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Anon says
My oldest daughter is starting K in the fall, and her school asked us to fill out a form about OTC medications (including Claritin and Zyrtec, which I’ve never even ever given to her). Do you ladies generally authorize your school nurses to give OTC medicine to your kids? Practically speaking, I feel like I would just pick up my daughter if she were so sick she needs medicine, but I guess maybe it’s fine if they gave her Tylenol or Ibuprofen? Just curious to hear what others do, as this never came up at our nursery school.
Anonymous says
Is this public school or private? Our public school is very restrictive about OTC medications. They definitely won’t provide them. If you want your child to have medication you need to leave it in the nurse’s office with a doctor’s note. Being caught carrying any medication, including OTC medication, supposedly results in automatic expulsion. The only exceptions are EpiPens and inhalers, with a special form signed by a doctor indicating that it is medically necessary for the child to carry the medication.
Anon says
Private. This would all be OTC meds dispensed by the school nurse.
Anon says
Our public school district can’t give OTC medicine, but I would definitely authorize it if given the option. I’d much rather they give my kid Tylenol than make me come pick her up because she has a headache or whatever. My kid has no allergies though.
anon says
I’d have no problem authorizing ibuprofen for a sprain or a break to keep a kid comfortable, but it’s not for illness. They should call me if the kid is sick.
TheElms says
Yes, I’ve authorized Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Claritin, and Benadryl cream (and sunscreen and bug spray because our form asks about that as well). Our school calls to ask if we want to administer medicine before they do. At least for us Claritin and Benadryl cream are critical because my kid has bad reactions to bug bites and I don’t want to get called to school to pick her up for a bug bite. Sometimes if it swells badly we also give Ibuprofen to help with the pain from the swelling.
Spirograph says
Interesting! our public school does not have this option either. I did authorize OTC medications (including things like Benadryl and topical itch ointments) for my daughter for sleepaway camp, but I don’t know that I would for school… would they still call you before administering medicine? There are lots of non-drug things I’d do first for a headache, sprain, etc. and if water, a snack, and rest in dim lighting don’t fix the headache, that’s probably something I need to pick the kid up for anyway. I assume they would hope they’d tell you time, medicine and dosage that was administered? even if the kid stayed in school the rest of the day?
Anon says
I am the OP, and I have all these questions too! I suppose I should probably call the school nurse and ask.
Anonymous says
I mean. Or don’t? This is just school y’all they don’t have time for the nurse to coach each parent individually through a treatment plan for a maybe headache. Just fill out the form and return it.
Anon says
I mean. You do you. This is a $60k a year private school. I spoke to the nurse this morning, and she was super helpful and friendly. Not put out at all.
Anonymous says
It hasn’t occurred to me anyone was dumb enough to spend 60k on kindergarten
Anon says
You should jealous.
Anonymous says
I don’t understand the hate for the pricey private school. We sent our kids to one for a couple pandemic years starting when in-person public school was not an option and it was way better than public school in a lot of ways. The class sizes were much smaller, the teacher:student ratios were much better, and the resources available allowed the school to teach both school subjects and social-emotional skills much more effectively. The school calendar was better, and the kids had more individual attention and opportunities to follow their interests and passions to advance more and more quickly than the average pace of a class of 20+. They didn’t lose entire weeks to standardized testing. My rising third grader who did private K has asked many times to go back, and routinely reminds us how much more he learned in the private school (which is absolutely accurate).
I do like our public elementary school and think that environment teaches a lot of valuable things that are harder to learn in a private school, but if money were no object and/or I had fewer kids…
Anonymous says
Yes of course. I don’t need or want to get my kid everytime they have a headache.
Anon says
+1 I suspect if you don’t authorize this, there will be a LOT of calls about minor complaints. I’d just sign it.
Anon says
Parents of kids who go to daycare – how long do they go for? I drop my 2yo off around 8, and her dad picks her up around 5. We both have demanding jobs and commutes so that’s the best we can do. The teacher mentioned that most of the other kids have shorter days, and it’s making me feel really guilty. And I have noticed that she is often one of the last at pickup. How do people manage this? Staggered hours? Extra help? Part time jobs?
Anonymous says
My kids had those same hours at daycare, and it was fine. I COMPLETELY understand your guilt- just had a long cab ride with a German coworker who was telling me she could absolutely not leave her child at care beyond 3PM, as long days couldn’t be good for him. But honestly, if your child seems happy and you’re happy, don’t borrow trouble. My kids are now in elementary school and sometimes get really upset if I pick them up from aftercare too early (before 5PM).
Anonymous says
The teacher is just trying to guilt you into reducing her workload. I would say that your hours are quite short for a family with two working parents. You and your husband are already staggering your work hours.
Anon says
We have an infant spot lined up and we will have approximately the same hours that you just listed. I didn’t know I was supposed to feel guilty about it! Going to choose to not, though.
test run says
+1 to infant spot lined up with the same hours. My husband has a non-traditional schedule sometimes, so I suspect he’ll pick our daughter up early/take her in late sometimes out of laziness/wanting to hang out with her, but I definitely don’t think you should feel guilty about those hours!!
Anon says
Mine have always gone from 8/830-6/615. Yes, that means they are sometimes the last kids to be picked up, but this is the level of care we need. My oldest is now in elementary school and does the same hours with camp/after care, and both kids are totally fine. In fact, if we ever try to pick the kids up early, they inevitably don’t want to leave because they are still playing with their friends.
Anonymous says
My kid is there for about that amount of time each day, and it’s pretty typical of other kids who attend full time. Our center’s rules are that a child can’t be there for more than 10 hours in a day, so each child has a set drop off/pick up schedule that’s 9.5 hours with a 15 min grace period on either side before late pickup fees apply.
Anon says
Ugh, I’m sorry. As someone who had my kid in daycare for <8 hours per day (due to unicorn work schedules and daycare at our office) I think this is a *totally* reasonable amount of time for a kid to be in daycare, and I'm seriously side-eyeing those teachers for making you feel guilty! As long as your kid is thriving, try to push the teachers' comments out of your head.
Anonymous says
I live next door to a daycare (NYC) and most parents drop off between 8-8:30 and pickup between 5-5:30. So your schedule seems very normal to me!
Anonymous says
One day care we used was mostly blue/pink collar families. Many parents dropped their kids off much earlier than 8:00 and then picked them up well before 5:00 just because those were their work hours. Their kids were spending more than 8 hours at day care, just earlier in the day.
Anonymous says
Your schedule seems pretty reasonable and common. I do think a lot of parents with the ability to stagger their schedules, do so in order to have less hours at daycare. Like I worked 8-4:30 and did pick up at 4:45 and DH worked 9-5:30 and did drop off around 8:45. We also had my mom do pick up at lunch time on Wednesdays to break up the week a bit. My mom was interested in being involved but not in being a full time care giver. That allowed me to work a bit longer on Wednesdays.
anon says
Husband and I both wfh with fairly flexible jobs, but our son has gone to daycare/preschool from 8-4 every day since he was 1. Our center is open from 6:30-6:30 and one of his best buds gets dropped off basically right when they open. My MIL made a comment about it once but then she complains about how she basically watched my nieces when they were little for that time period while their parents worked…
Anon says
I think this is pretty normal in terms of number of hours. At our daycare, especially when we were in the younger classes, a lot of parents dropped off at 7:30 and picked up at 4:30. Their kids had 6:30-7pm bedtimes. We typically dropped off at 8-8:30 and picked up at 5-5:30 and had an 8 pm bedtimes. So, we were using the same number of hours of care, but the hours were slightly shifted because of bedtime and the hours of our jobs.
Also, a few minutes can make a huge difference with pickup. When I was picking up at 5:30, I was convinced by kid had been by themselves forever… and then I realized that a large number of parents were picking up at 5-515. I was just running 10 minutes behind them.
Anonymous says
You do not need to feel guilty.
my kid was sometimes there as long as 7:30 to 6 pm from 2.5 ish when we moved to daycare close to home vs. downtown. Previously it was 8 – 5 to 5:30. I don’t know how families with 2 working parents get by with shorter hours.
For the most part, we commute together because parking is $$$ (mine is a taxable benefit, but hard to justify paying for 2 spots) and our hours are very similar.
We have friends who stagger their days so one parent is in the office before 7 AM / leaves at 3:30 PM to reduce childcare, but we don’t find that really works for us from a meeting scheduling perspective (at work) or feeling like we are sharing the load (at home). With work from home post-Covid, we try to work different days from home. If I still had a toddler i would use those days to give him a bit of a break, with an older kid i try to pick sports options that work with work from home days. :) Our kiddo is in grade one. We pay for before / after care 7:30 – 6 pm.
Anon says
My kid is in daycare 8:30-5:30. Keep in mind that your kid is also likely napping for two of those nine hours. That always made me feel a bit better, I don’t know why.
HSAL says
Nearly the exact same hours when mine were in daycare. Even if it’s true, the teacher should not be telling you that.
CCLA says
Ugh wtf teacher. Those hours sound totally normal. Don’t feel guilty. Ours were in daycare approx 830-530 most days, but there was probably one day a week where I had an early meeting and DH was on call and they were there from 7-6….and they were fine. I think a lot of people stagger hours, but that didn’t work for our jobs so it was what it was.
And tbh when they were really little like that, I needed the break and was happy for them to be cared for there longer…if I had a free afternoon you bet I was running a solo errand or hitting up the spa and not going to get them out of daycare early. Now that my kids are in elem I enjoy them a lot so different story from when they were 1-2.
Anon says
+1 to your second paragraph.
anon says
DD is now 6.5 but we were there 7-6 when she was younger. Tell that teacher to eff off. Seriously. If they want to go home early, shorten the hours they’re open. Until then, you’re paying for all of these hours and need them, so use them guilt free.
NLD in NYC says
+1 You and your spouse are working to provide for your child. And that’s also parenting, just like wiping noses and bottoms. The feelings are really but release the guilt.
New Here says
We drop off at 9 and pick up anywhere between 4:45 – 5:15. She can stay until 5:30.
We do the 9 a.m. drop off because we have some flexibility in the morning and didn’t want to pay the extra $130 for early care.
No one has said anything to us about it. I sometimes feel bad that she may be one of the last few there, but she hasn’t complained. She HAS complained if we pick her up earlier than normal (like a Friday or if we have a slow afternoon) and she’s in the middle of playing.
Unless your kid seems affected by this, I would try to not feel guilty. You’re doing what you can.
An.On. says
We do about 7:30 – 4:30, so similar length of time, although both husband and I have picked up as late as 5:30 pm on occasion. Our daycare has told us they prefer that kids spend not more than 10 hours in daycare a day and have never given us a hard time over our schedule.
Anon says
My youngest is at daycare from roughly 7:30 til 5:10 or so. At least at my center, during those hours she is neither the first to arrive nor the last to leave. Let go of the guilt, you are doing what works for your family.
Anonymous says
Ignore the teacher.
test run says
Just putting it out there to commiserate with anyone else dealing with it – postpartum body image/clothes are a drag. I feel like there is both pressure to go super easy on yourself and not worry about “bouncing back,” but also… bounce back. I’m actually happy to give my body all the time it needs to settle at whatever my new normal is, and I don’t even really hate how it looks (though I would like to eventually have some semblance of waist again) but having to buy all new clothes to go back to work is annoying and expensive.
Anon says
Right there with you. I’m 8 months post partum, still breastfeeding (we supplement quite a bit). It doesn’t help that DH is in a health kick and is more fit than ever before. Right as my body is clinging to any fat it can find. I try to sneak in workouts (which is laughable while working/pumping/night-feedings/etc.). There is pressure to not be in a calorie deficit to feed the baby but also see lots of people post 9 months in 9 months out photos where they nearly have a 6-pack. There is no winning.
test run says
This applies to body positivity in general (which is generally a movement I highly support!), but I also feel like there is this pressure to present as totally accepting of your body during this time but to quietly lose weight/be thin. It’s exhausting.
Anonymous says
Oooh I remember just feeling so frumpy all the time. I will say once I felt like my body had “settled” (about a year post partum) I did a big closet purge and bought some new, nice work pieces, which was really satisfying. Hang in there!
anon4this says
hello? are you me??? I am on the struggle bus at 5mos PP and back to work mostly in person. Sz 12/14 pre-preg and now 16+up. I’ve had SO MANY FAILS in shopping up to this point that I Just tried the Gwynnie Bee rental service. It’s not what I typically wear, so it’s a big old struggle to feel like the stylish ‘rette I once was. I feel comfortable with myself but the clothes are not giving me what I need to *bOuNCe bAcK* and *gIRLBoSS* it up.
test run says
Uggghhh all the commiseration! I am 4 months PP and also up two sizes, but it also just feels like my body is a Picasso painting. Weight is distributed in such a different way than it was pre-pregnancy that I feel like I basically need an entire new wardrobe. But I’ve also bought things postpartum which became too big a week later. I’ve spent such a completely ridiculous amount of money on clothes that I feel almost embarrassed, but I also can’t go to work in pajamas!
Grapes says
At what age would you be okay with daycare serving whole grapes to your kiddo? I am a worrier by nature so I’m trying to let go of some things (I am constantly “that mom”) but this one is tough for me because there are so many kids and I’m not sure how well supervised they are while eating.
Anon says
Are you sending grapes for them to serve? Or daycare is providing the grapes?
Maybe I’m in the worrying camp, but I still don’t serve my 4 year old whole grapes because they often get distracted while eating.
OP says
It’s group snack so each kid brings snack for everyone on one day.
Anon says
In my state, it’s a licensing regulation that they can’t be served before a certain age, I think 4. By 4, my kid was good at chewing and I had no concerns about her eating grapes, with or without me around. We did avoid high risk foods in the car for a while after that.
Anon2 says
I would also say 4. At home with my kids I’ve started giving whole grapes at age 3, teaching them to take a bite rather than put the whole grape in their mouth and to eat them one at a time. But I’m able to really pay attention to them 1:1 (and I still slice hot dogs down the middle until age 4).
Anon says
+1.
OP says
Thanks, this is actually exactly how we have handled it. I am still just a bit uncomfortable with my 3 year old being given whole grapes (even though he has been practicing at home in a more controlled setting). The daycare was nice when I raised the issue, but acted like I was abnormally concerned which had me wondering.
Anon says
Tips for one day at Disneyland with an almost 7 year old? Favorite rides/experiences? Restaurant recommendations? Any sense of how much we can do in one day? It’s Columbus Day weekend so the park will be very crowded, but unfortunately this is the day we have.
FVNC says
We’ve been to Disneyland twice, when our younger was 5 and then 6 years old. Disneyland is small enough that you can actually do a lot in one day. Given the holiday weekend, pay for fast pass (or whatever it’s called) despite the extra cost; otherwise, you’ll spend all your time in line.
My now-7 yr old’s all time favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad…he could ride that nonstop :) He also loved the Haunted Mansion, Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island and Splash Mountain. If you’re going to California Adventure, there are some super fun rides on that side, too — Grizzly River Run, the Cars section.
You can bring food into the park, if that’s an option I’d recommend it. If you want a sitdown meal, I think the restaurants in Downtown Disney are worth the extra walk. We did a lot of snacks — popcorn and bananas or oranges from the food carts.
Have fun!
CCLA says
We go 1-2 times a year and my kids are 5 and 7. If they’re 48 inches they can go on most things, but if your kid is shorter than that, measure ahead of time with those to confirm limitations. If you want to meet characters and really see most of Disneyland, stick to one park (but fwiw we love DCA). Definitely get genie+ or you’ll wait all day in line. Get a loose sense of the layout so you’re not running from one far end to the other and back again. Beware that at night they close down some routes for the fireworks show, which can make the walk crazy long to get from one land to another.
There actually aren’t too many thrill rides in Disneyland (vs DCA), so if your kid is old enough to be into those you can focus on those. 7yo’s faves at disneyland are space mountain, big thunder railway, teacups, buzz lightyear, pirates of the caribbean, millenium falcon. Matterhorn is the one coaster we pass on, she hates the monsters and I don’t like the jerky ride.
If traveling with 5 or fewer people I’ve always been able to snag day-of or day-before reservations for dining, just keep refreshing. Accept that you won’t do everything, and if there are some must-dos figure those out ahead of time within reason. Once in awhile your kid may want to just sit on the bench with a popsicle or climb on the treehouse rather than go on another ride, and that may bring them more joy!
anon says
After trips to the pool, my toddler wakes up in the middle of the night wailing. It’s not his typical pattern, and he really does seem to be in some distress/discomfort. It’s not dehydration or bacterial diarrhea, so my only other guess is muscle aches… He does play really, really, hard.
WWYD? Anybody have ideas for causes or solutions?
HSAL says
No solutions but maybe he gets water in his ears?
Anon says
Something to do with the ears would be my guess as well. I imagine he plays hard when he’s not in the pool too, so that doesn’t make much sense to me.
Anon says
Can he tell you where it hurts? If it usually happens at night I would say it’s “growing pains.” My toddler gets muscle aches in his legs at night if he walked or ran a lot that day. We typically give him Tylenol or Motrin and an ice pack and that usually helps.
OP says
I can’t tell and he can’t tell me. He wants the light on, and off, and on… he wants clean diapers… he wants water… It’s like he’s trying all the things for comfort but they don’t really help.
Cora says
That sounds like an ear issue. He feels uncomfortable but can’t tell why.
Anon says
My first move would be to get ears checked. Say you suspect ear infection and get a quick peek so you can hopefully rule it out. Not all ear infections or swimmers ear present with fevers and it’s such a simple, quick, non-invasive box to check.
Ears says
Yes, we’ve had a couple of sneaky ear infections recently that didn’t cause a fever.
Anon says
Yeah my kid never had fevers with ear infections.
Anon says
Anyone who decided they were one and done ever regret not having more kids?
New Here says
I am OAD. Our daughter is 4.5.
I don’t necessarily regret the decision – It is the best for us. But, I sometimes get sad picturing the future and not having the big family gatherings and other moments I observe between siblings.
Big believer in 2 things (or more!) can be true – this is the right decision for us, but sometimes I am sad about it.
AwayEmily says
Really well put. I have three, love them immeasurably, and from time to time still feel sad about the “road not taken” — part of me thinks I would have been a better parent to an only child. Every choice has costs and benefits, and that’s okay.
Anon says
+1 – I have two, and my oldest is my “easier” one, and at a fun age (6.5), where my youngest is handful in many ways and is also 3.5. I often think I could have been a “better” parent to my eldest if he was an only and generally would be having a better time as a parent right now.
Counterpoint, I also love my youngest, even though he often pushes me to the brink, he cracks us up like no other in so many ways, my heart expands when I see the kids play with each other/have each other’s back, and I love our family of 4.
Anonymous says
Ditto all of this.
Except I am two years ahead of you and age 6 is amazing. We ski. We bike. We go on actual hikes. On Mother’s Day we both snuggled on the couch and read our own book!
Anon says
Mine is still in early elementary school so possibly regrets will come later but for now I get more confident in the decision with every passing year. I love having a big kid who can do things like horseback riding and ziplining on vacations and can communicate about her emotions rather than just screaming (most of the time). I’m sure I will be a mess when she leaves home, but you eventually become an empty nester no matter how many kids you have and I love being able to really soak up these awesome elementary school years rather than being distracted by the care of a baby or toddler. It also gets easier to laugh off the negative stereotypes about only children as my kid gets older. She’s super social and great at sharing toys with peers so I don’t feel personally wounded by comments like “only children can’t share” or “only children are weird” anymore.
Anonymous says
We are one and done, and every year I am even more certain it was the right decision. For one thing, my husband is fantastic with infants and toddlers but just isn’t cut out for parenting kids above preschool age. He does okay with the one we have most of the time, but he wouldn’t be able to handle any more. I also worry about the impact a difficult younger child would have on our existing child and our whole family.
Anon says
We had pouring rain and flash floods yesterday from remnants of Hurricane Beryl. I turned the house upside down looking for my raincoat but couldn’t find it, so I grabbed an umbrella which was useless because I got drenched anyway when picking up DS from preschool. Today I found my raincoat sitting on the chair. I texted DH, “Where did you find my raincoat? I was looking for it everywhere yesterday.” DH: “It was in my backpack. I packed it when we went to the Zoo on Saturday. I didn’t know you were looking for it.” Reader, I didn’t know he packed my raincoat on Saturday. I guess the intention at the time was good because there was a small chance of rain that day, but it didn’t end up raining. He should have emptied the contents of his backpack when we got home and put away the things he packed back in their places, which is what I would have done. I had no way of knowing my raincoat was sitting in his backpack for the past three days. I am mad because he always moves or misplaces things without telling me, so I have no idea where things are when I need them, and it drives me insane. Or he will move something and then immediately forget that he moved it or where he put it. It’s extremely frustrating. Yes he has ADHD and does not manage it well.
Anonymous says
IDK – I’d be delighted if DH had enough foresight to pack me a coat for a trip to the zoo where it might rain, and I’d usually ask him right away if I can’t find something in its regular spot before I scour the house.
AwayEmily says
Same to both, tbh. My husband and I are constantly asking each other where things are, because stuff gets put in weird places all the time. The wages of a small house with five people living in it.
Anon says
Yeah I think this is kind of on you for not asking him if he knew where it was.
Anon says
Ha, I was also thinking that my DH would never think of that. He is extremely bad at planning stuff for himself, let alone for me. And he is also very likely to take something that’s mine (like my water bottle) and they leave in his car forever. OP, I get it, it’s frustrating, but it sounds like he means well, so personally I would let it go.
Me too says
Same. I don’t see why you didn’t text him first. Sorry but I think it’s super sweet he packed a raincoat for you actually! Even if this is a pattern, your DH seems pretty great from this description.
Anon says
maybe because I misplace things all the time I’m biased but…this does not seem to be a big deal. You share a busy house with someone, sometimes your stuff gets moved. It wasn’t like he threw it out or something. It was nice of him to pack your coat for you to begin with. cutting slack is the only way marriages survive!
Anon says
Ehh, I think you are overreacting here. I don’t have ADHD, but I still don’t always empty the contents of my backpack immediately when I get home from outings.
To play devil’s advocate… Couldn’t you have texted DH yesterday when you were looking for your raincoat and say “hey have you seen my raincoat anywhere lately?”
Anon says
Yeah I don’t have ADHD but I don’t empty backpacks or suitcases immediately. I think that’s a weird expectation.
Anon says
+1 I never empty bakcpacks or pool bags until I need something out of them
Anon says
Same.
SC says
DH and I recently found a duffle bag packed still packed with clothes, and we don’t remember where we took the bag. There was a bra that’s been missing for months in it. There were some of DS’s clothes, including a rain jacket, that he’s since outgrown.
We all have ADHD though.
Anon says
We travel about once a month and there have been several times in the last few years that I haven’t unpacked the suitcases until the next trip…
Anon says
I was looking for my son’s goggles when he started swimming lessons last month, and after racking my brain I realized they were in a bag, still packed with supplies and a (dry) bathing suit, from a swimming birthday he attended…in December.
Mary Moo Cow says
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who unpack right away and those who live out of the suitcase until it is empty. And they marry each other. (I’m the latter in my marriage.)
SC says
I’m typically the former, but I’ve had a crazy few months, with a lot of work and a lot of personal and work travel. I’ve had several instances lately where I haven’t unpacked until I needed to do laundry for the next trip. And I’m living out of my toiletry bag until I stop traveling in August.
Anon says
Tbh I think this is a huge overreaction. It was sweet of him to pack your raincoat. Just because you would have immediately unpacked your backpack doesn’t mean that he must.
Given a hurricane was tracking towards your areas, I’m a little surprised he didn’t know you were looking for it and that you didn’t look for it earlier.
I’m also confused as to why you didn’t just ask if he’d seen it recently or since you couldn’t find it, why didn’t you borrow his?
Most things in relationships come down to communication which you guys did not do here.
Throwing a fit when a loved one does you a favor is a good way for them to stop doing favors.
OP says
Thanks all for talking me down before I unleashed on DH. He was trying to do a nice thing and I am overreacting a bit.
Anon says
I’m on your husbands side here.
1) he was trying to do something nice for you
2) just because you’d automatically unpack your backpack doesn’t mean he’s wrong for not doing so. There are household things that are generally widely accepted (when the trash can is full, w take it out) but unpacking a backpack immediately isn’t one of them.
3) why didn’t you ask him if he’d seen your raincoat?
4) if you needed a raincoat, couldn’t you have borrowed his?
Anonymous says
We’ll be having kid #2 soon and I’m looking for a new diaper bag. I’d like it to be really functional and lightweight, and not a bottomless pit where I have to dig around for what I need. Any suggestions? Kid #1 is 5 and barely needs anything besides a snack, so this will be pretty baby-focused.
Anon says
We switched to carrying backpacks around kid #2 (we have four) and have never looked back. We used a fjallraven for a while, but often now it’s whatever recent office swag one of us has gotten.
Cerulean says
I have the Transit backpack from Everlane in black and love it. It has a pocket for a water bottle/ beverage on the side, and enough internal pockets to be useful without being overly divided up. I use it as my carryon when traveling, and it even has the little sleeve so it can slip over the handle of a suitcase. It’s nice and lightweight and comes out perfect in the wash. It’s also easy to repurpose after the diaper bag years since it’s not actually a diaper bag.
Tips for starting preschool says
Our oldest child will start preschool in September (and turns 4 in October – we’re just doing one year of preschool before K and they’ve had a nanny up to now).
What are some “definitely teach or expose your kid to this?” things we should know before she starts? Things that surprised you or that you wished you’d known? She’s had a very low-tech childhood (has never seen a movie or a kids TV show, no tablets etc) so I’m thinking maybe we need to watch a few animated movies so she’s not missing all the 4 year old cultural references…
Anon says
I think you’re overthinking it. You can show her a TV show like Bluey if she comes home from preschool talking about it, but at that age she’s not going to be ostracized for not getting cultural references (and I say this as someone who has a kid whose pretend play largely focused around TV characters from ages 3-6).
Former Junior Associate says
My kid started preschool at a little over 3 and I think the only thing you need to think about and talk to her about is the nuts and bolts of preschool–she’ll wake up in the morning at home, and then what happens? Does she get dressed right away? Does she eat breakfast at home or at school? Do you take her to school, does her other parent, is the nanny doing that? Will you pack her snacks/lunch, or will the school provide food? Will she nap at school? What will she have with her for napping (our school had us send a crib sheet and a blanket, plus a pillow and/or a lovey if we wanted; other schools want you to buy those sort of bedroll things)? Who will pick her up at the end of the day?
The cultural stuff I wouldn’t worry about–my kid’s childhood was certainly less low-tech than your kid’s childhood, but it turns out that school is full of cultural reference he doesn’t get anyway, and that’s what I remember from my own childhood too. Spiderman comes up at school and he just listens to his peers and learns from them and comes home to “shoot webs” at us. No issues.
Anon says
yea you are overthinking this. mine started preschool at 3, and at that time had only seen minimal daniel tiger. only watched a tablet when on airplanes. my kids came home from preschool talking about things like paw patrol, various disney princesses, etc. and other shows that they had never seen (and still have never seen). they just finished kindergarten and still only use tablets on planes. they are used sometimes at school. my kids did not watch a movie until age 5 bc they didn’t have the attention span. if you really care about characters, you can just read books about them. there is literally nothing for her to know. just to feel comfortable asking for help when she needs it. hope she has a great year!
Anonymous says
Make sure she’s potty trained (usually required) and potty independent, make sure she can put clothes, shoes and coats on by herself. Think how she does being read a story. Can she sit still for 10 minutes and pay attention to an adult. If not, try working on that. Practice with her on introducing herself to other kids (My name is so and so, what’s your name. Practice what to do when kids are mean at the playground (tell them no thank you or I don’t want to play that way). Practice asking for help when they need instead of having a tantrum.
Anonymous says
She needs to be able to wash her hands, put on her coat, and eat and drink independently. If this is just preschool as opposed to preschool at a day care, she may also need a greater degree of potty independence. In pre-K or a 4-year-old class she will be expected to hold a pencil or crayon properly, trace lines, and use scissors and a glue stick. She needs to know how to take turns, sit still, follow directions, line up, and walk in a line. Pre-ballet is really good for that last group of skills.
New Here says
I don’t think you need to worry about the cultural references. My kid (who does have screen time) has only watched Frozen, but can identify the other princesses and things like that.
She’s been in daycare since 1, and will start pre-K at the same daycare next month. I’ve asked them to focus on social skills, following classroom rules and routines, etc. Things that will help her in a classroom setting. They’ve been working on letters and writing for a year already.
Busy Toddler has a great blog post on kindergarten readiness and things you can do to help prepare them. Knowing how to wipe their own booty is key! That’s a skill we still need to conquer, ha.
Anon says
My 3.5 year old does not have any interest in anything other than scribbling and drawing circles. We have a pencil control workbook we work through here and there, but I know that’s…ambitious. I’m going to keep trying other modalities and not putting pressure.
When we “sit down” to draw, he wants me to draw things vs. him. My oldest had a slow start with this, too, but just need some reassurance from a place I trust.
Anyone else in the same boat?
Anon says
Why are you “sitting down to draw”? I think that’s a weird thing to do with a 3.5 year old unless they express an interest in drawing. Fwiw, my kid did not care about arts and crafts or writing *at all* until maybe 4.5 or 5 and used to tell me art time was the most boring part of daycare, and now at 6.5, art is her “thing” and she takes several art classes a week. 3.5 is still so little!
OP says
This sounds like my older kid re didn’t care at all until 4.5-5. He likes to draw now, but could care less about arts-and-crafts.
Anon says
I would let it go. Scribbling and drawing circles (and weird oval-y shapes he calls “chicken wings”) are what my 3yo is doing, too. Asking an adult to draw things indicates he feels intimidated or uninterested, and could make him less inclined to draw in the long run.
If you want to do something, give him more time playing play dough to strengthen his hands and small world play to help with fine motor skills (plus plus blocks, micro machines, etc)
Anonymous says
The boat of having a perfectly normal child?
Anon says
Are you the same person whose kid is in speech therapy? If so, this seems like a parental anxiety issue. Actually it does anyway.
Anon says
Same boat. My son will be 4 in August, and he still just scribbles and draws circles. When we get out art supplies or chalk, he also wants me to draw for him. He likes writing the letters of his name (although out of order). I’m approaching it like vegetables – lots of exposure in different forms and contexts, encouragement to interact, but no pressure to try or like or finish it. My son is generally very compliant, so if he decides he doesn’t want to do something (like draw a triangle or use a crayon without a fist grip), pushing him will just backfire. My son recently has developed a big interest in pretend play, and I’m curious if that will translate into an interest in drawing representative objects and not just scribbles.
Anon says
Who cares?!? My twins now age 6 were the same way…now i can’t get them to stop drawing
Anon says
I don’t think it matters fwiw, but my kids would always want to me to draw for them. We used to do team drawings, like I’d draw the birthday cake and they’d do the sprinkles. Or I’d draw the turtle and they’d draw the designs on its shell.
Anon says
Are Bogg bags worth the hype? Seems like every mom at the community pool has one but they’re kind of pricey for what they are.
Anon says
I use a mesh bag with a ton of pockets I got off of Amaz*on for the pool and beach and it works great. Unlike the Bogg it has tons of pockets and is lighter.
New Here says
Another vote for the mesh bag with pockets!
Anon says
I’ve seen cheaper knockoffs too!
Cerulean says
I think they look like Crocs that got turned into bags.
Anon says
Ha, they totally look like Crocs. They even have charms you can attach them like you can to Crocs.
Mary Moo Cow says
I thought they were crocs made bags the first time I saw one!
We have 2 pool bags, a canvas Lands End bag and a waxed canvas zippered tote from Mark and Graham. Yes, they both get wet on the bottom, but they dry. And each is a bottomless pit, no matter my intentions with reusable ziplocs and mesh bags for toys and goggles. But, and this is worth a lot to me, the handles and handle drop make them comfortable to wear on my shoulder, and 4 towels fit inside them with room for extras — oh, and not everyone can see my stuff inside!
AwayEmily says
I am only just now learning that they are NOT Crocs. I assumed they were.
Anon says
i have one – got it as a gift. some people love theirs, but i do not. it does prevent stuff from getting wet if on the ground at the pool, but it is heavy and not actually that big inside. if i ever lean over while carrying it stuff falls out. i had this wonderful bag from a company that has since gone out of business that is lightweight and if i was getting a new bag i’d go for a SCOUT bag, which also feel overpriced for what they are, but at least they are lightweight and close up