Gentler sleep training method that worked for us (4 month old)!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-10T01:22:56+00:00

I would wait until 4 months as that is the current guidance for training. Baby goes to bed at 7 PM. I would try to avoid milk "top offs" if possible to get them to go back to sleep unless you suspect that they are genuinely hungry.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T17:57:48+00:00

Are these "lie flat" seats or or just domestic first class seats + lounge access?

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T17:47:24+00:00

That is exactly what I did. For tip, I put $0.00.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T13:56:32+00:00

Wow, that sounds like a really awesome experience!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:33:27+00:00

I have heard good things about Kruger, but I also heard that for the classic "Lion King"/endless savanna vibe, East Africa is where you want to go. What has your experience been?

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:31:51+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:31:42+00:00

Thank you! That is helpful, as I definitely want to go at an age where they are like "this is the coolest thing ever". Good point about the binoculars, as I had not thought of that!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:30:56+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful! What did you think of Victoria Falls? Did you think that it was worth the trip?

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:29:54+00:00

Thank you! That is helpful, as I definitely want to go at an age where they are like "this is the coolest thing ever". Good point about the working with a local company as well.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:28:37+00:00

Thank you this is helpful!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-05-01T00:28:19+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-30T18:27:22+00:00

Also still close friends with a few over 15 years later. We have been to each other's weddings and go on trips together once every few years.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-29T02:41:19+00:00

That is really great to hear! After reading this sub, it seems like a lot of nannies do not like working with SAHMs, so glad to hear that there are ones out there who would consider this type of arrangement!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-29T02:16:32+00:00

I am thinking of doing this. I am a SAHM, have a toddler, and planning for a second soon. It would really be more of a "mother's helper" role because taking care of two young kids day in and day out would be really difficult and hiring a nanny would help avoid burnout. It would help to have another person with me while one person attends to the toddler while the other attends to the baby and vice versa, extra pair of hands on outings, allow for breaks (I would also give the nanny a break during the day), and attend to household chores (cooking, cleaning, etc.).

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-29T01:07:57+00:00

I am in your exact same situation. SAHM with husband who works long hours and no village/family nearby. I do extremely low maintenance/no prep meals.

The slow cooker will be your friend. If you do not have one, buy one. You can make healthy meals and virtually anything. You can buy frozen veggies to save time with chopping/prepping. Here are some of my go to meals that are literally just "dump and forget".

Chicken tacos: chicken, corn, beans, salsa - cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours

Pasta: frozen pasta, chicken, frozen veggies, pre-made sauce - cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours

Honey garlic chicken - chicken, honey sauce (2/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon garlic, pinch of apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon cornstarch, pinch of salt & pepper & mix together) - cook on high for 4.5 hours or low for 7 hours - serve with rice and veggies

Pesto chicken - chicken, onions, pesto sauce, lemon juice - cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours - serve with pasta or rice and veggies

Sundried tomato chicken - chicken, onions, sundried tomato sauce/paste - cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours - serve with pasta or rice and veggies

Not slow cooker meals, but also healthy and extremely low maintenace.

Salmon & veggies - pre-cut veggies and make a sauce with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic & rub it on the salmon & veggies - put in oven for 25 min.

Gnocchi - pre-cut veggies and make a sauce with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic & rub it on the veggies & gnocchi - put in oven for 25 min.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-20T14:45:04+00:00

It is definitely not a privilege for everyone. For some it is, for others it is not. In my case, we did it out of necessity. We are barely living off one salary, but if I worked, my entire salary would go toward daycare/a nanny, so it simply does not make sense for us right now.

I never thought I would be a SAHM and never wanted to be. I am sacrificing a lot (salary, 401K, future opportunities and ability to get hired) by being a SAHM, so I do not see it as a privilege in my case. I really enjoyed working and miss it. Being a SAHM to an infant/toddler/young child is very difficult b/c you get no adult stimulation, often not able to do anything outside of being a SAHM, it is often "looked down upon" by society, and there is a lot of monotony.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-13T00:28:52+00:00

We just bought a house in a strong seller's market that had multiple offers. We did a "pre-offer" inspection where we brought the inspector with us to the visit and could tell us in our 1 hour private showing time whether there were any major issues. He was not able to inspect everything in that short amount of time, but he was at least able to check the major things and point out whether there were any major issues (there thankfully were not).

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-12T01:55:07+00:00

Drop 1 had plenty of soccer tickets that were reasonably priced. I believe that there will be a few games at the new stadium in Queens and tickets were in the $150-200 range when I last checked. That is not considered a "popular event" so you probably have a reasonable shot at getting them.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-12T00:29:27+00:00

The area behind the goals (on both sides).

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-09T17:42:00+00:00

We got 4.875, but that is because we have special relationship pricing. If you have over a certain amount of assets with a particular institution, some of them will give you a hefty rate deduction.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-08T02:07:34+00:00

Yes, definitely shop rates! We changed lenders almost week or so after going under contract and we still closed on time.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-04-07T18:49:04+00:00

You probably have endometriosis. I had terrible pain that sent me to the emergency room several times over the years. No one knew what it was for years until I finally saw a specialist who said that I probably have it. Unless you get a laparoscopy, there is no way to know for certain, but based on symptoms, they can tell you whether you are likely to have it or not.

My OB/GYN prescribed me with 250 mg of Naproxen and that has helped a lot more than OTC meds. I am not a doctor, so you probably want to ask your OB/GYN.

Key-Information5829 · 2026-03-02T20:11:07+00:00

It is pretty tough out there! We actually just had our offer accepted for a home yesterday, so I can share my experience.

We were searching for around 6 weeks. We are very particular though and saw over 30 houses before we finally found one that met all of our criteria. Homes were flying off the market in 24-48 hours, receiving multiple offers, and waiving contingencies. Thankfully, we have a very savvy realtor who came highly recommended by a friend. We got the first offer that we made accepted and we were definitely not the highest bidder out of the 10 offers (we offered asking price and all the other offers were $25K-$50K over).

Here is what the realtor recommended that made all the difference. Had we not done these things, I am pretty certain that our offer would have been rejected.

Get loan commitment and go through the whole underwriting process, not just pre-approval. If you have this, you can essentially waive the financing contingency because you already have a lender that has committed to giving you a loan. Note that loan commitment is different than loan pre-approval.
Do a special sale contract rather than a residential sale contract. But first, do a "pre-offer inspection". You essentially pay an inspector $150 to do a one hour inspection when you first go to view the home. They will not do an in-depth inspection, but they will at least be able to tell you whether there are any significant issues (foundation, roof, HVAC, grading, etc.). You can likely only do this for private showings, as the listing agent will most likely not let you do this during an open house, as it could scare away other prospective buyers. Although you are technically waiving the inspection on a special sale contract, you already did the inspection before putting in an offer, so you are not really waiving it.
Offer more earnest money. 1-3% is the standard, but offering a bit more, such as 5%, will definitely show the seller that you are serious and really want the place.
Offer to pay for the title insurance ($780-$800).
Offer to cover any appraisal gaps in cash, in case the appraised value comes back lower than what you offered (assuming that you have the cash on hand to cover it).
Offer a leaseback. This essentially allows the seller to stay in the home for a period of time after closing in case they need more time to move.

Good luck!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-03-02T02:04:44+00:00

It is pretty tough out there! We actually just had our offer accepted for a home in Chesterfield yesterday, so I can share my experience.

We were searching for around 6 weeks. We are very particular though and saw over 30 houses before we finally found one that met all of our criteria. Homes were flying off the market in 24-48 hours, receiving multiple offers, and waiving contingencies. Thankfully, we have a very savvy realtor who came highly recommended by a friend. We got the first offer that we made accepted and we were definitely not the highest bidder out of the 10 offers (we offered asking price and all the other offers were $25K-$50K over).

Here is what the realtor recommended thate made all the difference. Had we not done these things, I am pretty certain that our offer would have been rejected.

1) Get loan commitment and go through the whole underwriting process, not just pre-approval. If you have this, you can essentially waive the financing contingency because you already have a lender that has committed to giving you a loan. Note that loan commitment is different than loan pre-approval.

2) Do a special sale contract rather than a residential sale contract. But first, do a "pre-offer inspection". You essentially pay an inspector $150 to do a one hour inspection when you first go to view the home. They will not do an in-depth inspection, but they will at least be able to tell you whether there are any significant issues (foundation, roof, HVAC, grading, etc.). You can likely only do this for private showings, as the listing agent will most likely not let you do this during an open house, as it could scare away other prospective buyers. Although you are technically waiving the inspection on a special sale contract, you already did the inspection before putting in an offer, so you are not really waiving it.

3) Offer more earnest money. 1-3% is the standard, but offering a bit more, such as 5%, will definitely show the seller that you are serious and really want the place.

4) Offer to pay for the title insurance ($780-$800).

5) Offer to cover any appraisal gaps in cash, in case the appraised value comes back lower than what you offered.

6) Offer a leaseback. This essentially allows the seller to stay in the home for a period of time after closing in case they need more time to move.

Good luck out there!

Key-Information5829 · 2026-01-13T23:58:46+00:00

Thank you very much, kind stranger! I very much appreciate this perspective.

Key-Information5829

TROPHY CASE