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My kids are in that magic window where they want to be together so they share a room (and I get a home office!).
This well-designed bunk bed from Crate & Barrel is perfect for smaller or low-ceilinged rooms. This bunk is actually more like a loft plus rolling bed combo. The lower bed has hidden casters for easy in-and-out (I find it makes it easier to change the sheets), and the incorporated ladder saves even more space. And, once the kids no longer want to share a room, I can just roll the lower bed into another bedroom.
This bunk bed from Crate & Barrel Kids is $1,798. It comes in white and charcoal. It’s also available in several other versions, including one with a right ladder and a twin over full.
Sales of note for 4.18.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 50% off full-price dresses, jackets & shoes; $30 off pants & skirts; extra 50% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything; extra 20% off purchase
- Eloquii – 50% off select styles; 60% off swim; up to 40% off everything else
- J.Crew – Mid-Season Sale: Extra 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off spring-to-summer styles
- Lands’ End – 30% off full-price styles
- Loft – Spring Mid-Season Sale: Up to 50% off 100s of styles
- Nordstrom: Free 2-day shipping for a limited time (eligible items)
- Talbots – Spring Sale: 40% off + extra 15% off all markdowns; 30% off new T by Talbots
- Zappos – 29,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – Up to 70% off baby items; 50% off toddler & kid deals & 40% off everything else
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 50% off spring faves; 25% off new arrivals; up to 30% off spring
- J.Crew Crewcuts – Up to 60% off sale styles; up to 50% off kids’ spring-to-summer styles
- Old Navy – 30% off your purchase; up to 75% off clearance
- Target – Car Seat Trade-In Event (ends 4/27); BOGO 25% off select skincare products; up to 40% off indoor furniture; up to 20% off laptops & printers
Aunt Jamesina says
I missed the thread yesterday about favorite nursing and pumping bras, but I have to recommend the Bravado Clip and Pump Hands-Free bra attachment. It converts any clip-down nursing bra into a pumping bra, so no need to buy pumping bras. Pumping sucks enough as it is, no need to add to it by having to change out your bra before you get started!
Scilady says
This was my favorite too! Used it while pumping at work for 9 months or so with both of my babies. Sci
Morning Routines says
My kid will be entering first grade and for the first time will have to be out of the house at a specific time. They also will need to eat breakfast, get dressed, pack backpack with lunch, etc. Any tips on how to make this happen smoothly? We enrolled them in a fun camp for the next month to try out these routines and, wow, now that the novelty has worn off, this morning was a mess – kid wanted to sleep longer, moved slower than I thought was humanly possible, every task took so long! It ended up frustrating all involved. I want mornings to be pleasant (don’t we all?)
Anonymous says
Pack lunches and backpacks the night before. Lay out clothes. Streamline breakfast.
AwayEmily says
I am a broken record on this, but we do 15 minutes of TV in the morning during which the kids get themselves dressed, brush hair, put on shoes, and we apply sunscreen. If they dilly-dally with any of this then TV goes off. It is very effective.
Also, in the “grass is always greener” vein…last year my kids were always awake by 6:30 (on a good day, sometimes earlier) and the kindergartener’s school didn’t start til 9. It sometimes felt like I lived three lifetimes during those endless mornings.
Boston Legal Eagle says
Your second paragraph… yes, this is my life. Kids up by 6, K-er’s school didn’t start until 8:30. There was so much time and yet still so much stalling. And yelling. And crying.
Agree on packing lunch the night before. Have kid sleep in the day’s clothes if needed. Breakfast on weekdays is not a big ordeal in our house – kids get cereal and bars, and some fruit if they’re still hungry.
Anon says
We pack lunches and organize backpacks the night before, so all that needs to go in in the morning is the already-packed lunch from the fridge and their water bottle. Clothes are also picked out the night before. Breakfast is a very limited menu: cereal, oatmeal, toast, or leftover pancakes/waffles from the weekend.
We also copiously use timers. If Google Home goes off and you’re not done with your breakfast, too bad, it’s still time to go pee and get ready to leave the house. It’s easier when the time constraint is something external, rather than a nagging parents.
Is your kid taking the bus? My Ks know that the bus will not wait for them no matter what, so that also provides some external motivation over when they were dropped off by car for preK.
Anon says
This. We have a timer that goes off ten minutes before for brush teeth, shoes, sunscreen.
Anonymous says
In first grade I still pack the lunch and I do it the night before. You might need to move bedtime earlier. We let kiddo sleep as long as possible and then honestly just stay with him every step- if he doesn’t wake up early to read, we wake him at 7:20, help him get dressed before he’s fully awake, straight to bathroom, breakfast at the table if he’s not fighting it but en route to school otherwise. Shoes on in the car if we’re driving. I get up and dressed at 7 so I’m ready before kids get up (we parents both shower at night so getting up, dressed, making coffee etc doesn’t take long).
CHL says
I really recommend a photo checklist or at least a picture of what ‘done’ looks like. Maybe at the beginning of 1st grade you will need to do it but throughout the year they can start looking at it to know that they need a lunch and a water bottle in their bag, to put on their shoes, put on their coat, gym shoes on Thursdays etc. And let’s be honest, sometimes I needed the checklist too. Good way to build executive functioning!
anon says
Yes, this!
Anonymous says
The number one thing for me has been to allow twice as much for each step as you think it will take
Also pushing for kid to do as much as possible independently has really helped. We’re on our 3rd year of a “get yourself ready” routine and all I have to do is prod her along. In our case, no screen time in the mornings has been much better than allowing it.
Anonymous says
I have an incoming 1st grader, but she went to K last year and had the same routine. I also have an older child so this is old hat by now. FWIW, our school starts at7:55am and the bus comes at 7:15.
Clothes are almost always laid out the night before. Lunches made night before. I get up at 6, have breakfast, a cup of coffee and pack up lunches and bags (eg. put prepped food into lunch bag with ice pack, put water bottle into backpack). DH gets up at 6, showers, then gives the kids a first wake-up at 6:30. If they want to catch the bus, they get up (Oldest usually does). They get a warning at 6:45 (“last call for waking up if you are taking the bus”). Kids get up, go to the bathroom, get dressed and brush hair (usually), then come down for quick breakfast. Hair sometimes gets brushed during breakfast. Teeth brushed, shoes on, out the door to the bus.
If they sleep in, they get woken up at the absolute last minute (7:20), dress and brush teeth, shoes on and breakfast in the car. We have to leave the house at 7:40 to make it to school on time if we are driving. I either shower after the kids get on the bus or while DH is doing drop-off. DH and I are ready to start work by 8am.
AwayEmily says
Has anyone refinished an attic? We have a smallish older house (built in 1920) with a pretty spacious but totally unfinished attic. Now that we have 3 kids we were thinking of trying to refinish it, potentially even adding a bathroom (currently we have 1.5 bathrooms). I will note we would DEFINITELY get someone else to do it, we are not DIY people. But I have no sense of the cost, the time it would take, even how to start thinking about it. So, any attic-refinishing stories are welcome!
Anon says
I would think the cost would be pretty substantial. It cost us $70k to to get a pretty simple basement finish (we added a bathroom for which there was already plumbing set up, but otherwise just added walls and put down carpet, basically) and that was years ago before recent inflation, which seems to have hit the construction industry harder than most. LCOL area, although I get the sense construction costs don’t scale very directly to housing costs.
Anon says
We have twice. Dry wall isn’t cheap. Is the space climate controlled now? That’s a big part of it too I think. It did make the house feel much bigger – we did not add a bathroom either time. I’m not sure I can estimate cost because it was part of a larger remodel, but it also added square footage when we sold so we could definitely recoup some costs.
Spirograph says
Our 1940s vintage house’s attic was finished when we moved in so I can’t speak to cost, but you definitely need climate control and insulation, which can be $$$. Our finished attic is not on the central heat and air, and has separate wall-mounted units with ductwork and a compressor outdoors, which is fantastically effective but can’t have been cheap. I assume there’s insulation behind the ceiling; I know there is behind at least the wall that has the crawlspaces behind it, but even so, the temperatures get extreme if we don’t have the units turned on.
A railing around the stairs that is up to code is crucial. We had to add that (the existing railing was flimsy with too much space below it and very unsafe, especially for kids), and it was at least $6k iirc, 6+ years ago.
FVNC says
I agree it will be a substantial cost, and $70k+ seems reasonable especially if you’re adding plumbing and electrical. Plus, since you’re working with a 1920s home, you have to budget for the surprises — I mean, that’s true for any reno, but I feel like especially true for historic homes.
As for where to start: I think someone on the main page recommended the podcast Advice from an Architect, and it’s a great resource! Finding a contractor based on personal recommendations is best — if you have neighbors or friends who have done something similar, start there. If you have to go with google, call all references and if the reviews aren’t glowing, move on. Good luck! My parents finished their third floor a few years ago, and even though they’re empty nesters they LOVE it (and it was very helpful when they hosted four grandkids for a while this summer!).
Anonymous says
Don’t do it unless you are prepared to put in the best insulation you can possibly swing. We bought a 1950s Cape Cod with an upstairs that was a finished attic (with bathroom) and it was so unbearably hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and noisy. Don’t recommend.
Anon says
Sounds like the previous owners didn’t use insulation at all!
Anonymous says
Making it a usable space (insulation, drywall, heat/AC) is one thing, adding a bathroom is another. Easily over $100k for the latter.
govtattymom says
We have a finished attic and it is a lovely space that serves as an office, play space, and extra bathroom. I will say that it is not used as often in July and August because it gets hot. However, we have not had any issue with it being too cold in the winter. Honestly, we use the room a lot. When the kids get bored of playing in the living room it helps to have a separate space full of toys and games to relocate them to (particularly on rainy or snowy days).
AwayEmily says
This is all really helpful and makes me realize that we definitely shouldn’t embark on this until next year (when we only have one kid in daycare and thus more money). I’m writing all your comments down in an email to myself so I remember to ask contractors about them when we finally start getting quotes.
Attic says
For climate control, ask about a ductless mini-split. We added one for our finished attic (which had heat but not AC) and we love it! It does both heat and AC.
Former Structural Engineer says
Hope you’re checking late responses. I’m typing from our main bedroom in the converted attic of our 1920’s craftsman in the PNW. The previous owners of our house finished out the attic to add two bedrooms and bathrooms ~10-12 years ago. It was likely very expensive since they also gabled out the roof for more space and upgraded the electrical.
Some thoughts:
– plus 10000 on considering thermal comfort: insulation, thermal windows, HVAC system. We have insulation, great windows, main house heating and recently added a mini split system for the summer.
– may be helpful to keep some unfinished attic space for storage (we gave some nooks behind closets)
And as someone who was a structural before pivoting to another role in the construction industry:
– I recommend you consult with or have your architect/contractor consult with a structural engineer. They should check the structural framing and make sure it can support being converted into living spaces. Attic framing is typically designed to support storage space and not “living spaces”. Meaning, attic joists tend to be further spaced out and not as deep as joists supporting a second floor (For example, a 1920’s builder may have used 2×8 or 2×10 lumber spaced every 12 or 16 inches for an inhabited second floor but may have only used 2×6’s spaced every 24 inches for an attic). TBH, our floors feel a little “bouncy” up here—I don’t think the previous owners checked before they renovated AND they added radiant floor heating + marble tile in the bathroom (all very heavy). I know it’s fine from a floor strength perspective, but it’s not something I would have recommended my own clients.
Anon says
How do people handle sick time in work from home jobs? I switched from a billable hours job where sick time was basically irrelevant to a much chiller government job. Obviously if I’m laid up for the whole day watching Netflix I’ll take sick time. But what do you do when you’re working at home with a sick kid and the whole day is a hodgepodge? Take half a day or a few hours or figure it comes out in the wash if you’re getting your work done?
Anonymous says
In my remote government job, I’ll let my managers know if I have a sick kid at home, but if I can manage to make it to meetings/do some work that day I won’t take a full day of sick leave. People have been very understanding of stuff like that as long as the work gets done and deadlines are met. I use sick leave when I am fully away from my desk (appointments, sick in bed, etc.).
Anon says
My job is chiller than most, but I only use sick time if I really won’t be working at all beyond monitoring email or if I’m sick enough that I have to miss a meeting. If I’m doing even an hour or two of substantive work and won’t be missing any meetings, I don’t normally put in a sick leave request, although I give my boss a head’s up about what’s going on. I don’t usually use sick leave when my kid is home, because I can get some work done during rest time and can turn on TV for any essential meetings.
Anon says
i wish i had sick time. we got some during covid but they took it away. now it’s all one bucket and so its impossible to plan out for the year bc i feel like i have to save days in case we get sick and then lose days bc i cant take them in time. for my two cents, as long as you are getting your work done, save your time and don’t take any
Anon says
Don’t make your life harder than it has to be. Save a sick day for when you are truly unable to work at all, or for when you are unable to keep up with visible tasks and important deadlines.
Anonymous says
I think this is office dependent. In my government office, if you’re doing some work and are available by phone/email the whole day, you don’t need to take a sick day. We also regularly work beyond the standard 9-5 so taking half days is not really a thing even when you’re in the office and leave early, etc. there’s an assumption that if your work is getting done, you’re working more than 35 hours a week on average so there’s no need to split hairs.
Anonymous says
I take sick time if I want to be unavailable for an extended period of time and will miss meetings that I can’t reschedule easily. If I’m still trying to get work done, I just tell the people I work with what’s going on and that my responses might be slow. I work outside of work hours a lot, so I figure it evens out.
anonM says
I think I need a reality check on 4-5 yos/normal range of behavior. My 4.5 yo is normally pretty good, and not having any issues at daycare. But, he had some pretty bad behavior after vacation when my out-of-town sister was staying with us. I wrote a lot off as being overstimulated, off schedule, tired, etc. But now it’s been a few weeks and some of it is continuing. Ex – wetting his pants when he had to walk home instead of ride in the wagon (we’re talking 1/6 mile, because he kept hitting little sister, not a hike by any means); yesterday he and little sister cut their hair; and today he sprayed water on the kitchen floor from the faucet sprayer thing (took several towels to mop it up, so he held it down for a while, and he’s done it before). Am I overreacting?
Anon says
That doesn’t sound out of the normal range to me.
Anonymous says
Yeah that’s what children do.
DLC says
Yeah, that sounds like the normal thousand paper cuts of having kids who are curious and trying to figure life out. My kids have done all of that stuff too. (My oldest peed her pants on purpose one time when she didn’t want to get in the car after a play date. She was ten at the time.) It’a hard because I feel like any one thing I can handle with grace and patience, but when it is an unrelenting stream, it’s hard to not lose my sh*t.
When my kids get like that, sometimea I throw them in the backyard with a water bottle and lock the door.
Commiseration.
anonM says
Yes, this is it, thank you. It has me rethinking all my parenting choices/approaches! (Should I get rid of more toys? Cancel weekend plans? Start some kind of sticker chart? Read a different book? Agh!) I think part of my overreaction is that my friends’ kids are either younger or kids who, by their nature, are less defiant/rambunctious, so it gets me worried I’m not being strict enough with the 4yo. I appreciate the honesty, thank you!!
Boston Legal Eagle says
The hardest thing about parenting is that there is no magic formula – some kids are just harder and more defiant. Period. No technique will solve that. And all of them go through phases where something sets them off. And then they change again and you’re constantly adapting. It’s one big reason why I don’t mind having a consistent, if repetitive at times, job – at least I can somewhat master this!
AwayEmily says
Seems normal, and also really hard. We are coming out (knock on wood) of a spell of bad behavior from my 4.5yo. Hitting, being generally rude, etc (the worst was when he deliberately woke up his baby sister). The thing I found most helpful for my own sanity was to talk with my husband about EXACTLY how we would respond to different boundary-testing behaviors.Then when he started spiraling, I didn’t also have to figure out what I was going to do. I think the consistency in our responses helped him eventually snap out of it, too.
Bean74 says
Is he closer to 5? The six weeks leading up to my son’s 5th birthday were a nightmare. Everything was a negotiation, bedtime meltdowns happened more often than not (even when we put him to bed earlier), transitions were terrible, general not listening, and early wake times. Yet, preschool said he was doing great and they had no issues. My husband and I were at the end of our rope and then he turned 5 and it was like a switch flipped. Things settled down again. All that to say, it sounds normal, so hang in there!
Anonymous says
These all sound like very normal behaviors for a 4 year old who’s feeling a little off or going through a developmental spurt. For my kids these behaviors also sometimes indicate the kid is feeling like they need more individual attention. They’ve often occurred eg while one parent is traveling or even while one parent is just out for the evening.
anonM says
You know, last week he was also eating a TON. Maybe it IS related to a growth spurt. Thank you all for the kind suggestions and perspective.
FVNC says
FYI to admins: disappearing comments again
Anon says
Yep I noticed it too.
Anon says
You can have a very similar effect for much cheaper with a lofted IKEA Kura bed and an extra mattress on slats underneath it. My kids’ room has slanted ceilings, so a regular bunk bed can’t be pushed up against the wall and two twin beds would take up a lot of the floor space.
Pogo says
Tips for evening routine for a Kindergartener who will not be napping and thus need to go up for bath around 6. Also have a toddler who because he still naps, doesn’t need to go up as early, but for practical purposes, probably going to have him go up for bath at the same time.
GCA says
Stick them in the bathtub together! Keeps them contained and entertained. Also, timers (a la the morning routine thread) especially if they have any chores. But also, give them grace, K can be a hard enough transition without a tired kid needing to go to bed early.
DLC says
We lately have had one parent do bath for both kids while the other cooks dinner. Cuts out one step between dinner and lights out.
Pogo says
Ooh I like this. So dinner after bath, then straight to bed? That’s a thought.
anonM says
Some ideas for you, FWIW. When DH travels for work, I often try to make the most out of bath time because, as someone pointed out above, they’re usually happy and contained (and I can sit!). A few things I’ve gathered from posts here/friends that help for longer/”fun” bath times – crayola bath dropz, Fun House Kids Foam Soap (1 squirt each to “wash” the tub/toys), a glow stick, LED bath dinos (6 Packs Light-Up Floating Dinosaur Bath Toys). I suggest one of these “treats” a night, and only some nights, so they stay novel/fun. I also have been playing their bedtime music during bathtime to start calming them down. (S/O to Daniel Tiger bedtime CD on spotify). Also, I started pretending the strainer/toy holder was a “hungry bath monster” that needed to be “fed” the bath toys at the end of bathtime, and it has stuck and eliminated that cleanup battle!
Mary Moo Cow says
We do a variation of this during the school years. Baths are every other day in our house, unless there’s an emergency mess. Ours looks like this: either one parent makes dinner while the other bathes both kids (together or separate, bath or showers) from about 6-6:45, then dinner, then clean up, each parent does one bedtime, and lights out at 8, or, one parent makes dinner while the other entertains kids, then one parent does bath around 7:30 while other parent cleans up/dishes, and separate bedtimes with lights out at 8:15. On non-bath days, we still divide and conquer, but everyone pitches in for clean up or playtime before bed. My kids are 7 and almost 5, and inching towards showers by themselves. We also haven’t had any afterschool activities yet, so TBD on how that changes the schedule.
Anon says
My 2yo son very frequently poos at that time. So instead of basically wasting a diaper and a change, we drop him in the bath early. We usually eat fairly early, but if we haven’t eaten yet I cook and husband bathes. Then kiddo goes in his jams and stays in it for indoor playtime and dinner. Unless his shirt gets filthy with dinner and then we do another quick change. Same if his diaper is unusually soggy
Anonymous says
These are all good suggestions! Note that bedtime/sleep needs may change dramatically in the next few months- at just turned 5, my kiddo was in bed by 6:50, asleep by 7:15. By the end of kindergarten he was usually not asleep till close to 8-8:30 and we had moved his in-bed time up to 7:30 or even 7:45.
Anon says
i’m losing it. DH is traveling again for work and last night kiddo was up from 9-10:30, at 3:30, and then at 5:30 for the night. these wake ups were likely due to the covid vaccine, but same kid woke up 5+ times on Monday night, so it’s not just that. i can’t just bring her into bed with me for various reasons, and thank goodness right now i’m WFH bc i can use my commute time to go back to sleep for an hour, but i have to go back to the office in two weeks and i’m in a role where i’m in a lot of 1:1 in-person meetings where i have to pay close attention to what the other person is saying. i am someone who needs sleep to function and this is worse than going back to work when my babies were 3 months old bc at least then it was only 1x per night and people were a bit more understanding. i barely feel safe driving on such little sleep, i honestly don’t know how residents and doctors do it. just need a space to vent. it’s like every time i make progress on developing an exercise routine, or eating healthy, or getting personal things done, there is a night of no sleep or illness that derails everything.
Anon says
Why can’t you bring her into bed with you? That’s always been the best solution for us if the goal is maximizing sleep, and it sounds like that should be your goal in this situation.
OP says
bc she shares her room with her twin and then i need to bring both kids into my bed and then no one sleeps.
Anon says
Is the other twin waking up every time she wakes up or you feeling you have to do this out of equity? Is having the kids not share a room so the twin doesn’t wake an option? Why does no one sleep if you bring both kids into the bed? (is it a space issue or a twins-keeping-each-other-up issue? The former could be solved by a bigger bed?) Can the twin with sleeping issues start the night in your bed? Can you put one or both kids on your floor instead of in your bed? You do you, but I really don’t think you should dismiss bringing one or both of them in with you so easily when you’re this sleep-deprived.
OP says
so whether or not twin B also wakes up varies. sometimes yes, sometimes no. but if twin B wakes in the middle of the night for her own reason and twin A isn’t there, she flips out, and then everyone is up again. we’ve tried the not sharing a room option, but they just aren’t ready for that. it is not an equity issue per se, but if twin B realizes this in the morning, twin B flips out and insists she needs a turn sleeping with mommy and we all sleep best when everyone sleeps in their proper beds. We have a king sized bed, but there is too much playing and talking that goes on if they are both trying to sleep with mommy, and since this is not only a problem when DH is out of town, all four of us cannot sleep comfortably in a bed. twin B is not as cuddly and truly sleeps better alone than in bed with a parent, but does not have the maturity to realize that. when twin B is exhausted she gets very aggressive and throws intense tantrums, that are hard enough to manage when DH and I are both home, but obviously much harder when I solo parent, in particular when I solo parent exhausted.
anon says
Can you put a twin mattress on the floor in their room so you are sleeping in their room but not in the same bed? Would that keep twin B content?
Aunt Jamesina says
Oh, I’m so sorry! Sleep deprivation is so, so awful and not having a partner to lean on to help you limp through just makes it that much worse.
(Feel free to ignore my advice if you don’t want it! Sometimes you just need to vent) Not sure how old your kid is, but could you put an old crib mattress or sleeping bag on the floor of your room so they can have proximity without it interrupting your sleep as much?
Anon says
she is 4. part of the problem is that sometimes she wakes up crying, or isn’t totally with it enough to realize she is awake and wants to sleep near mommy, but instead sits up and cries until she gets a hug or help locating her water bottle next to her bed. as a baby I had no issue with CIO, but at that time her twin who she shares a room with could sleep through it, but now her twin doesn’t really and generally i’d rather have one hot mess 4 year old than two, and while we could separate them, they aren’t really ready for that and so we’d rather not take that path.
anon says
I’m so sorry—lack of sleep is the worst.
If you think this problem might be helped by money, it’s absolutely worth spending money for safety and ability to do your job and spouse to do his job.
Night nanny, sleep consultant?
CHL says
I’m so sorry – that sounds awful! Depending on if you nap well, I support you getting babysitting help to get a little more sleep in the morning or in the afternoon/evening or this weekend to get some more sleep. Maybe even take a day off (which I realize is ridiculous but I feel TERRIBLE when I don’t sleep.) My son at that age wanted to come in our room and sleep with us and (inspired by my mother who did this with a lawnchair cushion), put out an exercise mat on our bedroom floor. He can sleep there. Eventually it was a less attractive option. Not sure if doing that for both of them would be useful at all.
Anon says
Recommendations for kindergarten-sized backpacks and best lunchboxes/lunch packing equipment? My 4.5 year old is starting TK this fall. I bought her two of those bento-style lunch boxes but is that all she needs? I’ve never had to pack her a lunch before since she’s primarily been home with our nanny, so this is all new to me!
FP says
I think two bento boxes and two water bottles are good – that way you don’t have to clean every night. I like the LLBean Jr Original Backpack and the matching lunchbox. It fit most everything I needed. Be sure to get good dishwasher-proof labels on everything – I use the ones from Minted but there are many options out there.
Boston Legal Eagle says
+1 to all of this. K-er had an LLBean Jr. backpack, lunch box and Bento box to go inside. Ice packs for keeping things cold.
anonM says
Colorful masking tape or painter’s tape and sharpie are great for labeling all the things.
anon says
Two bento boxes is great, so you can stick one in the dishwasher and pack the other one. We put the bento box into an insulated lunchbag with an ice pack, which both keeps and cold and makes it easier to carry from their classroom to the cafeteria since the insulated bag has a handle.
At 4.5, we got my kids PB Mackenzie backpacks, size Small. It meets the elementary school requirements of fitting a folder, plus can fit spare clothes, a lunchbox, and whatever else they need to bring.
Anonymous says
If you will be using this in K and need to pack snow gear, get the PBK large.