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Summer has done a number on my hair — a combination of the sun’s rays and pool chlorine, along with postponed haircuts, have left my hair parched.
About once a week, I use this deep conditioning treatment from Herbal Essences — it smooths and softens my hair without weighing it down and is sulfate free, paraben free, and cruelty free. Its ingredients also include “real botanicals,” and it’s “90% natural-origin.” On top of that, it’s safe for color and great for those with curly hair as well.
I can also attest to its refreshing, summery scent of coconut, floral, and citrus.
The hair mask is $5.99 at Target. It also comes in coconut milk and aloe.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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
Mostly just a vent-
My 9yo niece got covid from school. Not sure if she was wearing a mask or not. I would guess not based on what I know about the rural red state area they live in. She seems to be recovering well from a cough and gastro issues, but they also have a 7yo and a newborn. To make matters worse, my brother and his wife aren’t vaccinated by choice. He and I have gotten into several arguments about it especially after the baby’s arrival. Our parents have also tried to convince him to get vaccinated. There wasn’t much to be done about the big kids other than mask wearing, but they could have protected themselves and their baby better. Trying to temper my rage at him and concern for their family.
Realist says
That sounds really frustrating. I hope everyone recovers fine and that they see the light to make better choices in the future.
Anonymous says
I sort of get the “mah freedums” crowd at its core, but then I laugh when it seems like it’s only “mah freedums” to not get COVID vaxed or wear masks. Like these people still drive on the right side of the road and probably got their kids all of their other mandatory shots for school (and would get a tenanus shot at the ER if they got a burn or puncture wound), no? And wear their seatbelts? There is freedom (see: Bill of Rights; c.f., situation in Afghanistan) and then there is “I have no context and am just selective and content to be in the control group.”
EDAnon says
That is so scary and hard. I am sorry. I have family that just makes terrible decisions that I cannot do anything about. I feel for you!
Unpopular opinion says
I don’t know how this is going to go over, but here goes:
I hear your frustration. Gently, it’s his family and they have to deal with the repercussions. I think, at some point, letting go of this kind of rage at others’ choices (no matter how dumb and reverberating they may be) might be the best course of action. They have to deal with the consequences, and live with them. Holding onto rage about others’ choices just makes the rage unhealthy. Keep undertaking protective actions for you and your household, and get the boosters when it’s your turn.
anon says
I could easily be in the same situation as the OP, and this is where I’ve landed, after a lot of thought. I can’t care more about their family than they do, you know? I hate it and wish it were different, but I can’t feel at peace if I’m constantly railing about their choices.
I hope your niece gets better soon, OP.
Anonymous says
Not the original OP, but this would be fair advice if they were the only ones who were going to have to deal with the repercussions of their actions. They have no doubt exposed other people as well, including unvaccinated children who may or may not fair well. So I’m going to stay angry.
Unpopular opinion says
Then rage away. Your choice. Just like OP’s family choice (though, IME, a dumb one) to not vaccinate.
OP says
You are right that I need to let it go. I’ve made my opinion perfectly clear to him, and now he has to face the fallout from his choice. It doesn’t make it any easier to consider any of them becoming seriously ill/dying, even if it is their own “fault”.
I just really hope they are following CDC guidance regarding quarantine.
Anonymous says
Gently, it does NOT just affect their family. ICUs are filling up or are full across the country. When my kid can’t get into the ICU after a car accident because it is full of covid patients or less seriously when my kid’s school sends them home for an exposure because unvaccinated parents exposed their kids, it absolutely affects my family.
Vaccinations should be mandatory. It’s nuts that they are not. We had this debate about seatbelts and carseats a generation ago. We don’t let people drive in cars with their kids on their laps anymore. I don’t know why we let them stay unvaccinated.
Anonymous says
Yup. Unvaccinated eligible people should not be allowed in public. Kids over age 12 should not be allowed to attend school unless they are vaccinated.
Anon says
Ugh, I am drawing a blank on what to get my 3 year old for her birthday. I tend to be kind of a minimalist with toys and veer to a lot of dress up/creative toys (so we have tons of legos, magnatiles, blocks, etc.).
I asked her what she wants for her birthday and you know what she said? “Candles! Pink candles for my birthday!”
I’m thinking maybe a tea set? Maybe an apron (she loves baking and cooking with me)? Any other ideas? Do I just go Barbie and not look back?
Anon says
so for my 3 year old twins, the birthday highlight was the cake and balloon we got them. also gave them some pajamas and a hat. the grandparents do a lot of toys so i didn’t feel the need. depending on how big of a gift you want to do, a scooter or bike is a hit. my girls have personalized aprons with chef’s hats and they love them. also- if she doesn’t already have the melissa & doug birthday cake, that could be a hit – it has candles…
Anon says
Floor puzzles have been a hit for my 3 year old.
Anonymous says
Give her what she asked for! A cake with tons and tons of pink candles. Not just 3.
Redux says
This is what I would do. It might feel weird to you not to give her a”gift” but it will not feel weird to her– it will feel like she got exactly what she wanted.
(also why is Barbie the logical conclusion here? i don’t get that suggestion)
OP says
OP here – somebody asked me if she would like a Barbie and my response was, ‘Uh, I don’t know? maybe?’
My mother’s theory is that they’re the perfect size for a 3 or 4 or 5 year old to hold in their hand.
Anonymous says
If she has not expressed an interest in Barbie, I’d discourage people from buying one. Barbie’s hair tangles easily and she has a ton of tiny accessories that make a mess and are painful to step on.
anon says
Barbies are such a pain. So many little tiny accessories to keep track of, even for a slightly older kid. I’d hold off on that as long as possible.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Does she have a scooter? We’re going to get our little one a scooter and helmet for his upcoming 3rd birthday. Or a play kitchen?
ElisaR says
scooter! good idea. micro-mini was the right one for us.
OP says
Ooo. She does have a balance bike but gets frustrated because it doesn’t go as fast as her older brother’s bike. A scooter might be fun…
(She has a great helmet.)
CCLA says
My almost 3yo loves her micro mini and has been using it for over a year! But heads up our older DD was able to use the micro maxi around age 3.5. If I were buying new for a 3yo I’d check out the maxi too and consider buying that to get more longevity from it.
Anonymous says
If she wants to go faster – a three year old can move to a pedal bike. That would be a great gift.
Anonymous says
We got a lot of mileage out of a toy birthday cake set.
oil in houston says
I was going to suggest the exact same thing! my 6-year old still loves it
GCA says
Had this challenge with my just turned 3yo! I got her a tea set (she asked for ‘a tea party in a box’) and a few Calico Critters items to go with last year’s birthday gift from family (giant Calico Critters house!!). And we went blueberry picking. I think more dress-up and pretend-play items wouldn’t go amiss though – she likes tearing through the house bedecked in cape, mask, animal ears/ horns headbands, and brandishing a giant wooden sword that Grandpa handcrafted last Christmas.
OP says
I just looked up Calico Critters and they look perfect! She has a dollouse she loves to play with (currently living in there are a bunch of Matchbox cars) and she really likes cats and bunnies.
ElisaR says
at 3 there were 2 gifts that were a big hit for us.
1. spray bottles. just purchased online for regular use. they still play with them today 2 years later.
2. dress up clothes. i know you mentioned this but we got some melissa&doug ones and some random animal outfits again purchased online. still play with them.
Anonymous says
Yes – we did a costume box around that age for our twins. A mix of second hand halloween costumes from a thrift store, Melissa and Doug outfits and some funny animal hats from the dollar store plus a few costumes from ikea and superhero capes from amazon. Like maybe 15 ish costumes with a variety between animals, occupations (train conductor, doctor etc) and superhero stuff.
AnotherAnon says
My suggestions are: a balance bike, pretend food (Melissa and Doug cuttable food is a hit at our house), a play kitchen if you can get one off fb marketplace, a scooter, or a train set. But also I think you could just do pink candles and she would be thrilled.
Anonymous says
I had a kid ask for post-its for Christmas one year. I just wrapped up a shoe box sized box filled with all different kinds of post-its in different shapes and colors. You could do the same type of thing with pink candles.
OP says
Thank you all! Great ideas!
As a note, this girl could be the poster child of ‘kids like what they like’. We dress our kids in pretty neutral clothing, we strongly believe that there are no ‘boy toys’ and ‘girl toys’.
And this child… pink and sparkly. Dresses, particularly princess dresses 24/7. Drives her ‘babies’ around the house in a dump truck. Favorite dinosaur? “A pink dinosaur!’ She likes to wear two superhero capes – one on the front and one on the back – for optimal twirling. She’s honestly such a fun kid and it’s hilarious because I was never super girly and now I have a 3 year old trying to get me to wear a cocktail dress to work on a Thursday with sparkly eyeshadow.
‘
Anon says
help me figure out what to do in this scenario. we have a wonderful vaccinated nanny who has an 11 year old daughter. last year her daughter did virtual school, but this year she is supposed to do in-person school. if her daughter gets exposed at school, what do we do? do we have our nanny not come? and for how long? do we have her come and wear a mask? i should also note that we live in TX, where technically parents can send their exposed kids back to school, though our nanny doesn’t plan on doing that. if someone in her household tests positive, we obviously would not have her come, but how do we handle when someone in her household is exposed? the main goal is obviously everyone’s health and safety, but we also rely on her for childcare. on the flip side, my 3 year old twins just started school. their school has a lot of precautions – masks for all, plexiglass during lunch, etc. if their class has an exposure, do we have our nanny stay home? she asked us what we want to do and i have no idea
Anonymous says
If rapid testing is available, having the exposed people get tested (and stay home until they get a negative result) is probably the way to go.
Anonymous says
This doesn’t make sense to me, as COVID generally takes several days to develop (min 3 I think, 5 or more is safer for testing). Also, rapid tests aren’t very reliable, especially if you test too early. Even PCR tests are pretty unreliable if you test too early.
OP, if your nanny’s daughter gets exposed and needs to quarantine, will she be able to come anyway?
In NYC, the rule has been that only people who are direct contacts of someone who tests positive and who are unvaccinated need to quarantine. So for example, if Janey tests positive, her unvaccinated classmate Susie has to quarantine for 10 days, but Susie’s sibling Joe (who is in another class and not a close contact of Janey) can keep going to school unless Susie or one of Joe’s other close contacts tests positive or shows symptoms. I would probably adopt a similar policy in your shoes – nanny doesn’t need to quarantine if her daughter is exposed unless her daughter actually tests positive or shows symptoms. Same for keeping nanny away from your twins – if she is comfortable, she can continue to take care of them if they have been exposed as long as they are not showing symptoms or testing positive. Given how transmissible Delta is, I would not want her to have to take care of your kids if they actually test positive, even though she is vaccinated.
Anonymous says
I sort of disagree. rapid tests are not perfect, but they are immensely helpful. Our school district just announced they will do weekly testing and if a kid is identified as a close contact of a positive, they will be given a rapid test. If negative and asymptomatic they will be allowed to stay in school.
Understanding it is not perfect, I think it’s fine to use in addition to lack of symptoms.
Katala says
My 6 yo was exposed at his summer daycare class, tested negative in two rapid tests taken at home successive days. The next day we got him a PCR test that was positive. We now believe he had mild symptoms each day (there was a confirmed HFM case earlier that week, so we thought it could be that at first). I now do not trust rapid tests at all. Also totally over TX and it’s “the pandemics over” attitude.
Anon says
We have a vaccinnated nanny who has a vaccinnated 12 year old daughter. When either of them has been exposed, they get tested and nanny stays home until the negative PCR results come back. And we scramble to take care of our 10 month old and get our work done. It is what it is.
(If either my husband or I was exposed, we would do the same – tell nanny to stay home, get ourselves tested, and then nanny comes back after our negative PCR comes back).
We don’t make nanny take vacation or sick time for this, because Covid is a sh&t show.
Anon says
yes we of course would not make nanny take vacation or sick time. how do you decide when to test and whether enough days have passed since the exposure for the test?
Anonymous says
The CDC recommends that vaccinated people test 3 – 5 days after exposure:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
Anon says
yes, but the daughter would be the primary contact and she is unvaccinated. daughter might not test positive at all. and since she is unvaccinated, she has to wait 7-10 days to test. so does nanny wait to see if daughter tests negative on day 8, and then she doesn’t have to test. if daughter does test positive, then nanny waits 3-5 days to test, so she is out for like 11-13 days?
SBJ says
The daughter does not have to wait 7-10 days to test. Per the CDC: People who are not fully vaccinated should quarantine and be tested immediately after being identified, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.
Anon says
In my area, with a strong public health department, the nanny would not need to quarantine if the daughter was quarantining due to exposure. I might have the nanny wear a mask and give her a bunch of home test kits so she can test herself/her daughter more than just whatever PCR tests are recommended (here, I think the daughter would get PCR tests twice a week).
FVNC says
My daughter’s school just held a town hall saying that they would not require quarantine for “an exposure to an exposure”.
So in this case, if the 11 year old were exposed, your nanny (the exposure to an exposure) would not be required to quarantine. In practice, I don’t know if that’s helpful to you since she’d likely need to stay with her daughter and you probably wouldn’t want the daughter in your house unless/until she’d tested negative 3-5 days after the exposure.
Anonymous says
Does anyone have a link for the Boston University COVID projections mentioned in yesterday’s back-to-school thread? I searched and searched and couldn’t find anything.
Anonymous says
I can’t find anything from Boston University but I did find this preprint from North Carolina’s Covid modeling project. They project more than 75% infected with no control measures (over semester). About 50% infected with masks required (looking at the “low” chart for elementary age). Only about 20% infected with both masks and testing protocols (“low” chart, elementary age). But the authors assume a pretty low infective R for Delta (5.0 when other estimates put Delta at 6 to 9) and I’m not sure why the “low” chart assumes incoming protection of 30% for vaccines and prior infection when the article itself notes that only 10% of elementary students have previous infection, so it seems they overestimate protection for kids under 12. Maybe that includes vaccinated teachers in the elementary population for the “low” protection chart.
Preprint: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.10.21261726v1.full-text
North Carolina Modeling Project: https://covsim.hosted-wordpress.oit.ncsu.edu/school-level-modeling-results/
Anonymous says
It isn’t 80%, but a 1 in 5 risk of infection (20%) in elementary school even with the best precautions seems bad, right?
Anonymous says
Seems pretty bad to me.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
I thought the poster was speaking from a place of fear (which, I can’t blame them), as I also looked and couldn’t find where BU says that most kids will get the delta variant.
I’m not an Oster fangirl, but she caveats all of her current risk assessment on the fact that we still need more information and data on delta.
Anon says
I just need to vent. Being a working mom with a baby is really hard! I work in a fairly accommodating office but most of my peers are childless and management is at least 15 yrs removed from my life stage. I can’t help but feel like I have to work 2x as hard to prove my worth, feel bad for taking a sick day because my child is sick, or advocate for more WFH because I am a better employee when I don’t have to stress about public transit delays making me late to pickup from daycare.
Is the trick to just carry on with my life and not feel bad? Fwiw it’s a new job and so they don’t know me pre-baby.
Anon says
so i think the fact that it is a new job is very relevant here in the sense that you haven’t had a chance to prove yourself yet, but yes, the trick is to just carry on with your life and not feel bad. some of this is probably in your head, but yes it is hard! are you getting your job done? are you preventing your colleagues from getting theirs done? if the answer to the first question is yes and the second is no, then just keep doing what you are doing.
OP says
Thanks! Those are good questions to check myself—a yes and no! And indeed it’s hard because it’s a new job.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I was in a similar position 5 years ago – started new job with a new baby and had a manager and other team members who didn’t get it. It’s tough. I’m still at the same company but my situation now is pretty different due to various changes, and I’m trying to be an advocate for more flexibility and understanding of life outside of work in my more senior role. One decent thing from Covid is that workplace attitudes about WFH seem to have changed dramatically – is that the case with your office? I’m not sure how else to change office norms beyond just doing what we do and making it clear that childcare obligations are important, although I know that’s much harder to do when you’re junior and new.
Lily says
Can I just get a gut check – how often is is normal for a 2.5 year old in daycare to bump their head (we get an incident report usually every couple weeks, but in the last couple days she’s bumped her head three times – they send us a picture each time and give her an icepack) and to have minor bruises on their knees/shins? They spend a lot of time outside on the jungle gym so I’m guessing it’s normal but I hate seeing my baby with bruises/bumps :(
HSAL says
I think plenty of head bonks and bruises are normal at that age. I wouldn’t be concerned by the recent frequency – my kids always seem to get injury reports in clusters. I think they just go through phases of extra clumsiness (or unwarranted braveness) while they’re growing.
Anon says
idk about the head bumping part, but my kids legs are covered with bruises. i think that is just part of being a kid?
Cb says
Yeah, my kid has banana legs. Not as many actual injuries – off the top of my head we’ve had 4 incident reports in 3 years – ukelele, got hit in the ear with a stick, went head over handlebars on the scooter, dropped a dental model mouth on his foot?
Pogo says
Yes, often bruises on the legs. We don’t get incident reports about them.
EDAnon says
+1 bruises and scrapes are just being a kid
Anonymous says
Normal.
GCA says
That sounds normal. Our daycare/ aftercare programs generally give us an incident report for every bump out of an abundance of caution, and I have an extremely high-energy first kid – at some points I could have wallpapered his room in incident forms. Head bumps and shin bruises sound pretty normal for an active toddler – I would be more concerned about longer term patterns of bruises in unusual places or in a kid who is not yet mobile.
Spirograph says
Normal. I don’t remember the specific age, but there was a period where I felt like I was getting a note at least once a week. DH and I got a kick out of the descriptions “[child] was running with a friend and ran into a wall.” “[child] and a friend were playing with a toy, and the friend bopped [child] on the head in a dispute over whose turn it was.” I think licensing requires reporting any head injury, no matter how minor. These bumps might be things you wouldn’t even think twice about if they happened at home.
Bruises on knees and shins are ubiquitous for kids 2-10. Like GCA said, watch out for bruises in unusual places, but knees and shins are *very* typical.
Tea/Coffee says
This, it’s totally normal. At that age, DS was very into having his hands in his pockets- so he looked super adorable and mini-cool but couldn’t use his hands to break his fall, so has lots of scratches on his face lol.
I would not be concerned unless it’s a pattern that it only happens at daycare and not at home
Anonymous says
This cracked me up.
I think my kiddo just sometimes forgets to try to break his fall so it looks like an old exaggerated slapstick movie when he falls down.
Anon. says
Yep. We definitely had a streak going of once or more a week in the 2s room at daycare.
Anonymous says
Oh my, my 2yo boy has near constant bruises on his forehead. Wrestling with sister, slipping, running into stuff on the playground. Just took him for a checkup and the ped laughed and said “he has so many bruises on his legs! I love it! He’s so active!”. Another doctor in our family learned in med school that if a 1-2yo doesn’t have bruised legs that something is wrong. I’d be concerned about bruises on arms/torso.
anon says
Does anyone have the Crayola masks and can comment on whether they’re worth the price? I’m willing to pay the price if they fit well (looking for a 7yo). So very tired of finding masks that fit well, but I’m grateful that our district requires them for K-6.
Redux says
Not what you asked but… Have you tried the contoured ones from the Gap? Those have been our faves for my 7 year old.
Anonymous says
Also not what you asked, but the Lands End Kids ones fit my 7 year old well last year.
anon says
I may give those a shot. The contoured masks seems to fit much better. The Old Navy ones everyone loves have been pretty meh for us …
Klod says
We love the Crayola masks but they are very small. I use them on my 2 and 4 year old. They are entirely too small for my average sized 7 year old. We bought them last year though and they may have larger sizes now so be sure to check. In terms of quality, they are stellar and have held up very well through many washings.
+1 says
They do have “adult” sizes which fit my bigger than average 7 year old fine and the kids size fits my smaller than average 5 year old. They are a nice quality and my picky kids like them.
EP-er says
I bought a set of black & brights at the beginning of school last year. My kids didn’t go back until April & never, and we never used them. By the spring they had different favorite masks. (My older one liked the fit of adult ones better, my daughter preferred Costco ones.) If you think that they will work, I am happy to pop them in the mail to you!
Anon says
They fit my 5yo last year just fine. They fit my petite 7yo at the beginning of the year, but she grew out of them by April and the adult ones were too big. We switched to the Athleta Girl masks and those fit her well.
As an aside, it is really really hard right now to find kids masks with both adjustable ear loops and a nose wire. (My kids wear glasses so the nose wire is key to avoiding a fog.) Athleta seems to have discontinued their nose wire options, as have Gap and Target. I just ordered some from Etsy but won’t know the quality until it arrives. If anyone has some ideas on options in stores right now, I would appreciate it!
FVNC says
My 4.5 yr old loves his Crayola masks (in fact, we didn’t have any clean today and that led to some grumpiness so I am going to buy another pack). But, they are too small for my 7 year old. She likes the Athleta girls masks instead.
Anonymous says
Adding to the chorus: love the Crayola for my (off the charts) 2-year-old; too small for my (also tall) 6-year-old—but we have made do in a pinch. Athleta Girl is our favorite, too, but that is more for the strap that goes around the head than the masks themselves.
Anon says
Just got back from vacation and I’m wholly unprepared for the school year to start. We have a week left – do you have any best practice tips for getting your household ready for the school year? Our schedule has been unmoored with summer camps and travel and I feel like the house is a disaster of camp art projects and half filled luggage that’s still waiting to be unpacked. Add three kids who haven’t seen the inside of a classroom since last year. I need a checklist! Help!
Anonymous says
Plan the first week’s meals, including snacks, ahead of time. Write out the daily schedule, including who is responsible for drop-offs and pickups, and post it on the fridge. Get a paper calendar with a magnetic backing (Orange Circle Studios is one manufacturer you can search for) and write down all sports practices, games, school events, etc. and stick it on the fridge next to the daily schedule. Figure out what your system will be for monitoring homework. Our elementary school uses a pocket folder to send home and return assignments; our middle school uses a paper planner. During the week leading up to the first day, get everyone back on the school-year morning and bedtime routines.
And remember, school is much, much easier to handle than summer day camp. You’ve got this!
Anonymous says
My husband is a teacher, so the beginning of school year is a transition for all of us, and I always freak out. But really, you only need to get to the first week (actually just the first day). So start with the basics – do you have a backpack, masks, supplies, lunchbox for everyone? Do you have food for all meals you will need to prepare? Is there a plan for getting kids to/from school and childcare? And figure out your morning schedule – what time everyone needs to get up and out the door. That’s really all you need to start. And of course you should unpack everything and do laundry. Beyond that, if you have time, clean out the school supply/homework area and your drop zone. Figure out where backpacks and lunch boxes and masks go when everyone gets home. Tip – I keep a zippered lingerie laundry bag in our entry closet and tell my son to put his used mask in there when he gets home every day. Then I just zip it up and throw it in the delicate wash when we do laundry.
Anonymous says
“to the first week” should say “through the first week”
anon says
First, fully unpack and do laundry. That will make everything feel less chaotic.
Get all the things on the calendar and figure out the morning routine.
If it seems like a stretch to do any shopping, it probably can wait a week or two! Shop your house for supplies first, and fill in with whatever else you need after the first week of school.
If you pack lunches, do a grocery run for school lunch stuff.
So Anon says
I need easy school lunch ideas. My kids like variety, so I can’t go with PB&J every single day. Things that will work 1x per week: cheese and crackers, yogurt, and my oldest will do a salad. What are other easy lunch ideas? (I have one kid with Celiac’s and the other who is gluten intolerant, so school lunches are a non-starter.) And yes, they help pack their school lunches, but I seem to need to be the idea machine.
GCA says
If you can keep things hot/ cold: veggies and hummus in a wrap? A hearty soup/ stew and crackers? Egg muffins?
Anonymous says
My picky eater likes soups and curries in a thermos. I make a big batch on the weekend. When packing lunch in the morning, I preheat the thermos with boiling water, heat the food up hotter than serving temperature, and fill the thermos all the way to the top.
Quinoa salads are great if your kids will eat them.
Will your kids eat other types of sandwiches? Egg salad, tuna salad, BLT with avocado, turkey, cheese, hummus with pickled veg …
Spirograph says
We do the same with the thermos, it was the single best school lunch investment I made for my very, very picky eater. I send black or refried beans in a thermos, and a tortilla with a slice of cheese. Fried rice, curry and mac and cheese (if you do that with gluten-free pasta?) are other lunch staples.
Anonymous says
Just a warning–rice can cause food poisoning if it is not kept either very hot or very cold, and a thermos will not keep food at the proper temperature unless it’s filled with liquid. See http://yummylunchclub.ca/4-things-to-know-about-using-a-thermos-for-school-lunches/
Spirograph says
Oh thanks, this is a really good point I’d forgotten to mention. Yes, you have to make things soupy to stay hot in a thermos! My kid is so weird, she won’t eat anything normal like a sandwich, but fried rice porridge is totally ok.
Redux says
what? i eat room temp rice all the time. like all the time.
Anonymous says
You can eat rice at room temperature. You just can’t store it at room temperature. If you let it sit at room temperature for a long period of time, like in a lunch box, bacteria will grow and produce toxins.
Anonymous says
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/
Redux says
I literally eat room temperature rice that has sat in my lunch box for several hours several times a week. I believe you that this is possible, I am just flabbergasted at my apparent decades long luck.
Anonymous says
Yeah, I was also surprised because in college we used to leave warm rice in the rice cooker for long periods of time and never got sick, but now I figure better safe than sorry. I still eat leftover rice, but I chill it as soon as possible and keep it at fridge temperature until I reheat it. I never send it in school lunches.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
– Rice and beans/lentils/daal with cheese or yogurt, tofu and celiac-friendly noodles (or rice) – easy to make a big batch of this stuff and portion out for a few days.
– quesadillas (with corn tortillas)
– also a big fan of these for quick lunches – you can make ahead (although they taste best off the grill). As a kid I loved dipping anything like this in…ketchup. https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pudla-indian-chickpea-crepes-recipes-from-the-kitchn-199998
Tea/Coffee says
My kids both really enjoy black beans and rice (literally leftover rice from dinner + canned black beans) with chopped tomato and cheese. They don’t mind at all that it’s cool-ish as there’s no reheating lunches at their school.
Chicken drumsticks, again lunchbox-temp
Also, sushi makes them feel like rock stars (cali rolls)
Anonymous says
I play fast and loose with food safety, and my son has been conditioned to eat this stuff at room temp. Tip – start this early with your preschoolers!
Proteins: turkey meatballs + ketchup, leftover chicken/turkey/meatloaf/fish sticks with ketchup, hard boiled egg + salt, turkey pepperoni
Carbs (like he needs more but oh well): pasta w/butter and cheese, macaroni and cheese, bread/pita/crackers with cream cheese
Fruit: pineapple, banana, apple, apple sauce, grapes
Veg (no he doesn’t actually eat these; lately he’s skipping fruit too): froz peas, froz corn, baby carrots
Sometimes I put in an ice pack, but his lunch is so early and my meatballs are usually semi frozen when I pack them that I don’t always worry about it. I make a big batch and freeze them. Meatballs are our go-to.
Anon says
I ate a lot of soup in a thermos (also a picky eater) – Bear Creek Potato Soup Mix if I recall because my mother was not into cooking. You could also try gluten free pasta (if you’ve found something good) or maybe gnocchi or farro in the thermos as well. Corn tortilla roll-ups with lunch meat and cheese? Baked potato in a thermos; toppings assembled at school?
Cb says
Covid sucks, you guys…we were supposed to see my in-laws this weekend and were at the ferry terminal when they announced all return sailings would be cancelled due to a positive covid case on the return boat crew. The ferry was boarding but there was no guarantee we’d get back that night. Kiddo had been practicing hugging his grandma… he had silent tears running down his face and asking “daddy can go and talk to the captain and ask him to please bring us back!”
Grandmas 1 and 2 are coming for a visit in early September and my mom in late September, but I don’t think we’ll do the countdown until they are on the train/plane as it was just too sad.
:( says
Omg that is so sad. Really sorry that happened to your family.
Anonymous says
Oh no, that’s so hugely disappointing, I’m sorry.
CCLA says
Oh how heartbreaking, I’m so sorry. This really does suck.
anon says
Oh, I’m so sorry. It’s so hard to be away from the grandparents. :(
Boston Legal Eagle says
I’m so sorry. Give him extra hugs today. I hope he gets to see extended family soon!
Pogo says
Poor poor kiddo. That is so sad. I’m sorry.
Anon says
oh this almost made me cry. how sad
Cb says
I was glad my husband missed it, he would have found it really heartbreaking. “When will I stop feeling so sad!?” We went to a museum, had a long cycle ride, and ate ice cream but at some point he just melted down because “there are no big hills to cycle down!” and I realised that an adult would struggle to deal with a disappointment like that, my 4 year old was displaying remarkable maturity not melting down for ages.
IHeartBacon says
This is so heartbreaking. I’m so sorry.
EDAnon says
That is so hard. I am sorry.
Anonymous says
Just want to say a big “thank you!” to posters here for all the advice fellow moms gave about our transition from a nanny to full time day care and dealing with the change in logistics. The tip about “have one parent responsible for packing lunch, and one parent responsible for backpack/refilling diapers/extra clothes at school (or whatever you need to provide at school” was brilliant and I never would have thought of that.
DH and I had a conversation about these tasks and have divided the responsibilities along our preferences. We’re only a week in, but so far so good!
Anonymous says
Aside from the whole COVID thing, I am so excited that school is starting soon! The whole family will be back in a more stable routine. Kiddo will be out of the house for several hours a day, not constantly bugging me and not using up our limited bandwidth for on-line school. Kiddo will be with friends actually learning. I cannot wait.
No Face says
School and daycare start for my kids on Monday. I am so happy for them. And for me!
anon says
Tips on treating a rash due to drool? My toddler is teething and the drool has caused a rash right below his mouth. We try to keep it dry and clean but so far it’s stuck around for about 2 weeks. I don’t think Aquaphor would be good for this, right?
Anonymous says
OTC cortizone cream to treat the rash and then vaseline or aquaphor in the area thereafter to prevent. Especially overnight.
Anonymous says
We generally use coconut oil for stuff like this. If you don’t want to use straight coconut oil, we have also used the Bubbsi balm.
AnonATL says
Aquaphor is my answer for everything. My son used to get very chapped under his chin from drool, so we pretty much slathered him from lip to chest.
Pogo says
Careful not to overdo it on the aquaphor or anything else that’s really occlusive. We did this for our kiddo’s horrific drool rash, it then let to a heat rash from the sweat being trapped in the pores, and not sure how related this was, but he got a staph infection under there too which has spread to his other chubby creases. It’s been…. a process. Changing bib frequently is a good idea.
On cortisone, the ped said to be careful not to use it for more than 5 days at a time, as it can thin the skin. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this! Our youngest has very sensitive skin and it is like a second job managing all his ointments and “spots” (of eczema or other rashes)
OP says
Thanks, that was my worry with Aquaphor. And our ped said the same thing about cortisone so maybe I’ll try it for two days and see if it helps.
anonamommy says
Help me teach my kid to be social? My 6 yo will be starting K next week and has always been on the shy side and somewhat introverted. We were at the park for a playdate with a new classmate and she was plenty talkative…. to the girl’s mother. She basically ignored the other girl. One-word answers to questions, didn’t ask any questions of her own, and at one point just wandered to the other end of the playground to play by herself.
I’d noticed that she wasn’t great with new kids before, but yesterday kind of crystallized that this may be an issue. We will role-play conversations at home, but any other tips or techniques that could work? She has friends in her preschool, and does fine on playdates with known kids, it’s really just the making-new-friends aspect that seems tough.
Anonymous says
If she has friends in her preschool then she’ll make friends in kindergarten. I wouldn’t worry about this and it doesn’t seem necessary to role play convos. I find that when kids are new to each other one on one play dates are harder than group situations in the classroom.
Don’t pressure her about friends in kindergarten – just ask her what her favorite activity was and then if anyone played it with her. Kids likely won’t even remember each other’s names for like a month.
Eh says
I wouldn’t worry about it at all. I have a shy six year old. It takes her a bit longer but she was very much part of the social whirl of K before we knew it. I found kinder to be a really inclusive play environment actually!
Also sometimes she doesn’t join the play – apparently she sits to the side of the playground by herself a couple days a week and joins the others the other days?- or she’ll wander off and do her own thing at a playground birthday or whatever. I sort of hate it, but I’m trying not to notice or react because she’s happy and that’s what she wants to do.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Agree that since she has preschool friends, she’ll probably be fine and I wouldn’t worry about unless her K teacher explicitly remarks on it (which I’m sure they won’t). A situation with mom, new kid and new kid’s mom is very different from being in a class with all peers so I wouldn’t draw too much from this situation either. And P.S. a lot of us don’t make new friends easily – it takes time to connect with people for us more reserved types.
anon says
I’m 30 weeks pregnant and have reached the point where I go to the OB every two weeks. I have some underlying issues that make me slightly high risk (thyroid, PCOS) but I haven’t had any issues so far. My OB yesterday wrote on the order I should return in four weeks, not two. The receptionist said it’s probably because they’re so busy and overbooked. Am I right to be annoyed about this? I don’t see why my prenatal care should be compromised just because they overbooked themselves. Hire a new doctor or take fewer new patients. I finagled a two week appointment though the receptionist grumbled a bit. This is a major hospital in a large NE city.
Anonymous says
That’s what my prenatal care was like last spring and summer. It’s annoying, but it wasn’t just that they had too many patients. A lot of older doctors have retired. They were also trying to space out visits as much as possible to reduce exposure for patients. Plus, they needed to have contingency plans in case an OB was exposed – they couldn’t just cancel all appointments for a week or two (or more). I’m not sure what they could’ve done differently.
Anonymous says
I always had monthly appointments throughout my pregnancies. Any more often would have been a huge PITA.
anon says
Are you in the US? That’s not at all the recommended standard of care.
Curious says
Mine were 6 weeks apart early on, then 4 weeks apart starting at 28 weeks, and only got closer together after 36 weeks. Uncomplicated pregnancy. Midwives were always available for s quick check in. It felt fine. Not sure where you’re getting the standard of care?
Anonymous says
In Canada but similar standard in DH’s European home country. US is much more interventionist around pregnancy. OP said nothing is wrong. If she isn’t sick, she doesn’t need to be there every week or two.
anon says
I also only had biweekly visits after 36 weeks. Top of the line ob practice in a major SEUS city.
In most of the world, pregnant women have far fewer prenatal visits than the US standard, apparently – my OB was from the UK and she said 7-10 was normal there, vs up to 15 in the US.
Anonymous says
Eh, I would prefer every 4 weeks lol. And I’ve had two kids. I hated the weekly visits at the end. They’re really looking for blood pressure issues or low heartbeat from baby. If you’re really concerned I’d get an at home blood pressure monitor and do kick counts twice a day. Always call if something seems off. Sleep on your left side.
Anon says
yes, i also had to start going every two weeks earlier than most bc i was pregnant with twins and i’d alternate between seeing the OB and an NP, and at one point they had me scheduled for two NP visits in a row and I insisted the schedule em to see the OB and somehow they found a slot. Unfortunately medicine isn’t what it used to be and you really have to advocate for yourself.
anon says
OP here. I wouldn’t mind an NP. The providers I’ve seen have all been extremely rushed. My IVF doctor was so great and answered all my questions. It’s been tough transitioning to a practice where I’m rushed in and out, and where they’re trying to skip out on care altogether. At one visit the doctor hadn’t even looked at my blood work; at my first visit the doctor congratulated me on my “first” pregnancy. (It’s my third; my prior losses are well documented in my file). Their lackadaisical approach definitely makes me concerned for delivery
Curious says
Oh, in this context I’d be mad and worried too. You can totally “fire” your team at 30 weeks and switch.
Anonymous says
+1. I would absolutely switch. There’s not much you might be able to do about COVID appt scheduling policies, but if they’re not being sensitive, that’s a huge issue.
No Face says
I switched OBGYN practices late into my last pregnancy (6 months? 7 months?) and it was an excellent decision.
Pogo says
Are you sure it’s not COVID policy? I did a lot more telehealth in my last pregnancy. I didn’t mind it honestly!
Anonymous says
One tip- I scheduled all of my appointments well in advance to get around these things. I also had better luck calling in then making the next appt right after my previous one. So I’d call in and book my next couple appts.
AnonATL says
I don’t want to sound alarmist, but my SIL was high risk and had a still birth at something like 39 weeks. I suspect it was in part because her doctor was being lackadaisical about monitoring her during covid too. Sure average pregnancies don’t need as much monitoring, but if I were high risk I would absolutely be insisting on the standard appointment schedule.
Fwiw, with my son there was one week where his heart was skipping beats on the Doppler and my practice incredibly accommodating to send me to a specialist and additional follow up appointments. this was peak covid in April/may 2020.
If you don’t feel like you are getting good care, ditch them.
Anonymous says
I need to buy a birthday gift for my nephew who is turning 1 next month and I’d like to get a water table of some kind. Any recommendations for something fun, at least somewhat durable, and not a total eyesore? Nephew’s dad hates Amazon so ideally it would come from somewhere else :)
Anon says
The Step 2 water table from Costco! Free shipping and it’s made in America, if that matters.
Boston Legal Eagle says
We have the Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship. Available from Little Tikes’ website. Debatable whether it’s an eyesore but our kids love it! You do have to hose it down thoroughly for a new summer as it can get gross but ours is on summer 2 of use.
anon says
The preschool supply company Lakeshore Learning has a great, durable water/sand table.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the recs, these look great!
Anon says
We got my toddlers the Little Tikes Magic Flower water table thing this year and it’s been a huge hit. It looks like a tree, so blends in very well with other landscaping, if that’s a concern.
EDAnon says
Our local public health department is planning to require quarantine for exposure indoors and outdoors. I am not clear on how vaccine status plays into that. Has anyone seen evidence of outdoor transmission with delta? I have a few outdoor things I do that I would hate to give up.
Anonymous says
I’ve seen reports of outdoor transmission associated with larger events like weddings (including for vaccinated people) and have heard anecdotal reports from friends and family of transmission at the farmer’s market and BBQs, but haven’t seen that much on it in the news.
Anonymous says
Makes sense to me in that ‘outdoor’ dining in my area has featured bare minimum spacing, wind protection and sun protection so almost closer to indoor dining vs a picnic table in a park. There are also no indoor concerts but seemingly tons of ‘performance tents’. Like I don’t think covid cares if the walls are canvas or brick. Or outdoor yoga at the local park has really increased the numbers and I’ve actually stopped going because it seemed too crowded to be smart.
EDAnon says
That makes sense. I like to run with a friend and don’t want to lose that! We don’t have much fun left, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the risk.
Pogo says
Today I was pumping and jumped on a call. That exact moment, I felt something warm on my leg and looked down… I had gotten totally distracted and my milk was overflowing out of the bottle on one side, onto my leg, the chair, the floor. I was supposed to be leading the call but I just had to be like, “Sorry, I need a minute” and luckily someone else got on who I could pass it off to. I guess shame on me for not paying attention? Also truly hoping that the fabric cleaner I use for pet spills gets the milk out of my fabric office chair.
Anon says
Ugh!!! That’s rough. Pumping is annoying enough even without major spills during meetings..
So Anon says
Oh no! I remember doing the exact same thing. The joys of motherhood!
Anon says
I hear you! once I just totally forgot to put the bottles on (height of sleep deprivation) and pumped all over my lap. I had to sneak out with my trenchcoat tied up like a flasher and go buy pants during the workday. Isn’t it great having it all?
IHeartBacon says
“Isn’t it great having it all?”
OMG. If I wasn’t laughing so hard at this line, I’d be crying…
Anonymous says
“Isn’t it great having it all?” I love this. It sums up pretty much everything about being a working mom.
Pogo says
amazing. thank you for this. Luckily I was home, so it actually wasn’t too bad, just a quick outfit change. Jury is still out on the chair.
Vaccines timeline says
So I’m hearing kids 5-12 should be getting the vaccine in October (maybe earlier?) Curious what others are hearing about timing. Was just looking at the back to school anxiety post from yesterday and my main takeaway is that I want to get my school-aged kids vaccinated asap so if we can just hang in there until then I’ll feel better!
Have an under 5 year old too so it’s not all sunshine and roses post-vaccines either. Hoping we get picked for a trial.
Anon says
I asked the pediatrician this week when we were there for a well-child visit. He was hoping along the timeline you’re hearing, but his wife (also a ped in another practice) was hearing December for 5 and up and Q1 2022 for under 5.
He also said that the safety data that is coming out is very encouraging and given the increasing hit to kids from Delta it makes him more inclined to recommend it on a risk-benefit analysis assuming those trends continue to hold (we are generally very pro-vaccine, get flu shots every year, etc., but balancing new vaccine plus historically lower risk to young kids has me more on the fence about it (it was a no-brainer for DH and I as high risk adults to get vaccinated)).
Cb says
Cries in British English because we aren’t even vaccinating secondary school kids, there is no way we are getting little kids done. Trip to see American great grandma and get jabbed next year?
Anon says
as pro vaccination as I am, I literally jumped at the chance to get mine asap, i’m not going to lie that i’m a bit nervous about it for kids. i am actually ok with it taking them longer to approve if that means more parents will feel comfortable giving it to their kids. also- why is it 5-11? i feel like there is a big difference between the weight/height of a 5 year old and an 11 year old, though I have no idea what factors into vaccines. i read one article somewhere saying that 1 shot might be enough protection for kids, but that was pre-delta.
Boston Legal Eagle says
I’m not a doctor but I think the ages have more to do with which kids are in school settings and which are not (or not required to be anyway). October would be nice, but I’m not expecting anything until December or January.
anon says
The logic I’d heard was that it was related to immune system development and there’s a big difference between 2 and 5, in that regard, but not between 5 and 11.
Anonymous says
Not a doctor and just speculating but I remember reading that there is a difference in how the immune system operates starting around age 10 or so – that is thought to be why younger kids seem to be less likely to get COVID in general. My vague memory is that in younger kids, the immune system goes all out with any germ, but once you get older it sort of assumes you have encountered a germ before and does something differently. My point being, there may be other biological differences beyond weight/size that make the age distinction useful.
EDAnon says
I am pro-vaccine (100%) but did worry a bit about getting my kids vaccinated (this was back when I was considering putting them in the trial). With what I have learned about vaccines and covid in the meantime has completely gotten me on board.