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I have an entire kitchen cabinet dedicated to food storage bins of all shapes and sizes. These space-saving collapsible bins gifted to me by my mom make me wish all my bins collapsed.
These bins feature snap-tight lids and an air vent for microwave heating and are made from silicone (so they’re microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe). The most ingenious part is they collapse to about a third of their original size and stack easily on top of one another.
I’d toss one or two in my bag before a dinner out so I could do my small part for the Earth by providing my own containers for leftovers.
These bins are available in a set of four at Amazon for $19.99.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
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- 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
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- 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
What storage containers are the best for when people keep losing them and they get aggressively moldy? I’ve used glasslock but they’re heavy and the lids are hard to demold.
AwayEmily says
We exclusively use Ziploc Twist-n-Loc. They come in several sizes (same tops for both), stack, don’t leak, and are cheap enough that I don’t feel bad if I lose them. Yes, they’re plastic, but we don’t heat stuff in them so I feel okay about that. They really revolutionized our container game, and I’ve converted several other people to them as well.
Anonymous says
I use these for soup, and regular Ziploc of gladware-type disposables for everything else. I do microwave in them too. We use ours for taking lunch to work daily [pre-pandmic anyway], commuting on public transit/foot, and I just can’t imagine dealing with glass for that. When I was pregnant I tried decanting into a glass dish to reheat at work, but I couldn’t keep up with washing the dish at work. I just don’t care enough!
Pogo says
We have the Rubbermaid flex & seal set. They’re held up really well, I have never had mold issues…
Anonymous says
Mold issues in my experience are due to forgetting to clean containers/losing them/leaving them in your backpack all weekend , not due to the containers themselves
avocado says
I really like the Pyrex containers with Snapware lids. I haven’t had problems with mold on the lids, but if they do get moldy you can order replacement lids separately.
Anonymous says
Sorry, missed the fact that you didn’t like the similar Glasslock containers.
fallen says
Is it a bad idea to try to WFH for a week with an 8 year old? My daughter really wants to do a gymnastics camp but it ends a week before all the other camps and I don’t want to have her sign up for a random camp for a week. I am hoping she can entertain herself for 4-5 hours while I do work and then I can entertain her for the rest of the time but maybe it is idealistic.
Pogo says
I mean, isn’t that what we’ve all been doing for the last year lol?
fallen says
I actually have been very fortunate and haven’t done this (we had a nanny that will stay with us for another month or so) so I don’t know if this is a bad idea or I would be better off just choosing a different camp or do a random camp after the gymnastic one ends.
Anon says
Since it’s only one week, I would try it. If it’s a disaster you know better for the future but I think it’ll probably be fine.
Cb says
Yes, definitely. Maybe you could swap playdates to give yourself a full day here and there? Or she could go to a friend’s house for a day or two and you can repay the favour?
Pogo says
I think for a week it’s totally doable. I was/am a massive introvert, but at 8 years old I would have done art projects and read for 4-5 hours with no problem. Add in some screentime and I think you should be good. Also not sure your neighborhood situation but at that age I also would ride my bike around with my friends for hours and hours.
Anon says
Yeah at 8 I spent my summers running around the neighborhood with friends and reading by myself for hours. I think it’s Know Your Kid though. I can tell that my own kid is extroverted and suspect she’ll need a lot more parental attention at this age than I did, at least when she’s home and not out with friends.
Anon says
I think it depends on the 8 year old, but I think a lot of 8 year olds could entertain themselves pretty well. My mom worked from home during my elementary years and we never really had much summer childcare. Her job was very flexible and didn’t have set hours, though.
Anonymous says
Nah it’s totally fine
Anon says
Unless it’s your most busy week at work, I don’t see the harm in trying it for a week. My 8 year old and 5 year old are home with nothing to do this week (the week between school and summer camp) and it works because it’s a short week. I made sure to get out of the house on Monday – we went to a local park for a long hike – and we met up with friends for an outdoor playdate and picnic dinner yesterday afternoon.
Can you or your partner take that Wed off and plan something with her to help break up the week? Even a trip to the library to pick up a giant stack of books if she’s a reader, or a bike ride to a park if she’s active, or invite a friend to play if she’s social, etc. If not, maybe let her place a big order from Michaels or Joanns for a bunch of crafty type kits she can do that week.
Anon says
I think it would be fine, but I also don’t think putting her in a random camp is terrible, especially because you have a lot more options if you only need 4-5 hours of childcare all day. In my area there are a lot of cool 9-2 or 9-3 camps that kids whose parents need full-time care miss out on.
fallen says
interesting thought! as an introvert the idea of meeting a bunch of new people at a camp for just one week would be awful, but maybe other people wouldn’t feel that way and would prefer it to being home while mom is at least somewhat distracted with work. i may just ask her what she prefers. so far she has made it very clear she wants to do a gymnastics camp.
Anon says
As a shy introvert (they’re not synonymous – lots of introverts are super outgoing and great at making friends) I actually never had any problem with summer camps. Everyone is new and the camps do a really good job of helping kids break the ice and make friends. And at “specialty” camps (academics, art, music, etc) everyone has that common interest so it’s easier to make friends quickly, even for those of us who normally struggle with it. School was much harder for me because everyone got labeled in the first couple years of elementary and cliques formed and it was very hard to make any new friends. But yes, I would ask her what she wants to do.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Totally doable for a week. You could also try hiring a teenager or college kid for a few hours to do something with her in the mornings or afternoons for that week to help you out.
octagon says
This is the way to go. A morning activity with a sitter, then lunch, then sitter leaves and kid can rest.
Anonymous says
Sure. I’d give her stuff to do though. New library books, nail polish, craft project, etc. My 8 y/o would start to have too much screen time and act out if left to her own devices entirely for 5-6 hours/day.
Can you schedule play dates for a few of the days? Pick one of her well behaved friends and invite them over 10-2 or something. Have some stuff for them to do if they get bored- hair chalk, nail polish, sidewalk chalk, bikes, card/board games etc. let them make their own lunch with vague supervision, or order delivery.
If she doesn’t have a friend like this (my kid IS this friend for some families we know) get a high school sitter to come over and play with her for a few hours on a couple of the days, or maybe have high schooler take her to a local amusement park for the day.
Anyway, short answer is yes it will be fine. Heck, my 8 year old would read alone in her room for a few hours alone if we went to the library and got some new books.
Anonanonanon says
Yes but, in my experience, you’ll need to spend some time/money on crafts/activities to have set up for her, and/or allow plenty of screentime. Which is not the end of the world, it’s summer!
avocado says
Not a problem at all to send her to a random camp for the last week. By that age, my kid was attending several different camps over the course of the summer. Most themed day camps aren’t really designed for kids to attend for more than one or two weeks. If you’re planning to send her to gymnastics camp for the whole summer, I’d be concerned that she’d get bored.
Anon says
Yeah for day camps most people seem to cobble together a summer of lots of different 1-2 week camps. The exception is the Y where many parents send their kids all summer. Fine to do gymnastics all summer if that’s what interests her, but I would not assume she’ll be with the same kids all summer.
Spirograph says
I hope it’s doable, because this is my plan for my 6 and 8 year old the one week our babysitter isn’t available this summer. I’m counting on the neighbor friends to keep them outside most of the time
Anonymous says
A trial that has been scheduled for mid-July this year for about a year and half was just confirmed to go forward as planned. I’m surprised because of all the other things that had to be delayed. Anyway. Now I need to figure out how to make this work – I’ve never been in trial. I am still pumping 3X/day for my 9-mo old (no other kids). Right now, I do mornings and my husband makes dinner and does pjs, then I do bedtime. I know we’ll need some help for the weekends, as I anticipate having to work weekends, but how can I get my family ready for this? My husband’s job is 40 hours but he gets maxed out easily and I don’t know if we really want to just assume he does everything.
Anon says
so i’m sure you’ll get a lot of comments about how if this was the reverse, the wife would just figure it out, but i think it is good you are thinking ahead, though to be honest, if the roles were reversed the other spouse would probably be figuring out what help is needed – ask your husband what his pain points are and what he thinks he wants to outsource for this time period. what do you mean exactly when you say your husband gets “maxed out easily”? i’m not a litigation attorney so i don’t know how trial prep works exactly and when things start to get super crazy. are you bfeeding morning and night and then pumping 3x? will you be working from home or in the office? if you are working from home, you might be able to sneak away to do bedtime
Anonymous says
Of course, you do you, but I might consider tapering off the pumping/BFing so that’s one less thing to worry about during trial. (Again, if it’s a priority for you, keep it! Just a suggestion.)
Anonymous says
Also, if you are still pumping at this time, don’t be afraid to ask the court where to pump, etc. I’m sure all courts and judges are different, but I clerked for a summer in law school (not litigation now) for a federal judge, and the biggest thing I took away from the experience is that judges, clerks, etc. are nice people who want to work with others. I was shocked at how human they are, if that makes sense.
Anonymous says
This. With a nine month old, who will be 10 months old by the trial, I would drop down to just pumping at lunchtime. You can eat your lunch while you pump for 20 minutes which will be much easier than trying to balance multiple pumping sessions. Other people used court facilities but I actually preferred my car under a nursing cover. Watched an episode of friends while I pumped.
Switch to pumping twice a day now, then once a day in a couple weeks.
So Anon says
How long is the trial scheduled to last, also is it a bench trial or jury? There is a big difference between a 2 day bench trial and 10 day jury trial. If you want to pump, I would call the courthouse and ask how that judge runs their trial days, including when breaks occur and how long they last. I clerked while pumping and handled numerous trials. My judge ran a 8:30-2:30 trial day with 2 fifteen minute breaks. I would pump right before, during one break where I also ate, drank and caught up on email, and then right after (my daughter was 5 months). If the judge runs a longer lunch break, then you can pump over lunch. Its also worth asking whether there is a place that you can pump other than the bathroom.
In terms of your family, can you call in a family member to help with the days you are in trial? If not, then yes, your partner will need to step up for this stretch. I would prep as though you are going to be out of town for the stretch that you are in trial, and any time that you get at home will be a bonus. I’d guess that you will be exhausted after the trial, so plan on taking a few days off for yourself where you keep whatever childcare you have and give your partner time to catch their breath as well.
Pogo says
“during one break where I also ate, drank and caught up on email” – if this doesn’t sum up being a working mom in America, I don’t know what does.
IHeartBacon says
As a trial attorney, who has been to trial several times (and twice since my son was born), my recommendation to you if it is a jury trial lasting longer than a couple of days is to stay at a hotel during the week and come home on weekends — even if the trial is in town. If you are lead trial counsel, you will not have the mental or physical capacity to focus on anything but trial. If you are only second chairing, your lead trial counsel will not appreciate you disappearing at the end of the day when you will be expected to help prepare for the next day. If the client won’t pay for your hotel room, i recommend asking your firm to pay. If they won’t, I recommend paying out of pocket.
I second the recommendation to plan for both you and your husband to take a few days off after the trial is over. He will need the break from solo parenting and you will need the break from finishing your trial. If you win, you’ll probably want to get back to the office to revel in the glory, but I still recommend taking a couple of days off.
Anonymous says
As a trial attorney who during non-COVID times has 3-4 jury trials a year and had three trials while pumping here are my suggestions: call the judicial assistant directly and say that you are pumping and want to make arrangements for a room with a lock that is close to the courtroom that you will be in so you can pump. Just tell them that you aren’t sure what the process is and see if they know how you should handle it. It is likely they have never had this issue before so don’t wait until the day before. I called about two weeks prior to trial once I was sure the case would not resolve. Second when you arrive at Court for the Pre-Trial Conference or docket sounding after the Court Reporter stops typing, say something along the lines of I have one more quick thing to address that doesn’t need to be on the record, but I am pumping and will require breaks every three/four hours to do this how would you like me to handle this. Most of the Judges are so flustered by the idea of a woman pumping they will bend over to accommodate. One even asked if I needed a signal in the event i required an immediate break. One Courthouse set up a locked room for me directly next to the Courtroom and the other Courthouse didn’t have a locked room available near the Courtroom so gave me the room that typically holds the witnesses, but didn’t lock. They posted a security officer outside the door to ensure no one entered. In terms of what to bring, in addition to your trial stuff you will need to bring a cooler to store the milk. Also bring zip lock bags to put the used parts and snacks and plenty of water for yourself. Anticipate extra time getting through security due to the pump/parts.
Regarding Trial week, my husband has a non-flexible job but does have lots of paid time off. I always have him take off for my Trial in the event our nanny cannot work extra hours to account for me having to work early mornings and not coming home until really late or my parents come into town and help out. Anticipate that you will do nothing but work during trial week and the week/weekend before Trial. This means no assisting with the kids or anything around the house during Trial. If you can afford it get a sitter to give your husband a break and hire a maid to come. Tell your husband to order out and don’t freak if the kids don’t get baths. It is a week and while it will be hard for him, you will be working around the clock. You will likely leave the house before the kids wake up and will be home well after they go to sleep.
Coach Laura says
Yes, I agree that your husband should take the week off. Or if it’s a ten day trial, then have him take off Friday the first week and Monday-Wednesday the next week, so that the weeks are short. Or parents or in-laws. A college kid coming in in the afternoon, picking up daughter at day care, feeding her, bathing her and getting her in PJs before husband has to pitch in would be good.
Meal service (Blue Apron etc) if you get that, the sitter could cook it before picking up the daughter at day care or husband could cook after work. If he doesn’t want to cook, you could buy pre-prepared meals at Trader Joe’s, Costco or Whole Foods. Then there’s always takeout and delivery which won’t kill the budget or the diet for 5-14 days.
anonamommy says
My 4yo daughter has suddenly started pretending to nurse on me (clothed), at least once a day. Which is surprising because she gave it up at 7 months and never looked back. I’m letting her do it assuming that she just needs extra cuddles and love, but reassure me this is just a phase?
Anon says
Seems pretty normal to me. If she goes to preschool she may have picked it up there if they play with baby dolls at all. My 3 year old went through a serious baby phase a few months ago. She never pretended to nurse but she would only talk in baby talk and acted helpless about everything and made us do everything for her. Pretend nursing would have been way less annoying.
Anonymous says
I would not be okay with this just because I hated nursing and am not a touchy-feely person in general, and would use it as an opportunity to teach her about personal space and consent. “I don’t like that. Stop touching me that way.” Then let her ask for and receive a hug or snuggles.
Pogo says
Did you just have a baby? My almost 4yo had zero interest in nursing until I had our second, and he got super jealous. He sometimes asks for milk when baby brother is nursing (like milk in a glass – the first time he asked I was like, hoo boy! thinking he wanted to try to nurse haha). He also pretends to be a baby animal a lot (“I’m a tiny baby birdie! My wings are to little to flap, mommy birdie has to carry me!”) which I’ve heard is normal when babies show up at home, preschoolers adopt the baby talk or pretend baby stuff to get attention.
anon says
Any favorite “big” items for three year olds? Looking for ideas on what to get my son for his birthday!
Anon says
My 3 year old has been asking for a police car or fire truck. Like a big one she can ride on.
Anon says
my twins just turned 3 last month. if he doesn’t already have a scooter or magnatiles, i’d recommend those. also depends on what your kid is into and if you are looking for more indoor or outdoor stuff. we have very generous grandparents (between both sets they got balance bikes, more brio trains, more play food for their kitchen, stomp rocket, puzzle, accessories for their doll house, etc.) so from mom and dad they got pajamas and a monogrammed hat that they needed anyway for summer. honestly, my twins just keep talking about the balloons and cake they got on their birthday more than any of their gifts, so don’t necessarily feel like there has to be a big gift or any gift at all.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Micro Mini scooter; Play Kitchen if he doesn’t already have one + Melissa and Doug food; Trains and those big train sets.
anon. says
Scooter and helmet
Balance bike and helmet
Anon says
+1. If you have to pick one, I vote scooter
Or a Nugget (they are fairly easy to get these days)
Anonymous says
Wooden train set. I think we got my son the Brio garage around that age.
Anonymous says
I have girls but maybe something will inspire you. For 3rd bdays they got:
– dollhouse & dolls
– bike & helmet
– scooter & helmet
Other big presents for holidays around that age: power wheels, magna-tiles, Lego junior kits, pretend engine, playhouse
Anon says
We just got my 3.5 year old a bike and helmet, which she loves (we’re going training wheels option, current recommended approach I think is balance bike instead but she’s doing great with the training wheels). A neighbor recently got a powerwheels jeep and DD loves driving it. Play kitchen gets a lot of use as do the play tents (we actually have them in multiple rooms because family members were similarly inspired). Not necessarily big, but a collection of different sport balls might go over well (we have mini basketballs, a soccer ball, a few “play” bouncy balls in different sizes with a texture that reminds me of the kick balls of elementary school and a football in one of those old school PE-teacher mesh bags). Remote control outdoor monster trucks are a hit too.
Anonymous says
If you really want to go big, an inflatable water slide.
Anon says
Not OP but I just bought one for our family with a 3 year old. It’s supposed to be 90+ this weekend so we’ll see if it’s a success.
Morning routine says
Can we talk about morning routines, particularly with littler kids? Now that everyone is back in person, getting two adults, a baby, and a 2 year old out the door in the morning is — rough. To say the least. I try to have everything I can ready the night before, but it’s still chaos.
AwayEmily says
Broken record on this but 10-15 min of morning TV (basically half a Daniel Tiger) is a lifesaver for us. Keeps the kids occupied while we get them dressed/hair brushed, and also gives us last-minute uninterrupted time for grabbing lunches, finding shoes, making sure bags are packed, finishing makeup. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in ten minutes when the kids are occupied. Obviously this is less relevant for the baby right now, but maybe even they can sit in a baby bouncer near the TV for 10 min?
Anon says
+1 I only have one child but mornings have gotten a lot smoother now that we use Daniel.
So Anon says
A few tips that helped me when my kids were that little: Have the kids wear to bed whatever they are going to wear the next day, so that your focus is on getting you ready and them fed. My oldest was (actually, still is) a hangry dude when he wakes up in the morning. I would move him from his crib to the couch with a sippy and breakfast, turn on the tv and slowly back away. Any speaking would lead to a full meltdown. When he had eaten, he would happily toddle back to me and chat. I put the baby in a jumper in the bathroom while I got ready. I basically pulled my hair back/up for the first 6 months because the hair dryer was terrifying to her. I left a cardigan over whatever I was wearing until I dropped them off at daycare, otherwise I ran the danger of spit-up, jelly on me, whatever. After dropping them off, I would grab breakfast on my way to work and eat in the car/at my desk at work.
AwayEmily says
+1 to food first thing if your kids wake up hungry. I prep half a piece of toast and a glass of milk for each of them, and immediately after I get them up we take ten minutes to sit on the couch together and eat, drink, and read a few books before proceeding to real breakfast/routines/etc. The calm snuggle time + calories is key to making them happier and more regulated for the rest of the morning rush.
Pogo says
One parent takes 4yo down for breakfast. Once he has food, he is usually good. I nurse the baby, and then one of us gets baby ready while the other showers or goes down for breakfast (I like to shower first, DH likes breakfast first). After breakfast, 4yo gets video while he gets medicine, teeth brushed and dressed. Baby is usually happy to chill in his high chair with breakfast while whichever parent is downstairs gets bags ready for the day. Then the parents switch – so if I showered first, I come down and DH goes back up to shower.
I make an effort to do lunches the night before. DH buys lunch at his office. I have not had to go into office through lunchtime, but in the past, I grabbed leftovers.
Even streamlined, it’s usually 60-90min from start to finish. There’s a lot of running up and down the stairs when we realize we forgot something. It can’t be avoided, I’m afraid. Once I accepted that timeline, I know if I want to be out of the house by 7:15, I know I need to be physically out of bed at 6 on the dot. Reframing that helped me.
When one of us needs to do it solo, the baby gets put in a containment device closest to the parent getting ready, while 4yo is getting video.
Ellen Parsons says
I just found out that a two-week trial I thought would be canceled is going ahead as planned. I have a 9-month old and am still pumping 3X/day, nursing once in the morning and twice at night. It’s local, but I don’t know if it will be virtual or in-person yet, but I’m expecting long days and weekends. How can I prep for this? Right now I do mornings and my husband makes dinner and I take care of the baby while he does that. I’m thinking we could use some help a couple of nights during this period for an hour or so, so that I can keep working while DH makes dinner. And then I’m thinking some kind of childcare for a few hours each weekend day so I can work and DH can have a break. Any other thoughts/ideas that have made your life easier in trial with a baby?
Ellen Parsons says
Sorry, I’m the same poster at 9:41; it looked like it didn’t go through and then sleep deprivation made me question if actually hit comment before closing by browser window. Thanks for the comments so far!
Boston Legal Eagle says
Gotta love those joyful parenting moments of catching your toddler mid-poop and running while carrying him to make sure he makes it to the potty in time. And then cleaning that potty! I wonder how other managers at my company spend their nights – probably not the same as mine.
AwayEmily says
The poop part of potty training is so awful. One time I left my potty-training kid undiapered on the couch for like two minutes while I ran to the kitchen. Came back to a poop-based crime scene. Thank god for OxiClean.
Pogo says
I literally took a call the other day while assisting a poop. Thank god I was able to be on mute while he yelled WIPE MY BOTTOM MOMMY.
Anonymous says
I don’t know, I think that would add a lot of levity to a boring conference call ;)
Anonymous says
Was recently speaking in a conference call with probably 20 people while my son yelled “I need my bum wiped”. Fortunately / unfortunately my trusted colleague said she couldn’t make out distinct words from the background noise.
Pogo says
Sadly it was not just a boring call but a serious 1:1 about divesting part of our business, so the poop commentary would have been kinda out of line.
Sleep deprivation says
How long does it take you to recover from sleep deprivation? Baby is finally sleeping through the night after several miserable months – and yet, I’m feeling worse instead of better. It’s only been a few days so maybe I just need to give it more time. Has this happened to anyone else?
Waffles says
Lots of times, when I finally have a chance to rest, I feel worse. I think it’s because after the adrenaline stops, I can feel how tired I actually am.
Hope you are able to restore your health. I don’t feel bad about sleeping in and doing what I want to do — it’s only a matter of time before I’ll have to burn out again in service to others.
Also: everyone I know who gets seasonal allergies has been having the worst allergy symptoms of their life. With or without allergy medication, it can be so draining.
Anon says
Yes omggg this allergy season is unreal. I thought 2020 was bad but this is much worse.
Anon says
I’m glad to hear you both say that – I generally don’t think I have seasonal allergies (maybe very mild), but the past month I have had near-constant sore throat, itchy nose, and sneezing
avocado says
The allergy sufferers in our house have been doing so much better since I put a BlueAir filter in every bedroom and the main living space.
Anon says
Yeah, my main allergy is to ragweed so I normally suffer a lot in August and September but not in the spring, but this spring I’ve had a perpetually stuffy nose and been sneezing constantly. At times I even felt so rundown I got a couple Covid tests despite being vaxxed and not having classic symptoms. (All negative of course, and my doctor confirmed this is a terrible allergy season.)
Anon says
@avocado, good to know! We have a Dyson on the main level but I’ve been considering getting small BlueAirs for the bedrooms, too
Anonanonanon says
Yesssss sometimes after finally getting a good night sleep it is much harder to wake up! It’s as if my body is saying “no! You were finally sleeping! do more of that!”
AnonATL says
When my son started sleeping through the night, I had so much anxiety for a couple weeks about him suddenly regressing and keeping me up all night again. I would go to bed stressed about being woken up which would keep me up. I had been running on fumes for a while that finally sleeping and eating full meals took a while to refresh my body.
Anonymous says
3 years??? I am still waiting to recover.
The little prince still probably wakes me up around 4 once a week.
Anonymous says
I wasn’t going to say it, but yeah, my only child is almost 4 and I still feel exhausted all the time. It’s different than the sleepless newborn zombie-like state, and my child doesn’t wake up in the night very often (maybe once a month or so), but parenting is just emotionally and physically exhausting in a way I didn’t anticipate until I had a child. And parenting in a pandemic is another level of exhaustion.
Anon for this. says
This. My son will start kindergarten in the fall, and I am extremely exhausted from homeschooling, WFH etc. And I have a very good job where I can manage my time and am probably only working 30 hours a week – but the anxiety that someone requests a meeting during my low-ley 3 hr childcare slot in the late afternoon keeps me up at night.
Pogo says
Have you added exercise back into your routine? That is huge for me. I can’t exercise when I’m physically exhausted or maxed out otherwise, but once I am able to sleep, have a little breathing room, I feel more tired until I start running and yoga again.
govtattymom says
I felt this way as well for the first week or so. I am now on week 4 of daughter sleeping through the night and I am feeling so much better! There is light at the end of the tunnel! Thinking of you.
Waffles says
My kid is almost five years old, and she is going through a phase of saying things are too easy for her. Then, when we give her something that requires effort to do, she screams, cries, and refuses our offers to teach her through it because she she “doesn’t want our help.”
Advice?
Anonymous says
We have the second problem, not the first. The only way I can handle it is to remove myself from the situation. Tell kiddo if she wants help, you’ll help her, and then give her space while you go take deep breaths in another room.
Anon says
Does she get upset that she can’t do it on her own, or does she just do it “wrong” (making you think you need to teach her)? I guess it depends on what kind of activity we’re talking about, but I’d probably just let her do it when and how she wants, even if it’s not correct. Think of it as a form of play and don’t require her to stay within the lines, so to speak.
If she asks for your help then rejects it, I’d set a boundary like “I will show you one time then it’s your turn” and ride out any resulting fuss
AwayEmily says
I find time and being left alone helps a lot with my new 5yo when she tries new things. If she’s starting something new I’ll say, very casually, “I’ll be reading the paper in the other room — just let me know if you need anything.” Similarly, if she gets super frustrated with something then I let her yell/vent and then just leave it alone. I don’t offer to solve it, I let her come to me. Sometimes it takes a few days.
anonymommy says
Sharing a happy moment. I just got two baby-related texts — one friend had her second baby and another friend got her anatomy scan ultrasound for her first LO. All healthy. Such a good moment. My DH and I’s siblings aren’t having kids any time soon, so our friends/kids’ honorary “aunts”/”uncles” are so important to us (especially when we were the first to have kids out of our friends — it was a little lonely at first!). Happy tears.
anon says
hoorray for your friends!