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I’ve been seeing beaded bracelet stacks coming back into style, and I’m a fan. I liked this style when it first came around, and as a jewelry lover with a tendency to also be a “collector,” I’m glad it’s back! This bracelet caught my eye first because of how delicate it looks. I also love that it’s classic but also trendy. Then, I noticed that 100% of the proceeds go towards WIRES (Wildlife Rescue Emergency Fund), which is helping to rescue and care for animals in Australia who are victims of the fires and drought. The designers have a personal connection to Australia, and I like that they are bringing awareness to this organization. This bracelet by LeMel is $45. WIRES Wildlife Rescue Bracelet
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
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- If you’re a working parent of an infant with low sleep needs, how do you function at work when you’re in the throes of baby’s sleep regression?
- Should I cut my childcare down to 12 hours a month if I work from home?
- Will my baby have speech delays if we raise her bilingual?
- Has anyone given birth in a teaching hospital?
- My child eats everything, and my friends’ kids do not – how should I handle? In general, what is the best way to handle when your child has some skill/ability and your friend’s child doesn’t have that skill/ability?
- ADHD moms, give me your tips to help with things like behavior in the classroom, attention to detail, etc?
- I think I suffer from mom rage…
- My husband and kids are gone this weekend – how should I enjoy my free time?
- I’m struggling to be compassionate with a SAHM friend who complains she doesn’t have enough hours of childcare.
- If you exclusively formula fed, what tips do you have for in the hospital and coming home?
- Could I take my 4-yo and 8-yo on a 7-8 day trip to Paris, Lyon, and Madrid?
Anonanonanon says
To continue yesterday’s discussion, I’m at a starbucks between my house and a meeting, poised for 9AM camp registration to open up! Wish me luck!
Jessamyn says
Good luck! I got the confirmation yesterday afternoon that my elementary schooler got one of the coveted camp spots — woohoo!
anon says
Help! We are in the middle of a potty training regression. My son is 2.5 and has been happy to use the toliet since we started potty training a while ago. We went away for the holidays and used more diapers than usual for our own convenience while at grandmas and various activities. Now, its so hard to convince him to just.go.to.the.bathroom! We have tried candy rewards, stickers, books, lots of praise and DH even thought him to stand so that he’s “just like Daddy!” These tricks have had minimal success – bathroom time took 20 minutes this morning! What magic worked for you?
Anon says
We try pretty hard to avoid getting into standoffs about it, because my kids will out-stubborn anyone. The rule is they have to try in the morning before we go to daycare, but if nothing actually happens we don’t force it and figure school has bathrooms.
We’re also not above some mild bribery to actually get into the bathroom if needed, like bringing a favorite toy, getting us to blow bubbles, a sticker for actually peeing, etc. We probably resort to this a couple times a awake for my almost 3 year olds, and I’ve decided that’s something I’m okay with.
Anonymous says
Idk, with two of my kids it wasn’t a choice. We announced it was time to try and they went and sat. They could bring books or whatever. However, it was girls sitting and not boys standing, so perhaps that’s a different challenge.
If your kiddo has older siblings, I gotta say that potty training was 100x easier with my younger ones because they just wanted to do what the older ones do. And my older ones were happy to hang out in the bathroom and encourage.
Anonymous says
“it wasn’t a choice”
From the perspective of some kids, everything is a choice. You can go as far as carrying them into the bathroom and holding them on the potty until they go, but they can still choose not to walk into the bathroom under their own power and to hold it in until they physically can’t.
Anonymous at 9:36, you are very lucky you have easy kids who will just do what you tell them to do. Not all kids are like that, and it’s largely a function of chance and not parenting. I have a kid who is mostly easy, and I am under no illusions that I made her that way through superior parenting.
Anonymous says
Yep, this. So, so true for many parts of parenting. I have always had kids who I can just put in their crib/tell to climb into their bed, turn out the light, and know they’ll fall asleep and not need me until morning. I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to make this happen, it’s just my model of toddler.
anon says
Thanks, all. OP here – My first would just walk herself to the bathroom and handle everything on her own. I wondered what all the fuss was about in regards to potty training. My son is different. He yells and screams and just does not want to go. I can take him there, but he’ll just run out. I have to make it his idea to go or at least make it fun so that he wants to go. That’s the magic trick I am trying to figure out.
Anonymous says
I made that comment- and I have four kids. One is exceptionally strong willed. To the point every teacher she’s ever had says lovingly, “wow, you really have your work cut out for you with this one, eh?” ;).
I totally get what you are saying, but in the grand things of How She Objects to Things, we had the most success framing it as “A Thing that Big Kids Do, and you will Do Now” vs “would you like to try now?”. The latter was fine for my other kids.
Anonymous says
OP: I saw that this is your second. How about enlisting the big sister as a co-conspirator? Can she bring games/toys? Talk it up?
My one stubborn as a mule kid was *highly* motivated when the family (mainly me and big siblings) would do “the pee dance” anytime she successfully went in the toilet. She wasn’t motivated by candy or stickers or threats but my goodness, when I said “noooo! Don’t tell me I’m going to have to do the pee dance again?!” She ran into the bathroom giggling.
Anonymous says
My older kid just doesn’t like to use the bathroom and at almost 5 will still wait till he’s very uncomfortable before he feels like it’s worth going. He will never have an accident, but being very uncomfortable leads to bad moods, defiance, and physical aggression, so we unfortunately haven’t been able to just let him go on his own schedule. We have occasionally had to resort to “we are staying in this bathroom until you pee,” which can take… quite a while and requires physically blocking the door but does eventually work. What works much better and is much more pleasant is upping the liquids a lot so he gets used to having to pee frequently. Really that’s my best advice — soooo much liquid !!
reporting on purchase says
I bought the 3-in-1 maternity hoodie from Seraphine that was posted here within the past few weeks. It is comfy, except that the cuffs of the sweatshirt are quite tight. Slightly uncomfortable to wear for a long time, and I definitely cannot roll up the sleeves, so I anticipate this is going to be of limited use especially once baby is here and I need to do things like change diapers and wash my hands often. Has anyone else had this issue & any suggestions for stretching it? I had been hoping that some wear & washing would help, but it doesn’t really seem to.
Also, a note about this company. I had never bought from them before but had heard good things (a little above my price point for maternity items frankly). I reached out to customer service to ask for help troubleshooting (is this how it’s supposed to be? can it be stretched?), and they said that there was nothing they could do because the item had been worn. And I reviewed the item saying the above, but my review has been in moderation for day, so I don’t know if they actually post negative reviews that are submitted.
Twins says
Can you cut a slit in the cuff? Not the most glamorous thing, but a relatively easy fix. But annoying about their response!
reporting on purchase says
That’s a good idea, maybe. The cuff is really long because it has a thumbhole, but I don’t know how likely it is I’ll ever really use it because it’s so freaking tight.
Joovy Foocot says
Has anyone used the ‘Joovy Foocot Child Cot’? I posted last week about an upcoming vacation with a toddler and concerns about sleeping arrangements. Might pull the trigger on it but curious if there were any personal reviews here. TIA!
Anon says
Friends who tried it for the first time on vacation said their kids fell out so much they just moved them to the floor instead. Not an issue of your kid is used to a bed, but something to thing about it if what you have at home is a crib or a bed with rails.
Ashley says
I bought the large Joovy Gloo tent because I’m expecting toddler would fall off the cot. Trying it for the first time next weekend so will report back. Fingers crossed for both of us!
OP says
I think DD might be super creeped out by the top part of that covering her. She’s 22 months and loves her crib still. She does toss a lot when sleeping so good thinking she might fall out. She naps well at daycare but I’m not sure she could do an overnight yet. We’re leaving on Sunday so I’m scrambling to find something. So far our tool chest of ideas are:
1. Hotel crib
2. PnP – might bring it along just in case it works, but I’m near convinced it won’t
3. Couch cushions on the floor, us ‘falling asleep’ next to her
4. Cosleeping in the king bed, between us
5. Joovy something or other, or similar.
Ashley says
Hmm, if the hotel has an actual crib, I would do that! The two times I’ve tried to get a “hotel crib” they brought a dirty old pack n play to the room. I have also seen some rental companies that will deliver a legit crib to your hotel room for a minimal daily rate. May be worth searching for in your intended vacation area. Other ideas… we have a larger play yard I have considered using instead of a pnp (search summer infant pop n play), my plan was to make a floor pallet with blankets and pillows and let toddler roll around as he pleases. We bought a comfy mattress to go inside the pnp a while back, but I have considered just using that on the ground and “falling asleep” beside toddler–this way, if they fall off it’s not jarring. I personally would not want to cosleep unless absolutely necessary because I wouldn’t want to be stuck in bed during the 8-10pm range and also would probably sleep very little with toddler rolling around all night. YMMV, of course. Let us know what you decide and how it goes!
OP says
Many thanks for this response. We’re going to a Marriott in Ft. Lauderdale. I will first call the hotel to confirm the crib type. If it’s not an actual crib, do you know of any good rental companies? I get a lot of results when I do a search, but not sure if some are more… reputable?… than others? Not entirely sure how it works but with a recommendation I’m sure I’d get comfortable!
Cosleeping is absolutely our worst case option… should have been at the bottom of the list!
Ashley says
Sorry, I haven’t done the rental thing so I don’t have a rec! I always think about it when we travel then end up going with another solution.
Anon says
In my experience, hotel pack-n-plays are fine. In about two dozen hotel stays we once got a dirty one and when we complained they were able to bring us a clean one. Bringing your own is fine too, and not that difficult if you’re checking luggage. Even if you’re using the hotel’s PNP, bring your own sheet for it, since they often give you the wrong kind of bedding for it.
The only places a hotel crib has not been a PNP have been in Europe, but they’ve always been smaller than PNPs, and seem less comfortable to me (very hard mattress, metal bars, etc). Toddler slept worse in them generally, but since it was Europe there were also issues like jet lag involved, so hard to pin down the crib as the cause.
My 38″ 2.5 year old still sleeps in a PNP when we travel with no complaints. She loves crib sleeping through. (I asked the other day about when we have to transition her to a real bed.)
OP says
I called. It’s a real crib, hooray! Thanks, all. This sleeping thing put a real strain on our last trip… here’s to hoping it’ll all be good this time around.
AwayEmily says
We have a Shrunks portable toddler bed (inflatable). It has little rails and my kid loves it — despite sleeping in a crib at home til she was almost 4, she slept fine in that on vacation starting at age 2.5.
anon in brooklyn says
I have the Shrunks toddler bed too, and same experience of using it on vacation at 2.5 while still in crib at home.
Audrey III says
We have the MamaDoo pack n play mattress. It is pricey ($80 + extra for a sheet) but we love it. It’s available on Prime, and I’d recommend getting a sheet for it as well. We have an enormous suitcase that we put it into and check (and many other things fit into the suitcase as well – diapers, all my clothes, all of baby’s clothes), though if I recall it comes in a carrying case so theoretically if you’re carrying on, you could bring it as a carry on. Our carrying case was accidentally thrown out. It will fit into a hotel PnP and makes the sleeping surface so much more comfortable. I was comfortable using it once kids were over 12 months old. I’ve also had experience with nicer hotels having cribs, and they were like a regular crib only smaller and on wheels, but I always called first to find out.
Jessamyn says
What is everyone doing in terms of getting their kids Valentine’s cards to take to school? In past years, I have shamelessly gotten the 32-packs of cards from Dollar Tree and called it a day. I’m thinking my kindergartner’s expectations may be a bit higher this year, though. Maybe we’ll step up our game with Dollar Tree paper cards with Dollar Tree lollipops taped to them? Only 10 days to go…
Mrs. Jones says
I am doing nothing re school Valentines.
AnotherAnon says
+1
anon says
Yep, buying the 32-pack and letting the kids choose a treat to give with the card. The cards get tossed within a few days, so I don’t see the point in doing something more elaborate.
mrs kbp says
Our school has sent letters stating no food valentines-ie lollipops, gummies, pretzels. So we are dollar tree’ing it too. They have little stamps and pencils, but I don’t want to add to the “stuff” they bring home.
rosie says
I don’t think our preschool does Valentine’s Day, but I will contribute that Target has boxes of 8 cards for $1 that come with non-candy treats (stickers, temporary tattoos). I actually picked up 2 boxes when I saw them just in case preschool surprises us because $2 for not having to scramble if kid wants to participate seemed worth it.
Anonymous says
Give your kid some basic parameters (e.g., one package of cards and one type of candy or party favor) and let her pick out what she wants. You may be surprised that she is delighted by something that to you looks very simple or tacky.
Verify the school’s policy before purchasing edible treats.
AwayEmily says
Or any valentines! Our kids have been at two daycares and both explicitly forbade Valentines of any kind.
Anon says
Why? I mean, I believe you, I just don’t really get the logic behind that.
AwayEmily says
The first was a JCC and they didn’t celebrate any non-Jewish holidays. The second one I think just doesn’t want the hassle — they also don’t do Halloween at all, or any winter holidays. I get that.
LittleBigLaw says
Michaels has some great DIY kits that are designed for ages 3 to 6 to help put together. They were on sale for $1.50 for a box of 18 and are supposed to take 10 minutes to make. I’m really excited to be able to get kiddo involved but also have essentially the same time commitment & cost as dollar tree cards. Highly recommend!
Jessamyn says
Nice! Great tip. They do love crafting…
My Toddler's Social Secy says
Walked to CVS over my lunch hour – $3.99 for a pack of 16, which works perfectly for our daycare. It’s our first year there, so hoping others don’t go for treats, but with so many in the under 3 crowd, not sure what would be safe and fit in a card envelope (maybe a pad of paper?). They are sparkly and get the job done.
Anonymous says
My kindergartener picked hers from target. They have little toys attached. I have her the list of names and she wrote the to/from bit over the weekend.
My preschooler also chose target valentines- they each have a gel pen. She is writing them all herself and we are about halfway through the 14 she needs to write, ugh.
My 2 y/o is bringing ones in with stickers that I picked and cost $1 for the 10 pack.
My 3 kids are in the process of coloring pictures for all grand/great grands that will be mailed by the end of the week.
Lily says
I love Valentine’s Day! My daughter is 14 months. Would it be stupid/pointless to bring valentines for her daycare classmates and teachers? (for the teachers I’d add maybe a $5 starbucks giftcard).
Jessamyn says
Not at all, I think that’s a cute idea if you want to do it!
Anon says
As in infant last year she got one valentine from another kid. Just the standard dollar tree ones. We didn’t mind getting it but it wasn’t a ‘thing’.
So Anon says
For the first time, both of my kids were old enough to pick out the Valentines and write every single name on the envelopes! It was glorious.
TheElms says
My daycare has given no guidance about Valentine’s day yet. I have an 8 month old – can I assume this is not a thing?
Anonymous says
Yes. We didn’t start seeing valentines until the two-year-old room.
Anon says
I’m assuming it’s not a thing for my almost 2 year old. I mean, I won’t be shocked if we get a card or two in her cubby, but I definitely don’t feel like it’s an obligatory thing.
anne-on says
It is not a thing for the kids at that age, but if you are so inclined I always took the opportunity to write a card for my kiddo’s room teachers and include a starbucks card. They work so hard and they really deserved it.
Io says
Kiddo’s school does not do Valentines Day. But she’d like to mail some cards to friends. Probably pick up some Target dollar spot craft sets this week.
anon says
One kids is doing scented markers. Apparently kids love scented markers, and I don’t feel bad because markers at least get used. I bought a couple of packages from Michaels and I divided them up. One kid wanted curly straws (I would have preferred the scented markers), and one wanted these feather pens I got from Amazon. Apparently kids who are old enough for Harry Potter go nuts for feather pens.
Smithsonian Camps? says
Following up on the camp discussion. Any one have experience with the Smithsonian Camps? Especially for younger elementary?
Both my husband and I work a few blocks from the Smithsonian, and I think it would be a fun week of camp, but the few reviews I’ve seen have been mixed (lack of organization, etc).
Thanks!
Anon says
No personal experience since my kids are too young, but I work for the Smithsonian and have generally heard positive reviews from colleagues who have sent their kids there.
Anon says
My husband and toddler did a 2 hour paid event there on Saturday and he was very impressed by the organization of it and will go again. Not apples to apples, but something.
Anon Lawyer says
My coworker’s kid did a Harry Potter one and it sounded awesome. I wanted to go.
Patricia Gardiner says
What have your experiences been with the Snoo? I recently found out we are expecting our second (hooray!), but I am dreading the sleep deprivation… did it really help your baby sleep?
AwayEmily says
I was skeptical but the four families I know who’ve had babies in the last year and rented one said it really did work (and two of those were second kids, so they have a basis of comparison…). We probably wouldn’t do it just because we sleep train fairly early so it wouldn’t be worth it but if you can afford it I think it might be worth the try.
LadyNFS says
I had one for my first and just bought another for my second. (We are in an apartment and don’t store things, so we sold the first when we were done with it). I didn’t get the SNOO for #1 until she was about 1 month old, but I swore by it. To the point that when DH had a 10 day business trip on the other side of the country and DD and I accompanied him, I packed the SNOO into the box it shipped in and actually checked it as luggage for the plane, if that is any indication. I aso ascribed to the Taking Cara Babies newborn program so who really knows what works, but baby was sleeping well (we even managed to skip the 4 month sleep regression) and whatever the cause, I didn’t want to mess with it. At first the SNOO was a bit jarring – it felt so odd to watch a “machine” rock your child, but we got used to it. I tend to think that some of thse things are luck and a combination or tactics, but DH really swears by the SNOO and many of our friends have also purchased and become converts.
Ashley says
No experience but following! As someone whose first baby outgrew the bassinet length-wise by 3 months, I love the idea of the snoo rental program. Cheaper than buying and ship it back when you’re done instead of holding onto a piece of baby equipment you may never need again.
Anon says
But there are plenty of bigger bassinets that aren’t the SNOO? I don’t know why a tall baby would require you to buy this super expensive contraption that’s supposed to soothe babies to sleep.
Ashley says
I just meant I love the idea the snoo, and because my baby was tall and would outgrow it quickly I love that they offer the option to rent instead of buy! Which has the added benefit of being cheaper.
Anonymous says
Thanks for the replies! Yes, we are thinking of renting for 4ish months and then sleep training after that. I just remember all the extra 20-30 minute periods after nursing in the middle of the night during the first 6 weeks that I would be awake, trying to soothe him to sleep, which really adds up… if it helps with that I would be thrilled!
Anonymous says
I am 3 months into a Snoo rental with my second but didn’t have it with my first. From my perspective the Snoo is probably helping me create good habits more than it is helping my baby sleep.
With my first I resorted to the dockatot in the bed by one month and probably full time co-sleeping/bed-sharing by 3 months. It was just way easier for me to nurse her to sleep so I could get more sleep. What that turned into was nursing all night (about every 2-3 hours or so) for the first year.
This time around the Snoo settles the baby way faster after a feeding and encourages me to actually put him in it. He is sleeping much longer stretches (Sometimes 6 hours in the first stretch) and 2-3 feedings from 7-7.
Of course everything is kid dependent but I am happy with it so far.
I like the rental since it is low stakes and it was break even vs buying because I knew I wasn’t having another kid.
Anon says
We had one and it seriously was worth every penny. We sold ours (we moved) but are planning on buying or renting another if we have another.
Anonymous says
I debated getting one, but in the online baby group I was in my baby slept identically to the babies who were touted as great sleepers due to the Snoo so it seems like a huge waste to me. I imagine it really depends on the baby and your habits. You may as well try without it and rent one out of desperation, if it comes to it. My baby outgrew the bassinet anyway by month 2-3 so rental seems like the way to go.
PR Anon says
GET THE SNOO.
FTM to 3 month old and it was my ONE baby purchase I had to have. We bought used. I also got a second set of sacks second hand as well.
The Snoo is not going to change newborn sleep. But what it will do, is make the stretches you do get, easy on you. I sleep better knowing he’s safe and knowing that it will do everything it can to get him back to sleep. He started sleeping through the night at 2 months – a variety of tricks we used in addition to the Snoo – but it definitely created good sleep habits. If you like the 5 S’s and all that you’ll be happy with it. Plus, the customer service team is SO. HELPFUL with sleeping tips and questions. I’ve reached out to them multiple times with questions and they have helped every time. Good luck!!
AwayEmily says
I want to make a little “crawl space” or safe space with pillows, etc that my kids (2 and almost 4) can go to to decompress if they are upset and need a few minutes on their own. Right now they often wedge themselves behind a chair where there is cords and stuff, so I’d like something more official. I’m thinking maybe one of those little pop-up tents…or maybe trying to hang up a little curtain in a corner? Has anyone tried something like this and/or have a recommendation for a pop-up tent?
Anonymous says
I would get a teepee or a hanging bed canopy with a cushion or rug. Crate & Kids has some adorable teepees with matching cushions.
Anon says
omg we ended up in a Crate & Kids last weekend while waiting to be seated at the Cheesecake Factory and I almost bought EVERYTHING even though we need nothing. Their stuff is SO, so adorable.
Anonymous says
Teepee if you have the space. We got one as a gift for DD and it was the dumbest gift I asked for because we do not have the space haha.
Anonymous says
You could also get a giant cardboard box and let them decorate it as a bear cave :-)
Anonymous says
Ikea has a cube-shaped popup tent, and we also have one that I think is intended to be a beach tent.
My 5 year old daughter’s “hiding” spot is against the couch/under my grand piano. I like the idea of making an intentional spot, but I think part of the appeal is that she thinks I don’t know where she is. If she just wanted to be alone, her bed would be a perfectly good option!
FVNC says
Potty training question #2 (haha). My son will be 3 in April and we’ve let him take the lead on potty training (i.e., we have taken the lazy approach and haven’t potty trained him, but he’s learned from his classmates/older sister). For about two weeks now, he’s been wearing undies and never has pee accidents. However, he has near-daily poo accidents, so far always at home. Does this mean he needs to go back to pullups? Should we let him wear undies during the day at school and change him into pullups when he returns home? Deal with the poo? Our daughter didn’t have this issue so it’s a head scratcher for us. Thanks for any advice!
Anon says
No pull-ups – I’m of the mind that once you start the process, you should keep going and save diapers/pull-ups just for sleeping (or else face regressions). Does he poop at a predictable time each day? I think this is going to involve more focused attention from you to read the signs and get him to the bathroom in time. Maybe try a sticker chart for a very coveted toy or experience? (And this will not help you but in case it helps others – I wait to potty train/switch to undies until my kid successfully poops in the potty at least once or twice. This has helped us avoid poop struggles.)
FVNC says
Thanks! I think you’re right that we just have to be very attentive and read the signs (if there are any; I swear sometimes I’m looking right at him and I only notice he’s pooed because of the smell). He’d been in pullups for maybe a month before we switched to undies and he had a few successful potty poos…so we crossed our fingers and hoped he was ready. He’s super proud of himself when he does make it to the potty, so i think the special treat/toy is a good idea. Thanks for the ideas.
AnotherAnon says
With the caveat that every kid is different, what worked for us with a 2.5 y/o boy – miralax daily and scheduled potty time for pooping. I actually had the opposite problem: he would hold it until he got constipated then cry/refuse to go on the potty, then eventually poop his pants. Day care suggested we just sit him on the toilet 3x per day (after breakfast, after lunch at day care and then before bed). Once we started giving miralax he learned that pooping wasn’t painful and now he will prompt us when he needs to go, but that took several weeks.
AnotherAnon says
BTW, sitting on the potty took anywhere from 5-20 minutes until constipation was better managed.
FVNC says
Thanks – I think the scheduled time is key. Constipation is definitely not an issue, thankfully, but he does seem to “go” around the same time each day.
Anonymous says
Not sure I am the best person to advise on this because it was still an issue at age 6, but we had a similar problem with frequent poo accidents. They are so much different than pee accidents, and I feel like people who think potty training is a cinch must never have dealt with many of the #2 variety! (There is still this one restaurant bathroom that gives me flashbacks…) We didn’t try to train until our son was 3, and then the daily poo accidents made us take a break for approx. 6 months and try again, when we were more successful. FWIW, going back to pullups didn’t cause any problems for us. However, once “trained” he still had poo accidents fairly frequently, and they became more of an issue in Kindergarten and 1st grade. I think two things were happening. When he was 3, I’m really not sure he knew he needed to go before he did – he would look surprised when he went in the tub. Now that he is older, I’m sure the problem is more that he is putting off going until he can’t hold it anymore. Apparently the most common reason older kids have poo accidents is constipation, but that is definitely not his issue – more the opposite. At our ped’s recommendation, we tried Miralax for a week, and it was bad. What ultimately made a difference, and what I wish we had thought to try when he was younger, was having him sit on the potty and try to poop after meals. (We let our son do this while using the tablet, I know, gross, but he stays put). He doesn’t like going at school for various reasons, so getting his body used to going in the morning and at night has been helpful. Good luck – this is hard! On the plus side, this child has literally never wet his bed and does not need to get up to pee in the middle of the night, ever.
FVNC says
Thanks for the detailed reply. A lot of this sounds similar to our situation, including looking “surprised” that he’s gone and frequently going after meals. I’m sorry you’ve dealt with this for so long, but it’s nice to know we’re not necessarily doing anything “wrong” and we may just need to be patient and come up with some systems that work for him.
Anonymous says
Glad it is helpful! Son is now 7.5 and I think we’ve really turned a corner, finally. Honestly I have vague memories of having similar problems when I was his age–I definitely had some kind of lollypop-related incentive going on for clean underwear in 2nd grade–so I think it may just be something we suck at in my family.
Anonymous says
Also have potty training question. DD (almost 3) decided this week she was ready to potty train and did! Zero accidents wearing undies except a diaper overnight. But it’s the worst timing ever as we’re going on vacation to visit my parents next week. We’ve ordered a potty for their house, I’m more concerned about the airport/flight. I’ll bring a potty seat for the airport and stickers to put over the autoflush toilet. But I have low expectations. I should just put her in a pull up for travel days right? I just hate to lose this awesome momentum even though I know potty training can be a longer process. Believe me, I’m totally shocked she’s taken to it so quickly but I think she was ready
Anon says
We did pull-ups for travel days for the first 6 months or so after my kids trained, just because there are times while flying that you can’t get up to pee. We had one time where a kid peed in her pullup on a flight (was overtired and cranky and refused to try to use the plane bathroom), but other than that it hasn’t been any different from wearing underwear. You can talk it up as a “just in case” sort of thing for the special plane day, but you’re still going to go to the bathroom in the airport before you board and after you land and there will be a toilet on the plane if needed, etc.
Personally, I found relying on pullups for travel just so much less stressful than packing a bunch of spare clothes, potentially needing to clean up pee from their carseats, etc.
anon says
My oldest is petrified of airplane toilets. Finally used one at age 4. I usually bring a diaper with me just in case (like have put her in little brothers in one memorable delayed flight moment). Airplane toilets smell and have wierd lights.
Airport-wise, she’s pretty okay often with the family toilet – we all go in, yay! So look for those and give it a try! She may surprise you.
Another tip when traveling: my picky kid will often use hotel bathrooms even when she doesn’t like other public restrooms. the fancier the better, but most any hotel will do, and they never mind! So instead of pulling up to a gas station while traveling we’ll pull up to a Residence Inn or whatever and go into their lobby and use it!
Anonymous says
Pull ups
Sg says
We put our potty training 2.5 DD in pullups a few times after we considered ourselves “done” as a fail safe and she didnt end up peeing in them, but YMMV. Example, ehe refused to use the aquarium potty, so we did a pullup after a few hours. Also, based on recs from this board we got the Oxo folding potty, it can be used on a toilet or on the ground. It’s her “special potty” when we travel and we even use it in family restrooms on the ground if she is scared of the big potty.
Anonymous says
Yes, I would just say it’s “travel underwear” and not make a big deal.
AwayEmily says
+1 to “travel underwear”
Anonymous says
I’d use pull ups (or “travel underwear”) as suggested. At that early juncture, I also held kiddo on public toilets because she was hesitant. And because the idea of her holding onto them disgusts me. No potty seat needed.
Pregnancy Book Recs says
12 weeks pregnant (first time!) and looking for some pregnancy/parenting book recommendations. Are there any you found particularly helpful, not too outdated? Thanks! :)
anon says
Expecting Better and the follow-up, Crib, are both terrific. I also liked the Mayo Clinic guide to pregnancy, and a few other friends recommended Pregnancy 411 (I got Baby 411 as a gift and used it all the time during the first year of my son’s life).
Anonymous says
Congrats!! Parenting – happiest baby on the block, we drank the koolaid and it helped a lot with getting a newborn to sleep/keep her happy. If you’re looking to have an unmedicated childbirth i suggest natural hospital birth, Ina mays guide to childbirth, and spiritual midwifery (also by Ina May gaskin).
Anonymous says
Expecting Better by Emily Oster was my favorite book (and now that baby is here, the follow up book, Cribsheet). I know people have a LOT of very strong opinions about this book. For me, I liked this book because it made me feel very empowered about my pregnancy – the choices of whether to have caffeine, have a glass of wine, eat soft cheese, have an epidural or not – the book confirmed and reiterated that these choices were mine to make. I used this book as a way to figure out what questions to ask my midwife and doctor and where to do more research and to question certain blanket “rules” people seem to have about pregnancy. My husband read it as well and it lead to some good discussions and additional research for both of us. We did not take anything in the book as the final word on anything – it was more about assessing risks for things you can do or not do during pregnancy and really was a basis for discussion.
I also liked supplementing it with the Mayo Clinic Guide to Pregnancy and What to Expect When you are Expecting.
Anon says
I liked Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby and Newborn 101 for practical concise information from medical professionals.
I also liked Cribsheet for a more balanced perspective on parenting choices beyond the AAP. Raising Bebe was a candy treat of a memoir.
Also if you don’t want an unmedicated birth and want info to reassure you of your choice, read Push Back: Guilt in the Age of Natural Parenting – but beware it’s pretty intense eye-opening view by a former OBGYN.
Io says
Favorite books: Expecting Better, Cribsheet, Baby Meets World, Everything You Never Wanted Your Kid to Know About Sex (But are Afraid They’ll Ask), (which, alas was written before the rise of smartphones).
Favorite parenting memoirs: Bringing up Bebe, Achtung Baby! and No Such Thing as Bad Weather (her blog has my go-to list of how to dress warmly for all day winter play).
We’re also casually Montessori and I liked Montessori From the Start and The Montessori Toddler.
My kiddo is outdoorsy and I checked out a stack of books about outdoor play and forest school, but the titles escape me. (If anyone wants THAT list I’ll be happy to post it tomorrow.)
Anon says
For fun I enjoyed Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies?. For practical medical milestone stuff we still refer to the AAP Birth to Five Years book, gifted to us by our pediatrician practice.
Anon says
Just to offer a different perspective, don’t feel like you have to read any. I didn’t read any pregnancy books and haven’t read any parenting books and so far my kid and I both seem fine. I really trusted my OB and didn’t feel like I needed external advice about pregnancy. They show you the basics of newborn care in the hospital and when I have questions I can ask mom friends or here. Now that my toddler is in daycare, her teachers are also a great resource about normal development and how we should be doing discipline. Most hospitals also offer some free or cheap prep classes for new parents-to-be. I’m glad I did the newborn care basics and infant CPR, but found the breastfeeding class both unhelpful (talking about different latches was so abstract and didn’t make any sense when I’d never attempted to breastfeed) and offensive (it was very “breast is best, your child will be severely physically and intellectually damaged if you use a drop of formula” and I knew I was open to combo feeding, which I did in fact end up doing). For illnesses, my ped has a nurse hotline you can call if unsure about whether your child needs to see a doctor. So yeah…I’ve never seen the need for books. And I have nothing against reading, I actually read a lot for pleasure, I just don’t especially want to read parenting books.
SC says
Parenting 101 was great with practical stuff. My pediatrician’s office gave us a copy when we registered before our son was born.
Pro tip–check your local library, especially their digital collection, for parenting books. For most of the books I’ve read, I’ve either (a) decided the approach is not for me pretty quickly, (b) liked some of the advice but felt like I got the point in 60-80 pages, or (c) wanted to skim, skip the anecdotes, or head straight to the sections that interested me.
AwayEmily says
Parenting books are like 90% filler. I just read “The Power of Showing Up” and it was great but could have been like twenty pages long. And the Happiest Baby on the Block could be a half-page handout. All of which is to say: yes, the library.
*the one exception is my favorite sleep book, The Good Sleeper, which is very short and good all the way through.
More Sleep Would Be Nice says
+1 – This has been my experience but I cannot recommend The Good Sleeper enough!
Katy says
In Alberta Canada you get a free spiral bound book at your first appointment. Google Alberta Health Healthy Families – you can download pdfs. Great for pure facts.
Anonymous says
Push Back: Guilt in theAge of Natural Parenting by Amy Tuteur. I loved that it included a lot of historical work on the origins of certain parenting movements.
OP says
OP popping back in to say, thanks! You guys rock!
Juggling says
I currently work in-house but am looking to move because I’m unhappy with my comp (I’ve explored all avenues for increasing my comp within my current organization and realized I need to move on to move up). I have a job offer from In-House Department, and they want a response by end of day Wednesday. The offer is more than I’m making now but still not great comp-wise, I think my first choice is a job with Specialized Firm where the comp will be significantly higher. I have an interview at SF on Thursday. I know someone who works there so have it on good authority that they are very interested in me and would be able to make an offer quickly if the interview goes well. Do I a) make a counter offer to IHD (which I need to do anyway because I wouldn’t accept the job at the offered comp) on Wednesday morning in the hopes that buys me more time or b) tell IHD that I need until Friday to make my decision making it fairly obvious that I’m waiting for another offer and they’re not my first choice?
Katy says
next day response. (it’s Wednesday)
Would you actually take the in-House offer if the comp was better (i.e. if the accepted your counter and your don’t get the top choice). Assuming yes:
Tell them that you have two potential opportunities and that you are not in position to (a) accept the job at the current comp and you are asking for X% more / whatever it is that you want and (b) would only be able to accept any offer on Monday. They have already made you an offer, I don’t think that goes away over a couple of days… I don’t think that it hurts you here to day that you have another opportunity.
AnotherAnon says
Can’t tell anyone IRL yet (except DH obv) but for the first time since my endo surgery, I got the results from my doc that my post peak hormones are *normal*. Which means I could be pregnant. Since I’m triggering HCG, I cannot take a pg test for 10 more days (a pregnancy test before that could be a false positive). I don’t even know how I feel about this. Been TTC for six years.
anon says
Late in the day but thoughts are with you! Crossing my fingers! I can’t imagine.
Katy says
I really hope it is good news. I can’t even imagine what the wait must be like. Little happy / hopeful dance for you. :)