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My son is not exactly easy to buy shoes for (he has Opinions), but I just bought these Under Armour sneakers for him for the second time (a half-size larger this time around). They’re very comfortable and well made. These aren’t the cheapest kids’ shoes, but while I definitely shop for great deals for his clothing, I like to spring for higher-quality shoes (and winter boots).
This sneaker has five color combinations, and my son has the pictured “emotion blue”/”vibe orange” combination. (No, he is not an SU fan … although I did go to grad school there.)
The sneaker is $55 at Zappos and is available in “Big Kid” sizes 3.5–7. The “Little Kid” sizes (10.5–3, with velcro), which have even more colors in stock, are currently on sale — they were $48 full price but are now $37.99. Kids’ Surge 2 Sneaker
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Anonymous says
Any recommendations for what to wear for an in studio newborn shoot a week or two after baby is born? Specific suggestions appreciated for both myself and my husband!
Anonymous says
Perhaps overdone, but I really wanted the picture of our husband holding our son across his forearms. The photographer had him put on a dark solid shirt for the shot and the picture came out really well. So if there are any particular shots you want, maybe check out some samples or ask the professional if there is a wardrobe rec.
Anonymous says
I think these newborn shots work best when the parents are wearing something sleek and simple in a flattering neutral color, like a plain, fitted long-sleeve black t-shirt or cashmere sweater. The parents really serve as the backdrop for the baby.
Anonymous says
+1 I wore a grey maternity sweater and DH wore a solid navy blue shirt. They came out great. Pro tip – bring a backup shirt in case you leak. Which happened to me,
RNMP says
Ours was at home but my daughter peed on my husband, backups for all.
Pogo says
I always recommend PinkBlush for this type of thing – especially since with the price point you won’t feel bad if you never wear it again. They have a lot of maternity/nursing wear that is very forgiving for that immediate PP period when you really can’t wear ‘normal’ clothes.
Pogo says
example: https://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/products/navy-wrap-3-4-sleeve-maternity-nursing-dress
Pogo says
I like this one a lot too for newborn photos https://www.pinkblushmaternity.com/products/pinkblush-ivory-watercolor-floral-hi-low-maternity-wrap-dress
Anon says
I would do something simple that contrasts with the baby’s outfit. I think I wore a solid colored t-shirt and black high waist leggings. The high waisted leggings helped me not feel like I still looked pregnant pregnant.
octagon says
Our newborn pics had everyone in white. Baby in white (and wrapped in a white swaddle for some). DH in a white button-down with khakis. I wore a white scoopneck maternity shirt and maternity jeans. We did some outside and some indoors.
anonn says
our photographer says simple neutrals, I just wore a gray nursing tank. For newborn shoots they tend to have a space heater and crank the room up to 80 or so, especially if you’re doing naked baby pics, to keep them sleepy and comfortable. During one such pic I got poo on me, so make sure to bring a backup.
Mom of a climber says
Any recommendations for a climbing stool/climbing toy for a 10-month old? Daycare has this little slide with 2 steps that she just loves, looking for something similar for the house preferably under $100. I thought about a Pikler triangle, but it might be a little too big for our living room/play space, and from reading here it doesn’t seem like all kids love them. I also thought about a learning tower – which we will likely get eventually – but it seems like those are exclusively for the kitchen? Thank you and happy weekend!
Anonymous says
The Little Tikes folding slide is perfect for this age and does not take up a lot of room. The small version is $35 at Target.
AwayEmily says
+1 to a little tikes slide. We have one that has gotten VERY heavy use (and in the summer we bring it outside and put it in the inflatable pool!)
TheElms says
Third! We have one and my 17 month old loves it. I think it was $35
anon says
Yep! We got a Little Tykes First Slide when my twins were 13 months and they still play with it at 3. It should be around $35.
AnonATL says
No specific product recs but zulily has a ton of toys now for Christmas. I’m sure they have a little slide set.
Anonymous says
I will say that my pikler from Lily and River folds up. We pull it out when we want to play with it.
Clementine says
Yes, it’s early, but I’m really committed to doing thoughtful Christmas gifts where I’m supporting small businesses. Looking for thoughtful gifts for:
In-laws – really enjoy cycling, their grandkids, being in the yard. Absolutely don’t need more art on their walls or more knickknacks. I often give consumables but am thinking of maybe a funky doormat or something for the garden or yard?
Sister/Brother in law – Hippie outdoorsy types. Obsessed with their dog. Maybe matching his and hers recycled wool hats or something?
Realist says
Not a specific suggestion, but I find it helpful to start a Pinterest board or mark favorites on Etsy as I come across them. I frequently browse stuff with filters so it is made locally, or for businesses that are BIPOC owned. When Christmas comes around I have usually saved at least one thing for each person. Also, one go-to is really nice socks. Cycling socks for the in-laws and hiking socks for SIL/BIL?
Pogo says
Etsy is definitely great for this kind of thing!
Cb says
For the in-laws, I think a funky doormat, or a bird feeder, or a trendy potted plant in a nice pot would be nice. I also like the matching hats idea, or fingerless gloves. Or fairtrade coffee tea?
Anne says
Sustainable ethical coffee of the month subscription?
anon says
I love being in the yard, and I’d be thrilled if somebody bought me some new, really nice gardening gloves, flower bulbs, or a nice planter. Check out Gardeners Supply Co. for ideas. I also would stop by a local nursery or garden center; they will have good stuff year-round. Your idea of a doormat is a good one, too.
A gift that was a huge hit for my husband was a phone mount for his bike. I bought it at a local cycling shop.
Another Anon says
An idea for if they’re in a zone where it’s too late to plant bulbs at Christmas, my dad always gets me a bunch of dahlia tubers from Swan Island.
Anon says
I am thinking about getting my hippie outdoorsy sister a wool camping blanket, preferably washable, since dry clean only defeats the purpose of taking it camping. They’re not exactly a small business, but my sister loves her smartwool socks.
anon says
Buy the smartwool from a local shop, and it still counts. :)
Anon says
Darn Tough socks have a cult following, if they’re sock people.
Anon says
Not cheap, but Faribault Woolen Mill is a local family owned business and makes amazing, machine washable wool blankets. I’ve been wanting one…maybe it will go on my Christmas list too…
cbackson says
Ayesha McGowan, who is a pro cyclist and advocate for diversity in cycling, sells really cute bike-themed shirts and tanks on her site (A Quick Brown Fox – not linking to avoid mod but you can google it). I own several. Also, Clif Family Winery in Napa is a cycling-themed winery owned by the Clif Bar people. The wine is good and the labels are bike-themed; they also sell really tasty gourmet snacks, jams, chocolate, etc. I think they sell gift boxes. The winery itself hasn’t been affected by the fires but many of the staff had, so buying from them definitely helps keep people employed at a tough time.
snow/rain boots for extra wide feet?? says
Anybody have any recs for snow/rain boots for extra wide kids feet? My 6-year old is wearing size 2.5XW in New Balances (which already run wide). I bought him some size 3 Bogs, which have worked for him before, but he complained that they are too tight. I’m going to call our local shoe store to see if they might have any options, but wondering if anyone has suggestions on brands to try? I’m hoping to get a combo rain/snow boot (we’ve used insulated Bogs before) since we’re in DC and it’s a crapshoot as to whether we’ll get any snow at all… thanks!
Anonymous says
Merrell has kids boots in wide sizes I think. Haven’t used their snowboots but love their kids hiking boots.
rakma says
Western Chief in a half size up worked for my kids who both wore the XW New Balance at that age.
Anon says
Keens?
fallen says
How do you increase motivation and responsibility in an elementary school kid? I worry at times because my 2nd grader is not super motivated – she just wants to have do crafts, watch TV, etc. I and or our nanny have to constantly remind her about homework, reading (we ask that she reads for 20 minutes at night), get her to be on time for things. Even getting her to do physical activity is hard, we have to drag her out of the house to go to the playground/bike rides/etc. She says she just wants to “rest” all the time. Both my husband and I were pretty responsible/motivated as kids so we are at a loss on how to manage this, or if we should even be worrying about it.
Anonymous says
Why is your expectation that your 7 year old be super motivated? What’s wrong with liking crafts? Why turn reading into a chore? Do you really think 7 year olds just independently check their watches and get places on time?
Sure, check in with the pediatrician next time you’re there. But I’d focus less on getting your child to meet your expectations which I find problematic and more on parenting the child you have. She likes crafts? Find some fun challenging crafts? Homework time is a struggle? Make it the same time every day. Reading 20 minutes nightly is a fight? Stop making it a chore and take her to the library once a week. She’s not into outdoor activities? Try putting on a kids yoga or dance video.
Anon says
I think it’s pretty normal and it’s not something I would really worry about at this point. Homework for young elementary kids is a relatively new invention. I don’t recall ever having homework at that age and doubt I would have done it without nagging, and I was generally a responsible kid.
Anonymous says
Responded on main page but this seems super normal for a 7 year old. It would be weird if a 7 year old was super self motivated to do homework.
anon says
I have this kid, and it is a struggle at times. A few thoughts:
1) Your priorities are not your daughter’s, and it will be a constant power struggle until you accept that she may not be that into the things you want her to like. I would think long and hard about what your expectations are, and whether they’re reasonable for where she’s at *now* and where her interests lie. Requiring a second grader to do 20 minutes of reading, for example, strikes me as a lot. You can’t pick every battle, so figure out what’s a must vs. nice to do. For example, my kid is bored by reading (breaks my heart, honestly, and his reading scores are sky-high, so it’s not an issue of ability), so we don’t require him to do it at home. However, we do require at least *some* physical activity every day because it has a huge, noticeable impact on his overall mood and focus.
2) This doesn’t always work, but turning physical activity into a family activity can make it more palatable.
3) I’d caution you on using the labels like “unmotivated.” It doesn’t seem that unusual for an elementary-age kid to need reminders to do homework. My son may not do the things I wish he would — namely, exercise and reading — but he seems to have a great deal of intrinsic motivation to practice his musical instruments. The only difference is that he truly loves music, and merely tolerates sports and reading. As parents, we can have our requirements all day long, but we can’t force our kids to find enjoyment in something.
Boston Legal Eagle says
“Your priorities are not your daughter’s, and it will be a constant power struggle until you accept that she may not be that into the things you want her to like.” – I just want to echo this, and if that is what’s happening OP, then I totally feel this at times. I was a pretty motivated kid and still am a Type A overachiever (hence this site), but I have to constantly remind myself to not necessarily expect the same of my kids. It’s really hard and I imagine a lot harder once they’re in school, but I try to be aware that there are other ways to succeed (that may lead to more happiness in fact!) than just the paths I followed.
Katala says
My son is in K (virtual) and his teacher expects them to do silent reading 20 mins/day. They worked up to it by adding a minute a day for the first 20 days of school, now they’re expected to do it on their own every day. Obviously not all the kids are actually reading the words, and my son can read them but I’m not sure he’s reading vs flipping, but I think the idea is to make it a habit that will eventually become real reading. It’s a struggle to get him to do it many days, but he doesn’t get screens unless he’s sat quietly with a book for 20 mins (we set a timer).
Anonymous says
Does she get screen time? With my kid, any non-school screen time completely demotivates her for the rest of the day. When we enforce a no-screens-until-evening rule, she is much more energetic and creative.
Anon says
It sounds like she just has different interests than you? Most kids enjoy the playground and bike-riding but there are definitely introverts who would rather stay home and do crafts and that’s perfectly ok. You have to accept your kids for who they are and not try to turn them into miniature versions of yourself.
anne-on says
This. My son is a big reader, very social, but not a super sporty/physical kid. It drives my husband bonkers and we have had a ton of conversations about how if he wants our son to be outside playing more its on him to lead those activities. I’ll go hiking/take him to the pool/do walks around the neighborhood/bake/do yard work but I am NOT at all sporty and frankly I would also rather just sit on the couch with a book ;)
As my husband said to a friend early on in the pandemic – my wife and son are loving all the inside time to hang out and read, I’m the one who’s climbing the walls…
Anon says
Maybe not possible bc Covid bit I feel like a professional blowout affects how I look in photos way more than my clothing choices. You’ll get a lot of photos in them with just your head/face so you don’t necessarily need to be super put together outfit-wise if your head looks good.
Anon says
Oops, meant for the mom asking about newborn photo outfits.
Anon says
Reposting my response from the main page:
Yes based on my 7 year old and her friends, I’d say your expectations are a little too aggressive for the typical second-grader. I wouldn’t worry about her at all.
We have a little bit of a routine – after school they each get 20 min of undivided parent attention, then they need to go do their homework. I’ve found giving them that attention first thing to unload about their day really helps their mood. For them, school is just as stressful as work is for us, and they need that “commute time” to switch modes.
Then after dinner is 20 min of reading, either alone or together with a parent – their choice. (Even if they choose alone, a parent is sitting next to them, also reading.) It helps to model that parents also choose to read in their spare time and it’s a family activity that we value. To start this off, we did it as a family read along, with the “prize” that we watched the movie after we finished the book. We cycled through the first Harry Potter, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Charlotte’s Web. The kids surprisingly requested we do this again so now we’re reading through Lemony Snickets together and will try the Netflix series with NPH when we’re done.
DLC says
I am struggling with these issues with my eight year old too and am appreciating all the wise words.
meg Leahy in the Washington Post said had an article where she said basically think about what you want this year to look like for your kid and work toward that. Like I think I would love for my child to spend lots of time outside and read and learn a couple life skills. I try to remind myself of that when we get into homework battles. I hate the idea of her getting bad grades, but i’m learning to let that one go and I’ve told myself good grades aren’t worth the power struggle. I insist on outside time and completing at least one chore every day (she reads a lot on her own) and save my energy for other things. No one is going to care what her grades this year look like. She is learning the natural consequences of not doing her schoolwork (like the teacher had a “fun day” last week and she couldn’t participate because she hadn’t finished her assignment.) And I’m hoping she will figure the big picture out some day before high school. But yeah, it’s definitely hard to let things slide when I was very self motivated as a child. Like if feels like i’m giving up on her, but maybe I just need to reframe things.
CPA Lady says
I have about fifty million thoughts.
– It sounds like you’re expecting her to behave like an adult. When I read the first sentence of your post I was expecting you to be talking about a 4th or 5th grader. I think that because 2nd graders can talk really well, it’s easy to think that they are more mature than they are.
– Children’s brains aren’t developed enough to begin to fully understand the concept of time until around age 10. So it’s definitely unrealistic to expect her to keep track of time the way an adult would. Her brain does not yet have that capability.
– She sounds like an overwhelmed introvert being parented by two intense people– the harder you push with introverts, the more they shut down. My sister was like that. She spent a bunch of our childhood in her own little dreamland. She was very chill and sleepy and introverted. Nothing was wrong with her, it’s just her personality. She is now a fully functional, happy SAHM with a good life.
– Is she getting enough sleep?
– What books is she reading? My niece is that age and is devouring the american girl books because they have pictures to go along with the stories. Maybe she’s not into the books she’s being given.
– Agree with the suggestion to get her checked at the doctor. “Tired” might be the only language she has to tell you that she can’t or doesn’t want to operate at your pace, but it could also be a medical condition or a vitamin deficiency, etc. Or she could have a sleep disturbance. Or anxiety. Or ADD.
– Have you had a big picture conversation with her about your expectations that she do things without being asked? Could you make a checkmark list with pictures of the few things she needs to do each day as a visual reminder? Or a sticker chart with a reward at the end, like a really cool big craft kit?
Also, maybe I’m not as high achieving as some of the people on here, but at this point, all I want to do is crafts and tv and rest too. This year has been horrible. Just leave me alone and let me chill, ya know?
Anonymous says
+1 million to your last paragraph!! It’s 2020. We all want to rest and binge TV.
Kelly says
Does she get the chance to do something she loves (no screens) for as long as she wants? Whatever that looks like for her – build her creativity muscles there and grow and experience self motivation in something she enjoys. Give her some control over what she wants to do and let her do it. I’m turning way more hippie than I expected as a parent and think the way you end up with a self motivated kid is to let them set the course a bit.
Anonymous says
This. If we take away screens and obligations for long enough, my daughter will get started on something that she will then pick up again and again over the next several days. It helps to have some sources of inspiration and raw materials lying around the house. An old ukulele, the piano, cookbooks, drawing supplies, an origami book with paper, and a kids’ knitting book and leftover yarn have captured my daughter’s interest at various points during the pandemic.
Anonymous says
Is this new behavior? I have seen this surface in a lot of kids during the pandemic. My kids are 2/4/7 and we’ve seen some of it in the 4 year olds and some of that in the 7 year olds. Kids that were previously gung-ho about sports are refusing to get on the field. My 4 year old who usually LOVES ballet had a meltdown on the way in last night claiming she just wanted to stay home and play.
Is she social at all? Is she motivated to do anything if other kids/her friends are involved?
I think whether or not this is concerning will depend on the above. Being a homebody is one thing, but turning inward and losing motivation and no interest in socializing at all is something that you should be looking out for.
anon says
YES — these are the go-to shoes for my kiddo. He is hard on shoes, and these hold up well. Makes shoe buying easier, and there’s usually a range of colors to choose from.
Anon says
My 2.5 year old’s BMI/weight-for-length has increased steadily since birth and she is now officially considered overweight. The ped has told us we need to have her move more and eat healthier, but she is already really active – they have 3 hours of outdoor playtime at school and we often take family walks after school. We do active stuff on the weekends. We took her to the zoo last weekend and she walked all over the zoo herself for four hours – we were the only family we saw with a kid her age that didn’t have a stroller! She doesn’t ever sit still, to the point that her daycare teachers have identified that as something that needs improvement. She has no screen time except when we’re traveling. We sit down for meals/no snacking. She doesn’t eat a lot of veggies but eats plenty of fruits, dairy and lean meat/fish. We don’t serve juice at home (she has a minimal amount at school) and don’t do a lot of treats (just homemade stuff we bake together, no packaged junk food). Our ped’s attitude is basically, well, you just have to do better, but….how?! I feel like she thinks our kid is binge-eating Oreos and planting herself on the couch for hours of TV every day and that’s just not the case at all.
anon says
I’d push back on the pediatrician. Sounds like the doctor is giving you lots of critiques but no real guidance on how to change things. On other hand … if you’re confident that her diet is good and that she’s moving a lot, I might be inclined to ignore the ped for now. I feel like some kids cycle through overweight/not overweight depending on how much they’re growing otherwise.
Cb says
Ugh, I hate this. Is BMI even accurate for kids? It sounds like your daughter is healthy and active and she’ll naturally trim out over time. I’d push back, or consider switching.
AwayEmily says
I don’t want to overreact but my instinct is to get a new pediatrician. Your kid seems amazing (I wish my 2.5yo would eat fish and walk all over the zoo without complaining) and perfect just the way she is.
Boston Legal Eagle says
“I wish my 2.5yo would eat fish and walk all over the zoo without complaining” +1!! Yeah, seriously my 2 year old would just eat chicken sticks and pb&j and sit on the couch all day long if he could. Agree with everyone here, OP, time to look for a new ped. Our current ped is awesome because she doesn’t make a big deal out of typical toddler things and is generally on our side v. trying to get us to change our kids. And seriously, BMI for toddlers?! No ped has ever even brought up the term BMI for our kids.
Anon says
Aw thank you for the kind words :) She’s not perfect (who is?), but I definitely think she’s an amazing little kiddo.
NoVa Mom says
+1000. Your kid sounds awesome, and you should be proud of how you’re raising her.
TheElms says
If you have told your ped this and they are still saying she needs to move more and eat healthier, its time to find a new ped. Not all kids are going to fall within the bounds of “healthy” BMI. BMI is just a tool to flag potential risks. If you otherwise like your ped and just want a second opinion on this issue I would find a registered dietician and see if they think what you are feeding your kid is appropriate. To me it sounds like you’re doing an awesome job.
Anon says
I also think your kid is fine but you could ask the ped if they have screened for any conditions that cause weight gain when a child otherwise eats healthy and moves enough.
As an aside, I didn’t even know a 2.5 year old could be considered “overweight.” That seems nuts.
Anon says
Hmm that’s a good point. I took anti-thyroid meds while nursing. They did bloodwork on her once as an infant after I’d been on the meds for a few months, and it was normal. I haven’t nursed her in well over a year and haven’t been her primary food source in even longer than that, but it seems like it might be worth checking again.
Anonymous says
Unless you and/or your husband were the same way as a little kid and grew out of it, I would actually be concerned that the ped is ignoring a potential problem and would be asking for blood work or a referral (to a specialist, not a nutritionist). It doesn’t sound as if there is anything else you could be doing in terms of lifestyle and diet.
Tsh says
I would be annoyed by this. Your family and kid sound fine. Your ped is using BMI as a proxy for healthy lifestyle and in your case, that isn’t accurate. Continue to do what you are doing, but you have a growing, healthy, active kid. Also, this is anecdote, but often kids gain weight prior to grow spurts (in my experience). Honestly, I’d keep doing what I’m doing and not give the BMI another thought.
Anonymous says
I would change pediatricians.
Anonanonanon says
Honestly, I would probably ignore the ped. It sounds like you/your kid are super active and you’re modeling great behavior and habits. What are you supposed to do, put a 2-year-old on a diet?!
If you’re really worried, though, how much homemade stuff are you making? That’s the only thing you’ve mentioned that could be changed. If you’re baking together every weekend and eating the treats all week, that’s still a lot. I have a good friend in the same position with a kid the same age that is convinced she only feeds her child healthy food… but also takes her child with her to Starbucks multiple times a week and gets her a giant pastry and frozen drink. She is also a doctor. What kind of dairy is she eating/drinking? If she’s 2, have you switched to skim milk? It seems like if the pediatrician was concerned, she could have offered to link you up with a dietitian to discuss instead of just making you feel awful!
Anonymous says
I definitely would not switch to skim milk. Skim milk in kids is correlated with weight gain. We still use full fat milk for that reason. Kids that don’t get adequate fat from milk will overeat in other areas to make up the difference.
https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/family-meals-focus/98-should-you-put-your-child-on-skim-milk/#:~:text=A%20Virginia%20study%20that%20followed,more%20likely%20to%20be%20overweight.
Anonymous says
But parents of overweight children are more likely to be encouraged to switch to skim milk, no? This seems like correlation, not causation.
Anonymous says
Skim milk doesn’t necessary cause you to be overweight but it doesn’t help either and there is some indication that it affect satiety. Skim milk is also higher in sugar than full fat milk. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/well/whole-milk-may-be-better-when-it-comes-to-childrens-weight.html
Anonymous says
The sugar difference between plain whole and skim is extremely negligible, like 0.2g per 8 oz cup. There’s no sugar added to skim milk, it’s just that removing the fat leaves more per volume of all other ingredients, including sugar (as well as water and calcium). Flavored milk is a different story.
Anonymous says
Ask for a referral to a registered dietician. You’re identifying a lot of fruit and baked goods both of which can be pretty high in sugar. Are you under 50mg at day on sugar? That’s the WHO recommendation for kids (fresh fruit doesn’t count in the amount). We are usually close to that with the kids even though we don’t have any juice at home. A lot of kids foods like yoghurts and granola bars aimed at kids have surprising amounts of added sugar. Things like canned tomato sauce, ketchup, and other condiments can vary a lot from brand to brand in sugar amounts. My kids want to dip everything so making some swaps between higher and lower sugar brands was pretty easy. I avoid any fake sugars for kids though – keep an eye on that as some brands advertise they are sugar free when they’ve just subbed in fake sugars like aspartame.
Treat BMI like what it is intended to do – flag when something is outside the expected range and take it as an opportunity to assess overall health. If the registered dietician also thinks you’re on the right track then I wouldn’t worry about the BMI number.
So Anon says
100% agree with this. BMI should be used as a tool to ask more questions. Most pediatricians (and physicians) do not receive much training on the nutrition front, and so your best bet is to see a registered dietician.
My son was on the other end of the spectrum, where his BMI was incredibly low and he was underweight. The BMI was nothing more than a tool that pointed us to other issues, though it was tough to hear. We worked with a registered dietician for a long time. I had no idea that certain habits were contributing to my son’s low BMI. For example, we were trying to get calories into him, so we would feed him high calorie milk with a meal, but he would drink that and not actually eat the more nutrient dense food. Point is, a registered dietician may help with things that are not on your radar.
Anonymous says
The WHO recommendation is no more than 10% of calories from free (added) sugar, which would be around 25 – 30 grams per day for a preschooler.
Anonymous says
I had an underweight kid, not an overweight one, but my experience with registered dieticians is that (1) they tend not to believe what you write in the food diary, (2) they don’t understand that some kids are picky and won’t just eventually eat vegetables of their own accord if you diligently follow the Satter method, will object if you try to supplement or substitute foods (e.g., hiding coconut oil in a peanut butter sandwich), and will not be charmed into eating celery with peanut butter and raisins because you call it “ants on a log,’ and (3) they push highly processed garbage like Ensure. Since OP’s kid is eating a variety of foods and moving a lot, I would be asking about possible medical causes for the weight issue.
Anon says
Thanks, I’ll ask about the dietician. We don’t do any condiments or packaged stuff like granola bars (not morally opposed to it – we just don’t have a need, especially in 2020 when we’re never going anywhere). She used to be into the flavored yogurt, which I know is sugary, but she’s gone off that and hasn’t had it in months. I think (?) most of her calorie intake is at school, so it’s harder to have a sense of what she’s eating and how much. We have menus but no longer get detailed reports about what and how much she ate. On weekdays the only meal she eats at home is dinner and it’s usually pretty small. We do bake most weekends, but don’t serve treats during the week, she only eats the baked goods immediately after baking them.
Anonymous says
I’d definitely ask daycare to track a week or two of how much she eats – that might give you a better idea of what her overall diet is like and the RD will probably ask for that info anyway.
Also, I’d love to find out what your tricks are for getting your kid to eat without condiments. Mine want ketchup or ranch on everything, it’s a constant battle.
Anon says
No particular trick, we just don’t really eat it ourselves (we eat salad dressing on salad but not on anything else) and I guess they don’t serve it at school so she doesn’t know to ask for it – I’m sure that could change though!
anon says
Definitely agree on switching peds (at least for a second opinion), but does your toddler *look* overweight? My son’s BMI went from overweight to underweight in the course of two years, but my ped took a lot of comfort from the fact that he didn’t look that overweight (in the first instance) and was probably just on the bonier side (on the second) – as others have said, BMI is more of a guide. Also, 2.5 seems really young? I don’t remember getting a percentile until 3 and even then it was kind of let’s see how this plays out.
Anon says
I wouldn’t say she looks unhealthy, but she looks round and quite baby-like for her age. Most kids her age do seem skinnier. A few times kids her age or even younger have referred to her as a baby (I think because of her shape, since she’s quite tall) which has made her upset :/
octagon says
I’d probably ask for additional screenings to rule out anything chronic, but also have an initial consult with a dietitian.
It’s also possible that your ped measured right before a growth spurt — I remember distinctly around that age I would watch kiddo get rounder and rounder and then all of a sudden he would shoot up and need longer pants, and be back to his regular shape. So keep an eye on it over the coming months too.
Anonymous says
I also have a very large, very active 2 year old. >99th percentile weight – also extremely tall but very high bmi. Our pediatrician is not concerned. Only suggestion is to focus on non-simple-carb snacks. We usually do fruit plus string cheese or yogurt for snack. All you can do is continue to offer lots of physical activity, offer healthy food, and see what works out. And love your child exactly the same regardless of what’s going on with BMI.
Anon. says
I’ll agree with the other comments that I would probably ignore the ped or find a new one. Sounds like you are developing healthy habits with movement and food and that’s what matters overall. I had to go look up what BMI was considered overweight for a toddler – turns out mine was technically overweight at both his 2 and 3 year old well check appointments. Literally not one word from our pediatrician. We get questions about diet and exercise which are similar to yours (probably not as good on the diet front).
I have LOTS of issues with BMI as a measurement of health for adults, let alone kids.
Anonymous says
What is her BMI? I have 3 kids and my youngest is 2.5 and technically overweight [BMI 18.7, though she’s probably gotten a bit taller and not any heavier). My older two kids have totally different body types. We have talked about it with the pedi and the pedi confirmed that she’s got a decent diet and healthy exercise habits…and our pedi told us to straight up not worry about it for another couple years.
Anon says
Definitely, 100% ignore the pediatrician and find a new one who asks about behaviors instead of hyper-focusing on weight. There is no evidence that your kid is unhealthy, but ignorant comments from doctors (who are not generally researchers) can do a lot of damage to your kid.
DC area hospital for giving birth? says
Apologies because I know this has been discussed before, but the search function is failing me. I’m new-ish to the area and don’t have friends to ask yet – would appreciate any hospital or OBGYN recs!
Also, not necessarily DC specific, but in terms of driving time, how far is too far to expect to be able to drive for delivery? All advice appreciated!
Anonymous says
Where are you looking exactly? The DC area is huge! :)
Anonymous says
Depending on where you are, I highly recommend Inova Fairfax. They have one of the best NICUs in the area if you should need that, and they recently renovated the facility, and it’s beautiful and really comfortable. That said, I would not want to be more than 25-30 min away from the hospital. Our labor itself was uneventful and I had plenty of time to get there, but I had a lot of painful cramping throughout the pregnancy and it was scary to have to do a white-knuckled drive to the hospital so many times.
Spirograph says
I am in MoCo and had a good experience with Holy Cross Silver Spring and Capital Women’s Care, but if you’re in NoVA you don’t want to be driving all the way around the beltway/through the city. Like everything around here, account for traffic! Absolute distance is meaningless, you need to consider actual travel time at peak traffic because you might need to drive to the hospital during rush hour.
Anonymous says
I liked GW- the midwives are there if you want a drug free birth (I did not) and they also have a nursery if you want a break after birth. I also had no problem getting formula when I needed it after my second birth. I kind of rotated among the nurses and doctors for my check-ups, but generally liked all of them. Dr. Martinez was my favorite. FWIW one of the reasons I switched to GW from my previous OB (Capitol Women’s Care) was because they only delivered at Sibley and I thought that was too far (when I mentioned that to my dr he said, well, hopefully you won’t be trying to drive there during rush hour-ummmm I would like to not have to count on that). In these pandemic times traffic isn’t really an issue, but who knows what it will be like nine months from now. I just didn’t want that potential added stress.
anon says
My anecdotal experience is that driving tone matters less for your first (labor is longer), but I’d say 45 min max? And be prepared to detour.
Anonymous says
I lived in Fairfax city and delivered at GW (doctors were close to my work). I loved the GW faculty associates. Then we moved to MoCo and I went to capital women’s care on Georgia ave and delivered at holy cross. Both were fine, but I’d say GW was better. I had very straightforward and easy births though. Like checked in and then doctor just had to catch the baby. I wouldn’t recommend Sibley since you don’t have a private room (Omg can’t imagine). People I know really like Shady Grove Adventist and the midwives in Rockville if you want unmedicated.
TheElms says
Sibley has private rooms since their renovation in 2017/2018. The new building is almost hotel like.
Anonymous says
I had a great experience delivering at Sibley in late 2019 after the remodel. All private rooms, lactation consultants on call (but OK with formula too, or both!), everyone was nice.
Anon says
Everyone I know who delivered at Holy Cross has positive things to say (with experiences ranging from very straight forward to failed induction turned C-section to emergency C-section with a NICU stay). If you’re on the north side of DC, the midwives at Washington Hospital Center are amazing and not as intense as the GW midwives.
Anonymous says
This is second-hand, but I had a friend who hated her experience with the GW midwives — they made her feel really bad about having GD, and strongly encouraged her to eat meat even though she’s vegetarian.
Anon says
I had a very positive experience with the Washington Hospital Midwives – they are incredibly thoughtful but not ideological, and support whatever birth makes sense for you – v*ginal or c-section, with or without epidural, whatever. Highly recommend.
Anonymous says
Georgetown, Inova Alex, and WHC are designated baby friendly hospitals, if that’s something that matters to you either way. You may also want to look at how each place is handling COVID, especially if you want to have another person beyond your partner in the delivery room with you and plan to deliver soon.
I had two great experiences with the GW midwives and a good experience with VHC. All were easy pregnancies.
Age for Ferber says
Is 12w too young to Ferber a baby? We’ve hit this crazy sleep regression where DS’s sleep is just all over the place. One night he’s awake every three hours. Last night it was nearly every hour. He loves a pacifier, but immediately spits it out and then gets mad he spit it out. He’s been working really hard to suck his thumb, but hasn’t quite mastered that and gets frustrated with that too. Nothing has changed about his schedule recently.
We are tired and cranky in our house. I’ve resorted to bed sharing and kicking DH out to the guest room but that is not a good long term solution for any of us.
I know some people have strong feelings about sleep training, and if you are anti-sleep training please scroll along. I’m committed to doing it just wonder if he’s still too young for it to be effective.
OP says
I should add, we would likely keep 1 nighttime feeding since that’s where he was consistently before the sleep s*it hit the fan.
Pro-sleep training says
Usually sleep training is recommended by a weight / age combo. 30 lbs/3 months were my pediatrician’s recommendation for earliest sleep training.
My kid started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks (good genes/dumb luck and “le pause”) so we didn’t sleep train. But I still wish we had, because sh still wants someone to sit with her every night. She’s almost five.
Anonymous says
30 lbs?!? My ped said they can generally “sleep through the night,” defined as 6 hours straight, at 12.5 lbs.
GCA says
Goodness if we’d waited for my kid to get to 30lbs we’d have waited till age 3 (did you mean 13lbs?)… not that we sleep trained either!
I am all in favor of doing what works for your family so that you all get the most sleep. From what I’ve heard, sometimes you luck out and sleep training works and you only have to do it once, sometimes it works but you have to re-sleep-train as other things go on developmentally.
Anon says
30 lbs!? My tall and chunky toddler wasn’t 30 pounds until she was almost 2.
cbackson says
My pediatrician said 13 lb/3 months. We did CIO starting at 12 weeks and it was extremely successful. We trained putting himself to sleep at nights first, then night wakings, then naps. He is 4 months now and he goes down at 7:30, gets a dream feed at 10:30, and was getting a night feed at 4:30-5 AM, but he’s just dropped the night feed of his own accord and wakes to eat around 7 AM. We had some bumps along the way (I posted here when he was trying to learn to roll and was getting MAD at not being able to do it), but in general CIO worked for us at that age.
So I don’t think 3 months is too young, but it really depends on the baby being ready. My kiddo was starting to suck on his fingers and thumb to self-soothe by 8-10 weeks (although he never took a pacifier). If your little one isn’t yet self-soothing at all, it might be too early.
Anon says
We lucked out with a good sleeper, but lots of friends successfully sleep-trained at 12 weeks. Good luck!
Anonymous says
Efficacy also depends on why he’s not sleeping. It sounds like a growth spurt if he’s obsessed with the pacifier and trying to suck his thumb. Have you upped his feeds? One overnight feed at 12 weeks is not a lot. Sleep training is generally for falling asleep and doesn’t always help that much with staying asleep especially during a growth spurt. Waking every hour sounds like hunger or teething. My oldest was early on the teething. I was surprised when my lactation consultant said they can start teething as early as 3 months.
OP says
I thought it might be food as well, and we have increased his daytime feeds by an ounce. He’s getting about 6oz every 3 hours for a total 30 daytime oz plus at least 5 during an overnight feed which is toward the upper end of the recommended amount already.
He’s not an unusually large baby either at about 14 pounds right now.
Anonymous says
Do you need to upsize diapers? My middle kid hated to sleep in a wet diaper and would wake up on and off until we changed him. Going up a diaper size for nighttime so he didn’t feel as wet seemed to help.
AwayEmily says
I think trust your judgment and what’s best for your family. Our kids gave us lots of signs they were ready starting at around 8 weeks (eg not eating much at night) and with our pediatrician’s blessing we sleep trained at 9 weeks. For both, it took two nights before they were sleeping 11-12 hours a night and we never looked back. We did the hardcore method (shut the door at bedtime, don’t come back til morning). So yes, it can definitely work at 12 weeks!
Anon says
I’d trust your gut…if you feel like it’s too soon I’d maybe wait a week and see if this levels off. In my experience sleep regressions do tend to sort themselves out just with time. You could also try it for a few days and bail if it feel like it’s not working. In my experience FWIW, sleep training was very effective to get my kid to GO to sleep on his own, but didn’t do a lot to avoid them from waking up. But, my kids didn’t sleep straight through the night until they were a year old, so I may be a cautionary tale haha.
Anonymous says
I think Ferber recommends 4 months old? (It’s been awhile, but there’s definitely an age.) For me, both mine did a ton better with sleep once they hit 15 pounds. But they still had their crappy nights. We Ferbered one at around 10 months and the second learned to suck her thumb (not my favorite plan, but here we are, years later).
Alanna of Trebond says
I’m sure you already know, but the Taking Cara Babies course is amazing.
Anon says
This week has been awful. I live in Wisconsin and have six employees out with COVID-19 right now. At least two were most likely exposed at work. All are doing okay right now, but it’s scary and hard. My kids are fine. My family is fine. But it’s hard and makes me sad. Thanks for letting me complain.
Anonymous says
Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m in nyc and still get a little freaked when I hear lots of ambulances going by. When you get into field hospital territory, it’s frightening. I hope you can work from home and the peak passes fast.
Anon says
I’m sorry, that sounds so hard. I’m in Indiana and I think we’re probably only a few weeks behind you. My county’s numbers are still relatively good, but I had a co-worker test positive a couple weeks ago (we’re WFH so he didn’t get it or spread it at work) and a parent of a kid in our daycare class tested positive last week. Until maybe two weeks ago I didn’t even know of anyone who’d had it.