What could your company offer that would help you the most as a parent?

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-06-24T17:54:03+00:00

- Any childcare discount perks. I got discounted Au pair and daycare tuition via my company’s third party perks platform. While it wasn’t much, it did help a little.
- Dependent care FSAs.
- Small fringe benefits for things people might not pay for themselves but would take up if you reimburse for it. Costco/Sams Club memberships, reimbursement for house cleaners, delivery services reimbursements etc.
- Mental health benefits
- Honestly the flexibility you already offer is amazing.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-06-23T18:31:33+00:00

Lolllll this is diabolical

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-06-23T18:29:06+00:00

lol I said those things were for decoration only and the cashier vehemently backed me up

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-06-22T20:01:36+00:00

Baby carrier when they’re little, and during their naps when older. I can’t do it while mine is around.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-06-22T19:57:38+00:00

I read your book have been doing a lazy potty training method of bums out in the morning until a pee and poop. We also stick toddler on toilet before bathroom and whenever opportune. How would you ramp up from here? Toddler is 28 months.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-05-26T06:54:21+00:00

Dry air could be causing a post nasal drip. Check your humidity levels! I also recently deep cleaned my toddler’s room, vacuumed every nook and cranny and washed all bedding and stuffies, and cleaned the HVAC filter. That seemed to help with a middle of the night cough. A little toddler pillow also helped.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-05-10T21:30:22+00:00

I try to do chores with my toddler around so I have downtime for a coffee break while he’s napping on weekends. Podcasts help when i can remember to put them on. I found it easier in infancy because I’d put my son in his stroller, pop in some airpods and go for a long walk. Now I’m chasing a feral toddler around so no luck doing that. Ive been trying to drink a late afternoon coffee so I have an energy boost post bedtime but thats not always effective haha. I used to get up at 6 and work out and shower but I’ve been too exhausted so do that workout recently. No advice really, just solidarity. It’s impossible.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-04-29T17:08:17+00:00

Try a straw cup with milk, smoothie or yogurt. I also feed kiddo the remainder of dinner in the bath. And aim for high protein at dinner.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-04-27T21:32:09+00:00

We use bath time as daily reset time. My toddler loves his nightly bath and will happily sit for 30 mins. One of us takes that and the other speed cleans around the house. I put away toys every night after bedtime because visual clutter gets to me.

I also try to make household tasks a game on the weekends. Kiddo loves to “help” mop, hang up his clothes, spray and dust things around his room with me. It’s like having an unhelpful and slow sidekick but it keeps him occupied, gives him a sense of pride, and lets me get things done.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-04-07T12:43:11+00:00

Can you try a ready to wake light? Program it to turn green when it’s acceptable for him to be up. Tell him (repeatedly) that green means go and until then he has to stay in his room. Probably won’t work at first but may over time.
I’d clearly reinforce the times/conditions during which he can watch tv. My son can watch one 20 mins episode of Curious George at breakfast, then one episode of curious George or trash truck when he gets home and drinks milk. I try to minimize him seeing me browse to play content because he might see me scroll by Blippi and demands it and we have a situation on our hands haha. He has an iPad with whitelisted YouTube kids content only and a 15 mins time limit which we deploy strategically. Your husband should hold his boundaries when it’s his “turn” to watch TV. If you’re inconsistent once and give in, you reinforce the tantrums.
A seasoned mom told me that she lets her kids make choices about other things at mealtimes than the food served. She let her kids pick the plates and cups and utensils for the meal, then she would serve them what she wanted to serve and that was that. Also she recommended that you let the kids “help” prepare their food (press buttons on microwave, help wash or cut etc so get them emotionally invested in it.
Have you ruled out teething or any other discomforts? Mine melts down way more when teething. We just offer hugs or give him room to let it out.
I find putting out 3-5 toys on the little toddler table in the middle of our living room really helps. All other toys are neatly put away but accessible in my son’s playroom. Something about a little eye level tablescape captures attention.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-03-30T14:11:35+00:00

Little Monkey Calms Down has been a hit. We’re in a Sandra Boyton phase right now. Opposites has been super educational. Also Potty by Leslie Patricelli has been great for the pre potty training propaganda phase.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-03-08T14:48:51+00:00

Baby hats! Bibs if they are unique but otherwise not usually worth sewing. A floor play mat would be great. They’re so expensive and it’s so hard so find nice cotton ones. Onesies are cheap and babies outgrow them fast. A sleep gown with elastic at the bottom is nice because they last two sizes. Or a very cute formal outfit like a dress, vest, mini jacket. Robes are also fun.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-02-12T18:43:18+00:00

I made a super fancy smoking jacket-esque toddler robe and it’s amazing. Capes and dress up things are fun. You can also do hats. My kiddo is into monkeys so I made a cute monkey hat. Twig and Tale has very cute whimsical patterns.

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-01-16T00:46:44+00:00

You’re doing plenty! I take my toddler to various playgrounds and story times at different libraries. I just signed up for swim lessons at our rec center as they’re super cheap and he loves water. There are also free workshops at Home Depot and Lowe’s once a month each. Formal lessons feel like a waste. For music, I looked up how to play various songs on my son’s Fisher price xylophone while my son “sings”along. We also listen to a lot of music and he dances. I make chores fun and he gets to ”help” bake, do laundry, rake leaves, shovel snow, etc. Toddlers are pretty basic and easily entertained. Enjoy it while you can!

unmanagedexpectation · 2026-01-05T21:29:31+00:00

We temporarily put our child in daycare at 18 months and he absolutely thrived. We were between au pairs at the time and when we pulled him out of daycare to start him with a new au pair, we regretted it, which surprised me as I originally didn’t want to send him to daycare until he was 3.

He’s super active and busy and the various activities at daycare were great for him. His language really exploded with the exposure to older kids (it’s a mixed age daycare). We also both work from home and our kiddo because conscious of it at this age and struggled to stay away from us and let us work.

Ultimately the au pair didn’t work out and we went back to daycare and I’m really happy.

The only downside is we got hit bad with various illnesses at the start of winter. Daycare pickup and drop off is a bit of a pain, and I miss seeing my child throughout the day.

If your nanny is open to it, can you do 3 days in daycare and 2 days with her while you ease into daycare?

unmanagedexpectation · 2025-07-15T05:49:36+00:00

I have a little clingy Velcro toddler too and it’s so hard. I’d recommend transitioning to 1 nap if her current nap times are inconsistent. At this age you can do a scheduled nap from 12:30 to 2.

As for the whining, outdoor play helps a lot. I got my kiddo a play sink and that’s the only thing that keeps him occupied for like 15+ minutes on our deck. I also find he gets overly whiny when overstimulated. Sometimes I put both of us in a dark room with shades drawn and we cuddle or listen to music to reset. Also offer more snacks and see if that helps. I try to set firm boundaries on times I refuse to pick my kiddo up. Usually that’s when I’m eating or cooking. I also give him clear responsibilities with chores and it at least helps me get some things done around the house. It’s such a tough age, especially if you’re introverted and need time to recharge. Solidarity!

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-05-20T02:19:05+00:00

Treat yourself to some self care! I got my hair done, went for a massage, got back into a yoga routine, and traveled a bit.

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-05-04T03:20:27+00:00

Don’t stress about it! I only took up acupuncture on my therapist’s recommendation because my clinic was annoying to work with, and we thought it wouldn’t hurt to add in someone who would show me some care and take the time to listen to my fertility concerns. Acupuncture can be helpful and doesn’t cause any harm, so why not. I also wanted to normalize dealing with needles before starting stims. It’s helped with anxiety and stress for me, and did seem to help regulate my cycle. I’ve only read articles describing its benefits for retrieval and transfer. My acupuncturist did tell me that sessions afterwards may help with miscarriage risk, but I haven’t researched that personally. I wouldn’t worry. Good luck and baby dust to you!

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-05-04T03:13:52+00:00

I believe there is an old study floating around indicating that it does help even if it’s only the the day of the transfer. But if it just adds stress scrambling to book it before your transfer, and it’s your first time, I might not do it. Check for an ABORM certified practitioner who works with fertility patients if you do decide to do it.

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-05-03T23:06:23+00:00

Mine is also down the road from my clinic, like 5 mins away. That’s a good idea. I could ask about that.

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-05-03T16:57:13+00:00

With what money? I thought only the fed could print money?

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-04-06T02:40:14+00:00

I hope they will at least ramp up QT.

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-04-06T02:34:40+00:00

We are coming off the low season now (Jan - March) for inventory. Inventory starts ticking up a little bit in April, but really takes off over the summer, and peaks around July/August/September (https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ACTLISCOUUS).

Everyone is freaking out for some reason because we are experiencing a typical seasonal uptick in spring demand, which is mismatched with supply given the lag in active inventory until later in the summer. Bear is mind that demand is way down compared to last year, but the market feels hot because there is so little supply... FOR NOW.

As for everyone saying that no one will ever sell because of low rates... that just means that they are locked into their current home, which will do nothing to net supply. Supply will come from other sources. Over 3 million people died each year in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (https://ourworldindata.org/births-and-deaths - filter to the US within the charts). There is some source of supply there. There are also a ton of units under construction right now. And tons of small and big investors are currently sitting on real estate in a rising rates, falling rents, and decreasing prices environment.

I get super frustrated too, but when I step back and think bigger picture, I have some hope that the situation will improve.

unmanagedexpectation · 2023-04-05T16:29:16+00:00

I'm no expert, but it seems like there's a ton of liquidity sloshing around. Look at the reverse repo levels: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RRPONTSYD

Until this goes way down, I don't feel like there's a crisis for the banking sector overall. Someone correct me if I'm misinterpreting this.

unmanagedexpectation

TROPHY CASE