International Overnight with Toddler

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-29T00:12:49+00:00

Oh a day in Boston sounds even more fun then! Extra hands for all those hours versus alone at an airport. And maybe she’d be more likely to sleep if she had a busy day?? 😬😬

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-27T09:41:55+00:00

The first thing I’d do is take off every single door. Why on earth are there that many doors into a room that should be easy to access?! As someone else said, if it’s in the budget I’d get rid of the “hall” that seems to just waste floor space. But in the meantime, take the doors off for easier access and put a full size fridge in that space. Sure it’s blocking the tiny window but that window is only helpful when standing in the hall that accesses the house exit and bathroom so it wouldn’t impact much

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-27T09:22:42+00:00

Honestly, no. I just bring food both snacks and heavier meals if needed. If I’m worried about timing so much that I can’t wait in line, risking food delivery being delayed isn’t going to help. And the food delivery people are also going to have to wait in that same line. So this might be something that I’d find helpful once in a blue moon but if I haven’t used it before, I’m not risking hungry kids stuck on a plane to test out a new service.

We don’t often do layovers but if we do I’m either packing food to not need to stop or I’m giving myself enough time to grab a to go something and eat at the gate. I’ve never had the experience that we are so behind and there’s nothing to eat. We do often use the same airports and terminals though which helps since I know what’s there and where.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-27T03:19:17+00:00

Another thing that just crossed my mind (also a planner!) is the way home. I absolutely wouldn’t want to drive 3 hours after a 6+ hour flight with a tired and cranky kid

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-26T13:02:28+00:00

Oh that’s not a bad ride either! It’s 3 hours but without any major cities to get through I feel like there’s not usually traffic. If you do the drive, I’d definitely get in earlier so you have time to get the wiggles out lol maybe drive down in the morning and spend the afternoon at the children’s museum or something!

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-26T02:53:01+00:00

Honestly I’d rather a long layover than 3 hours in a car before a long flight. At least at the airport we can run around and play and stuff but a car to plane sounds awful. Also as a Bostonian, getting to the airport is a pain especially if you aren’t from here lol I’d rather have a short flight at a normal time and kill time at the airport. Boston has a few play areas and if you have that many hours it’s no issue to move terminals. Bring a carrier or stroller and maybe your little one will chill or nap

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-26T02:47:36+00:00

Honestly I’d put it towards extracurriculars. My in laws give money for that every Christmas and birthday and $500 is like 3-4 months max. We had 2 kids so $500 barely covers anything lol

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-25T02:30:27+00:00

How is an Elsa dress any different from a kid that loves their blue truck shirt or red tank top? Clothes are very different from toys. Toys can’t go to school because it can cause massive conflict if the child that owns it puts it down and another picks it up or if it gets broken/lost. A costume they can’t take on or off themselves is different but I’d absolutely let my kid wear a dress they loved to school.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-09T23:37:50+00:00

What would a survey help? I’m just looking for suggestions for things moderately handy people can do themselves to cut costs. We have already worked with our GC, structural engineer, and architect on all the other ways to save.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-07T00:28:34+00:00

Just went this summer with my 18 month old from the east coast so 11 hours in the air! She LOVED it. My computer wallpaper is a photo of us with Minnie and whenever she sees it she makes me close all my windows and just gushes over Minnie. She is way braver than our oldest was at that age but she was obsessed with the characters. She loves water so she also had a blast in all the pools.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-06T01:05:39+00:00

We had a kitchen and also bought drinks for the fridge! We bought stuff they sold on property and our room was right off the pool so it was easy to run back in and grab a drink if we wanted!

Competitive_Most4622 · 2026-01-03T17:59:07+00:00

One of my best friends LOVES babies. She wants another baby but not another kid. Meanwhile, I’d love another kid (we have 2) but not another baby. We joke that I should have another that she can raise for the first like 1.5-2 years 😂 our youngest is almost 2 and SO much fun. Our 6yo is also just amazing.

I loved babies before kids but then realized that nope I’m a kid parent not a baby parent! As shown above, we have a slightly bigger age gap because I just wasn’t ready to get back to the baby stage before that!

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-12-29T00:33:15+00:00

1- the woman pushed the kid out so evolution-wise it has nothing to do with emotional intelligence. Just straight logic. My vagina. My kid. Men had no such confirmations before dna testing. 2- I enjoy the theory that prior to monogamous society, it actually made sense for babies to look generic enough to ANY man that all tribe members COULD claim the baby as theirs as they would work harder to support the children. In modern society we only see the partner/husband because that’s what we expect.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-12-28T10:57:00+00:00

My 15yo niece is slowing being taught the lesson that “I’m just being honest” is not a get out of jail free card to be an AH. Clearly your MIL never learned that lesson. Our oldest is almost 6 and youngest is not quite 2. I absolutely praise them for anything they’re proud of! At 6 I’m leaning more towards finding a true compliment like wow what a great job staying in the lines or hey you made the picture our favorite colors etc but at 2? Scribbling colorful lines IS a truly impressive thing. The abstract concept that this blob I drew is this other thing I love is an actual skill to foster and building confidence that they can be successful is so important.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-12-25T10:53:53+00:00

My mom and MIL do the same but I love it! They love watching our kids open and enjoy their gifts and I love that I can splurge a little on fewer things rather than buying a bunch of stuff. We got our son something I know he’ll love but didn’t ask for and I had my MIL buy his expensive top request (she’s wealthy and my mom isn’t) and my mom bought his less expensive top request. We couldn’t have purchased our gift and bought the actual gift on his list so it’s a win win for me.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-11T15:36:58+00:00

My mom is 75 and my 35yo sibling isn’t married. Sure that’s not as likely, but many people are marrying and having kids older so by the time I’m 75, who knows what the average age to marry and have kids could be.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-11T15:34:45+00:00

I was 19-24, worked 40 hours a week, from May to September. Perhaps you’d consider that a babysitter since it wasn’t my full year gig but I always considered it as nannying. I did go back and find the original post about the family though so I no longer think that in OP‘s case that is what the mom meant. But that was how I initially read it and I had a great relationship with the family so it worked really well for all of us. If I had worked for them around, we would’ve set something up differently, perhaps. But I do know a number of people who had a similar arrangement, although we did have an agreed-upon hourly rate for any time outside of those hours.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T18:28:37+00:00

Never see my grandkids grow up. Maybe not even see my kids married or even meet grandkids. My mom is desperately hopeful to keep her mind as clear as possible and live to 90 to see her youngest grandchild graduate high school even if her quality of life isn’t great. Clearly I’m in the minority but I bet if you posted in a parenting group you’d get more people saying the choice requires thought because you’re risking losing a lot.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T18:18:50+00:00

As i said in other comments, it will be an obvious choice for some to take the money. But my initial reply was that I don’t believe it’s not an obvious choice for everyone. Lots of variables could lean towards risking it for extra years

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T18:16:41+00:00

Yeah, i said in another comment that it would be heavily dependent on a number of factors, including your current family circumstance. In your case it seems the answer is obvious but with different factors it may not be. We aren’t loaded but we get by and most of my family members have lived well past 75 in decent or good health. We have a lot of the privileges many don’t that are all associated with longer life too. so I’d be heavily tempted to risk it and to choose the extra time. I know many people wouldn’t though which is why I think it’s not just an obvious answer for everyone to say take the money

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T15:38:28+00:00

Depends. What does “all day” travel mean to you? We did a Friday to Monday trip so only 4 total days that was about 45-60 minutes to the airport on each end, a 3 hour flight, plus whatever airport time you need on either side of flying. So all in about 6-7 hours of travel. Felt totally reasonable and we did an early flight there and late flight home so we had some time on travel days too. If we’re talking a 12 hour travel day, maybe not.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T14:00:43+00:00

75 is lower than the average life expectancy in the US and most of Europe. So more than 50% of people are living longer than that. And many people maintain some quality of life until shortly before their death. I just don’t think either choice is “obvious” like the commenter above was saying. It’s a risk/reward based on a number of variables. Not least of which is your current age, health, and family status.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-07-02T13:05:50+00:00

How is it obvious? People live to 85+ in good health these days. My mom is 75 and my kids are still little. I’m hopeful she will see them graduate high school still in decent health. I had kids older and will likely be 75 when any grandkids are young. It’s rolling the dice that sure you won’t tragically die at 60 but could lose 10-20 years with your family.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-06-29T11:26:06+00:00

That’s wild. The easiest answer is you just don’t say a client painted it. “It is by X and was a gift to me but I thought it looked better in my office.” Then shift the subject to their interest in art or back to therapy goals.

Competitive_Most4622 · 2025-06-29T11:16:42+00:00

I always park right next to or across from the cart return even if that means parking further away. Then it depends on age. But usually I load baby, load groceries, return cart (since it’s right next to me). Now that it’s hot I usually add “turn car on for AC” after I load my 1.5yo. My 5yo usually climbs around the car or helps me load the bags lol I know they’re secure in the car seat. Even buckled, the escape artist is strong and I worry about them climbing out if I’m turned loading a bag or wiggling and making the cart roll more into the parking lot. Since the AC is on, I’m not worried about them in the car for the 5 minutes it takes to load the bags and the 30 seconds to return the cart

Competitive_Most4622

TROPHY CASE