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When I heard that T.J.Maxx had an online shopping presence, I was skeptical. Most of the fun of shopping there is the thrill of the hunt, which isn’t as fun when just using the scroll bar. However, my husband ordered a few things from there so I took a look. OK, so I was right that it wasn’t as fun, but they do have some decent finds. I really love this jewelry brand and would gladly pay full price for it, but tjmaxx.com carries a few of their pieces, including their Zodiac series. (Several of the zodiac signs are available, but if you don’t see yours, try Nashelle’s zodiac necklaces at Nordstrom — they’re $98 each.) The original price for this necklace is $98, and T.J.Maxx is selling it for $39.99 with free returns at your local store. Satya Zodiac Necklace This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
avocado says
I don’t enjoy shopping at TJ Maxx and its ilk because I find zero joy in the hunt. To me, these stores are just giant, disorganized collections of stuff to wade through. I wear very popular clothing and shoe sizes, so there never seems to be anything good left in my size. I am also the type of shopper who is always on a mission to find a very specific item (right now it’s a short, fitted white blazer with no collar or buttons), and these stores are more suited to browsing for random items. For browsing, I’d prefer a well-curated boutique, but these seem to be few and far between. Nordstrom is about as big a store as I can deal with before getting totally overwhelmed.
Anonymous says
I enjoy stores like home goods and Marshall’s for shopping for home decor because those sections are usually more manageable and they usually have what I’m looking for, but I agree that clothes shopping at those stores is just not enjoyable for me.
Anonymous says
The idea of clothes shopping in TJ Max or Marshalls gives me anxiety! I don’t really enjoy clothes shopping in general. Plus they always tend to smell of cheap clothing dye which gives me a headache.
On the other-hand, I enjoy shopping for home decor and don’t mind home goods (which DH loathes).
J says
WORD.
My problem is that I really need inspiration on what to do with a clothing item. I need to see it with pieces that I’d wear it with. That doesn’t usually happen at TJ Maxx and similar stores. The only time I enjoy that store is when I go with my aunt who is so great at clothing and putting looks together. She has the patience to go through everything, picks out things for me, and tells me how I could wear them. But even then my limit is once a year or less ;-)
Anonymous says
I have had good luck with the shoe section at stores like TJ. I’ve gotten some really good finds. The clothes however are a disorganized nightmare.
Anonymous says
for your blazer request – I have a white collarless fitted blazer with no buttons or snaps or pockets from express. They seem to only have it in black and navy right now, link to follow, but perhaps ebay or thredup or something would have the white version?
Anonymous says
navy: https://www.express.com/clothing/women/cutaway-blazer/pro/6744708/color/ENSIGN%20BLUE
Legally Brunette says
I love them. But I tend to only go into the dress section. In my size, there usually isn’t a huge selection so it’s easy to browse in 10 minutes. I have gotten some amazing dresses at Marshalls over the years.
AIMS says
I love TJ Maxx and that kind of store. I like the “treasure hunt” aspect of it, though I agree that it can be frustrating if you have a specific item in mind. My personal “can’t stand” is department stores like Macy’s with the constant coupon stacking. But i think there are people who love that, too.
On an aside: I am really enjoying April’s picks. They’re interesting and often unexpected. I may have to order that fun Zara blazer from the other day. Great job!
rosie says
I love treasure hunting in the beauty, food, housewares sections. I have to be in the right mood to be willing to hunt for clothes, try them on, and then have to either abandon or go back to hunt for another size (or load myself up with all the sizes going in–at least they have carts).
Anonymous says
+1 on Macy’s and other traditional department stores. I hate everything about them, but especially the feeling like I’m not getting a good deal bc I’m not a card-holder, or I’m not buying on Tuesday, or what have you. I’d rather shop at TJs any day.
Katala says
I don’t know that I love them, but I shop at TJ and similar all the time. Usually I do best when I have something general in mind, so I’m not really wading through that much, but I’m not frustrated by looking for something super specific. Like last weekend I realized none of my clothes match the one pair of shorts that still fit me from last year, mostly because as I’ve started changing sizes I also tried to narrow the colors I have in my closet so more things go together. I ended up with 2 pairs of shorts that fit and match most of my tops. Part of it for me is not having been a consistent size for almost 4 years due to pregnancies, working on the baby weight etc. so I can’t bring myself to buy nice/pricier things for casual wear (or most workwear, TBH). Similar for the kiddos who grow out of/ruin/have toddler feelings about clothes so I’ll usually pick up something for them as well. I’ve had good luck with kids shoes.
Anonymous says
I absolutely refuse to shop at Macys or Kohls for this exact reason. I’m not a shopper by nature and I do shop at Nordstrom, just online.
NewMomAnon says
Is the ShopStyle website still operational? That site is helpful when you know what you want, and need to see who is carrying it and at what prices.
shortperson says
mm lafleur Sant Ambroeus jardigan comes in white. may be what youre looking for.
lawsuited says
I used to love shopping in stores like Marshalls – popping in week after week and picking up things as I saw them. Since becoming a mother, I feel like I have to be more targeted when I’m shopping so I can check it off my list and move on to the next thing. I just don’t have the time to dedicate to “the hunt” anymore.
Anonymous says
If it makes you feel any better, I am an unpopular size and there’s never anything for me either ;)
I like these stores for:
– Kids birthday party toys/ bribing my kids (there’s a TJ maxx down the street and my daughter loves picking out her toy bribe from their selection)
– Kids shoes (marshalls often has a great kids section)
– misc bath items as a splurgey treat (can’t go in wanting something specific, but some kind of scented bubble bath or lotion or candle)
– misc home decor — like if you need to make a room look “accessorized” but have no specific theme in mind
– workwear in a pinch (just found out I had to get on a plane and the only outfit I have clean is the exact outfit I wore last time I met with this client…need a new dress top ASAP and am not picky about it)
– wrapping paper and gift cards (way cheaper than CVS, which is the other store in close proximity)
But I just don’t have time to bargain hunt/browse, so I don’t shop for me or DH there. Occasionally I might find a dress or something but it just isn’t worth the effort.
ok to wake clock says
Can someone let me know if this works for the under 2 set?
Also – Any experiences with the Mella Hippo clock or the Hatch wake up light? Thanks!
Anon in NYC says
I know that for some people on here it definitely worked before 2. I think it didn’t really sink in for my daughter until more like 2.5-3.
rosie says
We have been using it for my now 1 year old for a few months. I think it has helped with the earlier wake up creep. We have black out shades in her room, so how will she know whether it’s time to wake up or if she should go back to sleep/lie in her crib (or at least that’s what I tell myself).
We started by setting it to turn on by the time she had been waking up so we could go in and make a big deal about how the light is green and it’s time to get up, then we gradually moved it back–although it’s definitely earlier than we’d like, it doesn’t work if it’s too much later than she usually wakes. She also seesms to like it a lot. We go over to look at it when she wakes up and she giggles.
LizzieB says
I have been using it with my 17 month old for a couple of months now and although she still wakes early she now waits until the clock says that it’s OK to wake up to call out for us. We use this one from Amazon that has a bunny sleeping at night and then outside in the sunshine during the day: https://www.amazon.com/Claessens-Kids-KidSleep-Classic-Trainer/dp/B0198DHWXC/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1527778496&sr=8-1&keywords=ok%2Bto%2Bwake%2Bbunny%2Bclock&th=1.
We tell the bunny goodnight before bed and make a big deal of telling it good morning when we go into our daughter’s room in the morning. I agree with the negative reviews that the clock loses time – we regularly find it a couple of minutes behind and have to adjust the time. But it’s the same clock that we use for our 4 year old and wanted consistency.
AwayEmily says
We started with ours when she was around six months and did the same process as rosie (gradually moving it later). It turned our baby into an up-at-5am kid to a up-at-6:15 kid (but she waits quietly in her room til the clock turns green).
I love this product so much.
Anonymous says
My toddler conceptually got it, but ignored it :)
My 5 year old has been using a regular old clock since about 2.5. We taught her her numbers and specifically “7” if the clock has a 7 or 8 on it in the spot, you can get up. Anything else, go back to sleep.
In-Home Daycares says
We unexpectedly had to move my 2-year old from his daycare center and are touring a few in-home daycares. He has only been in centers before, and I feel competent on what to ask when touring a center, which I will also ask the in-homes (closures, illness policy, meals, etc.), but I am wondering if there is anything specific I should be asking at an in-home daycare?
Anonymous says
We use in-home, a big question is who (if anyone) helps out or interacts with the kids during the day. Like does their husband, daughter, etc…interact? Do they also have background checks? You want to make sure they aren’t having friends stop by in the middle of the day as well.
I’d also ask how often they get their state inspection, are they CPR certified, can they administer medications (in case you have a child who needs an epi-pen).
Also, do they have a backup recommendation (i.e. another in-home daycare) in case of unexpected closure due to illness or family emergency.
Lastly – they will have personal references you can call. Call those parents about their experience.
Anonymous says
Oh another thing…what do they do with the kids while they’re preparing meals? Ideally the kitchen or food-prep area oversees the play area. You’ll have to visually make sure they have baby-gates in the proper places and that kids don’t have easy access to the bathroom. With an in-home situation you’ll need to be comfortable with the fact that the kids may need to be left in a safe-space while the provider uses the restroom or cooks meals.
Anonymous says
In my state anyone over the age of 15 who lives in the house must pass a background check.
My provider also notifies me on specific days who will be with the children in addition to her.
BC says
My kids were in a wonderful in-home daycare for years. If you find the right one, it can be fantastic. In addition to the topics you already addressed, I would add: What kind of outdoor activity do the kids get? What kind of facilities do they have for outdoor play, do they take walks, etc.? How do they handle bad weather?
Mrs. Jones says
If your state has a child care agency, check for complaints about the day cares.
Meg Murry says
-Sick kid policies – in homes sometimes are willing to take kids with mild illnesses that centers won’t (not always, but sometimes). For instance, our daycare center enforced the “24 hour fever free” rule, which meant that if a kid got sent home on Tuesday for a fever of 100.5, they also couldn’t come back on Wednesday. Many in-homes would call you but not necessarily send home a kid with 100.5 fever, and would probably accept them back on Wednesday if they aren’t any worse. A friend with an in-home provider was allowed to send her kids there the entire time they had chicken pox (got the ok from the other parents who decided it was fine since their kids had already been exposed anyway and there weren’t any infants, immunocompromised kids, etc). Along the same lines, maybe you’d care if they have a vaccination policy or if there are anti-vax families attending?
-Who else besides the care provider will be in the house? Do they have older children, a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend, their mother/aunt etc who may also be in and out of the house? This could be a positive (more adults to keep an eye on the kids) or a negative (provider will be distracted by also dealing with grandma with dementia or surly teen; husband smokes like a chimney and kids are exposed to 3rd hand smoke, etc).
-Payments: what forms to they accept (check, credit card, Venmo, etc), how often, do you pay during vacations etc. Are they willing to give you their SSN/Tax ID so you can claim the childcare credit/FSA reimbursement, or are they doing this under the table?
-Where do kids nap? What do you need to provide for that? Is there a set nap/quiet time?
-How many kids & ages? Will it be changing up in the next few weeks when schools let out?
-Field trips/outings: do they walk to a playground or go to the library or anywhere? Would care provider ever drive them somewhere?
-TV/Screen time rules/policies. What’s the regular routine, and what about the extreme case (it’s been raining for a week straight, etc).
-Religious issues, if its a concern to you. I grew up in an in-home daycare where the only religious aspect was that we were taught to recite a quick prayer before lunch. My parents were fine with this – but it was a bit of an issue with a Jewish family when their kids started to recite the prayer before meals at home. Other subtle ways religion may come into play that won’t necessarily be obvious immediately: holiday crafts, kids books or songs about Bible stories, etc.
Migrant children says
Apologies if this has been discussed already, but the stories about the unaccompanied migrant children, and the children being separated from their parents, at the border are just breaking my heart. Can anyone recommend any charities or reputable places to donate to help?
Anonymous says
My instinct would be local foster organizations
LittleBigLaw says
I’d also like to know if there are any legal pro bono groups that need help in this area.
Anonymous says
So far I’ve found Florence Project and Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Would welcome other suggestions too!
BigLaw Sr Assoc says
Yeah this. These kids need lawyers. I don’t know where you are, but every city’s bar association should have relevant links on their webpage if you dig around a little.
Mama Llama says
Here’s an article with some ideas. https://coolmompicks.com/blog/2018/05/26/abused-missing-immigrant-children-ice-what-you-can-do/
I can vouch for KIND, and they provide lawyers for unaccompanied minors. I’m also donating to the Florence Project.
If you are the take-it-to-the-streets type, tomorrow is a national day of action. You can find a rally near you at this site: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/families-belong-together
PregLawyer says
Recs for white noise machines for sleeping babies? I want something fairly low-tech (no wifi – we have been using the echo/alexa but it keeps randomly turning off at night) and easy to travel with. My preferred sounds are brown noise or box fan sounds.
mascot says
Looks like LectroFan might fit the bill. For travel, use Noisli or a similar app on your phone.
Anonymous says
For travel, you might see if the hotel has one. The last two or three hotels I’ve stayed in have offered this.
rosie says
We’ve been happy with https://www.amazon.com/Soothing-Lullabies-Newborns-Relaxing-Adjustable/dp/B01N6E83BS/. Small enough for travel & can use with batteries. Very simple.
Anonymous says
We have the skiphop owl and it’s great. We’ve traveled a lot with it. The app on my phone is never sufficient for my daughter, but she’s pretty addicted to white noise.
NewMomAnon says
I use an app called White Noise Ambience Lite – it has a library of sound choices, doesn’t need wifi connection to run, and can get pretty loud (which is important for my kiddo). I loaded it up on an old phone and I have it on my phone and iPad. Important not to rely on your primary phone, because the sound volume will change if you’re waving it around or playing on it while the noise is going.
J says
Marpac Dohm all the way. My sister and family have been using them since my nephew was born almost 11 years ago. I’ve used one for ages and got the same one for daughter’s room. My parents use one, too. I’ve never heard of any of us having to replace one. They have one switch for low/high/off. You can also twist the cover to change the tone of the noise a tish bit. Not the cheapest one you’ll find, but you very likely could have it for 10+ years.
Anonymous says
+ a million to Marpac Dohm. Love ours so much we had to get a second one for the new baby because the big kids still use theirs (and it was a hand-me-down so it’s been in constant use for oh…10 years now?). Just look at the reviews and stop your search; it’s worth it.
They now make a portable version that runs on batteries. We don’t have that but I have friends who take it everywhere including camping and their kids are rock star camping sleepers.
When we travel to hotels via car, we take our big Marpac one. When we travel by plane or to places where plugging in isn’t possible (camping) we take a $10 portable one from Target that has been surprisingly good (link to follow).
Anonymous says
No link but the portable one is:
MyBaby by Homedics Soundspa On-the-Go Sound Machine
GCA says
We used a Sleep Sheep for a year and a half with kiddo – volume is adjustable and it has a few different noises (white noise, ocean, heartbeat etc). The noisemaking innards are the size of a deck of cards and can be extracted for travel; we did have to replace the batteries a couple of times but not the thing itself.
AwayEmily says
We have both the Dohm and the LectroFan and I’d recommend the LectroFan. It’s better at masking loud noises, and also smaller/easier to travel with.
Also, one of ours broke after about six months (apparently it’s a known issue) and they sent a new one, no questions asked — so good customer service, too.
BigLaw Sr Assoc says
We have the <20 dollar one from Homedics. Got it for the kiddos, but bought one for my husband and I too. Had both for years and they work great.
Anonymous says
For the pregnant poster who was asking about having her mom come stay with her the other day — my mom sounds very similar to you (down to using the exact phrase “postpartum euphoria” to describe her own birth experience…I would swear we’re siblings, but I’m an only child). I love her dearly, but I normally can’t spend more than 48 hours visiting with her before she starts annoying me. But she stayed two weeks when my daughter was born and it was SO SO SO SO helpful. My husband also went back to work immediately and I would not have survived without my mom. No matter how good a sleeper your baby will eventually be, she will wake up to feed every 2-3 hours in the beginning. A two hour interval goes by in the blink of an eye if you have to feed, burp, do a diaper change and rock the baby to sleep. On the other hand, if you can just feed the baby and hand her off to your mom for all that other stuff, you can get a solid 1.5-2 hour stretch of sleep (or longer if you’re not EBFing and someone else can feed the baby). My mom was also super helpful around the house and did lots of cooking, cleaning and laundry. We could have hired that stuff out but it was nicer and more convenient to have my mom doing it. And unlike hired help, she basically waited on me hand and foot, bringing me water and snacks while I nursed, helping me nurse (it’s really a two person job in the beginning), bringing things to me when I didn’t want to get up (I had a fairly easy v delivery but I still wasn’t super mobile the first week or so). If your mom is offering this, and you think she will be helpful around the house, I would absolutely do it! (You should, however, definitely turn away guests who won’t pull their weight in terms of housework, which is why my in-laws didn’t meet the baby until she was 6 weeks old).
NewMomAnon says
The discussion yesterday of the rude comments made me think, and I wanted to share/solicit input. On the main s*te, I would have automatically scorched or dismissed anyone I viewed as rude or disrespectful. On this s*te, though, I worry that the commenting body is generally under an immense amount of stress and has a high likelihood of PPA/PPD that might be triggering less respectful commenting behaviors. I know while I was pregnant and postpartum, I posted some comments that I am not proud of and wish I could retroactively delete.
Which is just to say…I wish there was a requirement to populate a screen name other than Anonymous, but I hesitate to blanket ban commenters who fall outside the normal boundaries of this s*te’s respect levels, because we can’t tell if they are trolls or folks who most need a community that can practice forgiveness.
Anonymous says
I didn’t find any comments yesterday mean. Certainly not trolling. I like it? People here are nice, yes, and also smart and also willing to just say what they think.
Anon says
Yes, there is a difference between “rude” and “blunt.” People ask for advice here, and you shouldn’t always feel like you need to sugarcoat your response. As long as people aren’t name calling and insulting, I’m okay with a little bluntness.
NewMomAnon says
Is some of this regional? In my circle of mom friends, many of the comments at issue yesterday would be considered extremely rude, not just blunt. Leading with statements like “You need to get over it” are read as (and probably intended to be?) blame-placing, rather than constructive.
Anonymous says
So I have two thoughts. First is that the comment was correct and not unkind. Second is that I don’t need the internet to be my mom friends. I like getting different opinions. My friends are supportive and love me and know my big picture. Sometimes it’s nice to hear from an outsider!
Anon says
Possibly, I am in the NYC metro area. I have noticed a change in tone some of the comments, but I wouldn’t say they are mean-spirited.. maybe more of the “tough love” variety.
GCA says
I didn’t find yesterday’s comments especially rude or mean, and wouldn’t count as trolling, but certainly some of them were distinctly non-constructive. Blunt is fine. Non-constructive (along the lines of ‘get over yourself and do the thing’, not in so many words), has me rolling my eyes.
Anonymous says
But sometimes that’s what you need to do in life!
CPA Lady says
Sometimes that is what you need to do, but when that advice is delivered in a rude and hostile way, the message gets lost.
There’s a difference between trying to convey “get over yourself and do it” with a message like “suck it up, buttercup” vs. something like “unfortunately, you just need to do do what you can to move past your discomfort and do xyz anyway”.
Telling someone “suck it up buttercup” behind the anonymity of your computer screen might accomplish an adrenaline rush for you and irritation on the part of someone who is genuinely asking for advice, but it’s being willfully obtuse to say that’s how mature, kind human beings interact with each other when giving thoughtful advice or making constructive changes.
I mean, sometimes I need blunt advice, and I don’t mind blunt people in real life. But it would be a giant breath of fresh air if we could go back to erring on the side of kindness here. Moms get judged and treated like crap enough.
Anon in NYC says
I agree with CPA Lady. It’s not hard for me to at least try to be kind in my replies to people. I can soften my language, even if I’m “telling it like it is” or being “blunt.”
Frequent reader of this blog says
Wow, I really disagree. I don’t read this blog to see blunt truth delivered. I read to see helpful comments from a supportive community of moms. If someone can’t take the time to formulate a response that is helpful and supportive I don’t think that belongs on this blog. I was very bummed to see the nature of the comments yesterday (and today).
Anon says
“I don’t read this blog to see blunt truth delivered.”
Um wow. I guess we’ll keep placating and lying to each other because moms can’t handle the truth?
NewMomAnon says
This is 100% trolling. In case you can’t recognize it yourself.
CPA Lady says
Sigh. Don’t you have someone’s lunch money to steal?
NewMomAnon says
I agree. And I fear that we’re seeing the results of it – I certainly wouldn’t pose any emotionally difficult questions after reading some of the comments from yesterday.
For those looking for alternative ways of interacting here; my personal policy is that I will be as blunt to the folks on this board as I would be to a coworker crying in my office – which is to say, I will listen, reflect back, empathize, and then might redirect some of her emotions or challenge her assessment of the situation. I try not to exacerbate her big feelings. I want to convey that I support and understand her, and that she is safe, even if I need to also convey that I don’t agree with her conclusions.
Mama Llama says
I’m with you. If I want tough love or to be told I’m selfish or demanding or needing to be coddled, or coddling my child for not taking her on a forced march across Brooklyn, I will post on the DC Urban Moms site or something similar. I have always appreciated the supportive nature of the discussions here, and it’s a real bummer that it seems to be changing.
Anonymous says
See this also I think is silly. That’s not what you were told. People, balancing the annoyance of strollers and car seats, suggested your four year old walk. You chose to be outraged but honestly it was good advice. If it didn’t work for you just shrug and move on.
Anon in NYC says
Anon at 4:22 – I disagree. Mama Llama received some well-intentioned advice that her 4 year old walk, but also some pretty harsh comments from others in the same vein when Mama Llama replied that her kid probably would not handle that situation well. I think we can all agree that we know our children better than strangers on the internet do, and in my mind, once she said that there was no need to continue to insist that her 4 year old should walk.
I have no problem telling a stranger on the internet what I think they should do in whatever situation they’re posting about, but there is no value for me in being rude or aggressive about it.
AwayEmily says
Also agreed. I really, really appreciate that this seems to be one of the few places on the internet where co-sleepers and sleep trainers, daycare parents and nanny parents, and everyone in between, all have these really fascinating, productive discussions. And I also appreciate that even when people on here give hard advice/tell you you’re wrong (and I have been the recipient of said blunt advice several times!) almost everyone takes the the time to couch it respectfully — like you would if you were talking to a friend or relative (I consider myself pretty blunt but I would never tell a friend, in-person, to “suck it up” if they came to me about a parenting or relationship issue).
Anyway, the people making blunt comments don’t really bother me that much (I like to think they mean well but just have a different style of interacting than I do), but I do want to say that I mega-appreciate it when people do take that time to soften their difficult advice a bit.
Also, Mama Llama, I still think about “my kid was climbing mountains at that age” comment at least once a week, and it always makes me laugh. Reminds me of a parenting book I read once where the author claimed his kid said the word “octopus” at nine months old.
AIMS says
I’d say I fall somewhere in the middle on this. There are times where I think some of the comments that are labeled as “mean” are perfectly valid. But I also see an uptick in the unconstructive category where the comment is just “what’s wrong with you?” I think it’s even more prevalent on the main s&te.
Anonymous says
I tend to agree with this. I’m pretty blunt and am surprised at what people here consider mean. There have definitely been a few rude comments though.
J says
I’ve been reading this site for a few years, but only commenting for about a year. I’ve only seen a handful of comments that I feel are truly disrespectful. My nature is to be more blunt than the accepted tone on this site. Maybe because of that, I’m nearly impossible to offend. I’ve tried my best to take the approach that if I don’t have anything nice or constructive to say, I just move on. Disagreeing without more doesn’t add to the conversation, so I try to avoid it.
The comments that really bother me are the ones where people treat their kids like a burden. It’s not very common, but after the first of the year I almost quit reading because there seemed to be a bunch of that going on. Maybe some winter cabin fever or something.
Jhoei says
I love shopping and I felt irritated when items in the shop are not organized. Good for you that you found a jewelry brand in spite of the experience you had.