There’s nothing more stressful than the first day of school. And we’re referring to the anxiety parents experience not the kids, lol! Gwen started daycare last week, and she was a pro while we bawled in the car. She wised up pretty quick and had a total meltdown the second and third day, but I think we’re all finally bouncing back!
Her Nana used to watch her three days a week while we’d “tag team” and take turns entertaining Gwen while working from home the other two days. But it started to get tough juggling Gwen, the renovation, packing and moving, listing the townhome AND attempting to keep Sugar & Cloth running smoothly with a highly energetic toddler.
Surprisingly, handling a baby is way easier than a toddler was for me. Babies take more naps, which means more work breaks sans the chasing them around the house or entertaining them. Plus Gwen needed to socialize with kids her age instead of hanging out all day with just us old folks and the construction crew. Ha!
Is it crazy for us to be wary of strangers caring for our baby? Gwen’s not quite old enough to communicate how she feels so our main parent concern was how would she tell us if something is wrong?! I may never know the answer to that age-old question, but happily accepting all of the advice you might have!
Speaking of toddlers basically going off to college, I totally forgot to share our newest cool parent contraption that we’re loving…
It’s a folding travel car seat that’s as pretty as it is convenient. I mean it’s gold, hello! We still have Gwen rear-facing so we don’t use it on a daily basis, though you could if you wanted to.
We’ve been using it when we travel for Ubers, shuttles, airplanes and things like that! She outgrew the Doona and we were frantically searching for another compact solution. I basically squealed out loud when a reader recommended Wayb! Click here to see how it folds up and travels.
THE WEEKLY EDIT
- Remember our cool foldable travel car seat? The Pico is now officially out of their Kickstarter phase and available online. We’re loving it!
- Our kitchen needs this Matisse pitcher. We promise it will finally be done!
- Is kelp the new kale?
- If you’re wondering how we manage to entertain Gwen at home in an uncompleted house, this Montessori Pikler Triangle is her favorite!
- Why do employers lowball creatives? Being in the creative world, this article does not surprise us.
- How did we miss this?!? RIP Grumpy Cat.
- We’ve been living in these “fancy flip-flops”.
- And because we have a lake in our backyard, we finally have some water shoes. They’re the prettiest yet still practical ones that we’ve found.
- Jennifer Aniston, stop being such a tease!
Such a gorgeous design! Love it!
Thanks, Stephanie! XOXO
Cool carseat!
Right?!? It’s so lightweight!
I love this post!! Such a good read and such good reminders. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! XOXO
They have the coolest baby gear these days! Daycare is such a big milestone! So sweet!
Our parents tell us that everyday when they see all the gear their grandkids have now!
That folding carseat is awesome. Enjoy every moment of these toddler years, because it’s true what they say, the days are long and the years are fast :(
We seriously have not hear that saying and this is so true right now! Thank you!
That fold up car seat looks amazing! Wish they would have had those when my kids were younger. Hauling around the huge car seats was such a pain!
We have friends who just rent one with their rental car because they don’t want to carry their bulky carseat around!
Concerning daycare, I can speak of a parent of a three year old (who’s been in daycare since she was six months old) and as a toddler teacher for the past eight years. The best advice I can give is trust your gut but also manage your expectations. I pulled my daughter out of one school where she wasn’t being wiped properly after diaper changes and then the owner was totally rude when I addressed my concerns. NOT OKAY. In my classroom, I’ve had to deal with parents who expect the kind of one-on-one attention only a parent or nanny can provide. We do our best and work our butts off, but bumps and bruises can and will happen (they’re called toddlers for a reason!) and a lot of seemingly alarming behavior can be totally normal (stages of clinginess, meltdowns after schedule changes and long weekends, etc). But trust that gut, give her space to learn and grow, and you’ll do great!
Such wonderful lovely advice! Thank you so much, Becca. We would be so mad about the improper diaper changes! Babies get rashes easily! That’s great that you have experience from both sides. We will definitely trust our gut! XOXO
i love this content!
Thanks, Joya! XOXO