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While I usually think of orange as a fall color, this dress from M.M.LaFleur is making me reconsider.
The Cassandra Dress is made from M.M.LaFleur’s popular, easy care Origami Tech fabric. This midi-length sleeveless shirtdress has a button front, flap pockets, and an elastic back waist for definition. Wear it as a long vest in cooler weather and on its own as a dress as it heats up.
This dress is $425 at M.M.LaFleur and is available in sizes 00–18. If orange isn’t for you, it also comes in blush and olive.
Looking for other washable workwear? See all of our recent recommendations for washable clothes for work, or check out our roundup of the best brands for washable workwear.
Sales of note for 12.7.23…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Holiday sale up to 50% off; up to 40% off selected designer styles
- Ann Taylor – 40% off your purchase & extra 15% off sweaters
- Banana Republic – 40% off your purchase; up to 40% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything & extra 20% off purchase; Gap Inc. cardmembers take extra 25% off
- Eloquii – $19-$49 holiday deals; up to 50% off everything else
- J.Crew – 40% off your purchase with code; up to 50% off coats; up to 60% off present picks
- Lands’ End – Sleepwear from $19; 60% off everything else & free shipping (readers love the cashmere)
- Loft – 40% off your purchase plus extra 15% off
- Summersalt – Up to 60% off select styles (this reader-favorite sweater blazer is 40% off)
- Talbots – 40% off your regular-price purchase; 50% off all sweaters, coats, shoes & accessories
- Zappos – 34,000+ women’s sale items! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 60% off sitewide; holiday deals $5+; up to 70% off clearance
- Crate&kids – Free shipping sitewide; up to 50% off toy + gift event; free monogramming for a limited time only (order by 12/15)
- Graco – Holiday savings up to 35% off
- Hanna Andersson – PJs starting at $20; up to 50% off the Holiday Shop; free shipping on all orders
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off your purchase with code; up to 60% off present picks
- Old Navy – 50% off pants for the family; clearance styles from $2.99; 30% off your order, even clearance
- Pottery Barn Kids – Holiday sale up to 50% off; free shipping on 1000s of items
- Target – BOGO 50% off select toys; 30% off kids’ & toddler sleepwear; buy 2 get 1 free kids’ books
Cb says
I have a summer dress in this colour and it’s so fun and versatile! I always get loads of compliments on it.
On a train to meet my family…looking forward to cuddling my kid and husband.
Anonymous says
We’re visiting family in California near Santa Cruz and the weather is looking iffy the next week. Any suggestions on fun things to do with two kids age 5 and almost 7? Will have a car and don’t mind driving a bit. TIA!
Anon says
Monterey Bay Aquarium is the obvious indoor thing in that area. Indoor malls are good places for kids to run around and burn off energy. But I’d try to get outside even if it’s raining – as an ex-Californian, what Californians consider “bad weather” is usually not that bad.
Anon says
Santa Cruz is one of the best cities in the country for kids in my opinion. Go to the boardwalk, go ride the train in Felton, simply play at the beach for hours, rent bikes, mini golf at the boardwalk if it’s raining too hard, but otherwise pack rain jackets and boots and have fun.
Anon says
It’s going to be mid-60s and sunny all next week. You’re good to go!
Anon says
Yeah I’m confused, the weather forecast looks great.
Horse Crazy says
Roaring Camp, Neptune’s Kingdom (the arcade at the Boardwalk), Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Nature Center at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Wilder Ranch State Park, Natural History Museum.
Source: I live in Santa Cruz
NOVA Anon says
My five year old just told me she wants to learn to play the violin. Her teacher will be our nanny’s husband, who has been teaching my kids piano and is not affiliated with a music school (my kids are his only students). Does anyone know somewhere in the Northern Virgina (Arlington/Alexandra, but willing to drive) where we can rent a child sized violin?
TheElms says
In case you don’t find anything in NOVA, Middle C Music in Tenleytown rents child sized violins.
Cb says
Oh fun. I’d post on freecycle or Facebook and I bet someone has one in a cupboard.
anonamommy says
Hi neighbor! I think Old Town Music School rents instruments. A bit further, Foxes in Falls Church definitely does.
Anonymous says
We just got our fairly small back yard cleaned up and put in a patio, so now I want to use it! What sort of stuff do you do with your 3-4 year olds in the back yard? We’ve been doing a lot of chasing bubbles, and I have a water table for when it gets a little warmer. We don’t have a swing set or play equipment but I’d be willing to get something if it will be used for many years.
buffybot says
We have gotten good use out of a small play house/play restaurant type thing that we bought spring of 2020. Got some pots and pans and play food and it’s been a popular spot for imaginative play since the kid was 2 up until now.
Kid also loves taking care of the garden – watering, digging (kept one area just open dirt for that purpose), planting. We also got a nice outdoor easel for painting outside, plus sidewalk chalk.
Lyssa says
Definitely get yourselves some nice chairs, and I recommend a fire pit or heater of some sort for cool weather. And something for outdoor music.
Mine are 7-10, but I’m thinking back. No judgement if you don’t want one, but the trampoline my in-laws got us about 5 years ago has definitely been the most bang for your buck activity I’ve seen. It’s still pretty well used and great to get visiting friends out of the house. They occasionally use the swing/play set, and it’s definitely gotten enough use to warrant having it. Play houses (that could be used as pretend restaurants, store, etc.) were popular when they were littler. We’ve never had a lot of luck with sports equipment, but that probably varies by kid (though one of those fisher price adjustable basketball goals got a ton of use). Sandboxes and water tables were pretty good, but for a pretty short while (and not super practical, for mess/weather reasons). Bubble machines were a huge hit (though they *always* wound up getting spilled).
Have fun!
anonM says
My kids play a lot in their playhouse and their swing set. We love eating dinner outside during summer, so we love our bbq and picnic table w/ umbrella. DS also loves his designated “digging” area – while kid dependent, if your LO ends up liking digging/tools/etc., you might want to plan out your backyard with that in mind (aka pick a spot that’s not a total eye sore to direct them to so they don’t dig up your lawn lol…add some toy trucks and let them at it.) While you’re in this planning stage, consider a small garden and/or berry bush – it can be a really fun way to get kids involved and loving fresh foods! (But in planning – you probably want to pick a spot where tomatoes and berries are dropping onto your new patio!). As for playing – chalk, bike/balance bike, etc.
Anon says
+1 Digging and toy trucks is our number one outdoor activity. My yard always looks like a construction site collided with a soccer ball factory, but it’s what keeps the kids occupied.
anon says
A bucket of water and some paintbrushes. Our kids love to “paint” the fence, the deck, the sidewalk, etc.
Anonymous says
Scooters, balance bikes, green toys trucks, digging equipment (mini shovels and rakes, toy bulldozer), a watering can, and balls of all sorts get a lot of use at our house.
TheElms says
Over the last couple years, my now almost 4 year old has gotten a lot of use/enjoyment out of:
-planting seeds and picking the vegetables that grow in a small garden area (or you could do pots of herbs/tomatoes)
-water table (even when its a bit chilly sometimes we bring out a bucket of hot water for it)
-sand box and shovels, buckets, toy trucks
-stomp rocket
-a ball to kick (don’t need a lot of space at this age)
– beachball to throw/kick
-sprinkler / kiddie pool/splash pad thing for when its hot
-water and paintbrushes to paint the fence
-sidewalk chalk to draw on the patio/fence
-bubble machine and bubble wands galore
Anon says
My 3 year old’s favorite activity is digging in the dirt to make mud pies or tracks for his trucks, closely followed by using dump trucks to move dirt around. A sandbox is great if you want to avoid dirt.
Anon says
+1. We made a sandbox-sized “mud garden” in a corner of the yard near our actual garden. It was just dirt with some big rocks and sticks, and we let them use any outdoor toys like buckets or shovels or balls or dump trucks to play. We asked grandparents for fairy/dinosaur garden decorations and a kid gardening kit one year for Easter which only doubled the fun. Both my son and daughter played with it daily until we moved away (ages 5 and 7).
Sf says
highly recommend getting some sort of plastic slide and ladder feature from your buy nothing group. people are getting rid of them all the time. My kids have played with it for 3+ years but since it’s free, it doesn’t really matter
Anonymous says
Our playset (which cost like $5,000 yikes!) is the best money we ever spent. You can get less expensive ones. We also have playhouse, water table, and provide a large dog pool (look up dog pool on Amazon) and sprinkler for the summer months. I provide my kids with jump ropes (with supervision!!) and trucks and stomp rockets. They get so creative with how these use all of these things. We are adding a Big mud kitchen this summer. We pretty much live in our yard in the summer and I’m sure the neighbors get mildly annoyed by the noise. Our yard is not super big but we make it work hard and love it!
Anonymous says
We’re heading to Disneyland with a 4 year old soon — what bag should I bring for walking around the park? We’ll have a stroller with us so I can leave heavier stuff like water bottles in the basket. How much stuff do you think we’ll need during the day?
anonM says
cooler backpack with snacks worked well for us. Then I had a fairly large fanny pack/crossover bag to take with us on rides, with room for some small snacks, tissues, hand sanitizer, etc. (and so I didn’t leave my wallet in the stroller accidentally)
NYCer says
I would just do fanny pack or a small-ish cross body purse. Leave the bulk of the stuff (and snacks) in the stroller.
buffybot says
I just did Disney World with a 5 year old and no stroller and honestly a mini backpack was fine? I had 3 of those disposable packed up ponchos (weather dependent), sunscreen, wet wipes/sanitizer, kleenex/boogey wipes, sunglasses, chapstick. Water we carried separately. If there is some small fidget toy for lines that might also make sense but we did without. You could put some healthy snacks in there too but we just embraced the junk.
buffybot says
Oh one other thing — bring a battery pack/back up charger for your phone. We needed our phones constantly for the Brave New World of optimized Disney.
I also think the best choice we made was going as early as possible in the morning, enjoying the reduced crowds/less hot weather until about 11:30, doing lunch at the park, then when it turns into a crowded heckscape in early afternoon, heading back to the hotel for a few hours for relaxation, pool, etc. Then going back in the evening for round two.
anon says
Talk to me about moving from daycare to a nanny? We are struggling with sickness, daycare turnover, a rush out of the house each day, and general sadness from my 3-year-old about going many days. Kids are 3 and 1.
My concerns about a nanny are:
1) being dependent on one person vs. a daycare center (though to be fair the # of days we miss now due to colds/sickness is A LOT- I’m talking weekly WFH with a sick kid)
2) someone unknown (for now) driving my kids around
Any advice or experience? Assume cost is not a factor.
Runner says
You’ve nailed it that one of the biggest advantages of a nanny is that mornings become much calmer; there’s no rush out of the house. It is just a big lifestyle perk.
Since you said cost is no factor, I’m wondering if you could sort of “try it on” for a bit with someone…offer to pay her for full time but do a gradual increase in the number of days with her versus continuing the daycare schlep. I did this when we onboarded each of the nannies we’ve had (it just kind of worked out that way for our second, who was doing one day a week for us and had a different core family, and then when my husband got a job she lost her core family and started working for us). I think kids can adjust no matter what, but it made a BIG difference for me in terms of getting use to trusting someone. I have even worked in test drives that way as well.
In this market, I’d be prepared to offer the moon for what you want.
Anon says
We’ve had the same nanny for almost 5 years and it’s been great for us! It’s all about finding the right person. I would say you might want some part time preschool for your 3 year old.
Anonymous says
I haven’t done the switch, but when I looked into it, I was tentatively planning to use a nanny service because they had an option for back-up nannies if yours calls in sick or goes on a scheduled vacation.
Bette says
I went from a nanny to daycare – well actually a nanny share with another family in the neighborhood, so it was a toddler and an infant three days in our house, two days in the other family’s house. A few observations/differences that might be relevant for you –
1. We definitely had fewer missed days of childcare with a nanny than we do currently with daycare, whether due to planned school closures or illness. I really really miss that part of it.
2. Mornings are MUCH calmer when a nanny just shows up and you don’t have to rush the kid out the door. On the flip side, her hours were 8:30 – 4:30 to avoid overtime vs. daycare now which is open until 5:30 – having that extra time at the end of the day with daycare is actually really helpful for me professionally.
3. I WFH full time and really did not enjoy having three additional humans in my home all day. I felt like I wasn’t able to take a relaxing lunch break because the nanny would often be in the kitchen with the kids and I would either automatically slip into “mom mode” or I’d have to make conversation with her (I’m an introvert in an extroverted career so I really need lunch as recharging time).
4. I wish we’d set clearer expectations about additional duties – our nanny was not great about cleaning up after the kid activities and “resetting” the space so it was in the same condition at the end of the day as it was when she arrived. She also would just sit on the couch and scroll her phone during their entire naptime. She was not open to doing more. If I were doing it over again I would hire someone with explicit expectations about cleaning/tidying up and also ask for help with laundry, household stuff during naptime (even if I had to pay more).
5. We used a nanny payroll service and all I can say is that if you go that route, make sure it’s a reputable company. We used Nanny Lane which claimed to specialize in nanny shares, but it turns out that claim was BS and it’s a pretty negligent/fraudulent company – I am still getting tax bills for payments that the service withheld from our payroll but just never actually paid to the government, 8 months after ending the nanny share and moving to daycare.
anon says
+1 to additional duties. Our nanny tidied up the breakfast dishes while our son ate in the high chair, ran errands in the neighborhood while she took him on a walk, folded laundry during his first nap, etc. We had weekly house cleaners to do the big stuff, but she helped a lot with the day-to-day, and the house was always clean when we got home. We only had one kid, and he slept about 3 hours during the day, so she was still able to study for her classes and write music on her laptop for at least a couple of hours everyday.
Anon says
This is kid dependent, but you might think about how extroverted your kids seem to be (well the older one at least) and how they’re going to adjust to not having same age peers around all the time. I know good nannies will take kids to playgroups and schedule play dates but it’s still pretty different than fulltime school and my kid at least really thrived in the daycare environment because of having other kids around all the time. She’s at the pretty extreme end of the extrovert spectrum bit it’s something to consider.
AwayEmily says
I do not have a nanny but I have a logistics question. One of the pros people bring up frequently is the sick-kid thing. Is the norm to have your nanny watch your kid even if the kid is sick? Thinking about my own experience, having my mom living nearby has been less useful than I expected on that front because when one of the kids is sick with a gross cold, stomach bug, etc, we don’t want her to catch it, so we usually turn down her offer to help. Is the idea that because nannies are (1) paid and (2) probably younger, it’s less of a concern?
Anon says
I think the main idea is that the kids get sick a whole lot less since they’re not in group childcare. Although yes I think it’s pretty common to have a nanny watch a kid with a cold or an ear infection. Less so with something big like Covid or flu. I do think grandparents are pretty different because of the age and because they’re volunteering (we also do not normally send sick kids to grandparents).
Although I will say that my kid missed a TON of days her first year of daycare due to ear infections and being excluded from school for two days after running a low grade fever at school, and if my mom had been local at the time she probably would have helped with many of those days. It was pre-Covid and ear infections aren’t normally contagious. The viruses that cause them are contagious but have usually passed by the time the child develops ear symptoms.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Also don’t have a nanny, but I think the sick kid thing is more about the expectation that kids will be sick much less often than if they were at daycare. That’s probably true in the first few years, although I don’t know about once they start school, and if they’re in part time school, it’s moot.
FWIW, we do have my dad watch the kids (it’s almost always the younger one) if they’re sick with just a regular cold. He’s reasonably healthy and no immune deficiencies.
Anon says
honestly my kids were barely sick the first 3 years they were home with the nanny and since Covid times she can just wear a mask if she wants (though we obv make sure we don’t have Covid) and half the time it’s strep or ear infection or something and kids just have to stay home while the meds kick in
anon says
I am expecting the kids to be sick less because they won’t be in group childcare. We have had sickness almost every week of the year so far. So much so I’ve started marking it on the calendar to keep track. 1 yr old is on his 4th ear infection since Halloween.
Plus the daycare rule is 24 hours at home fever/sickness free without meds. I would anticipate a little flexibility here.
NYCer says
Data point of one, but our nanny still comes when our kids are sick. But tbh my kids don’t get sick that often.
AwayEmily says
Thanks! This all makes a ton of sense.
Bette says
Everyone who noted that kids will likely get sick less often without daycare exposure is correct. Also, our daycare has a rule that we can’t send him in if he’s had a fever within the past 24 hours. Often he will have a fever before going to bed but be fine in the morning, but we still have to keep him home. When we had a nanny we would typically have her still come if the kid was feeling general low-level crappy (like sit on the couch and watch movies; low grade fever that was manageable with Tylenol) but not if he had a high fever or other symptoms (usually gastro).
So yes, the net was that there were way way fewer sick days that required my husband or me to miss work with a nanny than with daycare.
Anonymous says
A nanny wasn’t the right fit for our family: that doesn’t mean it won’t be for yours. We had a lovely nanny who was young and extremely hardworking. It was just too many adults in one space (DH and I both work from home and are introverts). Mine was willing to work when my kids were sick but make sure you ask ahead of time as many I interviewed were not. Tbh I have seen no difference in illness now that my twins are in day care. They average one sick day a week currently (they’re two). When we had the nanny they were 8–18 months and they were sick maybe every two weeks? Possibly more often: it’s hard to remember. WRT driving: also ask about driving record. My nanny wasn’t comfortable driving my kids around (wasn’t interested in taking them to activities) but she took them for walks and to the park almost daily. If money truly is no object I think you should be able to find someone who works for you.
Anon says
Very similar nanny experience, except it was us who wasn’t comfortable with the driving (this was for an infant and very young toddler – I think driving would be harder to avoid with kids 3+ who need activities and play dates). And we did have way more illness when our kid started daycare, although it only lasted for one winter. We had no sick days in the ’20-21 and ’21-22 winters (although daycare was closed for Covid exposures a bunch in the ’21-22 year, which was frustrating) and only one sick day so far this winter. However I think it’s kid dependent and we seem to be lucky to have a kid who has regular colds but never gets anything more severe. My best friend’s kids almost never get routine colds but they get constant stomach bugs so they miss a lot more school. You can send a kid to school with a cold but not with a gastro bug.
Anon says
Consider how far along you are in the illness journey; talk to your pediatrician about it too. Daycare is hard the first year they are in it because of sickness but in my experience after a year they stop getting sick nearly so often. I actually don’t remember the last time either of my kids was sick (2.5 and 5), but we did go through the “sick every other week” phase with them for a year each. All that to say – if you’ve already paid all or much of the illness price for daycare, maybe just stick it out because you’re probably within sight of the end. Getting a nanny may take weeks or months, too. We were on the fence but ultimately I’m glad we stuck with daycare now that we are past the sickness stage – for us, the extended hours, not having to deal with HR type issues or sick and late Nannies, and having a community with our kids’ friends and their parents have been really great.
Anon says
We have done both arrangements. The toughest part of having a nanny for me was feeling pressure to ensure there were appropriate developmental toys and activities. I didn’t care about a “curriculum” or anything like that but as kids grow they need different kinds of toys and it’s a lot of work and pressure to be response for that – daycares just have that stuff and know what’s appropriate at different ages so kids are getting what they need for gross and fine motor development. So think about whether you’re up for that.
Anon says
Anyone send multiple kids to daycare and have one of them going less days than the other? We are considering keeping toddler in full time school and the baby only 4 days a week. It would save *some* money for us while still allowing me to work.
Toddler is not dumb and would realize his brother is not in school. Maybe jealous his brother gets to stay home? Or is this a non issue? Anyone have a similar situation?
Anon says
I sent my toddler to school for 9 months without his baby sister after she was born. Even now when she stays home sick he says nothing about it. He has a typical amount of jealousy but for some reason he doesn’t seem to care.
AwayEmily says
We did a version of this. Until the baby was about 11 months, we would keep her home for her first nap about 50% of the time (so, we’d bring her in mid-morning). She napped horribly at daycare and because it’s only 5 minutes away we thought it was worth it to make sure she kept getting enough sleep.
My 5yo (then 4), who goes to the same daycare, never made a fuss about it at all. And he is definitely VERY aware of inequalities in general.
anon says
I’ve done this! We do dropoff at the front door so the bigger kid doesn’t really pay attention. I’m jealous you have the option for this, at our school there’s no part-time infant care rate, so even though we only sent baby 3 or 4 days a week for MONTHS we paid full price.
Anon says
My company is about to shift from 3 days a week in office to everyday in office. I know I’ve been very lucky to have work from home flexibility for this long, but I’m not sure I can make the shift to commuting everyday. Anyone have experience or ideas on how to handle this change?
I have young school aged kids and a nanny that takes on the during the day childcare responsibilities. It’s more being able to see my kids when they come home from school some days and having family dinners more nights a week that I’m going to miss. Also the flexibility to go to some of the school events and just generally be somewhat involved. DH has a more flexible work/home situation so he does and will continue to take on a lot at home. But I guess I just hoped I could also have more balance between my work and home life. Besides this back to the office issue I otherwise like my job. I wonder if I should look for a new job? But if other companies are also returning to 5 days a week am I just going to have the same problem elsewhere?
anon says
How long is your commute? Would your employer allow you to work an earlier schedule (like 7-4) so you could miss some traffic and be home for family dinners? Would your employer let you work from home occasionally so that you could attend the occasional school event during the day, similarly to people working from home to meet a repairperson? If you like your job, I’d see how much flexibility you can get in practice before jumping ship. Not all companies are moving to full-time in the office, but it’s definitely a risk, plus you could be trading in for a new set of problems.
Anon says
+1 to all this. Also could you try to negotiate some formal WFH days? I think asking for at least one is pretty reasonable since you have two currently. But yeah I agree with the advice to see what you can get from your current job before moving into an unknown situation that could be worse.
Anon says
My commute is about an hour each way. I think I could get approval to change hours. I just worry about requesting special accommodations and then being tagged as a working mom who’s getting special treatment. Will I have the same advancement opportunities and the same pay as employees who don’t request different accommodations? When everyone had the same WFH flexibility there was no differentiation. Maybe it’s a wait and see to determine how flexibility gets treated?
I’m with you, leaving could just lead to a different set of unknown problems. At least here I have known problems.
Anon says
Oof that commute is rough. Is that standard in your office? If not, could that be a reason for maintaining at least a couple days of WFH?
I understand the mommy track concern, but personally I’d rather be mommy tracked and have a good work-life balance than give up my work-life balance for a company that may not notice or care anyway.
anonM says
Pre-covid myself and another coworker negotiated “special” WFH treatment (I think 2 pms a week). It was a small firm, and I’m sure some rolled eyes or judged it. But fast forward two years and everyone was totally remote and my firm structure changed drastically. I’m glad looking back I didn’t NOT ask for that flexibility out of worrying about that. They can give it to your or not, but if they agree they shouldn’t then hold it over your head. TBH, I love WFH and couldn’t stomach going back 5/week unless I really really wanted the job. Of course, this is all so personal so good luck sorting it out!
Anon says
I think the unfortunate answer is you just do it. I’m in the office five days a week (have been since returning in October 2020) and DH is as well. We don’t do weeknight family dinners except Fridays. And my kids are fine. When we do have family dinners I really enjoy them and we definitely don’t take them for granted!
Mary Moo Cow says
A few months after we returned to 3 days a week, I shifted my hours, and it’s had a much larger positive impact on my life than I anticipated. 2 days a week I’m home 15 minutes before my kids get home so I can take a breath. During the summers, it is especially useful because we go to the pool together and I don’t feel like I’m missing out, walking in to them already playing.
Otherwise, it is just hard. Like you said, I miss seeing my kids when they are home from school and bubbling over with energy, and attending school events without anyone noticing I’m gone. No advice but commiseration there.
Can you ask for one formal telework day? It’s not great, but it’s something.
Anon says
For the family dinner side of things – can you shift the schedule to make this a priority? Both my spouse and I work in the office and we eat dinner with our 4 year old at 6:30-7. It means that bedtime is later than a lot of folks here – usually heading up at 7:45 and not asleep until 8:15-8:30. About half the nights, dinner is something pre-prepped in part or full. For example, lasagnas or casseroles, or fajitas but all the chicken, peppers and onions are already chopped, so it’s only 10 minutes of cooking. Especially if you have a nanny, I don’t think it’s too much to ask her to put a dish in the oven or set water boiling at a certain time.
Anonymous says
Yes, same, I’ve been in office full time since summer of 2020 (and in the before times obviously), and it’s annoying but doesn’t preclude family dinner. I leave work around 5, get kid at aftercare at 5:45, we get home at 6.* Dinner is somewhere in the 6:30-7:30 range, depending on what we’re making, then bath and bed at 8. If I had a nanny who could help with dinner prep, and didn’t have to deal with the put-your-backpack-away drama, dinner could be even earlier.
Anonymous says
I’d encourage you to see what’s out there. I didn’t think it was possible, and I’ll admit it took two years of looking, but I have found a fully remote position in a field that’s notorious for the “butt in seat” mentality. Something broke in me during the pandemic and I just didn’t want to make the commute anymore. I don’t even think 5 days in office is bad; I just got enough space to realize that isn’t how I want to live right now. WFH is more the pace for me. If you keep this job and commute, it’s not the worst thing. But I also no longer feel like that’s the only option.
Anon says
Yep, it’s not the only option. In fact, most desk jobs I’m seeing are hybrid now. Five days a week in-office would be a non-starter for recruiting around here (Bay Area).
Anon says
Yup they’re out there and I’m in a small city in the Midwest where almost no one has a crazy commute. I currently have a fully remote job (although they’re making noises about going hybrid, it would only be 1 day a week) and I just got an offer for a fully remote job in a different Midwest state. They understand I’m not relocating so I would stay fully remote even if local employees return to the office.
Anonymous says
Isn’t there a way you can do family dinner? I’m in office 4 days a week, and have an hour commute, and I get home at 6:30. We always eat dinner as a family right after I get home; my husband is just the one making it. He cooks a lot but I also make food after our son goes to bed that can be reheated for lunches or dinners (we both always take lunch to work). He is a teacher and gets home earlier, while my office has an official 10-6 schedule (I do 9:30-5:30), so I have always done drop off in the AM, and he does pick up and dinner prep. I usually do more of the bedtime routine. We started doing dinner at 6:30 or so when our son was only 3 and moved bedtime to 8; he just started waking up later to compensate. Now he’s 10 and goes to bed around 9.
The one thing I will add is that my office is definitely more open to occasional WFH now than pre-pandemic, so you might be able to do more one-offs for school events, etc. than you think. Personally I would try it and then you can always leave if you get mommy-tracked if you are considering leaving over this anyway. But I admit I love working in the office.
OOO says
Should I take a week off of work to potty train DS? We did the Oh Cr*p method in Jan but had to put him in pull ups at daycare after too many accidents. We don’t use pull ups at home unless it’s nap time/bed time, and he holds it in until then. Need to work with him on using the toilet and not being afraid of it. Don’t want to take away his pull ups at daycare again until we are confident he will use the toilet
Anon says
I would not waste a week of vacation leave on this. I’m not an expert in potty-training (I have one kid who potty-trained very late), but I think it’s generally easier when kids are ready (mentally and physically) and I don’t really see any downside to late potty training other than the expense of having to continue to buy diapers. Once they’re trained, they’re trained and no one cares what age it happened at. It’s not like college applications ask whether they were trained before 2 or at 3.5.
Anon says
Girl, no!!!
Caveat that I also potty trained DS #1 at 3+ and will do the same with DS #2, which is later than most here.
Anonymous says
+1 to all of this. Constant poo accidents had me pull way back and try again in 6 months. Life is too short and you will not care about how fast your child trained in 5 years.
Anonymous says
I’m in the same situation, my 3 year old hates sitting on the potty so he uses pull ups most of the time. Every 6 weeks or so we’ve been spending a weekend working on it, but it’s not really improving. I was thinking of taking a few days off to do some intensive training, but our ped basically said just keep talking about it but absolutely no pressure and he’ll come around eventually. She was not worried at all.
Anonymous says
A week, no. Maybe do a 3- or 4-day weekend if he’s not using pull ups at home?
Caveat that we just scrapped a plan to do Oh Cr*p this past weekend with my 2.5 yo after we all came down with this week’s daycare crud, but we’re going back to just encouraging potty use with pull ups and working to demystify the toilet for a couple more weeks until we can swing another long weekend.
Anon says
Mom win (that may out me, so going anon). There are about 3-4 solid public elementary schools within ~1 mile of our house. We are zoned to a good one, but another neighborhood school seemed like more of a fit for DS #1, so we opted to play the lottery. Did the research, took the tours, even attended a PTO meeting to confirm it was where we wanted to send DS #1. And…we got our #1 choice!!!!!
EDAnon says
Yay! Congrats!
TheElms says
Calling Away Emily – Amazon Kids Fire Tablets are on sale today.