I could see this being a forever for every occasion dress.
This polished, striped midi dress is made from a summer-friendly blend of linen, cotton, and silk. The fitted top is balanced by a voluminous skirt tamed by a few expertly placed pleats.
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Lafayette 148 New York’s Rory Striped Sleeveless Midi Dress is on sale for $718.80 at Nordstrom. It’s available in sizes 0–18 (some sizes are going fast).
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Sales of Note…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has started! See our thoughts here.
- Ann Taylor – $50 off $150; $100 off $250+; extra 30% off all sale styles
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- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Talbots – 25-40% off select styles
- Zappos – 28,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off kids’ camp styles; extra 50% off select sale
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off summer pajamas; up to 50% off all baby styles (semi-annual baby event!)
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- Target – Kids’ swim from $8; summer accessories from $10
Games? says
I’m looking for a good board game to send a family with an 8 year old girl and 10 year old boy. The dad just tested positive for COVID and is isolating, but the rest of the family will also be stuck at home until they know they’re safe. Any other ideas welcome too! I’m trying to think of anything to help with the boredom this weekend for a usually very-busy family.
HSAL says
The answer is always Ticket to Ride. If they have the original there are a bunch of other versions.
Mrs. Jones says
+1
Anon says
So the dad won’t be playing? Just the two kids?
We’ve been enjoying Dragonwood, Mastermind and Labrynth as 2-player games.
Anon says
Second Dragonwood. My kids love that game.
AwayEmily says
What a nice idea. Brand-new art supplies (nothing fancy — just Target brand crayons/markers/colored pencils) were also helpful for us during our recent quarantine (tho with younger kids).
Cb says
Unstable Unicorns or SushiGo?
Anon says
If they like crafts, you could get them a pack of fine tipped sharpies and shrinky dink plastic. They can trace or draw people or animals, color them in, cut out the shape and then shrink it in the oven. My kids love tracing from a coloring book. They make all sorts of keychains and figurines. At 10 yo they could probably even manage the oven themselves. There’s something really satisfying about watching your creation shrink.
anon says
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=shrinky+dink+plastic+sheets&sprefix=shrinky+ding+pla%2Caps%2C597&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_16
Spirograph says
My kids are similar ages and loooooved The Game of Life. We bought it under duress when weather didn’t cooperate on a planned outdoor vacation, and ended up playing it for hours over the course of a weekend. The updated version has more contemporary jobs and investment opportunities. Uno and various card games are perennial hits, too — maybe a deck of cards and instructions for classics like Hearts, Spades, Rummy, Gin, etc?
If they have a yard, maybe some lawn games?
NYCer says
+1 to all of these recommendations.
Anonanonanon says
Laurence King Publishing Bingo games on ecommerce sites are fun! We have the farm one, but there is an ocean one, bug one, etc. Bingo is nice because it can be played at a bit of a distance if they’re trying to avoid excited shouting in each other’s faces.
That company makes some pretty puzzles, as well. Would they enjoy having a puzzle around?
Anonanonanon says
Mine is stuck in mod for some reason but I recommended a specific brand of cute bingo games, which is a good game to play while trying to keep a bit of a distance
Anonymous says
If they don’t have it already, Clue, Life, or even scrabble. My 8 year old loves all of those.
BlueAlma says
Doodle Quest is fun for mixed ages (including adults too).
Anon says
I was obsessed with Sorry around age 7-8. Might be a bit too young for the 10 year old though.
Anonymous says
I am a grown-up and still love Sorry.
Anon says
Ha, I do too. I can’t wait until my kid is old enough to play. But I know a lot of adults (and tweens/teens) prefer strategy games.
Anon says
Maybe it’s the picture, but this looks like a prison matron dress to me.
Cb says
It’s the terrible colour. In a rich colour, it would be beautiful.
Anon says
I’m also surprised it was suggested for a wedding. It’s too close to white IMO. It’s be lovely for a wedding in a brighter color though.
Anon says
Agreed! This is definitely not a dress one should wear to a wedding.
Anonymous says
+1. The model needs accessories and better shoes, too. I have a dress from several years ago that’s the exact same style except it hits mid-knee. It’s basically sunset-colored (pink/orange/purple wide watercolor stripes), and it’s perfect for summer weddings.
Spirograph says
That sounds gorgeous!
Anonymous says
Pretty sure it’s Loft from 10-12 years ago! :)
Anonymous says
For my coloring this would be extremely flattering! But no no no as a wedding guest.
Anonymous says
This is probably cute in motion with jewelry and different shoes, but as styled in the photo it read very Sister Wife to me at first glance. The sandals combined with the model’s posture, haircut, and lack of accessories is just so depressingly blah.
Anon says
+1
anon says
It needs a curvier model, too. It just hangs on her.
anon says
+1. This dress would probably look good on me. I’m a size 16-18 and curvy.
Anon says
Yeah I’m a curvy, very tall size 12-14. I think it would look good on me. It would most likely hit me above the knee.
GCA says
+1. This styling appears to come directly from the Depressed Scandinavian Art Director portfolio.
Anonymous says
Someday my kid will not throw up if he spends more than 15 minutes in the car, right? Right?
Anon says
How old is your kid? If still a rear-facing toddler, switching to forward facing can help a lot.
AIMS says
Yes!
Signed,
Someone Who Once Had to Catch Vomit in My Hands Pulling Out of a Parking Lot.
op says
Yes, I have done this too, going down a short, but apparently bumpy, driveway.
He is still RF at not quite 3 (and not yet 30 pounds at 34 months, so on the small side which has been staying our hand so far) but I’m hopeful turning around sometime in the near future will help. Though turning around did nothing for his half sibling. Genetics may not be on our side here, sigh.
Anonymous says
Just last week I said the following to younger, childless coworkers re: parenthood – “don’t rush into it. It’s all trying to catch vomit with your bare hands.”
Anon says
Mine has to be on Zofran for that to happen, but yes! And once they are old enough to reliably hit a bag (for us that was 2YO, she’s now almost 5), quality of life improves exponentially. Achievable with medication, and he may improve with age (I as an adult can ride in cars (not in traffic) with reasonable (i.e., not my father or husband) drivers for respectable amounts of time, but if given the option of being the driver, I take it all the time.
Anon says
yes my 4 year old gets airsick a lot (weirdly, almost never carsick) and it got sooo much better once she could reliably use the barf bag.
op says
Oh interesting! Dramamine and benadryl didn’t seem to help him much at all, and the doc said Zofran wouldn’t do anything. Perhaps worth revisiting. Zofran certainly works on me for non-motion sickness. We also need to test out a differently shaped carseat since his current one tips him way farther back than I think is helpful, plus it means he really can’t, um, aim.
Anon says
So, yes, dramamine and benadryl did nothing. They can put zofran in a liquid so you can get the right weight-based dosage. You need to give it in advance (through trial and error we found 45 minutes to an hour is the right time) so it doesn’t work for last-minute trips, but we try really hard not to do anything longer than 20 minutes without notice. And sometimes she still does. But it’s like once a quarter now instead of every single trip, so vast improvement.
We also switched to FF at 18 months with ped’s consent which also helped some (meaning we could go 20 minutes instead of 10, enough to make it to school which was huge).
Teacher Selection says
My kid is going into first grade next year. Kindergarten was a half day program, so the same teacher ran both classes. But in first grade there are 2 teachers. Should I be looking at the teachers and recommending my kid go into one class or the other? Is this a thing? I know quality of teacher is basically the determining factor for whether a child learns in a year. For context, my kid is bright, but quiet and well behaved generally, so I find they are often forgotten because they are low maintenance.
Anon says
It is a thing in many districts but I refuse to participate. My parents always got me the “best” teachers and I don’t think it was a good life lesson for me.
Cb says
Our school would laugh uproariously if we even asked. The “best” teacher isn’t the best one for every child, I had a “mean” teacher in 3rd grade who was transformative for me.
Anonymous says
Right? I had the “mean” teachers in 4th and 6th grade, and they were both fantastic. And the 6th grade one wasn’t even mean! (the 4th grade one kindof was to some kids, but not to me)
Anon says
Fwiw my parents requested the “mean” teacher for me at least once, and she was great for me. I do think they did a pretty good job of getting me the right fit for me, it wasn’t just about getting the most popular teacher. My mom put a lot of research and thought into it. Keeping me together with friends was also a goal, so it wasn’t just about the teachers. But I don’t think it’s the best lesson for your kids to clear all the obstacles out of the way for them like this.
anon says
Same. I have requested a teacher ONCE, and it was because older kid had such a bad experience with her the year he was diagnosed ADHD. DH and I didn’t want our younger kid to have that baggage, because we knew full well we could not be objective about her and her style. If Younger Kid had done well, we would’ve been mad that our older kid wasn’t given that same treatment. If she’d had a bad experience, we didn’t have a good relationship with the teacher to start with and it seemed unfair to the kid.
Anon says
No, don’t do this. Schools have enough to deal with. You also can’t judge the quality of a teacher from afar.
Your daughter will most likely have a fine time with whichever teacher, but it ends up being a less-than-ideal situation deal with it then…help your kid manage in a variety of circumstances rather than trying to proactively smooth over every bump.
Spirograph says
What? Is this a private school? In public school (and probably also in private), no, this is not a thing. Unless you’ve heard that a teacher is bad to the point that there are pending investigations involving him or her, the word-of-mouth you’d get about either teacher is not a valid assessment of “quality.” Kids are different, teaching styles are different, and the fact that one teacher was great or not so great for any individual student whose parent happened to talk to you doesn’t mean much. Unless you’re going to somehow look at test scores? In which case, you should know that that single measurement may not be the best way to evaluate the experience your child will have in that classroom.
Assume both teachers are qualified and commit to being supportive of your child’s teacher, whoever it may be.
Spirograph says
huh, interesting! based on other comments I guess it is a thing in some elementary school districts. I still think it’s gross.
Anon says
Yeah it is a thing in the Midwest public district where I grew up and the Midwest public district where I live now. I agree it’s gross, but definitely a thing that happens. Especially among the SAHMs who do the PTA thing, like someone mentioned below.
anon says
I don’t know. My older daughter had a kindergarten teacher who completely broke her spirit with a lot of outdated and unreasonable behavior expectations. It was an awful year. (Per the teacher’s policies, she got a sticker for every 10 minutes that she “behaved” with extremely strict expectations. If she lost stickers she had to write sentences about how she’d do better. As one example, she lost a sticker for referring to her teacher as “teacher” on week two when she needed to go to the bathroom instead of Mrs. XXX. My daughter said she had to go and couldn’t remember her name, so she said “Excuse me, teacher.” She also lost stickers for dropping her pencil once, tripping, and having an untied shoe. Totally crazy.)
I actually moved my younger daughter to a different school because I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t end up with that same class. There would be nothing gross about me asking not to have that teacher again. If anything, I should have made a bigger stink about the teacher when my daughter was in her class, but I was a new kindergarten parent and didn’t have the perspective to know how or when to push.
Anon says
Yeah, I have very mixed feelings about this. It does feel kind of gross, because it takes a certain level of privilege and engagement with the school to even know you’re supposed to ask. But teachers influence kids’ learning so much and I think anyone who says there are no bad teachers just fit is very naive. There are some really, really bad teachers out there, and the early elementary school years are so formative for developing a love of learning and school. I would hate to have that ruined by one bad teacher.
That story about the bathroom is horrifying! My daughter calls all her pre-K teachers by first name even though they’re officially Ms. Anne etc and they don’t really seem to care. I’m sure it will take her a while to figure out that the K teacher always has to be Mrs. X.
anon says
I guess I draw the line at personal experiences. If you have a kid who had a particular teacher and it didn’t go well, you shouldn’t have to have another tough year with the next kid. You tried the teacher and it didn’t work for your kids/family.
Spirograph says
Yeah, I would also draw a line based on my own family’s personal experience. I’m sorry your daughter had a teacher like that in Kindergarten! Don’t feel down about not making a bigger stink at the time, kindergarten is a learning curve for parents, too.
anon says
I agree that word of mouth in most cases isn’t a reliable indicator of quality for your child. Also, it’d be pretty unfortunate if a school allowed more involved parents to lobby for their child to get a more qualified teacher.
My school district doesn’t allow for requests, though there might be some wiggle room to say something like, “my younger child heard so much about being is ms. y’s class from my older child and has been hoping to be in ms. y’s class. i’ve let younger child know that it may or may not happen, but thought i should let you know.”
My kid’s school does have a form if you want to share more about your child that may be taken into account if there are specific things you think they should know about your child when making assignments.
anon says
I’ve been asking myself the same question. All of the super engaged PTA moms at my rising 1st grade daughter’s school are requesting a certain teacher who they claim is the best. I probably should do the same, but feel weird making a request. She’s close friends with those kids so I also don’t want her separated from her cohort of friends if the requests are honored.
My older daughter (at a different school) has always been thoughtfully matched with a great teacher based on her prior teacher’s recommendations. It’s worked well for us thus far.
Anon says
Hot take: if my daughter’s friends had the type of mothers that make teacher requests based on popularity in first grade, I would be thrilled if my daughter made new friends.
But seriously, my son is finishing up first grade and has made a new group of friends/best friend every year, because the previous friends are split up in different classrooms. It’s been a great way to broaden his social circle, and good practice at handling unfamiliar situation and learning to make new friends. Absolutely no downside.
anon says
It’s not just popularity. Several of the moms have older kids at the school who had this particular teacher and want to repeat that experience. I don’t think they’re being gossipy or have any ill intent.
This particular school has notoriously awful communications with parents so I have been relying on these moms to tell me what’s up. They share everything from when field day will happen to awards ceremonies to info about COVID outbreaks. I work full time very far from the school so it’s been incredibly helpful my daughter made these particular friends with super tuned in moms. Selfishly I’d love for my daughter to stay in class with at least 1-2 of the girls so I can keep that connection.
(It’s also an immersion school in a language I don’t speak, so there are a good chunk of parents, and even some school staff, who don’t speak enough English for me to have a conversation with them.)
Allie says
Ask around — it was definitely a thing in my elementary school because the quality of teaching was very uneven and the administration was inclined to do favors for friends (not endorsing just reporting). It is definitely not a thing at my kids’ school. It’s not welcome and it wouldn’t work — but I’ve asked around to find that out.
Pass says
No! This is not your place. Classroom assignments are challenging enough. Trust the teachers and administrators to do the best they can. They are the ones who see your child in school daily.
Anonymous says
No.
Anon says
Public or private? My kids are in private school and the school always emails out that you can email them if you have a reason to want or not want a certain teacher – and it’s well-known that it’s highly frowned upon to actually take them up on this offer. One of those annoying weird internal politics things that you can stumble into if you don’t know better. Maybe ask around and see if it’s something people do or don’t do?
Boston Legal Eagle says
I don’t believe it’s an option in our district (nor would I want it to be). Maybe these teachers end up being the “best” because super involved parents with resources for their kids keep picking them and the others are stuck with less than “best”? Self-fulfilling prophecy.
AwayEmily says
This is a great point.
Anon says
Eh I don’t really think this is it. If you’re talking about test scores or something like that, then I would agree. But people are not choosing teachers based on test scores in my experience.
anon says
Yep, this. I have seen this play out.
Aunt Jamesina says
When I taught high school, I actually had a lot of the higher-needs and more “difficult” students put in my classroom because I could “handle” it over my short tempered colleague. These placements were typically administration’s choice, not from parent requests. It ended up hurting everyone, because it turns out it’s really difficult to teach effectively when 70% of your students have IEPs or 504s that you have to keep in mind at all times. Reason one million I no longer teach!
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
This is so well-said, and I think can apply to public schools in general. Our district has a lottery option, and it’s funny how coded the term “best” and “good” are for schools when people start throwing them around (e.g. focus on test scores, less Black/Brown % of kids, etc.)
Anonanonanon says
Our school district has a form you can fill out about your child’s personality, the TYPES of teachers they have done best with, etc. You can’t request certain teachers, but the years I filled it out for my kid he had much better years. Our district doesn’t advertise it, another parent told me about it, so maybe dig around the school website and see if there is something similar?
Cb says
Our school has 5 P1 (kindergarten equivalent) classes and somehow they manage to pair the children coming from school nursery with a friend. I don’t envy the spreadsheet wrangling that’s happening there.
Anon says
I like that idea. Seems like a good compromise.
Anon says
Our elementary school has always provided the opportunity at the end of the year to provide details about your kid to help the school place them in the right class. I’m not sure if this is an option – but I’ve always given a ton of very specific detail about my kids in response to these requests (this one wiggles a bunch, so thrives in a classroom where there is more opportunity for movement, etc.), and the school does a great job of finding the right teacher for my kid. It feels like a better balance than requesting X teacher b/c she’s super nice, or whatever. Our elementary school guidance counselor is a good friend, and they take this information seriously, and it also helps them with classroom make up. If the school doesn’t proactively request the information, I guess you could reach out and provide information on your kiddo, and just say, hoping this helps you find the best spot for my child?
EDAnon says
There is a decent amount of research supporting that good teachers are more important than good schools in students’ academic success. My parents were active in helping us avoid bad teachers (all schools have them). I always ask about teachers and would only switch out of a class if it was a routine occurrence that people had problems and that those problems were relevant to my kid.
anon says
Nope, wouldn’t do this. I felt bad enough calling up my kids’ school to make sure my twins were assigned to different classes.
Anonymous says
Teacher requests are officially forbidden at our school. Requesting a teacher would probably get your kid put in the other class. Unless you volunteered at lot, in which case you’d get whatever you asked for.
Anonymous says
A lot of times I find that the makeup of the class is more important than the teacher. My kid does not do well with disruptive classmates, no matter who the teacher is. The years when there are disruptive kids in the class she comes home and has a stress meltdown at every other day, even if the teacher is fantastic.
Anon says
as summer travel season is upon us, how do you get your kids to sleep on vacation? one of my kids is terrible at sleeping in unfamiliar places, and then no one has any fun on the trip. we won’t even bother traveling for just 1-2 nights bc the lack of sleep makes it not worth it. we are going on an almost 3 week trip, just sleeping in 2 different places, and I think last year when we went on the same trip, there was 1 night when we slept through the night. they bring stuffies, sound machine, etc.
Cb says
Oh no, that sounds rough. Sometimes I find my son needs to stay still enough for sleep to catch up with him, and audiobooks help with this. Could you use one of those LittleLife Arc tents (begin using it at home) so essentially the “room” remains the same?
SC says
In addition to bringing stuffies and sound machine (and blanket if we’re traveling by car), I bring my kid’s pillow case. I just put it over the pillows available wherever we’re staying. Something about the smell and feel of a familiar pillow case seems to help. A nightlight can also be helpful if they’re used to having one at home.
We try to follow the regular bedtime routine as closely as possible to signal getting ready for sleep. Often, if we’re staying in separate rooms, a parent or grandparent needs to stay with Kiddo at least until he goes to sleep.
Anon says
I would try melatonin. Also making sure you get tons of sun and exercise in the morning and early afternoon (especially helpful if you’re crossing time zones, but useful even if you’re not). Also how old are your kids? My daughter slept way better in hotels as a preschooler than as a baby/toddler so if they’re still pretty young you may see a big improvement this year just because of the passage of time.
OP says
4 year old twins. were 3 last year. this was after full days at the beach, playground, pool, etc. we are going from central time to east coast time. we are staying at grandparents’ homes (one of which has a pool, so LOTS of time outside), but also happened the one time we did an airbnb. we did melatonin, which would help them fall asleep, but not stay asleep.
Anon says
I know it’s only an hour, but I’d probably try to keep them on central time and push bedtime back an hour. Going to bed when you’re not really tired can mess with sleep cycles, especially in little kids who might think it’s a nap. If you’re needing melatonin to get them to sleep, they’re probably not tired enough at bedtime.
Does the non-sleeper have their own space? Can you bring an OK to wake clock and tell them they have to stay in their room quietly until the clock is green even if they’re not asleep? That doesn’t solve the problem of having an exhausted kid but at least everyone else would sleep.
Anon says
yes, we keep them on central time. it works better anyway bc they can stay up later. there is no way they aren’t tired after spending all day in the sun at the beach and swimming. we are visiting grandparents at their beach house. in fact, i would say she is probably SO tired, but scared by the new environment. and trying to figure out how to help her. they have a colored clock. last year, we ended up moving their twin mattresses from their own room to our room to try to maximize sleep. she just wakes up crying in the middle of the night
Anon says
Anxiety about being in a new place could improve substantially between 3 and 4 so I think there’s definitely hope you won’t have the same experience this year. Would you consider letting her sleep in bed with you? Physical closeness to a parent can help.
Anon says
Ugh, I have 3 year old twins. It is hard to get them to sleep at home at this age! My older kids were a lot more flexible at 4 and up, so you might be home free this year!
Anonymous says
“From 2012 to 2021, there was a 530 percent increase in the annual number of children taking melatonin, either knowingly or unintentionally (for example, a curious kid sneaking into the melatonin bottle on the nightstand). In that decade, 27,795 cases required treatment at a hospital or other health care facility. Two children died.”
https://slate.com/technology/2022/06/melatonin-overdose-kids-drug-prescription.html
Anon says
The children who required hospitalization and died overdosed. That can happen with any drug. You should obviously keep all medicines secured away from young children. FWIW, “each year, acetaminophen-associated overdoses account for approximately 56,000 emergency department visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and more than 450 deaths.” Acetaminophen is Tylenol, which I think >99% of parents give their kids at some point.
I’m in the life sciences and the general consensus among the MDs and scientists I know is that melatonin is by far the safest and most natural sleep aid, but should not be used every day on a long term basis except possibly in the elderly (who naturally produce a lot less). A three week vacation is not long-term use. My ped enthusiastically supports its use for travel and other short-term situations where sleep is disrupted. I have insomnia, and my endocrinologist told me that while ideally I wouldn’t take it every day long term (and I don’t), it’s safe to take daily and he would prefer I be on that over any other sleep aid, even OTC stuff like Benadryl. It’s a matter of weighing risks and benefits. The risks of even short term sleep deprivation are real, and many other sleep aids have been linked to all kinds of scary issues that melatonin has not been linked to.
Anonymous says
Well you certainly didn’t read the article.
1) Tylenol is the ONLY OTC painkiller available for pregnant women. In the US, with our SPECTACULAR lack of remotely reasonable health care, making Tylenol Rx would kill thousands of fetuses a year.
2) The amounts of melatonin are crazy. Some pills contain 30 times the amount on the label. And those amounts are already milligrams instead of MICROgrams. I’d think “I’m in the life sciences” type people would know the difference.
3) Melatonin is banned or Rx only in most of the world, except the US. See spectacular lack of reasonable health care above.
4) I hallucinate when I don’t get enough sleep and I would just not take my kid on long trips. I would start taking them on lots of short trips so he gets practice sleeping in new places.
Anon says
Whoa you’re angry! Maybe you should take some melatonin and get some sleep, LOL! I did read every word of the article. A friend and my dad actually sent it to me when it came out, knowing what a strong proponent of melatonin I am and it led to some interesting discussion.
I’m not suggesting Tylenol should require a prescription. I’m saying the pearl-clutching about two melatonin overdoses in a decade is misplaced when hundreds die from Tylenol overdoses every year. And not sure what pregnancy has to do with anything, I was talking about parents giving Tylenol to kids, which most of us do regularly. Every medication has risks, and most overdoses that result in death came from a baby or small child accidentally ingesting most of a bottle of medicine which is largely a preventable risk with child safety caps, locked medicine cabinets, etc. Certainly not a risk that is specific to melatonin.
I know the difference between micrograms and milligrams and not sure why you think I don’t? I didn’t even use those words, you did. The article says that some melatonin can contain up to almost 6 times the advertised dose (478% more than advertised, e.g., a bottle advertised as 1 mg could be up to 5.78 mg) which is significant but, uh, not the same as 30 times more than advertised, so you need to work on your reading and/or math skills). That’s why most doctors will recommend starting with a low dose – 1 mg for an adult and 0.3 mg for a kid is a standard suggestion. That puts you well within a safe range even if the bottle has much more than the advertised dose. Using more reputable brands or brands you’ve tested on yourself before giving to your kid also reduces the risk of unknowingly taking a larger-than-intended dose. I think the author probably does have a point that many people take too much against doctor’s orders, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used responsibly. Pretty much any medications can be abused, I don’t think there’s anything surprising about that.
US is healthcare is f*cked up in many ways but there was nothing in the article that suggested to me that this is an example of the US getting it wrong. Again, every doctor I know endorses low dose melatonin on a short term basis. I don’t believe these doctors are inherently dumber than doctors in the UK or France. I think different populations have different needs. I’m not asserting it as fact, but if, for example, the US has a much greater problem with insomnia than other countries, it would be logical for Americans to incur more risks to treat that issue because, again, sleep deprivation has SERIOUS physical and mental health risks. Like you said, you hallucinate. I don’t think anyone is arguing that melatonin is better than natural sleep. But if your choice is no sleep vs. sleep with melatonin or another sleep aid, as is the case for many people, there is a very convincing scientific argument that melatonin is the best choice. Maybe it should be an Rx! I wouldn’t be opposed to that at all, it would lead to better quality control since supplements aren’t really regulated by the FDA. But that doesn’t rebut the idea that it’s safe to take and give kids’ under a doctor’s guidance.
If your kid doesn’t sleep well away from home and you don’t want to take your kid on trips, uhhh…don’t take them on trips? No one is suggesting you have to. What a non-sequitur to a post from someone looking for advice about how to get her kids to sleep better.
Anon says
Oh also please explain how making Tylenol Rx would “kill thousands of fetuses a year”!?! I’m not suggesting Tylenol should be Rx at all. I’m just baffled by that line of “reasoning.”
Go for it says
Melatonin
Anonymous says
Pillow cases from home seem to help a lot. Like have them take it off their pillow right before you leave and pack it in. And lots of physical activity during the first few days to tire them out. I also find mine often want me to stay in the room until they fall asleep for the first night or two. After that I usually say I need to go do the dishes, or get a shower and I will come check on them.
Cb says
I’m starting to feel really anxious about my son starting school. He’ll turn 5 in August and start the next week and while I know he’s intellectually ready, he’s a little professor who doesn’t do well with a lot of noise and commotion, and the school classrooms look so small and busy? He’s been at a hippy nursery which had lots of space and staff to accommodate his desire to chat with a grown-up or take himself off somewhere quiet when the space got too rowdy but obviously that won’t be possible at school. He’s finally got a good group of pals at hippy nursery but hasn’t connected with the Pre-K kids in the same way, and if his Pre-K pal is absent, he plays alone a lot of the time. They’ll be in the same class next year, but he can’t rely on her.
I know he’ll be fine… but I kind of worry he’ll be fine but miserable? This is the only school in our town.
Reassuring anecdata?
Allie says
Things will not get rowdy — K is so much more controlled than daycare. They have a lot to learn! The teacher needs to keep things on track! And if he likes to learn this will be a very welcome change from free-form play.
Anon says
+1 school is generally a lot less chaotic than daycare. A kid who loves order and quiet will thrive. I’m terrified from the opposite side about how my extremely loud, boisterous, unable-to-sit-still kid is going to handle it. She’s worked hard the last year and is doing very well with the pre-K rules now, but sitting still for an hour a day is so different than sitting still for 7 hours a day.
Aunt Jamesina says
Yes, I was this kid. I mostly kept to myself and hung out with the teachers in daycare and preschool (and cried for my mom a lot, apparently…), and I absolutely loved kindergarten.
anon says
Does your area do rising kindergarten playdates? We have several PTA-planned playground meet ups over the summer so they can meet other incoming kids. I use them to network with other parents to set up 1:1 playdates. Even if the kids don’t end up becoming bffs, it’s nice to have a familiar face for those first few weeks.
Anon says
Even if there’s nothing formal, you can reach out to other parents through a local mom’s group. That’s what I did.
Anonymous says
My son who just finished kindergarten was the opposite… he’s a high-energy little kid and went to a private kindergarten on the quiet, hippy-nursery end of the spectrum. He complained frequently (and unconvincingly) that he didn’t like it, but has been an absolute emotional mess for weeks and was a puddle of tears on the last day of school because he’ll miss his teachers and his class so much.
All that to say, my impression is that it’s not so much that the environment needs to match the kid’s personality as that the kid needs to feel connected to his teachers and part of the community. Most kindergarten teachers are loving and focus on inclusion and the social needs of their students, so I think your little guy will be happy and fulfilled deep down even if the environment isn’t to his taste. He might have frustrating days and need more downtime in the afternoon/evening, but it’s unlikely he’ll be miserable.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Agree with this. My K-er is also high energy and standards for K are pretty high in terms of sitting still and listening, but his teacher really truly cares about meeting the kids where they are and helping them learn and grow. I don’t think the classrooms are particularly rowdy – they are expected to listen and do the work, so I think CB’s son will do just fine. He seems very mature for his age.
Cb says
That’s good to hear. Teachers are amazing, I’m not sure how they keep 25 kids, many of whom won’t have been in formal education settings before, all on the same page, but they must, right?
Anonymous says
Oh it will all be h3ll for a couple weeks, maybe months. The first few months of K are HARD. But by thanksgiving it will all smooth out :).
My oldest needed a few weeks to adjust. It took my middle until November.
Cb says
Thanks, that’s really useful. I’m usually travelling but have protected the first three weeks of school so I’m at home. And we’ve said no to guests as we figured he’d need a bit more consistency and downtime in his routine.
Anonymous says
He’s a totally normal child who will be fine. I think you’re really invested in this concept of him as a little professsor but honestly your child sounds totally normal!
Anon says
That’s mean. I think it’s just a way of describing his personality so people better understand what she’s asking. As a kid who was a little professor type, I totally think it’s a thing and it helps me get a clearer picture of her son’s personality.
Cb says
You likely have a point… it’s not that he’s a genius or needs some intervention, just a vibe I get and it’s a niggling concern. Thus asking for reassuring anecdata rather than specialist advice :) I was watching him with the other kids yesterday in his normal nursery environment for a decent length of time (in which he had forgotten I was there), and just seems to be on a different wavelength than the other kids? He’s incredibly confident speaking to adults, and navigating the broader world, but seems to struggle to connect with other kids his age in a group setting and finds the noise, hustle and bustle, pretty overwhelming. He doesn’t have meltdowns or anything but just kind of physically distances himself, and I’m not sure how possible that is in a primary school classroom.
Anon says
I have a son who is very sensitive to loud noises and commotion and who had a very hard time in a play based preschool, but loved the order of a classroom. My advice is to proactively reach out to his teachers, and open a line of communication regarding your son. Explain what you’ve observed, and ask if you can send noise cancelling or dimming headphones for him to use when there is a lot of commotion. Let them know he’ll need more time for transition, and our wonderful teachers set up a special place in the classroom for my son to retire to with a book when he needed to tune out the noise. We had a special phrase for my son to use when he needed space/calm/the headphones or when he started to feel very overwhelmed. It helped to approach the teachers as being on my son’s team.
Also, I know you said no specialists, but don’t rule it out. After observing my son withdraw himself from situations as you describe (he would also present as very bookish – but while appearing to very seriously and intensely studying a book, he was internally a very intense swirl of emotions that he wasn’t able to articulate), I went to an OT with him, and that eventually led us to play therapy. My son has not been formally diagnosed with anything other than mild sensory processing issues, but man has therapy been amazing to give us/him the WORDS to describe how he is feeling in these scenarios. He was very overwhelmed, but could not communicate how he was really feeling. He has always been an articulate kid, but we all needed better vocabulary to help him describe what was going on in his head. And you would never know! In the moment, he would just speak about the book he appeared to be studying. He would answer “fine” “okay” “good” to typical questions. Turns out he wanted to engage with the other kids, but needed some assistance/modeling/therapy to help him (a) not get as overwhelmed, and (b) interact with the kids in a group setting.
Highly, highly, highly recommend.
Anon says
+1
There’s literally no such thing as a “one size fits all” classroom environment, but keeping all lines of communication can really help.
Anon says
Oh! And additional ancedata, after a few years of OT/play therapy, he now regularly engages with kids (on his own terms of course), and no longer needs to retreat with a book when he is overwhelmed. He still loves to read, but he’s not using it as a defense mechanism. He has a whole bunch of tools in his toolkit, and it’s been a miracle watching him come out of his shell. I absolutely credit therapy with helping all of us better understand how his brain works, and helping him to be the happiest version of himself.
Anonymous says
I also have a “little professor” who has struggled with noisy or chaotic situations (and had been home for a YEAR because of covid closures) and kindergarten was the best thing that ever happened to him!!!!
HFMD Nails says
Two months out from Hand Foot Mouth Disease and two of my fingernails have white dots and seem to be cracking. I assume they’re going to get a lot worse and eventually peel or crack off. Has anyone dealt with this? Any advice on how to save my nails?
PSA for those of you with kids in daycare: don’t get HFMD, it’s TERRIBLE.
Cb says
I got the white dots but they never properly peeled. I’d just keep them protected and moisturized. I still have scarring on my feet from HFM and it was the worst!
Cb says
Mine spotted and cracked but never fully split, I just used a lot of moisturizer and kept them short so there was less to snag on things. HFMD is the WORST! I was ill for 2 weeks, couldn’t type and still have some scarring on my feet. The doctor made me come in because “adults don’t get it..” and then recoiled in horror when I took off my socks.
HFMD Nails says
Thank you, I’m so glad there’s hope!!! I’ll increase my moisturizing. I got those same “adults don’t get it” comments. Meanwhile, my hands were so itchy, I could only sleep while holding a frozen water bottle. And I could barely walk. Ugh.
anonM says
My LO’s fell off. I remember it looking horrible but that he didn’t seem to be hurt physically by that part. They all grew back fine at least?? I do remember cutting them really short and filing a lot as they feel off to try to avoid excess snags/ripping. (Ack, I know, this all sounds so terrible!). I didn’t get it myself so no advice there. HFMD was so bad for the kids alone, I’m so sorry you got it too!
Anon. says
No advice, only sympathy. The absolute worst.
Anonymous says
No experience, but I’d probably try to keep them consistently covered in OPI Nail Envy to try to salvage and strengthen them.
Pizza says
We are starting to do pizza Fridays. Any favorite pizza recipes?
Anonymous says
If you want to be fancy, Plated has a honey, burrata, and pistachio pizza recipe that is delicious.
Otherwise, we typically just do regular old pepperoni, sometimes with black olives and veggies on half. TJ pizza sauce in a jar is better than the canned kind, IMO, and they have a shredded “pizza cheese” mix that has some seasonings in it that has much more flavor than plain old mozzarella.
Anonanonanon says
Grownups in my house get bbq chicken pizza:
chicken, bbq sauce, smoked gouda, mozzarella, red onion.
Mary Moo Cow says
I love a BLT pizza: white sauce, light mozzarella/parmesan, bacon or prosciutto, halved cherry tomatos, and arugla once it comes out oven (before I knew better I baked the lettuce on.) I also like a BBQ pizza, with BBQ sauce, cheddar, and carnalized red onion. My favorite is red sauce, mozzarella, pineapple, and roasted red pepper.
startup lawyer says
the King Arthur Pan Pizza recipe was a pandemic fave
startup lawyer says
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/crispy-cheesy-pan-pizza-recipe
Anon says
Fun! We have been doing pizza Fridays for 9 years, since we started saving for a house; now we have three kids and it is a treasured part of our family culture.
We buy the dough from the refrigerated section of the grocery store, but you can also ask at your favorite local pizza place if they’ll sell you a ball of dough. I also have better luck spreading it if I divide into two pizzas rather than one big one. My husband swears by flouring his hands first, but I think that makes the dough gummy, so you may have to play around to find your preferences. I also like the Trader Joe’s tomato basil pasta sauce (or similar brand) rather than specialized pizza sauce. And we buy whole “blocks” of mozzarella and shred it ourselves…tastes better than the pre-shredded kind (which has additives to keep it from clumping)
GCA says
I make my own dough with a no-knead recipe – start in the morning and get a nice thin-crust pizza dough a few hours later (look up Smitten Kitchen’s no-knead pizza dough). Olive oil on hands and baking sheet before stretching it out. Sadly, it doesn’t save us anything apart from about $20 in takeout pizza costs; at that rate it would take us roughly 180 years to save for a down payment in our HCOL neck of the woods, but the kids still love DIY pizza. I usually do margherita, veggie, pepperoni, or mushroom + fontina + white sauce.
Anon says
Ha we lived in Brooklyn at the time and were used to going out to eat both Friday and Saturday nights…could easily run us $75+ at a restaurant with drinks and tip, vs $3 for the pizza. It was one in a number of changes we made for a couple years before buying a house, but genuinely love the tradition so kept it up.
Anonymous says
My favorite homemade pizza sauce is 3/4 cup crushed tomato, 1.5 tbsp cream, with about a half tsp each of oregano, salt, and garlic. So good! All toppings taste great on it.
DLC says
My husband is in charge of pizza night (webuy the dough from our local Italian deli) and he makes one that is red sauce, corn, sharp cheddar and red onions. It’s really tasty.
My other favorite is blue cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms.
Also Hawaiian with jalapeños, but I’m the inky one who likes pineapple so we don’t have this too often.
Anon says
De Lallo pizza sauce (comes in a jar) is excellent and I like it even better than Rao’s pizza sauce. As for dough, I use the smitten kitchen old super fast pizza recipe because I never plan in advance, but her updated pizza dough recipe is excellent if you plan in advance!
I like to do broccoli, tomato, onion and garlic for me. DH gets pepperoni and DD doesn’t eat pizza (sigh). We also put pizza stones on the grill and crank it up to high (let the stones preheat with the grill) and cook them there to avoid heating up the house in summer.
Anonymous says
What’s Gaby Cooking has a lot of great pizza recipes. I especially like the spinach with lemon and the brussels sprouts and bacon.
HSAL says
This makes me laugh. We do pizza Friday and 80% of the time it’s cheap frozen, 15% is takeout, and 5% we’ll get fancy and make pizza from scratch – spoiler alert that’s the one they don’t eat.
Anonymous says
How do you get a 20-mo to get used to having things in her hair? My daughter takes out ponytails and pigtails within 5 min (and then wants me to put them back in or put them in DHs hair). It’d be great if she could keep her hair out of her face when she’s playing outside in the summer.
Anonymous says
Persistence! Took about a month, but my 17-month old is finally used to them. I also use wider hair ties so they don’t pinch as much.
Anonymous says
This gives me hope!
Nap Team says
Persistence! After about a month, my 17-month old is finally used to it. I also use thicker hair ties so they don’t pinch.
Anon says
My daughter won’t keep those in but will let us clip her hair out of her face – maybe try those? Easier to sneak them in too than a ponytail. I’d love cute pigtails but we’re just not there right now.
Early intervention? says
Has anyone gone through early intervention for a speech delay? My 12 month old doesn’t wave or point to things that he wants. He babbles but has no words with meaning. It’s more the pointing / waving delay that concerns me. I’m curious others’ experiences with early intervention. What type of things did they do with your LO, and did it help? Early in research process and just feel worried sick.
Anon says
Fwiw our ped said they don’t refer to speech therapy before 18 months because it has limited value with really little kids who wouldn’t have much receptive language even if typical. So unfortunately you may just need to wait and see.
Anon says
Yup. Sorry OP but it is too early for that. I think part of it too is a lot of concerns over this age will eventually work themselves out, and speech therapy resources are pretty limited so they probably don’t want to bombard the system that will make it even harder for the slightly older kids to get the help they actually need.
Doesn’t hurt to bring it up to your ped next time though either for reassurance or to set the stage for if the time comes when you need more.
-Signed, someone whose son didn’t say his honest to god first word until he was 26 months old. You would have no idea if you met him now.
Anonymous says
I’m sorry, did you say 12 months?! Kindly: chill.
Anonymous says
I mean maybe chill. But I think anytime you’re worried sick it’s worth discussing with the pediatrician.
Anon says
I don’t know, not having any words and not pointing or waving at 12 months is unusual. My kid didn’t have any words at 12 months and our ped was pretty chill, but she’d been communicating non-verbally for months and our ped really wanted to see at least 5 words by 15 months. I’m not saying OP should panic, odds are good her kid will be fine, but it is not crazy to be worried about it IMO.
Anon says
My oldest never really pointed or waved and he was an excellent talker closer to 2. I wouldn’t be concerned for quite a while.
Anonymous says
Yeh neither one of my kids clapped or pointed “on time”. I’d wait until 18 months. But I guess the point is, do they try to get your attention in other ways? Like if there’s something new will they turn around and look back at you? Or show you a new toy? Some of these are more for determining if they are on the spectrum (which can present in many many ways).
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Hi! My soon-to-be-18-month-old is not walking. It’s driving me nuts, as many on this board know. We are waiting on referrals for PT, Neuro, and our turn in the ECI queue. He is making progress – a few steps here and there, standing on his own here and there, which is great – for me it’s just reassuring that there’s forward movement and we’re not “stuck”.
I will say, he wasn’t clapping or pointing “on time” but is doing it a lot now, and probably started closer to 15 months. He had 1 word at 12 months, and a few more at 15 months, and right now I feel like he’s constantly trying to say new things (but like…in a baby way). I’d wait, try to “teach” what you can, and focus on progress instead of milestones (easier said than done, see paragraph above).
Anon says
Yes, but you’re early! Lots of kids’ speech explodes between 12-18 months (and even later!). For DD we got referred for EI between 2 and 2.5 (because she never had that word explosion) and while we have made huge amounts of progress, she is still doing speech therapy through the public school system as a pre-Ker and will get two speech sessions a week with the school speech therapist through her IEP when we start K in the fall. Don’t be worried. EI really does work wonders and I promise one day you will look back when your child talks non-stop and wonder why on earth you were ever worried she wouldn’t talk. Mine really started to talk around 3-3.5, at which point the sound production errors became clear, which is why we are still in therapy.
anon says
Talk to me about maternity photos. Are you glad you got them done? Do you regret not doing them? Was it a waste of money? I am 28 weeks pregnant with my first child, and considering having maternity photos taken with my husband (and maybe our dog). We really don’t have that many nice photos of us, and maybe it would be nice to memorialize this time in our lives… on the other hand when I see others’ maternity photos I usually think they are sort of cringey… like a combo of narcissistic and unflattering. We never had engagement photos or anything like that done, and had really minimal wedding photography so this is still sort of new territory for us.
Anon says
Didn’t do them, don’t regret it, now pregnant with #2 and similarly no plans to do them. But i also didn’t have an engagement shoot or a bridal or baby shower, so YMMV. I took plenty of belly bathroom selfies :)
NYCer says
+1.
Anon says
I didn’t get them (three pregnancies) and don’t regret it. I don’t know what I’d do with them…I wouldn’t hang it on the wall, especially once the baby was there and it was no longer a true “family photo”.
I do kind of regret not getting newborn photos, though. With my second, we used the hospital photographer and that was perfect – convenient, no appt needed, just enough shots to capture his newborn sweetness without it being a production. Sadly, my third was born during Covid and that wasn’t an option (I had a whole plan of having the brothers’ visit during the hospital shoot). And traditional newborn photos are very pricey…also many are not my style, so we skipped (I’m not a naked-baby-wearing-a-tie, or baby-in-a-basket type of person). But, I wish I’d found a general photographer to take a set of basic newborn photos to capture that fleeting time.
Anon says
+1. Don’t regret not getting professional maternity shots, but I do regret not getting professional newborn shots of my first baby (made up for it with the next two, though). I do wish I had more pictures of me pregnant NOT in a bathroom because my kids love seeing themselves as a “bump” :) I don’t need professional photos for these pictures, but they love seeing my bump grow over time – and I had to kind of cobble random pictures together for all of my pregnancies. I wish I had those weekly shots to show the kids. One of my pregnancies was a twin pregnancy, and I was miserable throughout, but I wish I had more pictures of it. It was literally amazing what my body did, and I look back not with a view of “wow I was HUGE” but “wow I grew two babies.”
Anonymous says
+1. I only have one picture of myself with a visible bump, I wish I had taken more!
Anon says
My sweet son, the little overwhelmed reader above, keeps a picture of me pregnant with him in his backpack. It makes me ridiculously – “That’s when we were together all the time, Mom!”
Anon says
Omg that’s adorable! The other day my 5 year old burst into tears when we said something about her leaving home for college. I tried to explain that by the time she’s 18 she will be begging us to go, but she wasn’t having it. I wish I could freeze time on this super sweet early elementary stage.
Anon says
Also didn’t do them and don’t regret it. I loved my pregnant body but it’s documented fine in the home photos we took. To me, professional pics are for blowing up and framing and I didn’t really need a giant photo of my pregnant self for our bedroom wall.
What I do regret is not having a professional photo of me nursing. My husband took a couple but not nearly enough and they’re not good quality and even so I love them, so I wish I had professional ones. I wouldn’t frame them but just wish I had them (so I guess that contradicts what I said above).
AwayEmily says
I didn’t do them, I don’t regret it. Maybe save it for a baby photo shoot (when they get cute, so like 4-6 months).
Anonanonanon says
No regrets over not doing them. Do take home photos, your kid will someday ask to see when they were in your belly, but I wouldn’t display maternity photos anywhere in my home so I have no regrets.
anon says
Didn’t do them, don’t regret it.
anon says
Oh, and for context, I love and value photography. I basically force family pictures every year, haha. But this is one thing I did not want to do, even though I couldn’t totally articulate why. I have photos of me while pregnant; they’re just not “pretty.”
CCLA says
Same
Anonymous says
Didn’t get them, don’t regret it- if you want professional pics, wait till your baby is actually here. You will definitely treasure those more.
Anonymous says
We do professional photos around first birthdays. It’s an age where the kids are super cute and cooperative, and it gives me the time to feel confident in how I look.
Anon says
Depends on the kid I think. Our worst family photos were at 13 months. Kid would not cooperate or sit still at all. She moved late, so was basically still immobile for 6 and 9 month photos, and by 18-24 months was better able to listen and follow directions, if only for a brief moment.
Anon says
Ha! My 2 year old had just transitioned to a new daycare, so spent his whole photo shoot wailing b/c he thought the photographer was a new babysitter !! We got like one sort of good picture where he’s not crying, and he’s still glaring at the camera. Everyone remarks that he looks like he’s giving a very solid “blue steel” face, but really it’s just him shooting eye daggers at what he thinks is another new babysitter.
Anonymous says
Didn’t do them, don’t regret it but I do wish I had taken more candid side shots throughout my pregnancy (like every month) to look back on how my belly grew.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Echoing everyone – I didn’t do professional maternity photos, nor do I regret it. With my second, I did try to do a monthly selfie belly shot and I have a page in that year’s family photo album showing the progression. You don’t notice the change as much in the moment, but seeing the progression at the end is neat. We didn’t start professional family photos until our second was here (maybe I subconsciously knew number 1 wasn’t our “full family” at the time?)
ElisaR says
i didn’t do them. i don’t regret it. sometimes i come across a selfie in the mirror from pregnancy and think “awwwww” but honestly it never even occurred to me to do or want a photo shoot.
Anon says
did them, mostly bc i had a colleague with a side photography business so they were gifted to me, glad i have them since it was my only pregnancy, but mostly just wish i’d taken more bump pics. did newborn pics which im glad to have and did pics at 6, 9 and 12 months. wish i’d also had 3 months. and then we’ve done professional pics every year around their bday, which i’m also glad to have
Anonymous says
I guess I’m in the minority here. I had them done and love having them. There are two displayed in our house. If helpful for your decision, I’m 99% positive we are a one and done family and we did not know if we were having a boy or girl. I also took 0 bathroom selfie pictures during pregnancy. So, I wanted to get them done because I don’t know if I’ll be pregnant again and we didn’t have gender reveal or really any other pictures from that time. We are also those people who dated for 6 years before we got married and had exactly three pictures of us as a couple from those six years. We are just not random picture people, so paying someone to take pictures of us is the only way we have pictures of us.
These photos are not me showing off a bare belly bump, as that is not my personal cup of tea. But I love my photos because my husband and I just look so god d @ m n happy in them (we had tried for a while and, as many people are, were truly thrilled to be having a baby, I just think the photographer captured our genuine joy really well) and the pictures make me smile.
We also had the same photographer do our newborn photos and I liked having met the photographer when I was a more rested person rather than a mom of a one week old. It sounds like people don’t regret not having them done, but I am so, so happy that we have those maternity pictures.
Anon says
I’m the one who said above I don’t regret not having maternity photos but I do regret not having any nursing photos, and we’re also one and done which I think is probably a factor in my feelings. My nursing years were too short! My kid is only 4 but it already feels so far in the distant past.
Anon says
I did do them. But I 100% respect not wanting to do them. It is a chore. I do not display them currently. But I like that I have photos that I could if I want to some day. I really do treasure them because they are way more flattering that any other photo I have from being pregnant. My mother was adamant about no photos while pregnant and I do wish I could’ve seen at least one photo while she was pregnant.
If you are planning on getting professional new born photos, getting maternity photos would be a nice way to see how working with a local photographer is like.
Anonymous says
I might be in LA (Pasadena) for a week with a 5 year old in October. Is it worth trying to do a day trip to Disney? We’re not “Disney people” but I’ve heard Disneyland is less crazy than Disneyworld and my kid no longer naps and can handle very long travel days so I don’t think it would be too stressful if it were just a one day thing. Any other suggestions for things to do with kids that age in LA? We have ASTC membership and will definitely check out the museums that are part of that network.
NYCer says
I think it is worth going if your kid has an interest. Remember that it will be roughly ~1 hour drive each way though, so it will make for a long day.
Anonymous says
I was figuring it would be more like 2 hours each way with traffic, at least in the morning. My kid doesn’t have interest in the sense that’s she’s begging to go (I don’t think she really knows what Disney is) but I think she would probably enjoy it if we went.
anon says
Don’t go during a very busy period, e.g., over a holiday.
Read up on how Genie+ works to skip lines. It’s not simple and is worth understanding.
Anonymous says
It would be near Columbus Day weekend, although we could probably go later that week. Is that a major enough holiday that it would be too crowded all week?
anon says
You can look up crowd calendars on the internet, search Disneyland + Crowd Calendar.
Anonymous says
Hmm the calendar says it will be super crowded that entire week. Maybe we’ll rethink it then. I don’t think standing in line all day would be fun for either of us.
CCLA says
I’d absolutely go, a day trip is low commitment. That age is great. My 5.5 yo really enjoyed DCA as well, consider if you want to do a park hopper (but if push came to shove, she would prefer disneyland over DCA). Definitely get genie+.
Traffic can be so much better if you go very early in the morning, and late at night (last time I think it took us 45 minutes to drive back to LA at 11pm). There is a la brea cafe by the line area if you get there early before opening, but everyone else has the same idea so expect a line there too (or bring your own).
My kids also like the SM pier but if you’re doing Disney no need. Beach is fun for a day if you’re not coming from somewhere that has that. Hiking at Griffith. Descanso Gardens is also great and is on that side of town.
Baby food says
Catching up on the passionate debate yesterday, and it reminded me of a really interesting New Yorker article about this whole issue, basically that baby food is a social construct and the science is constantly changing: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/25/can-babies-learn-to-love-vegetables
Anonanonanon says
I was SO stressed out about it with my first kid. 8 years later I had my second, and half the recommendations had literally reversed. It made me chill, because it’s clearly not yet hard science.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
There’s some Indian tradition about giving newborns, like just born, some type of jaggery liquid – like literally a drop of the stuff. Caveat this was back in the 80’s…My Mom asked our ped if this was okay after my brother was born (in the US), as my grandmother visiting to help with the new baby. Ped said “it’s fine, just make sure no one else on staff sees.” It was administered, he was fine.
My Mom recently told me this story, and while I’m finished with introducing foods to an infant, it’s really made me think the rules differ per family/child needs.
Aunt Jamesina says
That was an interesting read, thanks for sharing!
Baby Jamesina just turned six months, and we’re doing a sort of whatever works approach in feeding her, which seems to be our parenting tactic for most things. We basically read a bunch of different books and articles, decided on our important goals, used ideas that work for us, and forgot the stuff that doesn’t. It’s all a moving target.
I told you so says
There’s been this red alert urgent (not actually urgent but execs are acting like it) issue I’ve been working on for the past few days to identify some discrepancies in numbers. I dug into it by myself, presented what I thought was the culprit and was basically shut down. Now my boss and I have been working on tracking it down for 2 straight days and guess who was right all along but no one listened until my (male senior) came to the same conclusion.
Screaming into the void and having a goblet of wine tonight.
Spirograph says
This is so frustrating. I hope your male coworker at least gave you credit for figuring it out the first time around.
Anon says
What’s the etiqu3tte on inviting/bringing siblings to playdates? We have an only child (4) and so far have mostly done play dates with other onlies or kids with infant siblings who stayed home or came and slept in mom’s arms. But my daughter now has a close friend with a brother who is 8 and when we invited the friend over for this weekend the mom asked if the brother could come as well. I said yes, but I was kind of taken aback – I don’t have anything against this kid, but I don’t know how I’m going to entertain him. I don’t think there are any toys in our house that an 8 year old boy would like. I think it’s going to be thunderstorming so outdoor stuff is out, otherwise I would set up the slip n slide. Was it rude that I didn’t expressly invite him?
Anon says
If the parent is expected to stay, I generally expect them to bring any siblings also in their care. If it’s a drop off play date then yes, weird
Anonymous says
+1, except that in practice it usually seems to be only younger siblings who get brought along. Older ones always seem to be busy with the other parent.
Anonymous says
Is the mom staying? If so I would have enough snacks for the sibling but don’t go out of your way to entertain.
Alternatively, you could offer a drop off play date.
Generally, if you don’t want them to drop off then yes, you should assume siblings will have to tag along.
OP says
I assume mom is staying. I’d be fine with drop-off playdates (both hosting and attending), but it seems like no one else we know is. I tend to be a bit of a free range parent.
Anonymous says
Not rude that you didn’t invite. At age 4 we were only doing drop off playdates with very close friends. Otherwise I’d generally stay. Assuming the mom is staying, I’d say it was likely a childcare issue – maybe other parent wasn’t available to watch him during the playdate? I’d expect that he plays with the younger kids not that you have to do anything separate.
Anon says
Not at all rude that you didn’t invite. Mom might be solo parenting at that time for whatever reason and so needs to bring along. I have two 4 year olds and i don’t think they’d be comfortable with a drop off play date.
anonM says
I don’t think it is rude, but I also don’t think it is rude to ask to bring the sibling. 8yo might just hang out on the couch reading. I wouldn’t arrange extra childcare for a sibling because of a playdate like I would for a birthday party or something. I wouldn’t overthink this, there’s a lot of reasons the mom wants the sibling with her too.
Momofthree says
You can definitely pick a photographer that’s more your style. We did have maternity pictures done with my first, but she is a “documentary photographer” so no cringeworthy pictures. Much more capturing our real life & less pose-y. Also, we used them as the basis of our holiday card/ announcement of the pregnancy since the baby was due in Jan.
Agree with others that professional newborn photos are much more used. I haven’t hung any of the maternity photos but do have newborn pics of all three.
One other thing to think about- some photographers may do packages- so you could get a maternity & a newborn photo shoot for a discount (we did that for newborn & then 2 month photos)