When I was browsing the J.Crew Factory site, I clicked the thumbnail for these pants that I thought were cute. As I was looking at the product page, I scrolled down to the reviews, and when one reviewer mentioned the elastic waist, the “cha-ching!” noise went off in my head. I didn’t even notice they had the elastic waist in the back, and now I think I’m sold. From the front, they lay nice and flat, and they look flattering and professional. All of my work tops/blazers would definitely cover the back waistband, so the elastic band would stay my secret. It’s my pet peeve when companies will do an elastic waist but then put a drawstring — hello, I’m trying to pass comfy pants off as work pants, and hiding a drawstring is not helping! With these, the nice flat front and even the crease down the leg are business in the front, comfort in the back. They are $46.50 and available in sizes 00–24. They also come in navy, black, and “marine salt.” Jamie Pant
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Sales of Note…
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – 2,100+ new markdowns!
- Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything; extra 30% off orders $100+
- Eloquii – $39 select styles; 50% off select styles
- J.Crew – 25-50% off wear-now styles; extra 50% off select sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; 50% off women’s dresses; extra 60% off clearance
- Loft – 60% off sale styles
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Talbots – Semi-Annual Red Door Sale: Extra 50% off markdowns
- Zappos – 26,000+ sale items (for women)! Check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kid shoe brands on sale.
Kid/Family Sales
- J.Crew – 25-40% off kids’ styles; extra 50% off select sale
- Lands’ End – Up to 40% off your order
- Hanna Andersson – 30% off all kids’ & baby clothing; PJs on sale from $25; up to 75% off clearance
- Carter’s – Rule the School Sale: Up to 50% off; up to 40% off baby essentials
- Old Navy – 50% off back-to-school styles; 30% off your order, even clearance
- Target – Backpacks from $7.99; toddler & kids’ uniforms on sale from $5
- Pottery Barn Baby – Summer sale: up to 50% off
- Nordstrom – Limited time sales on brands like Maxi-Cosi and Bugaboo.
- Strolleria – Free infant seat car adapter with any Thule stroller; 30% off all Peg-Perego gear in our exclusive Incanto Collection
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- 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…
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- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
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PetiteMom says
Thank you for the good advice regarding finding a government job.
Following on the idea that I need a new job, do any of you have success stories about coping with a job that you hate. I am miserable at work and need to be an adult and stick to it until I find something better. The problem is that I wake up every day in a bad mood and therefore I cannot be the calm and caring mother I want to be for my child. I’m constantly tense and feel guilty for my bad career choices. I know these are “third world people problems” but still I’m turning into a monster because of the frustrations at work. I can cope with the work itself (which I dislike but it’s fine); however I work with horrible people (gossip, backstabbing, no manners, playing games behind the scenes etc). Me and colleague constantly feel under attack and that we will get fired.
Anonanonanon says
Not sure if you have a partner that can handle the AM kid-related things, but I find my attitude about work and how much I let the little things get to me shifts if I go to the gym before. I hate exercise. I do not find it energizing, and I’m not one to say exercise is the solution to all problems. But even if I just go to a yoga class or walk a bit on the treadmill while listening to a podcast, and then enjoy showering and getting ready without kids and a husband around and grab a coffee to go, I am much more zen at work. Sometimes I’ll even put in a hair treatment and sit in the steam room. Something about having already done a non-work activity before I show up at the office helps to remind me that it’s not my entire life, after all, it’s just one of the many chunks of my day that exist and that I care about, and most things I am inflating are really not a huge deal.
Anon says
I know you meant to say first world problems and I’m just chiming in to say that I hate that phrase. Depression and anxiety does not discriminate. I’m not saying you necessarily have that but if you do, it is going to come out whether you lead a dream life or whether you struggle to make ends meet. One of my friends ended up very dangerously depressed (thinking of ending her own life) because she was so embarrassed to admit she was depressed when she “had everything” she ever wanted. If you think you might be depressed, please talk to your doc about meds. I’m dealing with situational depression but it was making me be a terribly rude and impatient employee and Zoloft is making all the difference.
Boston Legal Eagle says
+1 to this. I would highly recommend therapy and medication if it’s appropriate. I had to really examine a lot of my own feelings of failure and shame when going through tough work situations and worked on fighting back on the idea that my career is the sole determinant of my self worth. It’s not a reflection on you that you’re in a bad job – this happens to a lot of people and a lot of people (non “high achievers” for lack of a better phrase) don’t take it as personally and as a reflection of who they are.
Anonanonanon says
This. Unless you are at this very moment a mother in Syria digging her child’s body out of the rubble of your just-bombed home, there is always going to be someone who has it worse than you every moment of the day. “other people have it worse” is not a great bar.
Spirograph says
Hugs, this was me for a while, and it sucks. Two things really helped me: 1. A couple sessions with a therapist.
Saying everything I disliked out loud and hearing someone tell me that it was all completely fix-able was very liberating. 2. Cheesy as it sounds, a Gratitude Journal. Yes, there are lot of things I dislike about my job, but when I forced myself to find some good stuff, it took the edge off a little. I basically reframed to: I have to work, and if I have to spend 8-9 hours a day doing SOMETHING, at least it’s pretty close to home, pretty flexible, and pays really well (lots to be thankful for there). There is almost no chance I’ll get fired, but if I do, I’ll get severance (thankful for severance)! And I would be able to find another job within a month because my skill set is very in-demand, and my current job is keeping it fresh (thankful for dumb tasks).
Very little has changed about my job situation since I was SO unhappy with it about 6 months ago, but I’m in a much better head space about it. I’m not even actively planning to leave anymore. I’m not saying you should settle in and just resign yourself to a job you hate, but while you work on an exit strategy, these mental tricks can keep you from going too far down the dark rabbit hole of questioning all your life choices (and once you do that, you might find your job is actually tolerable).
Anon says
Totally agree with Spirograph. (1) Therapist + (2) Reframing mindset to try to focus on anything good about your job/life – even if it is something really small and trying to find some humor in the situation (much easier said than done but can make something that currently feels unmanageable much more tolerable) + (3) planning little things to look forward to outside of work – whether it is doing a craft project with your child, putting on a face mask, grabbing drinks with a friend, reading a book with a cup of tea (whatever it is that you like to do)
I’ve been in the situation you describe more than once and have gone down that spiral of faulting myself for making horrible career choices, when i’m guessing that you – just like me – made the best choice we could given the circumstances at the time and the information we had at the time since unfortunately, we don’t get to make decisions with the benefit of hindsight
Go for it says
+ 1 to all of this. Adding on, for your kid(s) sake seek counseling. It is definitely neither fun nor fair to live with a miserable parent.
TheElms says
I don’t have any suggestions for you, because I’m in this spot, but I just wanted to acknowledge how very hard it makes everything. So all the internet hugs.
Meg says
This is a minor suggestion to go along with the other good advice here, but maybe also try making your personal work space a little more pleasant. I was in a bit of funk last year so added a few touches: a couple plants, a cute printable calendar off Etsy, some photos, a nice carafe. Now my desk feels a bit more zen. It doesn’t change the external factors but gives you the feeling of your own little haven.
Anon says
I was in a job like this. I worked overtime trying to please people who were impossible to please, and I ended up getting laid off anyway and now have zero contact with any of these people I lost so much sleep over. It is so hard to be in a toxic environment. Just remember that ALL you can do is your reasonable best. One step at a time. Honestly, give yourself more breaks in the day and say F it sometimes. You need to protect yourself. There is a point of diminishing returns. Some people will grind you into the ground. Give yourself space to breathe and reboot. Give yourself time with friends or a therapist you can unload on.
Anonymous says
How often do your public schools have a 2 hour delay? Our district fully cancels only rarely but there have already been 7 “delayed start” days this school year, and we’re having a very mild winter with only one significant snowfall so far. Today it’s delayed for…fog, I guess? This just seems so crazy to me, since obviously people can drive/walk in fog and daycares and businesses do not operate on a two hour delay. I know ultimately I have to deal with this, even if it’s very abnormal, but I’m just curious if other school districts delay this much.
Walnut says
Our school district is closed today because they didn’t want to have a late start on an early release day. Called the closure yesterday evening and the snow they were concerned about didn’t materialize. So…we appear to be closed for cloudy weather?
Anonymous says
This is frustrating, and I’m on the side of wait to see before you cancel. But, there is a very vocal side in our town that wants closures to be announced as soon as possible so there is more time to make back up arrangements. So while I agree with you, schools get a lot of pressure the other way, too. We’re on a two hour delay in my smaller town in the Midwest because of freezing rain and ice. It is definitely legit for us this time.
I’m in Iowa, and delays are very common here because all but the largest cities will have a not insignificant student population that is quite rural, and their roads aren’t cleared until a little later in the morning. Our district also requires delay/closure when the temperature or wind chill fall below a certain threshold. That also causes a lot of delays, because it’ll be warm enough for school later in the morning. When I lived in a large city, it was much less common.
Anon says
:waves: I grew up in Iowa! Didn’t think there were many Iowans here.
Anonymous says
And a bit wave back to you! I learned about the site (well Corporette back before the Moms page existed) from a fellow Iowan.
Anonymous says
Seattle as well? So frustrated!
Anonymous says
We’re in Maryland and have delays for the slightest bit of snow or ice, though we’ve only had one this far this year because it’s been warm.
I grew up somewhere where each town made its own call about weather closures whereas where we live now it’s by county, so it drives me crazy that our city will be completely fine, but because it’s icy on the other side of the county we’ll have a delay.
Anonymous says
Maryland here, too, and it sounds like you’re also in MoCo. The delay start last week made me roll my eyes so hard, but my coworkers who live upcounty assured me that it was actually very icy near them. A friend pointed out that MoCo is larger than the entire state of Rhode Island… where I grew up, school districts were the size of a single suburb, so the closures made a lot more sense.
Anon says
grew up in MoCo. Moved there mid elementary school from NYC where there was never a delay so it took my parents time to adjust, though as a kid it was the best, particularly when they announced it the night before (and clearly as a kid i never thought about how stressful it must have been for my working parents). when i went to college i actually had to adjust to the fact that school isn’t canceled/delayed every time there is a chance of snow!
Anonymous says
9:52 anon here and I have to edit to add that my friend is wrong! MoCo is only half the size of RI. 500 square miles compared to 1200. However, the point that it’s large enough that it would make sense to subdivide somehow when it comes to school delays/closures still stands.
I grew up in the Midwest, and we rarely had snow days, but there were occasional closures for wind chill. Of course, the first thing we’d do is bundle up and go play in the snow.
Anonanonanon says
Are you in the DC area? Northern Virginia (which was foggy this morning) delays ALL.THE.TIME. in the Winter and it is a nightmare. We use a daycare that has a before and after school program, which will also cover most weather delays, snow days, teacher workdays, etc. It costs only $85/week less than our toddler’s in-home daycare, which is kind of infuriating, but my spouse and I would both like to stay employed and we can’t rely on the school system childcare to do so. It is insane to me, because it snows here EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR. and we cannot seem to deal as a region.
The only downside is the daycare follows federal government closures and delays, which are based on the entire DC metro area, whether commuter trains can run, etc. not just the conditions in our County. They also follow crazy federal closures, like the day of mourning for the George Bush Sr. funeral. I wish they would follow county government delays and closures, but it is what it is.
OP says
No, I’m in the Midwest! We are used to cold and snowy weather here, which makes it even more of a mystery to me.
Anon says
I’m in a city and we rarely have delayed starts. But it seems like the suburban districts, which are all quite large and often include some rural areas, have delayed starts all the time and I don’t even live in an area that gets much snow.
Anonymous says
I live on the east coast of Canada so if schools delayed for fog they’d never open. Usually if it’s like a foot of snow and high winds, we’ll get a closure. We’re getting 20-40cm on Friday with winds 100km/h so we’ll likely be closed but they still don’t make the call until 6am on Friday which is annoying. Would rarely close for 5-15cm of snow and lower winds.
That said, I fully recognize that other areas close for a lot less because they don’t have the same amount of snow clearing equipment for roads or at schools. It’s really hard to compare, except for districts with a similar weather pattern.
FVNC says
So far in my midwest city we’ve had only one school closure for snow, and one — I kid you not — practice 2 hour delay! The justification for the practice 2 hr delay was that it’s new (instituted because there were so many closures last year), and the school system wanted to address any hiccups before “the real thing.” I guess I should be grateful the district implemented delays, but wow was I annoyed by the practice day! Delays and closures are frustrating, but as a lawyer I understand the districts want to minimize risk in any way possible, but it doesn’t stop me from grumbling :)
Anonymous says
Wow, I would be so frustrated about a practice delay! Everywhere I’ve ever lived it hasn’t been that challenging, everything just runs 2 hours later, so I can’t really see why you’d need to practice.
Anonymous says
Or at least tell the public that it is for teacher inservice!
Lyssa says
I guess I just don’t get pants these days. These don’t look good to me at all. And I really could use some new pants.
At some point, fashion trends will turn back to things I like, right?
Cb says
I hope so. I am firmly on Team Dress but I’m struggling to find anything cute in stores. I only own about two week’s worth of outfits and some things are getting shabby so I’m getting a bit nervous about my future wardrobe.
anne-on says
I am also firmly on team dress. I have been very pleasantly surprised with JCrew recently. I’d also say a solid 60% of my dresses are from Brooks Brothers and Hobbs. Not super ‘fashionable’ but a lot of reasonable, washable choices for business dresses that don’t have weird ruffles/cold shoulder sleeves/exposed zippers/etc. etc. Worth a look!
Anon says
Yes. I sale-stalk Brooks Brothers for a lot of my professional clothing these days.
Anon says
see i love pull on pants and would be tempted to try these except i do not live near a jcrew factory and refuse to spend $ to pay for return shipping. i tried the uniqlo ones and they did not work for me. tried the old navy ones and they didn’t work for me either.
Anonymous says
Paypal will refund return shipping costs for up to 10 orders a year if you use it to pay. See https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/returns
It’s fairly painless; I’ve used it a lot.
Anonanonanon says
I have some everlane ones similar to this and there is something liberating about an “ugly pants day” in the office for me. Mine are black and ankle length and I wear them with a white untucked button up or a white french-tucked tee and an oversized plaid blazer with pointed toe black flats for a real “Don’t eff with me today” vibe. I would not wear them for an external meeting or anything, though.
I can’t even tell what the current pant trend is. I just stick with vaguely “skinny” ankle length pants if I’m wearing pants, but I’m team dress for the most part just because it’s so much easier.
lsw says
I think the hideous color makes this particular pair look dowdy AF. I’d wear them in another color. The length would be hard to get right, though.
AnotherAnon says
I hate pull on pants. They remind me of my grandma’s mail order catalog pants that she would always order in jewel tones.
Cb says
Kiddo took a tumble in the garden at nursery today, splitting his lip and cutting nose. Apparently he’s fine, will likely use it as an opportunity to scam snacks and cuddles. They called my husband to tell him as he’ll have to sign an injury report which I’m taking as a win. Dad as the default parent!
AwayEmily says
Is this the first time your kid has had an injury report?? I am impressed. My children have at least 2 a week (they are klutzes like me).
Clementine says
Same thought! I’ve gotten some slightly hilarious ones over the year… like ‘Kiddo got very excited about throwing away their paper towel and rushed the trash can at full speed. Trash can fell towards kiddo – kiddo has a small bump from where the trash can knocked them over.’
lsw says
“Child has a bump near his eye as he and another child were each pulling on a dinosaur and the other child released.”
Spirograph says
“Child has a scratch on his cheek. He and another child both wanted the same fork, and other scratched him with a different fork.”
lsw says
OMG Spirograph, I lol’d
Cb says
Second, we had a ukelele incident
ElisaR says
ukeleles will get you every time!
Anon says
I think it also depends how eager your daycare is to write up incident reports. My 2 year old is a klutz who falls multiple times every day, but she’s been in daycare for 8 months and we’ve only gotten two incident reports. Both were bad falls where she cried a lot (something she doesn’t normally do at school unless she’s in pain) and had a large visible mark. I don’t think they write it up if she can easily be comforted and it doesn’t leave a mark.
Anon says
Lol, I said this and of course there was one waiting in her cubby today. So I guess actually 3 in 8 months…
mahnamahna says
I didn’t get a chance to ask on the meal planning thread yesterday but for those of you with older kids where many of your weeknights are spent shuffling kids to and fro for activities, what are your strategies for avoiding the drive thru for dinner? As our kids are starting to play more sports, practices are timed such that we leave straight from the office, pick them up and head to practice, and then by the time we get home, we really need to move immediately to getting ready for bed (they are in pre-K and 2nd so adequate sleep for them is still really important to me). Have you just embraced the drive thru? Do you bring food for them to eat in the car? I am transitioning to a WFH position, so I am hopeful I’ll be able to pack more dinners for them that they can eat in the car, but the hive always has such great tips.
Anonymous says
We try hard to limit any weekday activities, in part for this reason. We prefer Friday evening/Saturday afternoon activities when possible. But we do have this situation on Wednesdays and Fridays. I do a hearty snack right after pick up – something that can be eaten in the car if needed. Then afterwards, they either do cereal for supper at home or similar – like granola and yoghurt or a quick grilled cheese sandwich.
Since it’s after school, lean into the foods you likely can’t send to school with them like PB and J sandwiches, almonds to snack on, and foods that are good for exercise like bananas and milk (bananas for potassium, milk for protein). If you WFH, the slow cooker is your friend. You can give them almonds, cheese and crackers for a snack at pick up and then have chili or soup ready to go when they are home.
anon says
My kids are older, but not that old– two young elementary schoolers and a preschooler. We limit weeknight activities as best as we can, but also come prepared. My daughter has ballet on weeknights and I have to stay with her. There is a restaurant in the same parking lot and we always eat there after. My son has tennis that goes 4-5 and I always plan to have a dinner that’s ready when we walk in the door.
I always have meal-appropriate snacks in the car and on my person such as nuts, fruit and veggies. If my preschooler eats a tupperware full of cucumbers while waiting for my son to finish tennis, then I’m fine if she only eats pasta for dinner later.
We also do a weeknight swim lesson, and get home late afterward. However, I make all the kids shower at the gym so they head to bed around the same time.
anne-on says
+1 – we try to limit to 1 after school activity and another on the weekend. Once you hit 2nd the ‘real’ homework also seems to kick in and it’s such a struggle. We also opt for heavy snack after pick up and light snack before bed. So – bagel with cream cheese, small PB&J with a banana, a quesadilla with shredded chicken and a squeezer pouch, BLT, etc for a 4pm ‘snack’ and then a glass of milk with some cereal/nuts/applesauce/crackers/etc. as soon as we get home. Then yea, immediately bath and bed.
Anonymous says
I would take food for them to eat in the car and plan to let them have a healthy snack before bed.
String cheese, cheese/crackers/sausage, PB&J, yogurt, fruit slices, yogurt pouch, sandwich, etc. As my kiddo gets a little more coordinated, I’d consider just about anything that can be eaten out of a container without making a giant mess.
Anonanonanon says
WFH will help a lot. I try to WFH the days of practices and I’ll pack a meal in a thermos and throw it in a cooler with some fruit for my son to eat on the way home. For me this was more a time issue than not wanting him to ingest drive-thru issue. If I can’t WFH, I’m fortunate enough that sometimes my schedule is flexible enough for me to leave a bit early so I can stop home and make a thermos meal or at least grab apple slices and peanut butter for him to eat before practice.
Alternatively, I make easily reheatable meals ahead of time (an example is the TJ’s canned crescent roll dough rolled up with ham and cheese and sliced into pinwheels then baked, or rolled up with cheese and pepperoni. I reheat those in the microwave after practice and he has those with microwave steamed veggies or fresh fruit, etc.). On those days, I’ll bring something like a banana to work that I can give him on the way to practice to sustain him until dinner, then he eats dinner quickly before shower and bed. If I don’t have anything ready, I maximize the time by having him immediately shower while I get his food ready (opposite of our normal schedule).
Anonanonanon says
Also, I have about a 50% success rate with actually remembering to leave the house with a snack for him, but I can usually head to a nearby deli or stop somewhere that sells bananas
Anonymous says
We never ever consider the drive through an option. In your situation we wouldn’t be playing those sports because we don’t have time.
Anon says
+1. Little kids those ages need unstructured downtime (and family time) after school way more than additional activities. But if you must, I’d pack up some bento boxes in the morning and leave them in a lunch bag with an ice pack. Little kids will do fine with a snack-y dinner.
mahnamahna says
I could have been more clear in my original post but my 2nd grader plays one sport a season, usually requiring 1-2x practices during the week and a game on weekends. My pre-schooler has a 1x per week sport which we’ve had to temporarily move to a weeknight, and I was at least able to overlap it with a practice night for my older child. Participation in youth sports has been a really positive experience for our family, and we do unstructured downtime almost all weekend, every weekend.
I do appreciate all the ideas for snack-y dinners and such…these are easy to implement.
Spirograph says
I have a hard rule of no more than 2 weeknights with an activity (cumulative, not per kid). Usually, we only have one parent at the activity. The other parent is home with the other kid(s), and that parent makes dinner. Activity kid and parent eat as soon as they get home. If we’re all at the activity, we all go out to dinner at a fast food or fast-casual place afterward. Not nutritionally ideal, but the kids like it, it’s fast enough that it didn’t delay bedtime by too much, and at least we still get our family dinner in.
I also am a big fan of crock pot dinners on nights that we won’t have time to cook.
I bring a snack in the car if we’re going straight from school to an activity, and won’t be home until after dinnertime. Usually a cheese stick and/or a piece of fruit. I keep a bag of cheese sticks in the fridge at work so I don’t have to remember in the morning.
RR says
My husband does dinner. Our kids are 12/12/6. Between the three, they have things every evening and on Saturday. T, H, F, they are home by 7:30, and we eat dinner then. Youngest then goes to bed. Older two stay up until 9ish.
M, the older two are done at 8 and 9, and W, one of them goes to 8. Those nights, we eat dinner in shifts. Husband gets youngest fed and in bed, and older two eat when each gets home and then go to bed. All days, they do a snack with the nanny before heading off to the various activities. For the nights when we are eating in shifts, Husband prioritizes meals that can be kept hot or cold for the duration–e.g., a big pot of chili or soup on the warmer, a hearty salad, crock pot meal. We only have one of us go to the activity (usually me doing pick up or drop off–I don’t have to stay with the older two for activities, so there’s only a couple things I have to be present for because they involve the 6-year-old).
anon says
Does anyone have a good source for ordering a bunch of tutus for five year olds? We’re doing a ballet class birthday party and it was suggested as a good party favor (so they can also wear them). Not sure which of the many amazon choices to go for and wondering if anyone has shopped for something similar. Its a small group of five year olds. TIA!
anon says
Maybe Oriental Trading?
Govtattymom says
Discount Dance Supply has tons of nice quality options. Also, I want to do a ballet class birthday party for my daughter! So cute!
RR says
Amazon has cheap ones. We ordered a bunch for a tutu run. I don’t remember brands, but we ordered several different ones, and they were all actually nice quality.
So Anon says
I just need to vent and send up the white flag for a moment. It is only January 15, and thus far: we have had a stomach virus go through the house (luckily my daughter and I just felt horrible while my son spent time actually vomiting), son had strep, found out that son had a nutritional deficiency as the result of his chronic illness, and last night the handle on the bathtub broke while a kid was in the bath. The result was that I could not turn the water off in the bath, so I had to turn the water off to the whole house. I am unexpectedly working from home while awaiting a plumber to come repair the issue. Luckily, I filled the coffee pot before bath last night. My mom is taking the kids on Friday night for a sleepover, and I cannot wait.
Anon says
Wow.
Hugs.
And booze.
Anon says
Oh my goodness! Some good karma must be coming your way soon! That is a LOT to deal with but kudos to you for keeping going (and keeping a clear head to turn off the water – I probably would have been doing some kind of Lucille Ball bailing water into the sink kind of situation!). Corporette Moms are AMAZING! signed — someone waiting for the Critter guy to come dealing with the raccoons that are (vocally) mating in our chimney…
Knope says
Hugs to all of this, but wanted to say that the exact same thing happened to us a few months ago with the bath! It happened while we were all sick too. My husband made the situation worse by claiming “oh no, it’s fine, no need to turn the water off, I’ll have it fixed in a minute…” Half an hour of wasted water later, I finally had enough and pulled the switch! Needed a repair guy, of course.
lsw says
So sorry! When it rains, it pours.
Doodles says
I’m taking a 3 hour flight with my 20 month old next week. He’s never flown and will have his own seat. Any suggestions of how to keep him entertained? Toys I can get on amazon? We’ll bring an ipad and headphones but he hasn’t liked the headphones when we try at home. It’s during his nap time so maybe he’ll sleep in the car seat but I want to be prepared in case he doesn’t. Thanks!
Anonymous says
Load up a bunch of picture of himself for him to flip through and videos of himself playing or people he knows. They’ll entertain him even without sound.
Take him for a toddle up and down the aisle a couple times. Looking at people is entertaining when you are that age.
Anonanonanon says
It’s a PITA, but carry on the carseat (if it’s FAA-approved) and strap him in. I cannot imagine flying with my similarly-aged toddler without being able to contain her in the car seat. I do it forward-facing on the plane because it’s faster to install and easier to fit. I got a rolly thing that you strap the carseat to to roll it behind you like a suitcase when I flew alone with my toddler earlier this month. The rolly thing collapses to easily fit in the overhead bin.
OK so I just saw that you did mention you’re bringing the carseat, but I’m leaving the above info anyway. My daughter seems to think it’s the same as the car and understand that getting out of the carseat is not an option. She’s also not a great napper, but does nap once we take off. The worst time is waiting for takeoff, she’s always fussy until we get into the air.
Anon says
As a counterpoint, we flew a lot when my daughter was that age and she really hated being confined in the carseat on the plane (and let everyone on the plane know just how much she hated it), even though she is fine in the carseat in the car. Since it’s naptime and you think he may sleep, I think it’s worth bringing the carseat carry on, but my kid has never been a carseat napper and for us it was MUCH easier to fly without it once she started walking. So if you can’t/don’t want to bring the carseat on board, it will be totally fine too. Planes are really stimulating environments for kids that age.
NYCer says
+1. We travel a lot and never bring the car seat on the plane. It would be unpleasant for everyone!
Anonymous says
This is us too. I checked them using the Clek padded bags for car seats. Pro tip – toss in beach towels etc as ‘extra padding’ if your suitcase is getting too full.
I researched the difference between the safety benefit of car seats in planes vs cars as was comfortable not using one on the plane. For cars we RF’d until 3/4 and 5 point harnessed until after K.
Anonymous says
M&D make reusable puffy sticker books that are great. Also their Water Wow books. Walking up and down the aisle is good, as long as your kid won’t object to getting buckled back in after. (We sometimes find it’s easier to just not get up for a 3 hour flight.) Seconding the suggestion of photos. My kids like Little Baby Bum on the tablet–even if he won’t use headphones he can watch the videos without sound. Playdoh. A small container and something he can put in/take out of it over and over again. Snacks, especially ones that are slow to eat. Markers that only draw on special paper.
Anonymous says
it is the worst age for flying, but you can do it! I’ve done it at that age with each of my 3 kids and lived to tell.
1. If at all possible, get them their own seat (if you don’t buy one, call ahead and let them know–or be extra nice at the gate–if there’s a free seat or two on the flight they will often switch you so you get it). If they carseat nap, bring a car seat on the plane. If they don’t give them their own space. Do not attempt the flight with a nearly 2 y/o on your lap. if the flight is around naptime, my kid did eventually fall asleep curled up in her seat. We flew with my other two kids and my husband and had 5 seats between us one way and 6 seats the way back.
2. Bring stickers, tape, putty/play dough.
3. Bring snacks of all kinds. Bonus if snacks are in some kind of tricky to reach location that requires concentration.
4. Movies, games and pictures of the kid on your phone/ipad. My youngest (also 20 months- we just got back from a 4.5 hour journey over christmas) loves to stare at herself in my phone.
5. prepare to walk up and down the plane, waving happily at everyone. 10-12 times per hour.
6. Explore the bathroom. Kill a good 10 minutes every hour washing hands, pulling out tissues/paper towels, playing with the trash can flap.
7. Explore the snack area (we fly jet blue a lot; last trip my kiddo “helped” sort the bags of snacks.
8. get extra drink cans and cups. Stack them, knock them over, stack them again.
9. bring baby wipes and have kiddo “clean” the plane. over and over. then offer to “clean” other areas of the aircraft.
Anonymous says
Great ideas, except I wouldn’t suggest spending more time in the bathroom than necessary. Most flights I’ve been on have a near constant line for the bathrooms anytime the seatbelt sign is off, so you’d likely annoy a bunch of people by hanging out in there for 10 minutes multiple times. (If you needed to change many explosive diapers, that’s a different story and totally fine.)
Anon says
+1, it’s rude to other people to play in an airplane bathroom. Also airplane bathrooms are gross as all get out, so it’s not a place I would want my kid playing. Plus, a lot of people don’t know this but the water that comes out of the sinks in airplane bathroom isn’t technically potable. It shouldn’t make an adult sick unless you drink it (DON’T DRINK IT) but kids’ immune systems aren’t as developed, especially babies/toddlers, and it could possibly give them diarrhea. We don’t wash hands in airplane bathrooms, we bring baby wipes/hand sanitizer.
Ashley says
If he likes crayons, crayola makes triangle-shaped ones he can use on the tray. I learned this after a 2 hour flight with round crayons that kept ending up on the floor, causing my 2yo to make a scene every time.
Anonymous says
Our daycare sent around a flyer about signing up for music classes (for the infant class). They explained that once a week, a team comes to the infant room and sings songs with the babies and plays musical instruments. While they want everyone to sign up (and pay $40/month!) they will not exclude any kids from the activities. This seems weird to me. Any thoughts?
Anonymous says
Isn’t this like a thing that should be happening as part of the regular class? My kids learned a million songs from their daycare teachers.
Anonanonanon says
Agreed. they’re obviously bringing in some official team/service, but I’m not sure why for infants? I would pay the $40 and sigh because I like to know I save being “difficult” for rare occasions so I’m taken more seriously when I am, but it’s annoying because it puts you in a tight spot (either pay for something you didn’t ask for and don’t care about or not pay and be seen as taking advantage).
CCLA says
Agree it’s odd for infants, but at that price unless it is a true burden for you I’d just pay and move on. Like others have noted, I like to save my protests for big things so I reserve some social capital.
Jessamyn says
Honestly, I’d just throw away the flier the first time since it says all the kids will be included. Only if they follow up or post some sort of “wall of shame” of parents who haven’t paid yet would I pay.
Anon says
This is what I’d do too.
Large Chested Nursing Bra/Tank says
Any recommendations for nursing tanks and/or nursing bras for larger chested women? I am otherwise petite, so the S/M/L sizing of many brands leaves me with too loose a band and too low cut a tank. Any recommendations appreciated!
Anonymous says
I loved the Bravado brand tanks. They have tanks with bra sizing. I’m a 32D and they were great for me.
Seafinch says
Bravado doesn’t fit me (32 HH) and most don’t. I have had okay luck with the Glamour Mom tanks. They aren’t perfect but the best on the market for a wide discrepancy between band size and cup size. I also love the Undercover Mama tanks for wear over a regular bra. I also had my regular Brad converted at Nordstrom for my last baby and it was brilliant.
Anon says
I loved the cake lingerie cotton candy in the XL, but I was a 38I nursing (i.e., large and large rib cage). If you’re an H or under, suggest Anita brand or Panache for something structured and then you can go down in band size. I was just far enough out of their range to make it work well.
Yup says
I also love the cake cotton candy nursing bra. I’m 32g while nursing in the early months, and a large is comfy. I’ll probably order a medium soon too as I get smaller.
anon says
Kindred Bravely has done a really smart thing with sizing where it’s s/m/l but there is also a small busty, medium busty, etc. I am a 34-H right now and the medium busty is perfect on me. But consult their sizing charts carefully as they change product to product.
Anonymous says
I never found tanks supportive enough to be used alone when I didn’t have a belly helping hold things up, but I did like Anita underwires. I’m a very droopy 34G when not nursing.
Anonymous says
Sorry to clarify, I liked Anita nursing bras.
Anonymous says
Bravado in the full cup sizes (not regular) fit me at a probably 34G: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/bravado-designs-body-silk-seamless-full-cup-nursing-bra?ID=9927477
GRUMP says
I just need to grump. I booked our regular sitter a month ago for a big event we have tickets for, with friends coming from out of town. Texted a few days ago to confirm and no response. Texted again and emailed and no response. I texted our backup sitter and no response. I guess I will be throwing it out to Next Door to find someone new, but our kid hates new people and I don’t love leaving him with someone new for 6-7 hours. (He is good after we leave by all accounts, and we pay above market rate because I hate having to find new people.) I haaaaate this part of parenting.
Anonymous says
That’s the worst! How old is kid? Do you have any parent friends you could swap sleepover nights with? We recently started doing this every couple months with friends and it’s great! Our kids are 5 and 8. I was friends with the mom pre-kids so I 100% trust her.
GRUMP says
He’s 4 but not ready for sleepovers. We were going to try one in early December with a friend and he completely freaked out at the idea. So a spring goal is to have a friend over to our house for one, but it’s just not an option yet. I also hate that we don’t have family in the area to step in.
AnotherAnon says
I agree this is the worst. Where do you live? I probably can’t help you out but you never know.
ElisaR says
what a nice comment/gesture!
Anon says
Anyone do Gymboree or My Gym or something like that with your kids? My 2 year old loves to run and climb and tumble and I love the idea of having somewhere she could do that safely. But it’s spendy ($75/month for one class/week) and we travel enough that between that and illness we’d probably miss at least one class per month. They let you make up classes if you give them advanced notice, but there is only one age-appropriate weekend class and I don’t see how we could make a weekday class (they’re all during the workday), so I doubt we would ever succeed in making it up. Curious to hear if anyone has done this and whether or not you felt it was worth it.
Anon says
We do not for precisely the reasons you note. However, starting at 3, our toddler can do some of the gym classes at our actual adult gym. E.g. they have gymnastics for little kids. So we’re just holding out until our 2.5 year old is old enough to join in at the gym we already pay for (which TBH I only use in the summer for the outdoor pool). If it matters, our gym is Lifetime Fitness – it was cheaper than an outdoor pool membership around here (even on an annual basis) with the side benefit of having a gym, child care should one choose to use the gym, and included kids classes.
Emily S. says
We do a local gymnastics gym that offers preschool classes (both parent-child and child only.) We did it with my oldest from age 2.5 to 4, and just started with my 2 year old. She loves it, and it is a great thing to have in the winter when cold rain makes it impossible to play on a playground. It is a commitment and it did require reworking my weekend for me (shifting grocery shopping and unstructured play time around) but because I pay for it, I treat it like a commitment and try to schedule around it. With my older daughter, we missed a few classes for travel. If I knew I was going to miss one class a month, I might have reconsidered.
ElisaR says
this is why i never signed up for my gym. It seemed around age 3/4 it became a popular place for birthday parties within our daycare crew so my son has gotten some exposure to it that way and he loves it.
NYCer says
My almost 1 year old goes to My Gym with her nanny during the week (though it is much more expensive than $75 per month in NYC!). It is a fun activity for her to do with the nanny to get out of the apartment and socialize, and there are lots of make up classes available during the week, so it makes sense for us. I agree that it would be tough to justify the expense if you thought you would miss at least one class a month.
I have been a few times with my daughter and the instructors all seem well trained. The facility itself is generally clean and well organized. Our location also has unlimited drop-ins during their open gym / playtime that is included in the monthly fee, which is nice too.
Anon says
We did Gymboree when both of our kids were around 2 (a few years ago now). I liked it. I thought it was sweet. My son’s enjoyment of the group parachute activities alone was worth it to us. I wouldn’t say it was, like, a necessity though.
AwayEmily says
Late to this, but — I have taken my 3.5yo to two trial classes, one at a “real” gymnastics place and one at MyGym. The MyGym one was much worse. It was a lot of just sitting and waiting for her turn to, like, jump over a hoop — she gets more exercise playing at home than she did there. The real gymnastics class was amazing, but even more expensive, so we decided to forego them both and just take her to toddler time at Skyzone every weekend instead. Anyway, that was my experience (and I have no idea if different gyms are different quality). Might be worth seeing if your MyGym also offers a free trial class.