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My sister-in-law passed down this inflatable tub to me, and I just recommended it to a friend who has a 6-month-old.
For an infant, I do recommend going with an infant tub, but this was a great transition item for when my son was able to sit up on his own but would occasionally lose his balance, yet wanted to explore more than an infant tub would allow. I didn’t have to fill up my entire tub, it gave him some space to splash around, and it had soft sides. Plus it’s inexpensive and adorable.
It’s $11.90 at Amazon. Inflatable Duck TubThis post contains affiliate links and CorporetteMoms may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
I glanced at this post, saw that it was listed under “nursing/postpartum” and my first thought was “wow, that is a very unique sitz bath.”
Leatty
Jun 18, 2019 8:41 am
Any tips for dealing with procrastination by a toddler? My 2 year old intentionally takes forever to do anything I ask. Sometimes she does it to be funny (lays upside down for a diaper change), but other times it is just because she doesn’t want to do it yet. I try to give her options, and tell her what is we will be doing next, but those don’t always work.
Spirograph
Jun 18, 2019 9:02 am
I love this thing. My friend gave me a bath duck when I was pregnant with my first, and I never even bothered with an infant tub. It’s perfect for 6 months – 2 years, and will fit two kids at a time if they’re both under 3. My only complaint is that filing it was a little inefficient. The duck walls are pretty thick, so you need either a faucet extender, a shower nozzle that does a narrow stream, or some creativity to funnel water into the duck without losing a bunch over the sides.
anon
Jun 18, 2019 9:14 am
Did any of you experience severe vomiting at the end of pregnancy? I’ve been sick throughout this pregnancy but the past week or two I’m getting sick 6 or more times a day. I’m already taking double doses of zofran and trying my best to keep fluids in. My OB is comfortable not hospitalizing me so long as I don’t lose any weight (which I’ve been holding steady but not really gaining). I’m just so frustrated with feeling sick all the time. And I’m trying to catch up as much as I can at work before leave but it’s hard when I feel terrible, and frankly, I have very little support. Last leave I had the support of a very helpful associate that I trusted. This time I have an associate who I don’t trust to be client facing and another associate that has no capacity. Just looking for any tips or tricks. I’m struggling both with being this physically ill constantly and trying to catch up before leave because I have limited ability to delegate.
Artemis
Jun 18, 2019 9:24 am
So, given one of my responses yesterday about job-hunting, for those of you who are looking for new jobs or have looked for one recently, when do you make time to apply? I seem to be having a real mental block trying to figure this out.
I really need to up my application rate, but even the simplest job application takes me close to an hour.
I work full-time and have kids. I’m not comfortable spending time at work applying (even though I have the time while still getting my work done) because I work in local government and I do not have a private office. I mostly apply at night after my kids have gone to bed but often I have other chores that have to be done, and so I might not sit down at my computer until 10 or 10:30 at night, and I can’t pull an all-nighter every time I have a batch of openings. Some nights I can’t even get to it because of other things that have to be done. I don’t want to burn a day off because what if those applications don’t work out, and then I’m just going to have to do it all over again.
Am I missing anything here? What do others do? Is the only solution really to just keep plugging away at night on the nights I can?
anon
Jun 18, 2019 10:06 am
i know this is probably typical behavior, but one of my 13 month old twins laughs when i saw “no.” i try to only use “no” when it is for something that is dangerous (like banging on this air vent we have where she previously cut her finger and it was bleeding). she also is deliberately throwing food, for which i’m trying to take the approach of saying something like “i cannot let you do that, if you don’t want to eat anymore you do not have to” but then if i take her out of her high chair to go play, while her twin sister is finishing eating, she gets really upset that she is stuck behind a gate. DH usually is not home for dinner. they are also starting to push each other down, pull shirts, etc. when one has something the other one wants. any tips for how to handle these situations?
Anon
Jun 18, 2019 10:13 am
Have any of you pursued some of the alternative / wives tales about ways to become pregnant? (Acupuncture, pineapple, etc.)
I’m 37, my husband is 41. We’ve been trying for 15 months with no luck. We had a full fertility work up at 6 months and everything is good. There’s not a thing wrong with either of us (aside from age). The doctor immediately suggested IVF, but for Reasons, we don’t feel IVF is for us. I admit I’m getting to the point where I’m open to trying unconventional approaches. I’m scared to venture into the crazy world of TTC forums, so I’d welcome any input you sane ladies have. Thanks.
Torn
Jun 18, 2019 10:16 am
PreK question. My kid is a mid December baby. Our public school year is a strict calendar year, meaning that she would eligible for preK this September even though she won’t be 4 until winter. She’d be the littlest one in her class. If we send her to private school the cut off is September so she wouldn’t start preK until next year. Our initial plan was to just send her to public school now and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out, we would still have options to reconsider. Private school in our area is super pricey and public schools are good.
But the last year she’s been in a wonderful language immersion preschool that we really love. We want her to continue with the 2nd language but they follow the private school calendar; their classes for 3 year olds run in the mornings only and only 4 year olds can take afternoon classes that would work with an ‘after school’ schedule. I already asked if our kiddo could go to the 4s class, but they said no. If they had a full time program, we would just stick to it. But as is, it’s either preK and no immersion program or immersion program 2 days a week and no preK. I suppose we could enroll her in a 2nd preschool for the other days of the week but obviously that’s an added expense and would be a serious stretch.
I’m not sure what my question is but I guess just looking for perspectives…. what would you all do? Is it totally nuts to try to enroll her in preK but not send her twice a week? Would we get kicked out? Does pre-k have a curriculum such that it matters?
LittleBigLaw
Jun 18, 2019 10:26 am
Can we talk about our own moms this morning since I’m struggling with mine? TL:DR How would you deal with your mom if she wasn’t supportive of your career?
My mom quit her job when I was very young to be a “SAHM” (I use quotes because she never really stopped working and instead managed several of my parents’ entrepreneurial ventures through the years.) We’ve always been very different people but were very close until I had children of my own. Since then, it’s like our instincts are just diametrically opposed on all things kid-related and we don’t know how to relate to each other at all anymore. Even though she’s always been very proud of my accomplishments, she doesn’t seem to understand my choices to pursue a demanding career, have my kids in full-time daycare, or -gasp!- go to a book club or date night once in a while. Lately, she’s been making backhanded comments that seem fine from the outside but are driving me bananas. For example, whenever she keeps my kids, she makes a huge show about how much they have missed me when I pick them up, how “they just needed their mommy,” etc. A few months after I accepted a demanding new position last year, she asked me if I thought my kids were “suffering” with all the hours I was working. And most recently, she expressed similar concerns to my DH while I was away on a business trip. It’s infuriating.
I love my job, and I know my kids are thriving in a lot of ways, directly and indirectly, because of it. I also know my mom thinks I’m a good mother. She just thinks it would be better for my children if I had a less demanding, more predictable job, I guess? I also try to remind myself that my mom was only in the workforce for a very short time and that she and my dad (just like all her friends and family) have a very traditional marriage. She just doesn’t have any frame of reference for what a bread-winning working-mom-by-choice looks like. Rationally, I get all this and try to brush her attitude off. But it makes it really hard to spend time with her when she’s constantly expressing her “concern” and tacit disapproval.
She’s an excellent grandmother and I’m not willing to limit her time with our family. Plus, I just miss my mom, and I hate the resentment and defensiveness that I’m feeling toward her. Working motherhood is a pretty lonely experience in a lot of ways anyway, and I hate not being able to have my mom as a resource and sounding board like I have in other areas of my life. Unfortunately, a long, cathartic talk isn’t likely to resolve our issues based on past experience. So, I guess my question is how do I maintain/regain a positive relationship with my mom without letting her comments and attitude affect my confidence, my feelings toward her, or both?
double-bingo
Jun 18, 2019 10:30 am
I think I know what the answer will be, but I feel like I need to ask anyway, since I can’t really talk about it with coworkers or people I know. I have been asked to be on the planning/host committee for a conference next spring. I am fairly junior, so it’s exciting/a big deal for me to be asked. It would get me more visibility in my practice area (I’m a lawyer in a niche practice) and would be a great networking opportunity. However, we are TTC #2, and if we succeed anytime in the next 3-4 months, I will either have super tiny baby, or be very pregnant at the time of the conference, which would involve travel.
I know the usual advice here is to proceed in professional life as if you won’t be pregnant, and adjust accordingly if it does happen. But I would hate to make this commitment, do all the planning work, and then have to miss the conference itself. It’s not such a great opportunity that I’m willing to change my TTC plans, but I do worry that saying no now will lessen my chances of being asked again later.
Anoner
Jun 18, 2019 10:55 am
Potty training advice! We trained my 2.5 year old son a few weeks ago and he’s doing great except for public restrooms. He’ll say he has to go but then refuses when we get there (we have a travel potty that goes on top of the toilet). He then is like a camel and holds it for a while til we get home. Any advice? Will this just go away? Thanks!
Anonymous
Jun 18, 2019 10:57 am
Does anyone here work for the general counsel office of a federal agency? I’m thinking about looking for a position that is close to being 40 hours a week and my husband keeps telling me to look into the opening at his agency. I am currently a mid-level biglaw associate in litigation, so this would be a big change.
So if you work in the general counsel office for a government agency do you like it? Is it at least somewhat engaging? Do you stick to 40 hours a week working? I want to hear from you!
Anon Mama
Jun 18, 2019 11:10 am
I need to negotiate maternity leave. My firm’s policy is 6 weeks paid, additional time unpaid at discretion of firm leadership. I can afford the unpaid time and want to take as much as I can, because my experience has been poor sleepers for babies, and I don’t think well on interrupted sleep. I went back too early with my first, and it was a disaster on a lot of fronts–not doing that again. So: How long is TOO long so that I lose touch with my cases and clients (and partners) forget about me? Also: I have flirted with the idea of going back on a weird schedule through the remainder of the spring school semester, working 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or something so I can be home for my older kids getting off the bus from school rather than putting them in after school care. In my experience, baby will get up at 4:30 anyway, so I might as well get work done while the office is quiet. But will that create an unavailability problem for me in the afternoons, or signal a lack of commitment?
For reference, I’m at a small-mid size law firm. I’m a senior associate, within striking range of partnership, so I have about an even mix of cases where I’m primary vs. secondary. A coworker is about to return from maternity leave. I think she’ll wind up being out about 16 weeks (which seems pretty good to me).
Anon
Jun 18, 2019 11:11 am
Not strictly a parenting question, but how do you get back on track at work after months of unproductivity? Between some vacations, family (not kid) obligations and toddler starting daycare and all the associated illnesses, I’ve probably only worked about 50% of the workdays in 2019. My job is such that I don’t really have strict deadlines, but I am judged on my productivity and I feel like I’ve accomplished next to nothing this year so far and need to fix that stat. Oh also toddler is waking up a lot more at night (due to teething and/or illness) and I’m exhausted.
lsw
Jun 18, 2019 11:13 am
Do you ever feel like you’re doing it all wrong? My son is almost three and isn’t potty trained (he has zero interest, refuses to go), he’s always tracked a bit behind verbally (got him evaluated at 2 and didn’t qualify for early intervention), and recently he’s been having a lot of anger that doesn’t seem to be based in anything. He refuses to engage in any sort of calm down behavior (they try deep breathing and counting at school, we try “stomp three times” at home). He’s extremely stubborn. After he feels his feelings he’s fine but it’s a brutal five or ten minutes of hitting, us or himself, throwing toys, and yelling. We say “we won’t let you hit” and “you may not throw your toys” and take them away but it’s such a frustrating grind. I feel like an awful parent sometimes.
Our toddler is always hilarious and loving and adorable, but he is just HARD. I’ve been around a lot of kids and he’s just …extra. They love him at daycare, and for that I am so grateful, but yesterday his teacher talked to me about the anger thing. It was so we could get on the same page with how we are reacting and handling in the moment, but I felt like it was like being put on notice. I really want another child, and we’re both almost 40, but my husband is so worn down with our toddler that he can’t even imagine it, so I feel like all my parenting failures are preventing me from having another baby (I know this is ridiculous). Ugh.
I glanced at this post, saw that it was listed under “nursing/postpartum” and my first thought was “wow, that is a very unique sitz bath.”
Any tips for dealing with procrastination by a toddler? My 2 year old intentionally takes forever to do anything I ask. Sometimes she does it to be funny (lays upside down for a diaper change), but other times it is just because she doesn’t want to do it yet. I try to give her options, and tell her what is we will be doing next, but those don’t always work.
I love this thing. My friend gave me a bath duck when I was pregnant with my first, and I never even bothered with an infant tub. It’s perfect for 6 months – 2 years, and will fit two kids at a time if they’re both under 3. My only complaint is that filing it was a little inefficient. The duck walls are pretty thick, so you need either a faucet extender, a shower nozzle that does a narrow stream, or some creativity to funnel water into the duck without losing a bunch over the sides.
Did any of you experience severe vomiting at the end of pregnancy? I’ve been sick throughout this pregnancy but the past week or two I’m getting sick 6 or more times a day. I’m already taking double doses of zofran and trying my best to keep fluids in. My OB is comfortable not hospitalizing me so long as I don’t lose any weight (which I’ve been holding steady but not really gaining). I’m just so frustrated with feeling sick all the time. And I’m trying to catch up as much as I can at work before leave but it’s hard when I feel terrible, and frankly, I have very little support. Last leave I had the support of a very helpful associate that I trusted. This time I have an associate who I don’t trust to be client facing and another associate that has no capacity. Just looking for any tips or tricks. I’m struggling both with being this physically ill constantly and trying to catch up before leave because I have limited ability to delegate.
So, given one of my responses yesterday about job-hunting, for those of you who are looking for new jobs or have looked for one recently, when do you make time to apply? I seem to be having a real mental block trying to figure this out.
I really need to up my application rate, but even the simplest job application takes me close to an hour.
I work full-time and have kids. I’m not comfortable spending time at work applying (even though I have the time while still getting my work done) because I work in local government and I do not have a private office. I mostly apply at night after my kids have gone to bed but often I have other chores that have to be done, and so I might not sit down at my computer until 10 or 10:30 at night, and I can’t pull an all-nighter every time I have a batch of openings. Some nights I can’t even get to it because of other things that have to be done. I don’t want to burn a day off because what if those applications don’t work out, and then I’m just going to have to do it all over again.
Am I missing anything here? What do others do? Is the only solution really to just keep plugging away at night on the nights I can?
i know this is probably typical behavior, but one of my 13 month old twins laughs when i saw “no.” i try to only use “no” when it is for something that is dangerous (like banging on this air vent we have where she previously cut her finger and it was bleeding). she also is deliberately throwing food, for which i’m trying to take the approach of saying something like “i cannot let you do that, if you don’t want to eat anymore you do not have to” but then if i take her out of her high chair to go play, while her twin sister is finishing eating, she gets really upset that she is stuck behind a gate. DH usually is not home for dinner. they are also starting to push each other down, pull shirts, etc. when one has something the other one wants. any tips for how to handle these situations?
Have any of you pursued some of the alternative / wives tales about ways to become pregnant? (Acupuncture, pineapple, etc.)
I’m 37, my husband is 41. We’ve been trying for 15 months with no luck. We had a full fertility work up at 6 months and everything is good. There’s not a thing wrong with either of us (aside from age). The doctor immediately suggested IVF, but for Reasons, we don’t feel IVF is for us. I admit I’m getting to the point where I’m open to trying unconventional approaches. I’m scared to venture into the crazy world of TTC forums, so I’d welcome any input you sane ladies have. Thanks.
PreK question. My kid is a mid December baby. Our public school year is a strict calendar year, meaning that she would eligible for preK this September even though she won’t be 4 until winter. She’d be the littlest one in her class. If we send her to private school the cut off is September so she wouldn’t start preK until next year. Our initial plan was to just send her to public school now and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out, we would still have options to reconsider. Private school in our area is super pricey and public schools are good.
But the last year she’s been in a wonderful language immersion preschool that we really love. We want her to continue with the 2nd language but they follow the private school calendar; their classes for 3 year olds run in the mornings only and only 4 year olds can take afternoon classes that would work with an ‘after school’ schedule. I already asked if our kiddo could go to the 4s class, but they said no. If they had a full time program, we would just stick to it. But as is, it’s either preK and no immersion program or immersion program 2 days a week and no preK. I suppose we could enroll her in a 2nd preschool for the other days of the week but obviously that’s an added expense and would be a serious stretch.
I’m not sure what my question is but I guess just looking for perspectives…. what would you all do? Is it totally nuts to try to enroll her in preK but not send her twice a week? Would we get kicked out? Does pre-k have a curriculum such that it matters?
Can we talk about our own moms this morning since I’m struggling with mine? TL:DR How would you deal with your mom if she wasn’t supportive of your career?
My mom quit her job when I was very young to be a “SAHM” (I use quotes because she never really stopped working and instead managed several of my parents’ entrepreneurial ventures through the years.) We’ve always been very different people but were very close until I had children of my own. Since then, it’s like our instincts are just diametrically opposed on all things kid-related and we don’t know how to relate to each other at all anymore. Even though she’s always been very proud of my accomplishments, she doesn’t seem to understand my choices to pursue a demanding career, have my kids in full-time daycare, or -gasp!- go to a book club or date night once in a while. Lately, she’s been making backhanded comments that seem fine from the outside but are driving me bananas. For example, whenever she keeps my kids, she makes a huge show about how much they have missed me when I pick them up, how “they just needed their mommy,” etc. A few months after I accepted a demanding new position last year, she asked me if I thought my kids were “suffering” with all the hours I was working. And most recently, she expressed similar concerns to my DH while I was away on a business trip. It’s infuriating.
I love my job, and I know my kids are thriving in a lot of ways, directly and indirectly, because of it. I also know my mom thinks I’m a good mother. She just thinks it would be better for my children if I had a less demanding, more predictable job, I guess? I also try to remind myself that my mom was only in the workforce for a very short time and that she and my dad (just like all her friends and family) have a very traditional marriage. She just doesn’t have any frame of reference for what a bread-winning working-mom-by-choice looks like. Rationally, I get all this and try to brush her attitude off. But it makes it really hard to spend time with her when she’s constantly expressing her “concern” and tacit disapproval.
She’s an excellent grandmother and I’m not willing to limit her time with our family. Plus, I just miss my mom, and I hate the resentment and defensiveness that I’m feeling toward her. Working motherhood is a pretty lonely experience in a lot of ways anyway, and I hate not being able to have my mom as a resource and sounding board like I have in other areas of my life. Unfortunately, a long, cathartic talk isn’t likely to resolve our issues based on past experience. So, I guess my question is how do I maintain/regain a positive relationship with my mom without letting her comments and attitude affect my confidence, my feelings toward her, or both?
I think I know what the answer will be, but I feel like I need to ask anyway, since I can’t really talk about it with coworkers or people I know. I have been asked to be on the planning/host committee for a conference next spring. I am fairly junior, so it’s exciting/a big deal for me to be asked. It would get me more visibility in my practice area (I’m a lawyer in a niche practice) and would be a great networking opportunity. However, we are TTC #2, and if we succeed anytime in the next 3-4 months, I will either have super tiny baby, or be very pregnant at the time of the conference, which would involve travel.
I know the usual advice here is to proceed in professional life as if you won’t be pregnant, and adjust accordingly if it does happen. But I would hate to make this commitment, do all the planning work, and then have to miss the conference itself. It’s not such a great opportunity that I’m willing to change my TTC plans, but I do worry that saying no now will lessen my chances of being asked again later.
Potty training advice! We trained my 2.5 year old son a few weeks ago and he’s doing great except for public restrooms. He’ll say he has to go but then refuses when we get there (we have a travel potty that goes on top of the toilet). He then is like a camel and holds it for a while til we get home. Any advice? Will this just go away? Thanks!
Does anyone here work for the general counsel office of a federal agency? I’m thinking about looking for a position that is close to being 40 hours a week and my husband keeps telling me to look into the opening at his agency. I am currently a mid-level biglaw associate in litigation, so this would be a big change.
So if you work in the general counsel office for a government agency do you like it? Is it at least somewhat engaging? Do you stick to 40 hours a week working? I want to hear from you!
I need to negotiate maternity leave. My firm’s policy is 6 weeks paid, additional time unpaid at discretion of firm leadership. I can afford the unpaid time and want to take as much as I can, because my experience has been poor sleepers for babies, and I don’t think well on interrupted sleep. I went back too early with my first, and it was a disaster on a lot of fronts–not doing that again. So: How long is TOO long so that I lose touch with my cases and clients (and partners) forget about me? Also: I have flirted with the idea of going back on a weird schedule through the remainder of the spring school semester, working 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or something so I can be home for my older kids getting off the bus from school rather than putting them in after school care. In my experience, baby will get up at 4:30 anyway, so I might as well get work done while the office is quiet. But will that create an unavailability problem for me in the afternoons, or signal a lack of commitment?
For reference, I’m at a small-mid size law firm. I’m a senior associate, within striking range of partnership, so I have about an even mix of cases where I’m primary vs. secondary. A coworker is about to return from maternity leave. I think she’ll wind up being out about 16 weeks (which seems pretty good to me).
Not strictly a parenting question, but how do you get back on track at work after months of unproductivity? Between some vacations, family (not kid) obligations and toddler starting daycare and all the associated illnesses, I’ve probably only worked about 50% of the workdays in 2019. My job is such that I don’t really have strict deadlines, but I am judged on my productivity and I feel like I’ve accomplished next to nothing this year so far and need to fix that stat. Oh also toddler is waking up a lot more at night (due to teething and/or illness) and I’m exhausted.
Do you ever feel like you’re doing it all wrong? My son is almost three and isn’t potty trained (he has zero interest, refuses to go), he’s always tracked a bit behind verbally (got him evaluated at 2 and didn’t qualify for early intervention), and recently he’s been having a lot of anger that doesn’t seem to be based in anything. He refuses to engage in any sort of calm down behavior (they try deep breathing and counting at school, we try “stomp three times” at home). He’s extremely stubborn. After he feels his feelings he’s fine but it’s a brutal five or ten minutes of hitting, us or himself, throwing toys, and yelling. We say “we won’t let you hit” and “you may not throw your toys” and take them away but it’s such a frustrating grind. I feel like an awful parent sometimes.
Our toddler is always hilarious and loving and adorable, but he is just HARD. I’ve been around a lot of kids and he’s just …extra. They love him at daycare, and for that I am so grateful, but yesterday his teacher talked to me about the anger thing. It was so we could get on the same page with how we are reacting and handling in the moment, but I felt like it was like being put on notice. I really want another child, and we’re both almost 40, but my husband is so worn down with our toddler that he can’t even imagine it, so I feel like all my parenting failures are preventing me from having another baby (I know this is ridiculous). Ugh.