I’m more of a tea drinker, but post-kids, I’ve come to appreciate the virtues of a strong cup of coffee. Pre-pandemic, my morning routine included either a stop at the office kitchen for some hot water, or if I was up late (or really early), a stop at the coffee shop across the street.
When I first return to the office, I may want to shut myself in the office and avoid communal spaces. However, I’ll still need my caffeine fix. Perhaps as a welcome-back-to-the-office treat for myself, I’ll get Keurig’s K-Mini Plus Single Serve Coffee Maker. It comes in a range of colors (I’m leaning towards gray, which happens to be one of Pantone’s colors of the year!) and would fit perfectly on my desk.
It also features a strong brew option (perfect for those days when I’ve been up both late and early), is travel mug friendly, and is compatible with the My K-Cup universal reusable coffee filter (better for the Earth, but alas, sold separately).
The coffee maker is available at Keurig.com and Amazon for $99.99, as well as other retailers. Target has the basic single serve model on sale for $59.99. Single Serve Coffee Maker
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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off purchase
- Eloquii – 60% off all tops
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off “dressed up” styles (lots of cute dresses!); extra 50% off select sale
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 60% off 100s of summer faves; extra 60% off clearance
- Loft – 40% off tops; 30% off full-price styles
- 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!)
- Carter’s – Summer deals from $5; up to 60% off swim
- Old Navy – 30% off your order; kid/toddler/baby tees $4
- Target – Kids’ swim from $8; summer accessories from $10
See some of our latest articles on CorporetteMoms:
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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?
Anon says
All these references to going back to the office make me jealous. I’m permanently remote now and not happy about it. I hope it will be better when things are safe enough for me to go work at a public library or something like that, because being at home is terrible for both my productivity and my waistline.
Anonymous says
Yup, same here. I appreciate the convenience, but I need changes of scenery and to get away from my pantry at least a couple times per week. My company is officially remote through March, but I expect they’re just waiting until after the holidays to announce the extension of wfh until the summer. I’m over it.
AnonATL says
I despise being in the office. I’ve been wfh for nearly 4 years now, and I love it. I get so much other random stuff done during the day. Laundry and dishes never get backed up. I can exercise in the middle of the day.
Anon says
I get soooo much less exercise now. I used to walk all over campus for work meetings plus I would walk to lunch and sometimes to get coffee so it wasn’t unusual for me to walk 3-5 miles a day. Now there are days when I only walk a few hundred steps. I know I could be carving time out of the day to exercise but it’s harder to do when it’s not built into your day the way it was before and I feel kind of unethical taking an hour out of the day to exercise when I’m behind in everything and not as productive as I was before.
Being able to keep up with laundry and dishes is a big part of why I’m so much less productive at work. I see things that are out of place at home and I fix them instead of working. That’s why I eventually want to move to a public library or other space where I can’t tidy my home during business hours.
Daycare is also at work so I’m double commuting right now, but that will change when DH can share the daycare drop-offs (daycare policy is one parent only during Covid).
anon says
Are you me? The home stuff is a big reason why, I, too, am struggling with WFH. If my environment is not in order, I feel a compulsion to fix it. I am not getting enough exercise despite keeping up with my regular workouts. I feel trapped and lonely — and I’m an introvert, so I can’t imagine how the extroverts are swinging this! Working from home 2 days a week would be about right, but WFH indefinitely is doing me no favors. I am home for another semester at least. Sigh.
Anon says
Yeah I worked from home 1 day a week before and that was fine because I used it as a day to focus more on home stuff and was more focused on work stuff the other four days. But being home all the time is extremely hard. I’m officially work from home permanently, not just indefinitely. I no longer have office space at my employer. :/
Anon says
Places are still doing that?! Sorry, but what? I’m in a cold state and we do outdoor drop offs, parents wear masks. I’d push back on that. It’s been months now and it’s ok to reevaluate pandemic responses. (It’s the same household????!!)
Anon says
We do (masked) indoor drop-offs at the classroom door so it’s a little more logical. I thought it was silly, but then a parent in our classroom tested positive and nobody (except the parent’s immediate family) had to quarantine because the parent hadn’t been in the school building, so I sort of see the point now. It’s technically a request, not a requirement, but most families including us are choosing to follow it.
Anonymous says
Even if they won’t change their policies, change out the parent. Like once a month email and say ‘due to a change in our work schedules, DH/you will be taking over drop off and pick up duties’
anon says
We were back for about 6 weeks this fall before things shut down again because of rising rates. I found it really stressful. I hated the constant mask wearing, hand washing, and disinfecting surfaces. I hated shouting at people through masks while on video calls. I hated that we still had all virtual meetings because of COVID risk. It was all of the hassle with none of the social / collaboration benefit.
I also hated being away from home while my kids aren’t in school. We have backup childcare and it just isn’t sufficient for solo care for 10 hours a day (with commute). I need to be there to keep an eye on DL and provide support/guidance when things go south.
Boston Legal Eagle says
My ideal will be 2 or 3 days at home, and the other days at the office. Husband and I are going to try to stagger our WFH days when we’re all back to both cut down on commutes and have coverage for kids in elementary school.
Anon says
i’m jealous. i think i’d love permanent wfh.
Anonymous says
Same. Interested in what people are doing for work in these jobs. Dreading full time at the office when this is over.
Anon says
Same!
Anon says
I’m OP and I work for a large university in communications/marketing. The faculty will obviously return to the classroom and staff who need to be on campus to do their jobs will come back/are already back, but two-thirds of our non-faculty staff are going to be permanently at home because they decided it’s working well enough and they wanted to use our office buildings for other things, like dorms and research labs.
If we’re ever able to travel internationally again, it will be more attractive for me to be WFH because my husband is faculty so he’s WFH in the summers and he has lots of international collaborators so we might spend large chunks of the summer abroad. But right now that’s off the table, obviously.
Anonymous says
Interesting! This is part of the reason I’d be interested in a WFH job, DH is now fully remote and we’d like to take the kids to visit family in Europe for longer stretches when this is all over but I’d need to also WFH in order to do that.
Anon says
If you’re looking to work remotely from another country, could you help me with my market research for a project I’m leading and tell me how your employers approach that? We’re seeing a lot more requests (and probably not even seeing some requests, people just go) to work in other countries which sometimes requires a lot of due diligence about incorporation, taxation, immigration compliance and we’re trying to assess what other employers are permitting. Thanks!
Anon says
I haven’t even begun to think about all the logistical issues because it seems like we won’t be able to go to Europe this summer so the earliest we would possibly do this would be summer 2022 and probably even later. It seems like a waste of money to travel for a month or more when we’ve paid for year-round daycare, we’d probably wait until we have an elementary schooler, which will be summer 2024. I don’t know if my employer would permit it but I know many faculty members do this already, so it might be different than other employees who expected all employees to be local.
Clementine says
A while ago I posted being concerned about using pull-ups with a potty training kiddo because I had fallen so hard for the ‘Oh Cr@p’ style of ‘pull-ups are diapers. once you do the Weekend, only nap and bedtime.’ and was afraid I was going to somehow hold my kiddo back.
WELL. During 2 weeks of quarantine, we went to the potty 47 times a day. And somehow, just like that she’s this agreeable little happily going on the potty kiddo. Daycare even commented in their notes that she is getting REALLY good about telling them if she needs to go and is SO happy with herself every time she has a successful visit. I don’t know why I was so afraid that somehow she would be still in diapers at 4 if I didn’t do the ‘cold turkey’ underpants method… but I appreciate all of your reassurance that it would be fine!!
Anonymous says
Congratulations! Parenting advice is so full of extremes meant to make moms feel inadequate. Do what works for you and your kid and don’t stress about doing everything the “right” way. There was no such thing as Oh Cr@p when we were kids, and somehow we all got potty trained just fine.
anon says
Yay! And yes, we did a Weekend but then still used pullups for nap, bedtime, long excursions outside of the house, when daycare took the whole class on a walk to the playground, etc and my kids still figured it out despite breaking all the Oh Crap rules.
FVNC says
That’s so great! I think specific programs (whether they relate to feeding, sleep, or potty training) are really helpful when there’s a specific issue that needs addressing. With our first child, we needed ALL the help and tried ALL the methods (many of which were, indeed, helpful). With our second, we kinda forgot about potty training until he was a little over 3, and I panicked because we’d missed the magic window that Oh Cr@p talks about and he’d never be potty trained! But by then he was old enough to just…start using the potty. Which was pure luck (and I acknowledge many kids are not like this), but it was eye-opening to me as someone who previously adhered to all the books and rules. Not everything has to be A Process, which was news to me, ha.
Anonymous says
We did follow Oh Crap (almost) too. HOWEVER, when i actually read the book, it offended me a little in that it clearly assumed that there was a full time caregiver in the home. You can’t send kiddo to daycare with no pants on if they have a regression.
and yet… evertually most kids seem to be potty trained eventually.
fallen says
For those of you with nannies; how much time are you giving them off for the holidays?
cbackson says
My nanny’s contract gives her Christmas Day and New Year’s Day as paid holidays and she’s using five days of her vacation time as well.
Anon says
my nanny’s contract gives her 12/24, 12/25, 12/31 and 1/1. However we are giving her off starting on 12/24 and having her return on 1/4. DH and I aren’t working and in normal times we would’ve been out of town all week. She started with us a few years ago in August and we guarantee two weeks of vacation a year, but usually it is more like 4-5, however, we haven’t been able to give her a full week since last holiday season due to Covid. (though between August 2019-December 2019 she had 4 weeks off). that being said, kind of dreading all the time at home with our toddlers with no place to go. all my colleagues who keep talking about how they are looking forward to coming back rejuvenated…ha
Anon says
Yeah, we give ours the 23rd to the 4th. In normal times we would travel. This year it’s going to feel endless, but want to stick with what we usually do.
TheElms says
Our contract specifies 24/25 and 31/1 off. We are also going to give 28,29,30 off as well. It is a very long time to be without childcare and I’m nervous.
Anon says
Our nanny gets 12/24, 12/25, 12/31, and 1/1, off per her contract. We usually give her a couple of extra days off as well during this period that don’t count towards her vacation time off. This year, it’s the 23rd and 28th.
We usually take more time but neither of us have any place to go or any special plans this year (thanks, Covid). I’m trying to save my vacation time so I can take time off when she is able to go visit her family across the country again at some point next year.
Anonymous says
Ours had been with us for over a year and we always offer two weeks of paid vacation after a year. She will also get a few days unpaid off. She will be off from 19 Dec-05 Jan.
NYCer says
We will be out of the city for 3 weeks, so she is getting 3 weeks of this year.
If we are in town the whole break (which is rare), she would get 12/24-25 and 1/1 as holidays, and we would likely let her leave early on 12/31.
Anonymous says
We have a semester based contract with 5 paid days off per semester. We have 2 weeks unpaid over the school break and can use the paid time off then or at other times. This semester nanny has used 3 paid days off so will probably use the other two next week.
Teen recovering from eating disorder; larger clothes says
Hello:
This is a long shot, but here goes. My DD is slowly gaining weight, working to conquer an eating disorder stemming from pandemic isolation and anxiety.
She wears leggings that — to my mind — are already very snug, and I anticipate she’ll need to move up a size. I’m worried that that will set off anxieties about being “fat.”
Has anyone been through this and have any advice? Thank you!
cbackson says
Is she getting therapy, and if so, what kind? I have suggestions but they are affected a bit by that.
Also, is she normal weight for her height or no?
Anne says
I think it can be helpful to treat a person in recovery as strong and not fragile and also to treat them like they are in the driver seat — can you just say something like — when you need/want new clothes let me know and I’m happy to help buy them?
Anonymous says
Can you gift her leggings in the same size from another brand that runs large?
AwayEmily says
I would check with her therapist.
Anonymous says
You need to talk to her care team not the Internet about this.
avocado says
I can’t offer advice re. recovery from an eating disorder other than to talk with your daughter’s care team. I would imagine they get this question frequently.
My general advice is to put teenagers in charge of buying their own clothes, as long as those clothes meet family standards. My 13-year-old gets a clothing budget that’s equal to what I used to spend on her clothes. She picks out her own clothes, puts them in the on-line cart, and then asks me to approve and order them. When she’s 16, she will have a credit or debit card and will place the orders herself. She does need periodic reminders to check her closet and make sure all of her basic necessities still fit, because things sell out early and and you can’t just wait until it snows to buy a coat. Right now her closet is mostly filled with baggy sweatpants, but that’s what makes her happy and who needs real pants right now anyway.
Anonymous says
No idea if this is in line with what her care team recommends, but can you remove the size tag?
octagon says
This. Cut the size labels out of all of her clothes if possible. Work with her care team to focus on her health and not the arbitrary assignment of size from some company that doesn’t know her.
Anonymous says
How is cutting the tags out going to hide the fact that the old leggings were too small and the new ones aren’t?
OP says
OP here:
She is under the care of a therapist. You’re correct that I should discuss it with her. I do really appreciate your comments. When things normalize, putting her in charge of her own clothing purchase is a really sound idea.
Thanks!
Anon says
Hugs. I was a kid with an eating disorder, and my life would have been a lot easier if my mom had been as thoughtful about these decisions as it seems you are.
This is probably me projecting but…is it possible your daughter won’t mind sizing up and it’s actually your hangup? My daughter is outgrowing her clothes in a very normal childhood way and I’m finding myself struggling with how to suggest that she has outgrown her old clothes…because it bothers *me* that she’s getting bigger. I bought her underpants in a size bigger and she was SOOO happy to have underpants that fit, she told literally everybody she saw for about a week afterward (which wasn’t very many people because COVID but still..). Meanwhile I was so embarrassed that I didn’t even tell her I was buying them, just sort of…slid them across the table to her. It was totally my issue.
anon says
Our babysitter/nanny has informed us that she’s flying to Florida for the holiday break to stay in a rented house with her immediate family. (She’s 20, so with her two parents and 22 yo brother.) She says that she’s going to be very safe and hang out at the house or on the open beach. She’s planning to drive back from Florida with her family to avoid needing to quarantine, but this takes longer than flying so she says she’ll be missing a day of work, i.e., the first Monday in January. Do we just let her come back to work on Tuesday without a quarantine or testing? If we do ask her to quarantine and test, do we pay her for that week? She’ll already be getting two weeks off for the holiday, all paid, plus a holiday bonus. Arg.
Anonymous says
How careful is your family being about exposure, and what are your ordinary requirements for the nanny? The answer is different depending on whether you and the nanny are strictly bubbled.
anon says
My husband is an essential employee, so he’s been working in an office with a mask. Otherwise, we’re home with WFH or DL. We see friends outdoors with masks at a distance, but no restaurants or indoor meet ups.
So far she stays with our family during the week but goes home on weekends. Before she started we had an agreement that if either family had increased exposure or risk, she’d just stay with us for a while to decrease overall risk. (Her parents are high risk.) We haven’t pulled that trigger yet, but might if our kids ever go back to school in person or if her brother gets an indoor job. (He’s been doing yard work for a company, all outdoors with a mask.)
Anonymous says
If her parents are high risk and they have a family history of being careful, I wouldn’t fret too much over it.
anon says
We really thought they were being careful given their health risks, but are now questioning their judgment with their decision to fly to FL.
Anon says
I think this is where I would be too. A trip could be perfectly safe if they drive, get takeout/delivery and only do outdoor activities that don’t involve getting close to others, like walking and playing on the beach. But the choice to fly would make me question their judgment and wonder if they’re going to be dining out, gathering with neighbors or doing other riskier things while they’re there.
Boston Legal Eagle says
In my state, anyone coming from out of state needs to quarantine or show a negative Covid test, so yes I would definitely ask her for a negative test and maybe even 2 tests a few days apart. I’m not sure that you need to pay her for that quarantine week/few days – I guess it depends on your relationship with her and if you have a formal agreement (FWIW, I would be annoyed too by all the time off and lack of coverage for me).
anon says
Given the odd circumstances this year, we discussed time off before she started and agreed upon a vacation schedule. We discussed three days at Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, a couple of days of winter break, and a week at spring break. Basically the same time we get off from our jobs.
Our state doesn’t have any quarantine requirements for out of state travel.
Anonymous says
How are they getting groceries? Are her brother and parents going to be similarly cautious? Doesn’t help much if she is not socializing but her brother is out a bunch and she’s unmasked around him. Probably more conservative than most on this board as I’m in a place without community spread but I would require a two week quarantine. I would not pay her for those weeks as this is a choice she made and not a risk your family accepted. If you need childcare and can’t make the two weeks work, I would require at least a 5 day quarantine after return plus a clean PCR test taken on the fifth day (depending on how long results take – it might be another couple days before she can come back).
anon says
Her family doesn’t really cook, so I’d expect them to be getting take out like the do here. They may go for a grocery run with masks, just like they would if they were home.
Anonymous says
If they are behaving the same way on the vacation as they are at home, and the flight to FL is at least two weeks before her return to work, is her exposure going to be much different than it would be at home?
anon says
That’s her argument. The biggest difference I can point to is that Florida has a much higher positivity rate than our area, lower mask usage, and she’ll have exposure at rest stops driving back.
Anon says
I’m in Florida now and we’re seeing my high risk parents (in our bubble) next week. This trip is part of our two week quarantine after pulling kids out of daycare. We consider it quarantine because we’re not doing anything we don’t do at home and we’re cautious at home. Mask usage is bad here, but if you’re completely avoiding people you don’t need masks anyway. Florida currently has a lower infection rate than our home state though.
Anon says
Are you sure you’re right about the infection rate? According to CovidActNow, Florida has some of the lowest per capita Covid numbers in the country right now (they’re rising, but so is most of the rest of the US). It was definitely a big hot spot last summer but doesn’t seem to be now, perhaps because the weather in most of the state is still mild enough for a lot of outdoor activity.
anon says
Yes, our infection rate is still lower than Florida, looking both our state and county rates.
Anon says
+1 to all of this. And I am actually on the mid conservative side for this board, but this scenario raises so. many. COVID red flags to me. (Relying on a 22 year old guy I presume you don’t know to be COVID safe when on vacation in Florida because if he’s not, she’s effectively not either, and doesn’t Florida have like zero restrictions right now? That might be outdated, but still. Add on flying, the driving…everything about it). I would also not pay her for quarantine time. This is a choice she is making in a global pandemic. I feel for her that she is 20 and to tell a 20 year old to not see their family on Christmas is maybe unreasonable, I don’t know, but for your family you just need to worry about your safety more than that. I promise you an essential workers job would not pay them for the personal choice quarantine time either.
anon says
We generally know the family, as they are family friends. In addition to work, the brother is a dork who is doing some online college classes and virtual gaming in his spare time. No big social life. Neither 20 something is a bar or party goer.
Anon says
Okay, that helps to know. My mind immediately went to a party hard 22 year old dude on vacation in an area with little restrictions. I soften my stance a bit.
Anon says
I don’t think going to a grocery store is a big deal. The concern is the exposure to her family members.
anon says
Maybe I’m too lax, but telling her to take a 2-week unpaid quarantine is too much. She’s being honest and up front with you. It’s three people. And questioning if her brother goes to the grocery story? Ugh. Honestly. She takes risks coming to your household, too.
Anonymous says
Given the exposure the nanny is getting to from her employer’s family–the dad in a office everyday–this seems extreme and unfair to me. To me it sounds like the risk is primarily in the flight, depending on whether there is more or less community spread in FL than your home town. I think you are already trusting her to be safe in her life when she is not with you, so there’s no reason not to continue that just because she will be in a different place for a period of time. I can’t tell how long she will be in FL but it seems reasonable to ask her to get a test about a week after the flight, which would hopefully before she comes back to work.
anon says
To make matters a bit more complicated, my husband works in the same office and on the same team as the nanny’s mother, so they have the same work exposure.
She’ll be in Florida for about 10 days.
Anonymous says
So what’s the problem? The only increased exposure is the flight down.
Anon says
I guess I’m in the minority but I would not be that upset and would not require her to quarantine or get a test. It sounds like the only risky thing is the flight, and since the flight is 10 days before her return to work I don’t think that’s a big deal either. CDC has lowered the official quarantine recommendation from 14 days to 10. The risk of exposure from rest stops on the drive is extremely minimal and everything else (takeout food, grocery shopping, getting gas, etc) is something she’d be doing at home too.
Anonymous says
I am probably one of the most cautious people here and I agree with this. The flight is 10 days before the return to work, and the rest of the trip is identical to what she claims to be doing at home. If you trust her at home, I don’t know what’s different about the trip.
I personally wouldn’t feel safe with the trip, but only because I wouldn’t feel safe about having a nanny in the first place.
anon says
you wouldn’t feel safe with a nanny? you must not have any childcare currently if that’s the case, otherwise that really doesn’t make any sense.
Anonymous says
Yep, no child care. Virtually no contact with people outside the household. It’s super fun.
But if I were OP and were comfortable having a nanny in the house under the ordinary terms she’s described, I wouldn’t think it fair to make the nanny quarantine after this trip because she’s not doing anything she doesn’t normally do other than the flight 10 days before returning to work.
Anon says
in need of a new tv show for a 2.5 year old. we have watched every episode of daniel tiger more times than i can count. we only do 1-2 episodes per day and only started this 6 months ago, but there just aren’t enough episodes of that show. we tried sesame street once, kiddo wasn’t that into it- at what age did your kids start liking that? we tried doc mcstuffins, but i didn’t really like that. i do feel like kiddo has actually learned a lot from DT, so another show that teaches something would be good. any recs?
Anonymous says
Does the kid actually want something new or are you just sick of it? My son does not seem to get tired of rewatching shows. He never got into Sesame Street but he did like Dora the Explorer when he was younger. At 2.5 I think we were doing more YouTube videos of diggers though. (Memories are foggy). The best ones were just long shots of vehicles working, and then in one a train went by the construction site, which hit so many different toddler vehicle high notes.
Anon says
+1. I think my kid has seen some episodes of Peppa 20 times. She doesn’t seem to care.
OP says
oh this is totally that me and DH are tired of it. Kiddo also would like to DT music 24/7 in the background when playing.
Anonymous says
Bubble Guppies is good for that age. And Dora the Explorer is a classic.
Sesame Street is more aimed at 4 year olds – it was designed for kids who didn’t attend preschool prior to starting kindergarten.
TheElms says
I don’t think it counts as quality programming but my toddler likes Paw Patrol (mostly because she is obsessed with dogs).
Anon says
+1 to Paw Patrol.
Anon says
Super Wings on Netflix. The team of planes delivers packages around the world. Or Puffin Rock (gentle, a little boring but good for young kids).
Anon says
I’d never heard of Puffin Rock but it sounds amazing! My 3 year old is obsessed with puffins to the point that we’ve promised to take her to Iceland when the pandemic is over. Where do you stream it?
Anon says
We watched on Netflix. It’s been a year or two since I’ve seen it, since my oldest has new preferences now, but I remember it being pretty sweet.
Have you read the book Puffin Peter? I think the illustrations are beautiful.
Anon says
Thanks for the book rec! We’ll check it out.
SC says
My 5 year old is obsessed with Super Wings!
Anonymous says
Dora, Wild Kratts, we haven’t tried Molly of Denali but that’s on my list. My DD loves If You Give A Mouse a Cookie series (on prime).
Anon says
Do you have Netflix and/or Disney Plus? My 2.5 year old likes Doc McStuffins, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Beat Bugs, and Chicco Bon Bon.
Cb says
Tittipo (trains) and Tayo (buses). I find them to be quite sweet. We also watch SuperWings and Thomas.
CCLA says
At that age we had luck with stinky and dirty, and Leo the truck, both on prime. The stinky and dirty messaging is mostly about problem solving and geared a little older but it’s a nice change from DT on repeat.
Pogo says
Leo the inquisitive truck!
No Face says
If you stream, get the PBS Kids app and try out all of those shows. Very educational and fun, but all in different ways.
anonn says
Fancy Nancy on Disney Plus, Fireman Sam on Prime, and we DVR Daniel Tiger every day from PBS, and then she watches it the following morning, but sometimes watches the same episode over and over. There are a lot more seasons that what we get included with Prime. Can’t stand Paw Patrol, too fast and loud.
Anon says
Cory Carson on Netflix is a hit in our house, also Bubble Guppies and Octonauts.
AnotherAnon says
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but my now 3.5 y/o has learned a lot from Blippi, and I can /almost/ stand to watch them, which is high praise from me for a little kids’ show. I let him watch through youtube on our roku tv.
Anonymous says
Right now our 2.5yo kiddo is loving Trash Truck and Bob the Builder, which I’m happy to report are perfectly tolerable for adults as well
Ashley says
My newly 3yo boy is obsessed with Blaze and the Monster Machines on Nick Jr. It is tolerable to me, and fairly educational. It cracks me up when my kiddo is trying (and failing) to open a door or something and now says something like “I need more force! A push or a pull!” Thanks a lot, Blaze.
2 Cents says
Curious George! More than 100 episodes, plus they just started making new ones.
Artemis says
Major toddler favorites in my house, all on Netflix (although it’s been a few years, not all of them may still be there):
Octonauts (so great, almost never hear anyone else talk about it, but it’s great)
Super WHY (PBS show)
Handy Manny
Wild Kratts
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Chuggington
My kids have tried so many shows on Netflix just by looking at the pictures on the screen menu, maybe you can see what grabs your kid’s attention that way? But the ones above were in very heavy rotation and I thought they were great too.
Anon says
Daycare has gently informed us we need to potty train DD over the school break. I think they’re right that now is the time – she’s almost 3 and this is the longest stretch of time we’ll have at home together for a long time. Any suggestions for the best way to do this? She currently likes using the potty and pees there pretty frequently but is not staying dry in diapers and has never pooped in the potty. She’s extremely stubborn and strong-willed but she can be very compliant when she decides a rule make sense, and so far she seems very enthusiastic about getting potty trained and wearing underwear.I really want to avoid the 3 day method because it seems so messy and gross to me but if that’s the best way I will suck it up and do it.
Anon says
I never did naked time and my boys both basically trained within a week (at 2.5). We went cold turkey to underwear – no diapers or pull-ups other than sleeping. We may have done just undies for the first couple days, but the thick training kind so there was never a mess on the floor. I put a small potty right in the main family/play room, and I started by initiating all potty trips. I’d watch for cues, but also take him every 45-60 min to help prevent accidents.
Poop, we purposely waited until they both had pooped on the potty in diapers before training so it wasn’t a big scary thing. But in your case, if you take her frequently enough you may catch poop, or you can notice her signs and whisk her to the bathroom as she’s starting to go. I also read books to my kids sometimes to relax them so they’d sit long enough and go.
Anon says
She’s very consistent and pretty much only poops at nap time so I’m not sure how pooping on the potty will go if we continue using a diaper for naps. If we can get her in underwear when she’s awake and only using a diaper for nap and night I would think that would be progress though?
Anon says
I’d think so! Would she still nap (/poop) in a diaper at daycare? If she doesn’t she would be “trained” for all they know
What? says
This isn’t what you asked, but I’m annoyed on your behalf. It seems like daycare should be working on potty-training her at daycare rather than announcing that you need to do it over a school break. Maybe my expectations are unreasonable because my daycare is awesome about this.
CCLA says
I’d give daycare a pass in these pandemic times on taking the lead on training. But I do think they shouldn’t tell you when you have to do it. If they think she’s ready that’s good info to have, but if you don’t want to try now, or you try and it’s not working, just tell them you’ll try again when you think she’s ready (unless there is an actual requirement you’re bumping up against, like at our center you can’t move up to a certain room unless you’re trained). Also, solidarity – I think we just decided that we are going to try to train our 2yo over the winter break.
Anon says
It was more advice that this would be the best time than a demand. They’ve been trying to work on it the last few weeks, but haven’t had as much luck getting her to use the potty as we have for some reason. Apparently at school she will sit on the potty but not stay there long enough to do anything. At home I bribe her with stickers to sit until something comes out, but at school they give her a sticker just for trying so I think the incentive isn’t there.
The school does start charging a pretty hefty diapering fee on her third birthday (early February) so I would really like to get it done before then, but if we can’t do it we can deal with the fee, it’s not a financial struggle for our family or anything.
Anonymous says
Our stay on the potty rule was that kid had to sing the DT potty song at least three times before getting up.
Anonymous says
IDK – our daycare worked well with us but generally preferred that the parents take a long weekend to do the switch and make a focused effort. They still dealt with lots of accidents/reminders to go but the parents made the official change to underwear.
OP – I would just switch her to underwear and remind her frequently. You’ll have an ocasional accident but you’ll be fine. I never got the naked thing. I’d rather do extra laundry than constantly wipe streams of pee off the floor.
Anon says
Yah, IMO the heavy lifting of potty training is part of parenting…
anonn says
I know you think you want to avoid the 3 day method because it’s messy, but our experience compared to my nephew who was the same age but my they took a more relaxed, “when he’s ready” and cookie-rewards approach was we got about a week of messy and exhaustion (for us having to watch closely) and they got an extra year of surprise messes, diapers and power struggles. That’s why people swear by the Oh Crap! method. It’s an easy read.
Anon says
Yeah, I’d rather two days of stress (which was all we had) then accidents down the line. We had one kid poop on the floor once. Our son never did – he always hit the potty. There was some peeing that didn’t make it to the potty. But we never had to change underwear out on a playdate or anything like that, and I think that’s because we took it super seriously and did follow the method. You can modify obviously (they say not to bribe with candy – um, candy potty trained my oldest). And my son didn’t need it as much. But don’t sacrifice the long term for the short term if that makes sense. I am so so glad neither of my kids has ever had a poop accident (and maybe one or two pee accidents) post our one weekend of potty training. But that’s just one family’s experience.
Anon says
just potty trained our 2.5 year old twins and we did the 3 day method, and we are only like four weeks in, but it has been a lot less gross and messy than i anticipated. we told our kids the day before that it was going to be the last day with diapers and then the next day they would use the potty. we have a seat on the regular toilet and a little potty next to it, which for us is especially useful since sometimes they have to go at the same time. on Day 1 we gave them some new Daniel Tiger potty training books, and we’d already watched the DT potty episodes and didn’t leave the house. Day 2-4they put on pants briefly to go for a short walk and then came home and were pantless and now are wearing pants. Twin A has literally only had 1 accident since we started (so far – hopefully im not jinxing myself). Twin B had 2 accidents the first day, 1 the second day and since then has had a few accidents while wearing pants. Twin B drinks a lot more liquid and i think just needs reminders a bit more frequently. both kids have pooped in the potty, though sometimes poop during nap, when they are wearing a diaper. while i definitely feel like i spend my life in the bathroom, it has not been quite as messy and gross as anticipated
Ashley says
We started the Oh Crap method about 2 weeks ago with a newly 3 yr old boy. The first 2-3 days were messy, but we haven’t had a pee accident since day 3! So I say buy the book and go for it. FWIW we still put him in pull ups for any outings or car rides that are likely to be any longer than 15 minutes, because I am just not up for cleaning pee or poop out of the carseat.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I’ll report back once we’ve tried potty training my younger one (will probably try closer to 2.5/3) but echoing everyone else that the Oh Crap method, while annoying and exhausting over that weekend, did seem to work well for my then 2.5 year old, with few accidents beyond the first few weeks.
Anon says
bike helmet recs? just realized my kid’s helmet is way too small. not comfortable going to a store with my toddler right now to try them on.
Anon says
Joovy is good. I also got my kids Giro because they are more streamlined and “better” but the fit is a little wonky on them.
Cb says
I liked the look of the Micro ones, but they didn’t fit my toddler’s big old noggin properly. So we ended up with the ugliest helmet in the store, a flame covered Giro.
Anonymous says
I don’t know the brand, but my neighbor’s kids have helmets with lights in the back and they are awesome.
CPA Lady says
I got some really exciting news today and wanted to share– I’ve really been struggling with work this year, due to the general 2020 bull$%&^/ work from home/ kid in online school/ worst never-ending tax season ever.
WELL I just found out that one of my favorite coworkers from my previous job is coming to work where I work in a few weeks. And they’re putting her in the office next to me! And all of a sudden I’m so much more excited about work. 2021 is already turning things around!
Have any of you had anything positive or exciting happen lately? I would love to hear about it.
Anon4this says
After having missed out on a promotion last year (the year I took maternity leave), I just found out that I got it this year! There are still issues with my current job (but aren’t there issues with all jobs?), but I’m tremendously grateful not to have to job hunt in a pandemic (it was a get promoted or leave type of situation).
Anon says
congrats!
Anonymous says
How fun! My 68 year old father (MD) got the Pfizer vaccine yesterday. I know he won’t be fully protected for another 5 weeks but it still feels like a huge weight off my chest.
TheElms says
Yay!! This is the news I need! I’m so glad your dad will be protected soon and thank him for an internet stranger for doing is job even though it put him at risk. I hope that my 74 year old lung cancer surviving dad can get the vaccine soon. Like a lot of older people, the pandemic has been really bad for his mental health.
Anonymous says
Thanks! He’s an internist so he’s not intubating people or doing anything else especially dangerous and he’s overall healthy but of course we still worry because of his age. I hope your dad can get it soon too.
Anon says
Getting promoted to counsel (as a step to partner in the next year or two) in January. Never imagined that happening in a pandemic while also having a toddler at home full time.
Anonymous says
Congratulations!!! Always a big achievement but especially so while pandemic parenting.
TheElms says
Congratulations!! Huge accomplishment! I hope you give yourself lots of credit and are proud!
Cookie Delivery says
Hi All. I need to bounce something off of you. Kiddo (5) and I have been diligently making holiday cookies and candy the last several weeks and storing them in the freezer. Our goal is to deliver little boxes of cookies/candy early next week to some friends and organizations we’re involved with in the community. We’re being careful, so the intention was a doorstep delivery in all possible cases, which is also fun becuase we want it to be a surprise, too!
Anyway, I just got the call today to pick up kiddo because of a possible Covid exposure at school. The date of her last exposure was Tuesday, 12/15. Here is my question: would you still feel comfortable doing contactless drop off of the cookies provided we’re all feeling well? We haven’t yet decided whether to test her next week. We’re not planning to see people outside our household until after her 10 days would be up, so it seems a bit unnecessary if she doesn’t have symptoms.
Anonymous says
Having just gone through this with my toddler, I would recommend you call your pedi or a local urgent care place for a telehealth visit and get a referral for testing. The new quarantine guidelines say if you test negative after day 5 of exposure and remain symptom free your quarantine is up after day 7 (double check the specifics, it was 2 weeks ago now but it’s close to that). We actually had my 2 y/o tested twice (once the day we found out and again on day 5) and she was 100% fine both times. We drive up, rolled down the window, and they swabbed her nose while she was in her car seat. Easy peasy.
If you don’t get her tested, don’t go to the grocery store, etc. either for 10 more days.
Anonymous says
Also, quarantine means stay home. Not deliver cookies. Just get her tested and then deliver them!
Anon says
I’m not as cautious as many others here but I think it’s kind of inappropriate to deliver cookies a few days after a known Covid exposure. I think we know by now that the risk of spreading it via the cookies or box is relatively low, but it still seems like it’s a risk not worth taking and you should be staying put, not out and about (even outside) if you have a known Covid exposure. Fwiw, my ped won’t generally test asymptomatic children so you may need to let the full 10 day quarantine period expire and deliver the cookies on or after 12/25.
Ugh sorry says
I agree with this, sadly! I’d wait and deliver them after the quarantine period assuming that nobody gets sick and all tests are negative. Better safe than sorry on this. How frustrating though!!
Anon says
Yah…I *know* risk of transmission from surfaces and food is low but I still feel weird about homemade treats this year. I’m hoping all the people who usually make baked goods don’t give us any. Maybe save them for extended family only and enjoy them during your quarantine?
AnotherAnon says
+2. I think it’s really sweet that y’all made cookies and candy together! But honestly it’s rude and unnecessary to expose other families to your possibly asymptomatic spreader in the name of cookie delivery. Please stay home or get kiddo tested and then deliver cookies after a negative test or quarantine.
Anonymous says
Our ped will refer anyone with a known exposure for testing. And your insurance will almost certainly pay for testing if you have a confirmed exposure.
I don’t know what the language “possible exposure” means– we got a call saying there was someone that tested postive in my kid’s daycare and she was a close contact and had to quarantine.
If this is a situation where there is a kid at school that’s being tested but hasn’t been confirmed yet, just hang tight and want for the test results. But if your kid is a close contact, get her tested. She’s five. My ornery 4 year old and my toddler have both been tested and really, honestly, it’s NBD. Except of course now my toddler sticks her finger up her nose and says she’s the doctor ;)
Anonymous says
Around here, “possible exposure” seems to mean “exposure to someone who might have COVID and is waiting for test results.”
Anonymous says
They send kids home for that? How do you have any school?
Anonymous says
They were sending kids home from school for this earlier in the fall, then letting them return once the test came back negative. Now there are enough confirmed cases in the schools that they are trying to hide even confirmed exposures.
Anonymous says
Check your local rules. In our area you are not allowed to leave your property.
Anonymous says
+1. When we had a direct exposure through daycare and were instructed by the health department to quarantine, we didn’t leave our property for 14 days. We played outside but only in our own backyard. It really sucked, especially because this was in October and the weather was absolutely perfect for outdoor activities, but that’s the rule in our state. There’s a big difference between quarantine-because-the-health-department-orders-you-to and “quarantine” in the sense that we’re all quarantining in 2020.
Anon says
yes, this. though i have a question – fortunately, we have not had a covid exposure and quarantine yet, but if/when we do – what are you supposed to do if you live in an apartment? we have 2 kids in diapers and i can’t imagine not taking out the trash for two weeks. we already wear masks to take out the trash. or what is someone who is a pet owner in an apartment supposed to do?
Anonymous says
I would ask the health department what to do, but taking out the trash or taking a pet to do their business is certainly more essential than playing outside or delivering cookies.
Anonymous says
Whoa, there are health departments that do contact tracing and require quarantine? Our health department has announced that it’s up to COVID patients to identify and notify their own contacts. Quarantine is presumably in the discretion of the person who was exposed.
AnonATL says
Agreed with all the others to just hold off on delivering. Perhaps now they are Happy New Year’s treats
anon says
I would wait until you’re in the clear, even if that means waiting until 1-2 days after Christmas. The chances of transmission are small, but that’s sort of beside the point. It’s bad form to be prancing around the neighbors’ houses during quarantine.