeth. Once we are all upstairs, I am fine and don’t go back for more.

    Any advice on how to stop at just one? I am thinking brushing my teeth will help. Can’t do tea or anything that close to my early bedtime. Other ideas?

    • Sasha says

      Why can’t you do tea close to bedtime, there are lots of teas that are non-caffeinated and are specifically targeted as a sleep aid. Check out Sleepytime tea.

      In truth, I would recommend abstaining from the sweets entirely, for yourself. Sugar is highly addictive and primes our body to want more sugar, so it’s very natural that once you have a little bit you want more. Some people are able to moderate, but it sounds like you struggle with that. You may find it easier to make a clean break and just have none at all.

      • H13 says

        Any liquids too close to bed make me get up to go to the bathroom 10000x/night.

    • Emily S. says

      Brushing my teeth in connection with a firm reminder to myself that the first treat was enough usually works for me. Really enjoying the sweet can also help, if you find/can train your brain that one piece of really good chocolate is more satisfying than a whole Hershey’s bar. (It won’t happen overnight, but I’ve found that to be helpful.) Also, make it harder to get to – I put treats that I know I shouldn’t have too many off in a Snapware container that makes a loud sound when you open all four sides, and you have to open all four sides to get into it. Knowing that you can hear it upstairs usually deters me from going for seconds, because I don’t want to have to explain to my kids what the noise was and why I’m having seconds.

      • H13 says

        Honestly, maybe having my husband get the kids their dessert is the answer. He is usually still eating for a while after the rest of us are finished. But he is taller and therefore can hide things even higher up. Then I don’t even have to go near it!

    • anon says

      Herbal tea? I’ve been trying to cut the sweet after dinner habit–it’s hard!–and have leaned on raspberry hibiscus tea. Cinnamon tea is also popular for that purpose.

    • Irish Midori says

      Having some less-bad options may help if you’re an incurable snacker. I’ve started putting flavored yogurts in the fridge for evening snacks to try to ward me off the ice cream. Or stocking individual serving packs of guac to eat with carrot sticks instead of potato chips.

      • H13 says

        I like the idea of having a substantial alternative. Thanks for that suggestion!

    • Anon says

      I was going to suggest brushing teeth right away. The other thing that works for me is having something not as good. For example, if I have a dark chocolate with caramel bar, I could easily eat 2/3 of it. If I have simply dark chocolate (which I also enjoy, but it’s not caramel), I’ll only eat 1/3 of it.

      Can you not do caffeine or are you not wanting liquids that close bedtime? I love chamomile tea in the evenings.

      • H13 says

        Maybe tea right after my meal. I drink 2+ liters of water a day and have to cut myself off before 7pm in order to make it through the night without getting up. But doing the dishes and putting water on for tea immediately may work.

    • Anonymous says

      Can you switch to something that’s harder to hide and harder to go back for seconds on, like popsicles or mini ice cream sandwiches?

      • H13 says

        I don’t eat any refined sugar except for my night dark chocolate (x3!). I’d love other ideas, though. For a while, I was having a date with almond butter which was really satisfying. I just got a jar of plain coconut butter which I need to remember is there.

        • NYCer says

          If the nightly chocolate is the only refined sugar you eat all day, then you really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself! Enjoy all 3 and don’t give it another thought.

    • rosie says

      Could you brush your teeth right away? If not, could you keep floss downstairs and do that as soon as you have the first dessert, and have that be your signal to stop? I used to floss after brushing, but ever since a dental hygienist suggested to floss first, it makes so much more sense. I started using Cocofloss (PFAS free, fancy flavors) — it’s pricier but makes flossing feel a little more luxurious.

    • Mmm says

      If that’s really the only refined sugar you eat all day, I don’t see what’s so bad about 3 squares of chocolate! Are you sure this is something you need to change? It sounds like you are doing amazing diet-wise so why mess with a good thing?

      • Anonymous says

        This! Sugar in moderation is ok, and the OPs post definitely sounds like moderation to me. It’s noy like you’re going through a pint of Ben and Jerry’s every night.

        • Anonymous says

          +2. I was imagining eating a brownie, and then a second, and then a third (which no judgment – I’ve done that within the last week myself), but if it’s 3 squares of dark chocolate? I think you may want to relax and live a little.

          • AwayEmily says

            I am literally eating my third square of dark chocolate as I read this (it’s a work snack for me).

            My strategy is to choose to believe all the questionable studies about its health benefits. :-)

    • Anonymous says

      OMG, after kiddo bedtime treats are my downfall. Honestly, the only thing that helps me is when I am intermittent fasting (haters gonna hate, don’t care) and eating plenty of protein. Telling myself that I can have all the dark chocolate I want tomorrow after 10:00 a.m. goes 1000 times better than telling myself “I don’t eat that much chocolate anymore.” By the time the next day comes, if I have a few good meals planned, it is easier to say no to extra treats. I take Friday and Saturday nights off and let myself have treats and/or a drink after kiddo goes to bed. Once it becomes habit, it’ll be easier. The first night is the hardest.

      • blueridge29 says

        I also have a serious weakness for treats at night and intermittent fasting has helped a ton! If I want a treat, I have to plan ahead and eat it within my eating window, but if I want something at night too bad. I do not limit the foods I can eat during my food window and I am used to not eating at night after dinner. Good luck, I hope you find a strategy that works for you.

    • Anonymous says

      Fruit. I really wish my parents had done fruit as dessert. Something chocolate or sweet does not need to be an every day food.

      • Anon says

        Totally disagree – desserts and chocolate bring so much joy to so many peoples lives and who are you to say it “doesn’t need to be an every day food.” If you don’t want it, don’t eat it, but don’t blame other people for enjoying it. A square or two of dark chocolate has a lot less sugar than most fruit, anyway.

        • Anonymous says

          Okay that’s super extreme. I love chocolate and sweets, got into the habit of having them daily as a child and really wish I hadn’t. They bring me so incredibly much job. Just trying to help her find a solution here and “on Monday nights we eat strawberries “ isn’t really that dreadful

      • GCA says

        I grew up with fruit as dessert, and ice cream on a highly unpredictable schedule – we didn’t keep it in the freezer, but some nights we were allowed to get an ice cream from the ice cream truck or walk down the street to the corner store for a popsicle after dinner. And my parents never made a big deal out of it – if they were enthusiastic they were all in, if not it was just ‘tonight’s not an ice cream night’. I like my parents’ approach.

        Sometimes refined sugar treats bring joy, but it’s ok to not want to make them a regular occurrence (isn’t the rarity and element of surprise part of the joy?). In OP’s shoes I’d probably have one then brush teeth. It’s just as fine to work 3 squares of dark chocolate into your everyday diet if you want.

    • Buy something meh says

      If there are sweets in the house, I will want to eat them all. Resistance is hard! Maybe you can buy sweets less often, swap in fruit like watermelon, or buy a kind of sweet that your kids will be happy with but you don’t crave (fig newtons or something meh)?

    • Pogo says

      I struggle with this too. That little treat after kiddo bedtime is so badly needed sometimes, but you don’t want it to become a bad habit of any kind. What works best for me is a “no treat during the week” rule and then allowing myself a treat on the weekends; the second best option is just limiting myself so I either have a glass of wine OR a few square of chocolate, but not both. I have tried to think of some non-food alternatives, like doing a face mask or something, but I haven’t been able to really turn that into my new habit. I think the habit part is key, though. You are primed to want that sweet treat at the same time every day, or when you turn the TV on, and need to break that first.

    • Anon says

      Who are you people who have completely eliminated refined sugar? Is this like a paleo thing? I’m surprised by the number or responses who just don’t eat sweets at all.

      • GCA says

        For me it’s a tastebuds thing – I’ve definitely noticed that with age (age? hormones? who knows) I find more and more things too sweet. I don’t think I’ve cut refined sugar out of my life totally, but I don’t like it as much. The same thing is happening to DH, who generally has a bigger sweet tooth than I do. Plus I’ve always been a savory snack person. Ask me about how many packages of lentil chips, kettle chips and rice crackers I can put away in a week’s worth of snack breaks!

    • Anonymous says

      For me, I stopped eating dessert right after dinner and instead my husband and I eat something small right before bed. As you noted, it’s just a square of chocolate or a small portion of ice cream. I found that I was full after dinner, but always craved something sweet before bed, so I just moved the timing of the snack. Once I eat something sweet, it’s hard for me to stop, but after this one I just go to bed!

  5. HSAL says

    Has anyone figured out a way to make the Munchkin weighted straw cups leak milk everywhere? I love them for water, but if they drink a little milk out of one and then I set it on the counter, I come back to a small puddle. I assume it’s a temperature issue. This happened with my oldest too, so I relegated the cups to water only, but I’d really love to use them for milk with the twins. Any tips?

    • AwayEmily says

      Is it a new cup or an old one? Ours started doing this after about six months but didn’t do it when new.

    • A says

      Right there with you, and the only solution we’ve found is to keep them in the fridge whenever our toddler is not drinking from them. Of course, we forget and end up with milk puddles on the counter (or floor…depending on where it was thrown), but refrigeration does prevent the overflow.

    • Ashley says

      Definitely a temperature issue. With any cold liquid the pressure builds up inside the cup and liquid comes out of the straw. My imperfect solutions are to keep the cup in the fridge, bring the liquid to room temp, or twist off the top of the cup every so often.

  6. Artemis says

    Vicarious shopping help? Maybe better for the main site, but thought I’d try here first.
    I’m going to a summer party where the dress code is all-white (well, tones of nudey pink, oatmeal, beige, tan mixed in probably ok, but majority white). I have ZERO white in my wardrobe, never have (I’m a spiller, among other things).
    Anyway, size 14 apple with a very large chest, willing to do flowy pants/top or skirt or dress. Prefer v-necks or boat necks. Looking at Old Navy/Target/Macy’s price range. Prefer to order online. Would prefer some sort of tone-on-tone pattern or embellishment somewhere to break up the . . . . whiteness of it all.
    Anyone have any ideas or recommendations? Thanks!

  7. Anonymous says

    What backpack do your elementary school kids use? I have a girl entering K and we just looked at the PBK catalog and all the ones she liked are sold out in the size she needs (large).

    • H13 says

      We use the PBK large and it has held up well so far. I went for a plain color assuming tastes will change rapidly and I’d like to get a few years out of it. Can you steer her toward something plainer that she might not have initially been attracted to but that you could adorn with buttons or flair?

      If I hadn’t gotten PBK, I would have gone for LL Bean or Lands End.

    • Anonymous says

      We had a PBK one last year and it really only lasted the year. And part of the matching lunchbox ripped altogether. I wasn’t terribly impressed for the price. We got an LL Bean for this year. Fingers crossed!

    • Anon says

      LL Bean – I also used them (maybe 3 total over time?) elementary to high school and now as an adult (we put the lifetime guarantee through its paces).

    • Anon says

      Just as a counterpoint, we buy $20 character ones from Walmart/Target/Kohls. The kids use them during summer camps too, and by the end of a full year of before care, after care, actual school, and summer care/ camps, even the LLBean and PBK ones lose their shape and start to fray or rip and just generally look grungy. I haven’t found the more “quality” backpacks to last long enough to be worth the higher price. Maybe we’re just harder on backpacks than most people though.

  8. Callie says

    Uhoh. I literally just ordered a PBK one this morning for my son who will be starting Pre-K this year. We looked at all the choices together and (after he got over the disappointment that the construction print was out of stock in the right size) settled on a white/blue stripe with a rocket ship applique. I’m hoping that 1) “small” was the right size for a 4 year old, 2) it holds up to said 4 year old and 3) the white stripe doesn’t look dirty immediately.

    • Artemis says

      My kids all used the small for preschool through K and didn’t move up to large until 1st grade and it’s been fine.
      I’ve also been happy with the quality. My 4th grader has had his large for 3 years and it’s still going strong. We also have PBK lunch boxes and rolling suitcases and they’ve all been well used and are still working.

    • Anonymous says

      I was the OP above. My daughter currently has a PBK small (not “PreK” now called “mini”) and it’s the right size for PreK. We may end up having her use it into K until PBK restocks. It has held up great after 3 full years of PreK. It’s jist not quite big enough for K around here where she has tondot snow gear and lunch and and and…

  9. Anon says

    I know it varies from kid to kid, but how long did your child take to go from first steps to walking confidently/no longer crawling? My 16 month old finally took her first steps last week but is still falling a lot and much prefers to crawl unless we explicitly stand her up and encourage her to walk somewhere.

    • Ashley says

      It took mine a couple of months to walk confidently! It will come. And now after walking for 6 months, he sprints everywhere, rarely crawls, and yet still falls a lot. I think that’s fairly normal.

    • anon says

      i think that is totally normal. have almost 15 month old twins. one took her first steps at the end of june and i would say it took about a month for her to switch to predominantly walking (which she now does), but she definitely still falls and is not 100% stable on her feet (like i wouldnt want to let her walk and hold her hand while crossing a street). Twin B still hasn’t taken a step and is just starting to let go and stand independently, so im guessing i have another month or two until Twin B begins walking.

    • Anon says

      2-3 months? She took her first steps right around a year, but I don’t think we bought shoes until 14 months and I don’t think she was confidently walking all the time until about 15-16 months.

    • Ms B says

      A little over two months. The Kid took his first steps walking at 10.5 months and by 13 months it was full on dashing pretty much everywhere, but with plenty of spills (“shake it off” was our motto for a long time).

  10. Mama to anxious almost 4 year old says

    I just posted about picking out a PBK backpack this morning and I’m sitting here worried about my very very anxious to be starting PreK almost 4 year old. I’m wondering just how normal this anxiety is.

    He did 2 mornings a week preschool when he was 2 and 3 mornings a week preschool this past year. Starting in a month, he’ll go to public 5 day a week full-day public preK. So it isn’t like he hasn’t gone to school before. I’ve visited the classrooms and they’re warm and lovely with 2 teachers per 18 kids. I don’t know which specific classroom he’s going to be assigned to yet (and hence I can’t tell him which specific kids he may know in his class), but we did take him to see some of the classrooms in May and he played there and was pretty excited about their dinosaur and dress up collection.

    But in the last month he’s started asking about whether he’s going to know anyone in his class. I have told him that I’m sure he will know someone in his class but that they haven’t posted the class lists yet so I just don’t know who yet. He keeps saying he wishes he could just go back to his old school (probably doesn’t help that baby brother is due the same week–so he’s got a lot to process in his 4 year old life) and he doesn’t “want to go to 4s.”

    His birthday is the week before school starts and he’s started saying he doesn’t want to have a birthday because “he wants to stay 3 forever so he doesn’t have to go to 4s.” He literally cannot even talk about his birthday “because he is NOT turning 4 and going to 4s”–at the start of the summer he was planning what his cake would look like and now he can’t even talk about it. He was interested this morning in picking out a new backpack (which is basically the only school supply he needs) but he told me that he is “NOT going to use his backpack at school b/c he is NOT going to 4s.”

    He has always skewed a bit towards sensitive (ask me about our several weeks of cookie monster related nightmares after seeing Sesame Street Live) and I know I’m probably hormonal at 35 weeks pregnant, and that of course he will be fine, but this is breaking my heart.

    On top of that, I’m literally due the first week of school and I’m in a panic that I’ll be in the hospital on his first day. My husband or mom can of course take him but I’m just so nervous about it. Also, he’s been suddenly quite grouchy and extra–I don’t know if this is anxiety related or if he’s growth spurting or whether he’s so worried that he isn’t sleeping as well so he’s tired but….

    Any advice? Any amazing books I could order on amazon right now and read with him? Any other mamas deal with this?

    • CHL says

      This sounds hard but it is going to work out! I might try “will i have a friend” by miriam cohen which is an (OLD) book that I read with my kids when we moved. IT’s a lot of change for your family but you will get through it! Good luck!

    • Anon says

      i don’t know if the school will agree to this, but is there any way for him to visit the classrooms again now? do they have a meet the teacher night or a back to school event? it will probably also be hard for him that baby will get to be home with you while he goes to school all day and i don’t know your childcare situation, but will there be any way for you to leave baby with someone sometimes for you to do drop off or pick up. maybe reading lots of books about starting a new school would be helpful?

    • Pogo says

      Oh gosh, that’s so sad that he’s dreading his birthday!! I think this is something where his dread of it is 100% worse than the actual going to pre-k is going to be, because once he’s there and they’re reading books and drawing and having circle time he’ll likely adapt fairly quickly. Is 4 too old for Daniel Tiger? I know there’s a good “going to school” episode. I think it’s hard too because 4 is old enough to actually understand what’s happening. I just had to take my kiddo to backup care at a different daycare, but he was in the 2-3yo room and I think he was pretty much blindsided by it, even though I had told him. He recovered really fast and literally the first day when I picked him up he already knew where all the toys went, where to put away the crayons, etc.

      • Mama to anxious almost 4 year old says

        Daniel Tiger is actually his favorite show–I recently bought the entire 5th season (b/c that’s when Baby Margaret is born) but am off now to look at whether they’ve got some starting new school shows too (why oh why did they take all the seasons off of Amazon Prime?!).

        I put a call into the school to ask about another visit–will see what they say when they call back.

        Also (again hoping this baby does not come literally the first day of school), I can definitely leave baby with someone and walk him to school and do pickups–at least most of the time and at least while he’s getting adjusted to it. That is definitely a silver lining to the timing of this new baby (and hence maternity leave).

        Most of all, thanks for just calming these mama nerves. Like I said, I’m sure that my hormones are a lot of it (in my case) and probably getting another sibling (for him), but man I’m feeling pretty emotional over this.

        • anon says

          obviously he is going to turn 4 no matter what, but it makes me so sad thinking about his response to his bday party. is there a way to shift/reframe it by instead of talking about his ‘birthday’ party to just talk about his party where he will get to see all of his friends! and get to eat this cake he was excited about! and get presents! and maybe doesn’t even have to sing happy bday/blow out candles if he doesn’t want to. i know there is that line between giving into the anxiety versus overcoming it, but he has a lot of changes coming up, so maybe there is still a way to make him excited about this party?

          • Mama to anxious almost 4 year old says

            It’s not even the party he doesn’t want to have. He just doesn’t want to turn four.

            And actually I haven’t even planned the party yet–I’d been feeling like I should but hesitating b/c I didn’t know when I should do it. (His birthday is the week prior to labor day. The baby is due and school starts the week after labor day. I also have a 2 year old who is going to start two day a week preschool for the first time the same week.) My mom guilt is strong around this because I know he’s so nervous about everything and going to go through a lot of change. We live in an apartment, and with the new baby, I’d thought I’d outsource it at a play place or somewhere. I have been hesitating to actually plan it though b/c I didn’t want to plan it, send out invites, and then have a baby the day before. Been thinking I’d probably schedule for mid-September figuring that I’d hopefully at least have a one week old by then. Plus, while he was excited to talk about his birthday two months ago–I can’t get him to talk about it now so I don’t exactly know what he wants (I called around and came up with several similarly priced options I thought he might like: we have a zoo membership and could do a zoo birthday, or something in the park, or I’d talked to a local pizza place about using their backyard and doing a “pizza making chef” birthday, or even just a party package at the local bounceNplay type place–but he literally is shutting down and not open to even discussing the options when I ask him what he thinks he might like.)

            So we might not do any birthday party at all. (Although, I feel like he should be celebrated but I keep reminding myself that he will be celebrated after all, we will celebrate as a family that evening and my nanny has traditionally done a day-of something–really cute, she has taken them to the basken robbins up the block a few days in a advance and they flip through the book and pick out a cake and then the day of she orders pizza and just hosts the little crew of nannies and kiddos that they play with almost every day for lunch).

          • Irish Midori says

            Or postpone the party until after the unknown of school starting anxiety calmed down?

          • SC says

            I would plan the party for the end of September. The baby will be a few weeks old. School will have started. The actual birthday will have come and gone, and he might be open to talking about a party again when everything settles. I feel like throwing a party into the mix is too much for everyone right now.

    • RR says

      I think this type of anxiety over a transition is totally normal, and it usually passes quickly once they start. My soon to be first grader loves school and is still kind of stressed about first grade and a new teacher. It’s normal.

      My third was born the week after my older two (twins) started kindergarten. I did kind of miss some of those “starting K” memories because I was super pregnant/home with an infant. It was kind of a bummer, but my husband was able to focus on them and they were absolutely fine. Once of those little blips in parenting that is super stressful and disappointing at the time but really minor in the grand scheme. I know that probably doesn’t help a ton, but he’ll be okay.

      • Mama to anxious almost 4 year old says

        It makes me feel better to hear this. Thank you (and also to shortperson and CHL and everyone else who responded). Just want to make sure that what he is (and hence I am) feeling is within the realm of normal.

    • shortperson says

      my 2d was born right after my first transitioned from the infant wing to the preschool wing at daycare. same school but very different feel and my first was super upset. she cried at dropoff for a few months, was sad that she didnt know everyone’s names, etc. but she got over it and eventually loved the school. i think if your attitude is to listen to all of his feelings and you are confident that it’s the right decision it will be fine. this is a character-building bump in his life.

      also we read a lot of “llama llama misses mama” in those months.

    • Anonymous says

      Would it help to delay the birthday party until after he’s faced the anxiety of going to 4s? I know that pushes the party to when you have a newborn, but maybe it would help him enjoy it more and be excited about it again when it’s no longer coupled with the transition anxiety?

  11. Doodles says

    Any recommendations for a lunch box to send to daycare? My 15 month old is starting full day daycare soon and I’ll need to pack a lunch and send a water bottle. They don’t heat/cool the lunches so I’ll need to pack some sort of ice pack maybe. Or a thermos. I think they provide milk and a morning/afternoon snack. Also, does he need a backpack for daycare? I’m not sure what exactly he’ll need on a daily basis. He will have a locker where we can leave diapers and extra clothes. Thanks!

    • shortperson says

      planetbox! perfect for fingerfoods and will last forever. we got one for my 13 month old and she’ll be bringing it to kindergarten in a few weeks.

    • Ducky says

      Check out Lands’ End for lunch boxes, etc. And yes, you need a backpack of some sort for daycare. He will have artwork, notes from the teacher, and all manner of random things that need to go home with him at the end of the day. You will have your hands full with the kid and it won’t be easy to juggle a bunch of stuff all the way to the car. Also, the care provider is likely to pack it all up for you if there is a backpack in his locker.

      • Anon says

        Counterpoint – we’ve never used a backpack for daycare. Notes from teacher are 100% electronic, art is stored at school and only sent home quarterly, and I just stuff dirty clothes in whatever tote bag I’m carrying that day (teachers bag anything that is soiled).

    • Ms B says

      Eh, we just used whatever tote bag we had around the house until The Kid was in 4s. All the backpacks that would have fit The Kid at that age were too small to hold all the necessaries (diapers/pull-ups/wipes, ointment, changes of clothes, etc.). If there will be an assigned cubby at school, it will be easier to bring a week’s worth of stuff at a time in a large bag and then use use something smaller the rest of the time. We tended to keep two outfits at a time at school, each in its own ziploc.

      On the lunch bag/box, consider how much help the staff will provide on feeding – you may even want to speak with someone on this. It may be easier to just use a paper bag with handles for ease of access.
      We did not send food until kindy (and honestly having to do that would have been a deal breaker for us) and went right to the Bentgo/PB Mackenzie box with a separate water bottle.

  12. ElisaR says

    any recommendations for healthy frozen fish options? My kids LOVE Dr. Praeger’s Fishies and they are now impossible to find near me. I went to their website and the search function says I have to go to Brooklyn for them (I’m not even in NY). Anybody have an alternative brand option that their kids like?

    • Anonymous says

      No clue if you consider this healthy, but my kid loves the Gorton’s tilapia. I kind of figure if it’s fish, that’s good enough on the health front? They aren’t fish “stick” style though, it’s grilled or baked with a little sauce on it.

    • Anon says

      Do you have an Aldi near you? They have a great knock off of Dr Praegers frozen broccoli littles and kale littles in their Simply Nature Kids line. Maybe they have a similar knock off for the fish sticks?

  13. Philly says

    Anyone know of resources for families moving to Philly? I’m specifically looking for info on childcare for an infant and 2.5 year old. Thanks so much!!

    • Artemis says

      Check the Keystone Stars website first, it’s a rating system for PA daycare and will help jump-start your list.

    • Lily says

      Join the “New Moms of Center City” facebook group, and you can post questions there. I always get lots of responses.

  14. Anon says

    I’m headed to a wedding in TN in September. Anyone have any fun dresses they have recently purchased or are coveting? TIA!

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