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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
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- 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
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- 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
Anon says
Seeking advice or maybe just commiseration, but my twins are starting K this fall. One was assigned a boy teacher and is hysterical that she has a boy teacher, i told my girls they couldn’t be in the same class bc siblings can’t be in the same class and guess what- they each have a set of twins in their class. The principal had also told me that they put twins in classrooms on the same hallway in kindergarten and they also aren’t on the same hallway. Last year in prek they were in separate classes but it was their second year at that school and the classrooms were two doors down. Help!
anon says
First off, deep breath, it will all be okay! Telling them that siblings can’t be in the same class was probably a mistake, because unless it’s a school policy most parents seem to ask for their K twins to be together. (We separate ours for Reasons, but last year both the other sets of K twins in their grade were together, as were all twins in 1st and 2nd.) Mine were nervous about being separated for the first time when they started preK-4, but were totally fine after day 1 and it really didn’t matter at all that they had adjoining classrooms vs ones down the hall from each other. That was covid times, too, so they didn’t even get to see each other during lunch or recess. Do you know how that works at your school? For K last year mine had to sit at tables by class (but could see or talk to each other and would swap lunchboxes when we accidentally mixed them up) and got to play together during recess. Telling them ahead of time that they would get a chance to connect once a day made them happy/less nervous about starting a new school, even if they didn’t always choose to seek each other out.
We did have feelings this summer when they were in separate groups at camp and one twin was with 4 mutual friends and the other with none, but again all the distress was before camp started, and once they were actually there both had a great time.
Honestly, I love how this works out. Each kid gets to be their own person at school, their classmates know them as individuals rather than “one of the identical twins”, and because they’re not usually together they are delighted when their classes combine for some reason, rather than fighting because they’re sick of being together.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Hi! So I think we’re on a similar timeline – DS #1 starts K on Monday, and we go to meet the teacher today.
I found out in 2nd grade I had a male teacher and was hysterical. I went on and on about how this could NOT BE A THING. It ended up fine? Maybe good? And more importantly, I’ve never thought of teaching/education as a female-only profession, in part because of seeing that so early on.
Regarding the other items – based on what I hear from friends and read here – it seems like public school tends to have a lot of inconsistencies generally like what you wrote, especially in the first few weeks of the year. Unless you’re concerned about actual safety or something about the teacher, I would not advocate to move them.
I’m not sure if this applies to you, so feel free to ignore. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about. Please note that I am a huge proponent of public schools, am a product of them, and think that we as a society and my state criminally underfunds this resource…but the reality is, in most places in the US, we have to stay on top of what is happening at the school in a way private pre-school/daycare can be on autopilot. I’ve had educator friends tell me this and have already seen it to be true. Right now our school district is in the news everyday, they just updated the school calendar (yes, 2 days before the year starts…) — the joys of being part of one of the largest school districts in the U.S. that is historically “blue” in a red state…
Anon says
We’re only a month into kindergarten, so I’m not an expert in public schools, but so far I feel like our public schools are much better run than our (pricey and well-regarded) daycare. The parent communication has also been much better and I generally have more confidence in the teachers and way more confidence in the principal vs. our daycare director, who seemed to have no spine and was pushed around by the most powerful parents. Just some anecdata the other way.
Clementine says
This is my experience too. Also, with behavior issues at daycare it was very much a ‘this is what’s happening and you need to fix it’ while issues at school are a ‘you know your child best but we think X,Y, and Z will help.’
Relevant to this: I live in a state where starting teachers in my district make decent money and my district spends double the annual average per student. They’re professionals and supported by their admin and the parents in the school generally (I’ll note that teacher friends have commented it’s a really good district to work in which I think is important).
Anon says
Oh yes the behavior thing is another big difference. Daycare teachers seem to have much less tolerance for normal annoying preschooler behavior like not sitting still and being too loud, and are more likely to involve the parents in minor problems. We got a LOT of complaints from daycare about my kid’s behavior as recently as last month. When I recently asked the K teacher if there were any behavioral problems she looked at me I had two heads and said my kid is an angel. I know my kid has not changed that much in such a short amount of time, so I can only chalk it up to more reasonable teacher expectations and being more hands-off about any mild bad behavior. (And to be clear, we really did love our daycare and the teachers. I’ve just been really pleasantly surprised by elementary school so far.)
We live in a state that pays teachers terribly, but our district is one of the best in the state and jobs here are definitely coveted. I’m not naive enough to think all public schools are as good as ours, but good ones exist.
Anonymous says
The behavior thing is actually a huge problem. In public school, rude and even violent behavior are tolerated, to the detriment of the rest of the class. See the post below about the kid making threatening statements!
Anon says
Well, certainly violent behavior is different, that’s not what I’m talking about. And I’m not saying that rude behavior is ignored, but that it’s handled by the teacher without involving the parents, which I think is preferable. I personally think it’s really excessive for daycare to be involving the parents every time a 4 year old talks out of turn or doesn’t sit still, because for most kids this is still very typical, developmentally appropriate behavior and there’s not much for the parents to do about in-school behavior.
OP says
Are you also in HISD?
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Yes, probably gave too much away there…
Anonymous says
Eh at least my public school teachers all have teaching certificates and professional development requirements. Unlike private school.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
Good point.
Anon says
Are you being negative about the male teacher? It’s hard for me to imagine a 5 year old noticing or caring about their teacher’s gender. But either way this is the kind of thing your kid will adapt to and will ultimately be good.
In our district twin parents choose if they want same or different class and most parents seem to choose the same class, so this also doesn’t surprise me. But if it’s anything like our school they will be able to see each other at lunch and recess so maybe not such a big deal.
OP says
I said nothing about a male teacher. This past week leading up to finding out teachers twin B cried every night that she didn’t want a male teacher and I said that we don’t know yet who their teacher will be, but I’ve heard all the K teachers are really good and that we don’t get to choose, but they are all really nice …twin A is the one who got the male teacher (i actually don’t know if twin B would’ve been able to handle it). Regarding the same class – yes i realize now i shouldn’t have said that, but the principal had also told me that when parents request twins are separate they don’t group them with other twins (at least in K), since it’s hard for them to understand. The hallway thing is a comfort thing to them and a practical thing for me- if all K classes are having something at 1pm, it’s much easier to go back and forth if the classes are closer together.
Anonymous says
I don’t see how the principal could promise you that there wouldn’t be other twin pairs in their classes. The logistics of that seem unmanageable. That was a poor choice on the principal’s part.
Anon says
Our district does the same thing, so I don’t think it’s impossible, but it’s disappointing they promised this and then didn’t honor it.
Anonymous says
Huh, that’s interesting. As a twin parent who separates their kids, I’ve never been promised that there won’t be other twins together in their classes. (And honestly, I care much more about if my kids are with teachers that are a good fit or not with the kids that gang up on them, rather than if there are other twins in the class.)
Anon2 says
Gently, I think you’re overthinking the practicality question. Obviously this varies a lot by districts, but my kids’ K year I went into their classrooms for a school event exactly twice: once for K orientation (where we had 2 parents because we wanted to get all the info from each class) and once for K graduation (where we again had 2 parents, but walked between classes at various points and it was a non-issue).
Anon says
+1 yes, we’re new K-ers and this has been a huge adjustment. I’ve been in the classroom once (for meet the teacher) and have only spoken to the teacher one other time outside of that. It’s so different than daycare; you won’t be spending much time in the classrooms or with the teacher(s) at all.
Anonymous says
On the issue of other twins’ being together, I would just be honest and say that you are very surprised and reiterate that you think it is best for siblings to be in separate classes so you are happy with your girls’ placements.
In general, twins or not, everything seems like a big huge deal to first-time public school parents. I remember having a sobbing meltdown and telling my husband we needed to homeschool over some asinine policy we got a letter about on the first day of public school. Breathe deeply, continue reassuring your kids that they just need to take time to get used to the new situation and teachers, and trust that everyone will feel better in a few weeks.
Anon says
I might be clueless, but does it make a practical difference if their classes are located in different hallways? I think the boy teacher factor will also become a non-issue once school starts. Kids hate change but they adjust.
OP says
My daughter who has the male teacher has potty accidents when anxious and i don’t think she’s going to be as comfortable telling a male teacher and of course she’s in the class with the bathroom across the hall rather than in the classroom
Anon says
If they haven’t started yet, any chance you could try to just get her moved to the class with her other twin? Maybe it’s too late, but it seems like that would help with all of the concerns here.
Anon says
Are you a twin parent? Generally the advice is to separate them
Anon says
I’m not Anon at 11:18 but I thought the advice these days was to keep twins together. Our district asks parents what they want, and does what they wish, but almost everyone opts to keep them together. My daughter has six (!) sets of twins in her grade and one set of triplets, and I believe all of them are in the same class. A good friend has twins and has always requested them together.
Anon says
Twin parent here — the advice is to do what’s best for your kids. Some kids do better together (and together is certainly easier for parent logistics), but some kids (mine!) are way happier and more successful when separated.
Anonymous says
If OP originally wanted her kids separated I think she should trust her decision and stick with it. The beginning of K is very emotional for some parents and she shouldn’t let that cloud her judgment.
anonM says
Just commiserating. I’m very nervous about my son starting kindergarten, and any little hiccup (like power outage leading to cancellation of “meet the teacher”) just adds to that. And, mine aren’t twins but still, little sister is VERY upset they won’t be in the same school. It’s hard to see our kids upset. I feel you on this.
Kelly says
Hi — I’m late to this. But could you reach out to the male teacher and see if you could bring in your twin to meet him and get familiar with the classroom before the first day of school? On that visit, you could also try out the across-the-hall bathroom and ask the teacher about bathroom policies (in front of your twin, just to normalize talking about going to the bathroom and show that the teacher will be “grown up” about it). Maybe also tell the teacher by email that he should be aware that your kid is shy about asking to use the bathroom, so that he can be on the lookout for signs she may have to go.
Anon says
Snowplow parenting. Chill out. Take a step back and breathe.
Clementine says
Anyone else feel like they’re just hurtling to the end of summer and aren’t ready for all the changes that are happening in the next couple weeks?
On the heels of an amazing family vacation, we are now back and I’m realizing that in less than 2 weeks: my kids are going to be in school with the middle one starting at a new school, our (beloved) au pair is going back to her home country, our new au pair is coming, we’re jumping into all of the activities, and summer will be ending (sob).
So speed round of questions: So far, we have gotten our au pair an engraved keychain, printed out a nice photo of her and the kids, and will be giving a nice note and some $$$. Do I need to do anything else for her? We’ve adored her and she has described this as ‘one of the best experiences of her life’.
Second – how many pairs of shoes do my kids need (you’d think I have this down by now). For a long time, I did one pair of sneakers, one pair of boots, and one pair that ‘could get away with being dressy if we need to’ pair. But now… should I just get my daughter sneakers AND ankle boots AND Mary Janes?
Third – can somebody tell my oldest to stop with the growth spurt? In a year he has grown almost 6 inches and has gone from a little kid to this lanky little man. He’s now a full head taller than most of his friends but what’s remarkable is that he was a small toddler and preschooler so to see him towering over kids who used to tower over him is… shocking… but also all his pants look like flood pants, so…
Anon says
We’ve been back in school for several weeks so summer has been over for a while here :)
For shoes, we just did one pair of sneakers for the longest time (plus Crocs for beach trips), although recently we added a pair of slip-on shoes that she wears on non-PE days (PE requires sneakers). My kid has never owned dress shoes, but we don’t go to church which I feel like is the main place kids need dressy shoes.
And I feel you on the growing! My kid has always been tall but in the last year has gone from being like 85th/90th percentile (so, tall but not TALL) to being 98th/99th percentile. I’m nearly 6′ so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise but I actually wasn’t that tall as a kid, I just kept growing and growing long after other girls stopped.
Anonymous says
We didn’t attend church when our daughter was little but she always needed to have a couple of fancy dresses and dress shoes for piano recitals, concerts, plays, the ballet, brunch at the grandparents’ country club, etc. etc. Around here many kids just wear sneakers to church.
I always like them to have two pairs of school shoes in case one pair gets wet or muddy and needs to dry. And you are not going to spoil your daughter if you let her have both fashion boots and Mary Janes. The main thing is to be sure she likes and will actually wear both pairs.
Anon says
That’s interesting – I would have thought of all of those things you listed as less formal than church, except maybe the country club. In my area you regularly see even adults in jeans and sneakers at the theater, but that strikes me as very unusual church attire for an adult. But I’m not Christian, so maybe I’m off base about that.
Anonymous says
We are in the upper SEUS. Adults dress up a little for church but kids are either in full-on smocked dresses with giant hair bows or shorts and sneakers, nothing in between. And little boys never wear dress shoes, even with suits, unless they are ringbearers in a wedding. Some people do wear jeans to the theater but many still do dress up, especially the bougie type who bring young kids.
AwayEmily says
My children are 18mo, 5, and 7 and none of them have ever had/needed dress shoes. Like you, we do three shoes: Crocs, Bogs, and sneaks.
Mary Moo Cow says
Commiseration on number 3! My almost 6 year old is as tall as her 8 year old sister so no more hand-me-downs! Photos of 6 year old next to her friends make me giggle (she also seems to gravitate toward the shorter kids?) I had to emergency buy new uniform skirts and cross my fingers they were long enough the week before school started!
Second: I’ve really relaxed on shoes as my kids get older — see above, growth spurts! I now buy one pair of uniform tennis shoes, one pair of fun/casual tennis shoes, and one pair of dressy shoes only if they want them in the fall. Then when the weather gets colder, a pair of boots that will fit them THEN, and in the spring/summer, a pair of sandals that will fit THEN, and new tennis shoes if they are warranted. So, 3, but I don’t buy them all at the same time.
First, I think your gifts sound find, but I would look ahead and see what you can do to commit to staying in touch. Maybe set up a FaceTime for two weeks after she leaves? Get it on the calendar now and you are more likely to commit and make it a practice if it goes well. Good luck with the new au pair!
TheElms says
On kid shoes, kid is 4 and her feet still grow fast so we are lucky if we make it 6 months in a size. We plan for 3 pair at a time: (1) everyday sneakers, (2) crocs in the summer, bog boots in the winter, and (3) 1 pair of nicer shoes which has been ankle boots or mary janes depending on the season. And then inevitably stuff comes up so we end up with a few extra pairs. One camp wouldn’t allow crocs but required water shoes so we have water shoes, and in the winter preschool wanted “indoor sneakers” to stay at school to cut down on mud being tracked all over the rug, so we had those.
Covid exclusion time says
What are your school/daycare’s covid policies these days? We’ve been hit, ugh! and I’m wondering what the norm is these days. (Obviously checking on specifics but just curious to know how it compares.)
Anon says
Daycare follows the CDC: stay home for 5 days from positive test, then they can go back but have to wear a mask for another 5 days. I’m not sure what they do about children under 2 who can’t wear a mask; I think they may have to stay home for 10 days. Also the policies are different for unvaccinated kids.
For public school I’m pretty sure it’s just symptom-based and you can attend once you’re fever and vomit free for 24 hours. My kids never ran a fever or vomited with Covid, so I guess they could have attended the whole time, but we kept them home for 5 days, then sent back with a mask.
Anon says
Our daycare is the same as this, but I haven’t heard of a Covid case since January, which makes me suspect most parents are just following symptoms-based guidance instead of the specific Covid guidance.
OP says
Yeah, our daycare seemed a little surprised that we told them about it. Kiddo had a sudden fever and we learned we’d been exposed, so not testing seemed like sticking our head in the sand. But now that the kids are back to normal and we’re still stuck at home, I admit there is a small part of me that wishes we had just chosen that approach.
Anon says
How many parents will actually test? My friend won’t test her kid even when he’s had confirmed exposure and she says no one else in her area is either. The one time she did (2 years ago) and got a bold line within seconds, she put DS on a plane unmasked on day 3 anyway. That was a trying time in our relationship.
Anon says
I think with the public testing places being shut down and the end of free home tests (ugh), it’s harder to access testing. But until this spring, most people I knew were still testing pretty regularly after exposure or when they had symptoms, and definitely would not have gone out in public with a Covid positive kid.
Anonymous says
Around here the trend seems to be don’t test, don’t tell. The school doesn’t want you testing.
Anonymous says
Our public school has no exclusion or masking policy and instead demands that kids with COVID return after 5 days no matter what because “the CDC says it’s safe.” In some cases this conflicts with their general “fever-free” policy. Madness.
Anonymous says
They demand their return even if still too sick to be at school?!?
Anonymous says
In at least one case I know of, yes.
Anon says
That seems like a violation of the ADA.
Anon says
Ok, so yesterday my 3rd grader told me that a boy in her class told another kid that he had a gun in his backpack. (Per my kid, based on what she heard from the other kid), the other kid told the teacher and the boy was suspended for the rest of the week. Again, per my kid, this boy is a constant troublemaker in class.
I’m sure this was nothing -just a kid making up stories to get attention. But I sent an email to the teacher to make sure that was roughly her understanding. (I also made a big deal to tell my kid that this other kid was right to tell the teacher and she should do the same if she ever hears of something like that.) I know they’re not allowed to share disciplinary information, but how much are we entitled to know here? I highly doubt this boy really had a gun, but if he did, I would certainly want to know and know he wouldn’t be coming back. Anything else I could do or ask?
Anonymous says
I would be going straight to the principal here. The school should have sent out an e-mail that described the situation and their response without naming the student. I would also be demanding that my child be moved to a different class for safety reasons since this kid seems to be trouble in general.
Administrator says
Yes, in any district I know of, a letter/email home assuring parents of precautions being taken would be SOP. Reach out to the principal.
Anonymous says
you aren’t entitled to know anything.
Anonymous says
And this is the problem with public school discipline. There should not be an issue with disclosing safety information to parents as long as the perpetrator’s name is not revealed. This is how we end up with tragedies. The “rights” of dangerous and violent children are prioritized over the rights and safety of the rest. My friend who teaches special education says the kids are so indoctrinated that non-special ed girls in her classes think they have to allow boys with special needs to touch them because “they can’t help it.” In our elementary school, kids are allowed to throw chairs without consequences. Another teacher friend sent a middle school kid to the office for attacking another student and he was sent right back to class with a new fidget toy. It is disgusting.
Anon says
Wtf!!! Are the parents of girls aware that this is happening?
Anonymous says
I dunno, but my friend tells her students to stop tolerating it.
AwayEmily says
It sounds like your school is not very well run — I’m sorry to hear that. But I think it’s a huge jump to say that this is a problem with ALL public schools. My daughter has been in the inclusive classroom for three years and has nothing but positive experiences — yes, there are kids who struggle and are disruptive and their aides/teachers work out strategies for dealing with it. My kid has not ever felt unsafe and I am in awe of how the team in her classroom has worked to deal with some really challenging kids. I’m sure there are plenty of classrooms where this is not the case, but I don’t think public school discipline is either broken or perfect. It’s variable and a work in progress, and I’m sure the same is true for private school.
Anon says
+1 to all this
Anonymous says
+2. In my area the inclusive classrooms and schools with all inclusive classrooms are often prized because they have 2 teachers instead of 1.
My husband is a public HS teacher and I am 100% aware that public schools are far from perfect. But unlike private schools, they have a legal responsibility to meet the needs of ALL students, and they are asked to do it with far less funding (which translates into staff) on a per student basis than private schools generally are. This is the root of a lot of problems. If we are unwilling to fund schools adequately, we’re not going to get good results.
Anonymous says
The issue is that the schools think they only have a legal responsibility to meet the needs of students with deficits, at the expense of the other kids.
Administrator says
The touching is a violation of Title IX and the school is opening itself up to a world of legal problems if what you’re saying is what is actually happening. I have worked in districts with issues, but your anecdotes don’t align at all with my experiences in public education.
Anonymous says
It more like touching on the arm or shoulder, not groping. But all sorts of stuff goes on in schools that administrators don’t want to admit happens.
Anonymous says
You think Title IX actually means anything in the trenches? Tell that to my daughter and her classmates who were ranked on social media in order of hotness by the boys in their elite academic program. Or 15-year-old me who was harassed in gym class with the most unbelievably dirty talk.
anon says
I think the school should should send a message when there is a significant threat–if it was serious enough a boy was suspended, it was serious enough for a note home. At the very least, parents should be reminded to check and secure any firearms at home and made aware so that they can talk to their kids.
We had a similar instance in our school last year with a 3rd grader and the principal almost lost her job for being too casual about it. Gun threats need to be taken seriously.
Anonymous says
Our school district tries to cover up these incidents and will only send out vaguely worded e-mails saying “we want to assure you that your child is safe at school.” This only fans the flames of rumors among students and parents. It’s going to backfire on them in a big way one of these days.
Anonymous says
You go immediately to the principal, and if they are not responsive, you go to the superintendent. Remember the teacher who was shot by her own student last year? That school ignored all the warning signs. Schools need to be on top of these issues, even if there’s no actual gun in this particular instance.
AwayEmily says
We had a very similar incident in our school last year. The whole school got an explanation of what happened (via our school app as well as a letter in the mail), and the principal held a Q&A about it at the monthly PTO meeting where people could ask any follow-up questions.
Anonymous says
I would go to the principal and would refuse to send my child to school until the other child was permanently removed from the class, preferably the school. You don’t mess around with gun threats.
Anon says
Hopefully a fun question– we have a week and half preschool break during Passover at the end of April next year and are considering doing a trip with our toddler. We have not done any trips with him except the beach and some weekend trips. DH will be 3. I may be pregnant. We will be coming from a major city in the SEUS that has direct flights to most major cities. Pre-kids we really enjoyed traveling and hiking but realize this would be a more kid-oriented trip. Does anyone have any thoughts/advice on these options I’m considering?
— San Diego– I have family in Orange County and visited the area a lot as a kid to see family.
— Yosemite– Have been interested in going– not sure what weather looks like in April.
— Olympic National Park/Seattle– Don’t know a lot about this NP, but it looks interesting. We have a close friend who will have a new baby by April that we would visit.
— Smokies– This would be driving distance for us. I’ve actually never been into the park but have done Gatlinburg, etc. several times. So this seems less exciting but might make sense for this trip?
— Europe– probably Southern Spain– I have been to this area before but am a little skittish about this trip as we have not traveled that much with our kid, and we have a decent amount of trip options that seem easier/domestic.
NYCer says
I would do San Diego / OC as long as you’re not dead set on pool or beach weather as temps in southern CA can be variable at that time of year. Definitely a very kid friendly destination, but also nice hotels and good food.
I am admittedly not a fan of national parks vacations with such young kids, but I know others here are more rugged than I am.
Anon says
OP: No– this would not be a beach trip. We likely would be going on a true beach trip that summer. Growing up, we normally visited family in California over spring break, so I remember the weather being nice at that time of year and sometimes getting a beach day in (not getting in the ocean, mostly playing with sand and rocks). But I also get how fickle the weather is in CA vs. say Florida.
Anonymous says
April is way too early in the year for Yosemite. A lot of roads will be closed for snow.
Anon says
As someone who just took a trip to San Diego with a train up to Anaheim and a day at Disneyland… 1000/10 with kiddos. It was amazing and incredible and a day at Disneyland beats out a week at Disney World when you have small kids.
San Diego was fantastic with kids, the airport is easy to navigate, the weather will be perfect. We skipped the zoo but enjoyed Balboa Park (highly recommend a drink and app for adults and a lunch for the kids at the Museum’s sculpture garden restaurant), the waterfront, and the beach. Train up the coast was beautiful and then we stayed at a Marriott across the street from Disneyland and it was spectacular. My kids loved it, the adults loved it.
Anon says
Legoland is another option that’s much closer to San Diego and probably more manageable with a 3 year old. I haven’t been to the Legoland in CA but took a preschooler to the one in FL and it was a huge hit and I think she got a lot more out of the experience than she would have at Disney. That’s probably kid-dependent to some degree though.
NYCer says
I would do Legoland over Disneyland with a 3 year old too. And definitely the zoo!
Anonymous says
you skipped the zoo? It’s the best in
The world such a shame
Anon says
Anon at 12:17 on this – one of my kids is weirdly terrified of monkeys. A prior trip to the zoo (another world renowned zoo, fwiw) resulted in 6 months of nightmares about ‘the monkey gonna come get them’. So, ymmv but we are glad we skipped the zoo.
Anon says
Aww! No judgment from me. The SD zoo is very nice but I’m not a zoo person in general. I know it’s not as bad as Sea World but I don’t like seeing animals in captivity.
Anon says
Yeah, April is way too early for Yosemite. That’s still winter there. I’m also not a fan of national parks with little kids, although the main thing I like to do in national parks is hike and we never mastered the hiking carrier. If you want to keep it domestic, my vote would be for San Diego and the OC.
I vote for southern Spain of the options you listed though. I’m biased because Seville was our spring break trip this year (with a 5 year old) but I LOVED it and thought it was a very easy place to travel with young kids. Small European cities are my favorite for travel with kids in general – you don’t feel like you’re missing anything by traveling at a slow, kid-friendly pace, but you can still soak up lots of history, culture and good food so the trip isn’t just about kid stuff. And gelato every day keeps everyone happy :) You can also add in time on the Algarve coast, which is closer to Seville than Lisbon, and would probably be great for swimming by late April (we visited in mid-March and didn’t go in the water, but did a lot of playing on the beach).
Anonymous says
We did Yosemite with a 6-year-old who was able to go on pretty big hikes and really appreciate and remember the experience. Any younger would not have been nearly so much fun. And yes April is still winter.
Anon says
I’m not someone who believes kids have to remember trips – it’s worth making memories for the parents – but agreed that 5-6 is the turning point when kids start to be able to do real hikes and outdoorsy vacations get a lot more fun.
Anon says
I’d do either San Diego or Spain.
ATLien says
San Diego, Spain, or Greece!
Anon says
I love Greece, but April is a little early for the islands and I think Athens has so much incredible history it’s better saved for older kids.
FVNC says
Agree with the others — San Diego or Spain.
Olympic National Park is one of my favorite places, but April likely will still be jackets, hat and glove weather, and you’d likely rain all or part of every day. For slightly older kids it’s a great NP vacation — tidal pools, rain forests, waterfalls — but not the best choice with a toddler IMO.
Anonymous says
April is the perfect time for San Diego. Also good weather for Disneyland (which is far superior to Disney World), but it will be crowded at spring break.
Anon says
Late April isn’t really spring break time though – a lot of the Midwest has spring break in March, and I thought in the other areas it was often early-mid April. And to the extent some schools align spring break with Easter, Easter is really early next year and nowhere near Passover. I mean, I’m sure Disney is crowded year round but I wouldn’t expect the last week of April to be a particularly crazy time, especially when Easter is nowhere nearby.
Anonymom says
Seconded this. We did a family trip to San Diego (from the Bay Area) combined with Disneyland, and it was terrific. California schools (and I believe most West Coast schools) have spring break earlier, in late March or early April. So while there may be crowds, you wouldn’t be coming at peak spring break time locally.
Anonymous says
We did part of OlympicNP in April and really enjoyed it but I think you would enjoy it more with older kids or in the summer – the part sites are fairly far apart and far from the airport (lots of driving) and the weather can be pretty chilly and rainy in April. The weather is better in Victoria BC, which we really enjoyed as well.
We always travel during April break and in your shoes I would also consider Arizona. San Diego or Europe also sound wonderful.
Anon says
Arizona is a good idea too. We did Phoenix/Scottsdale with a preschooler and had a lovely time. We went in January (from the Chicago area) so it was a lovely warm weather escape for us, but not really pool weather. April would probably be great though…maybe even too hot by then. There’s a lot of stuff in that area that’s great for preschool age kids.
Isabella says
I know Olympic peninsula and Seattle well. It will be wet wet wet in April, but it’s always wet, that’s part of the attraction. Also don’t expect to swim much at the beaches, there is too much surf and it’s much too cold. As someone else mentioned, the driving distances are significant (that’s the western USA for you).
However, in spite of those negatives, I think it’s an amazing place to travel with little kids. The natural scenery is perfectly balanced between beauty that grown-ups appreciate and the dynamism that fascinates little kids. You can build driftwood forts and touch creepy-crawlies in tidepools. You can hike easy trails in a fairy forest of moss or to a rapidly vanishing glacier. There are also some indoor sights worth a visit, like the Port Townsend Marine Science Center and the Makah Cultural Center.
Anonymous says
I posted above about having gone to the area in April, and one thing we discovered is that a number of sites, including the Marine Science Center if I am remembering correctly, had pretty limited hours at that time of year, like only on weekends. We stayed in Port Townsend and it seemed like it would be a lot more fun in the summer. YMMV of course.
Anonymous says
I wouldn’t plan an international trip or a national park trip if you are also planning a pregnancy.
Anon says
I think that’s silly. She has no idea if she’ll get pregnant quickly and lots of people feel fine to travel internationally during pregnancy. As long as you don’t book a non-refundable hotel, you won’t be out any money if you need to postpone the trip since plane tickets can all be turned into airline credit without any fees these days. And I think not booking non-refundable hotels is a good tip with kids in general, regardless of whether or not you’re planning a pregnancy, because kids get sick so much.
Anon says
OP: Right– any time we’ve booked something non-refundable with our kid, we’ve had to cancel. I hiked quite a bit during the second trimester of my last pregnancy, and I don’t want to not plan a trip and then not be pregnant, etc. (The prenatal care in Spain is also probably better than that available in my SEUS state.) I don’t think I had realized Olympic NP was so remote though, so that’s off the list!
Vicky Austin says
Family photo outfit help! We want to do a fall shoot for our anniversary in October. I feel like it’s been said here before to nail down Mom’s outfit and fit everyone else around that, so please dress me for a cute fall family photo session? I’m somewhere between rectangle and pear.
Anonymous says
Belted blazers are the new trend that I’m here for! I would do something like that with a slip skirt or pleated skirt.
Mary Moo Cow says
My fall family outfits from the past: navy wrap dress with hot pink scarf, daughter in pink dress, husband in blue oxford; me in black cashmere turtleneck and nice jeans and leopard flats, daughters in magenta dresses and green leggings, don’t remember what DH wore; me in cream sweater, black coat, jeans, leopard flats, girls in matching cream and gold star printed tops and leggings, DH in black and white check shirt and black coat; me in purple, pink, and teal dress, one daughter in pink tie-dye t-shirt and yellow skirt and yellow crocs, other daughter in mint green summer dress with pink uggs, DH in oxford and jeans. If your climate is like mine, October can be 90 or 50, so I plan two outfits and choose closer to the day of. I always feel confident in black and jeans. I agree to plan around your look, and think about what you are most comfortable in: dresses, pants, jeans? Solid colors can be a nice base to add fun and colorful accessories with. I usually pile on the jewelry.
Anon says
My photographer swears women look best in long dresses, but I don’t wear one because I want to look like myself and I don’t wear those in real life. I normally do dark jeans and a solid color sweater. It’s flattering and while it’s not a current look, it’s also not one that gets dated quickly. I’m also in an area where October can be 50 or 90, trending toward the latter recently, so it’s typically a pretty light sweater.
Anon says
Adding that we do our photos against a fall foliage backdrop, so I think a summer-y dress would like kind of jarring, even if it was weather appropriate. I’d rather sweat a bit doing the photos and have our clothes look more appropriate for the red and orange trees in the background :)
Anon says
Those of you with elementary age kids home with you or a nanny after school, what do they do in bad weather? Long story short, we’re very unhappy with our kindergartner’s aftercare program and since we don’t need the childcare we’re probably going to quit. I expect to spend most of the fall at the neighborhood park, but we’re in the Midwest and have a solid 3-4 months where it’s pretty unpleasant to be outside. It seems like in my area most activities are on the evenings and weekends, not right after school, but I don’t think organized activities are what I’m really looking for anyway. What I want is ways to get unstructured play time with peers (which is the whole reason we signed up for aftercare in the first place, but unfortunately it turned out to be too structured and rigid). The only things I can really think of are trampolines and indoor playgrounds, but I know there must be other options.
Anonymous says
Play inside, read books.
NYCer says
Do you have a children’s museum or other museum close by? Otherwise, indoor playdates with other friends at home are also a good option. I also think some sort of active class (dance, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, etc.) one day a week is a good idea in the winter.
Anon says
My kid is not very enthusiastic to do much after school, dragging her feet on going to the park, library, or running errands with me. I would lean into play dates or sign up for an activity at least 1-2 days a week.
OP says
So far she’s been very happy going to the park or library with me, just trying it think ahead to the colder months. She comes home with way more energy than I expected. I’m the one who needs an early bedtime!
We do try to set up play dates but it’s tough in this window of time because a lot of kids we know do aftercare or language school between school and dinner and the kids are young enough that play dates after dinner don’t really work.
Anon says
Have you looked into community center options? Our community center has 1/2 hr swim lessons on Tuesday evenings. Each session only runs for 8 weeks at a time. It’s a great way to get energy out in the winter but also feels productive for learning water safety.
Anonymous says
Rain coat, pants, boots.
Anonymous says
This. As a Canadian I am confused by the notion of not going outside if it is wet or snowy. Rain boots, waterproof (not just water resistant) lined pants and coat. Mud/snow kitchen set up in yard.
We have a less expensive snow suit (like Carters) for late fall/early winter when it might get messy or torn climbing trees or playing and a one piece warmer suit (MEC or Burton or Helly Hansen) for skiing/snow day play. Columbia has fantastic value in waterproof snowpants. I like the North Face warm storm coat as well. Snow boots with removable liners.
OP says
It’s more just that in bad weather there won’t be any kids at the park for her to play with. It’s also not my idea of fun to be out in really cold weather, so while I’d never stop her from playing outside if she asked, it’s not something I’m going to initiate. I know others feel differently, to each their own!
Anonymous says
Is YMCA or Indoor swimming an option?
DLC says
Can you pick up a friend after school or arrange that they come home with your kid?
We get off work in time to meet the bus, while our neighbor does not, so we pick up both kids and they hang out at our house for an hour or so until their parents get off work. They get free aftercare, I get someone to amuse my child while I make dinner. It works pretty well for us.
Anonymous says
Child watch at the YMCA while you work out, take a yoga class, whatever. At least at our YMCA the kids seem to be as old as 7 or 8.
Anonymous says
We live in MA. In winter, my kids do winter sports- basketball, skiing, swimming. They also have dance.
When we do lay dates, the kids will lay outside in snow/winter gear, play in our garage (usually ~50 degrees), or play inside- games, crafts, etc.