UO Thursday (1/5)

KMD1106

Yay for it already being Thursday! What is your UO for the week?

kat81

I'm not sure how much this is unpopular or popular or whether it's really a 50/50 opinion, but I am typically sympathetic to the parents in situations like the kid who had the dresser fall on him and who was "saved" by his twin (viral video yesterday) as well as the zoo incident last year in "Harambe" was killed (I think it was awful that the had to kill an animal but I really don't blame the parents that the kid managed to get in the gorilla area.)

onebadmotha

I don't really have a UO that I can think of at the moment (I'll grasp at straws and think of something), but I want this thread to get cooking. Work is boring today, and my anatomy scan is tomorrow morning, so I can't concentrate...which means I'm bumping a lot today. 

@kat81 - I go back and forth on how I feel about the parental blame in those situations. Yes, they should/could have acted differently to prevent those things from happening, but no one is a perfect parent 100% of the time. It really sucks that, even if they are fantastic parents, their fails ended up going viral. I will say that I think the whole Harambe thing got out of hand. It was sad that he was killed, but there are much more important things going on in the world that should have gotten more news coverage/widespread outrage. 

We have a book at work called "The Night Dad Went to Jail," which my coworkers find hilarious. It's actually a really good book, and sadly necessary. My UO (among my coworkers at least) is that I don't think it's funny at all. I looked up the reviews on Amazon out of curiosity, and most were mature, honest reviews...but then there are the people who got it as a "gag gift" at a baby shower and said it got "tons of laughs!" Ugh. People are gross sometimes.  

sls

kayemjay2 said:

We have a book at work called "The Night Dad Went to Jail," which my coworkers find hilarious. It's actually a really good book, and sadly necessary. My UO (among my coworkers at least) is that I don't think it's funny at all. I looked up the reviews on Amazon out of curiosity, and most were mature, honest reviews...but then there are the people who got it as a "gag gift" at a baby shower and said it got "tons of laughs!" Ugh. People are gross sometimes.  

I just looked it up, and the cover is so sad. I'm practically in tears that people are making fun of it. :-( P.S. In case you weren't aware, I'm pregnant, lol. I don't usually cry over random internet meanness.

Jkp7749

@kat81 same. I feel more sympathetic to the zoo parents (there should have been no possible way for a child to get in. Kids are quick, and while we obviously need to do our best, the zoo shouldn't have an enclosure that was possible to get in to). As for the dresser thing, people anchor furniture for a reason. I admit ours isn't anchored, but she cannot open the drawers- they are super heavy as is the furniture itself. We do plan on anchoring it when we move. 

My UO is silly, and you all may agree, but I wish target hadn't gotten rid of circo and gerber. Cat and Jack is super cute and all, but it is so expensive and for layette stuff I'm not trying to spend a ton of money. 

Louise_Belcher

@Jkp7749 I hadn't realized they got rid of circo! That is why I can't find the adorable sweatpants I loved for DS anymore. This has made me sad. 

nda_roxybabe

I don't necessarily blame the parents. Especially if they just didn't know. Had I had a baby 10 years ago I would've never thought of anchoring furniture. It's something I've learned about in the past 6 years or so. I DO judge/ blame the parents who see those articles and facts and then still neglect to do anything.
I post carseat safety stuff on FB every month or so. I have a friend with 1.5 and 3 year old and every time she posts pics of them in their carseats either the chest click or the crotch buckle are completely undone. The carseats are also haphazardly attached and clearly not properly installed. She's seen my articles, she's seen mutual friends articles and she's chosen to be negligent.

BeachMommy2B

@jkp7749 i hadn't realized either... this is why I can't find the Gerber Gowns anymore dang those were the best for night time changes guess i'll have to look online. 

Squirtgun

@Jkp7749 I know!!! I like some cat and jack, but they are so overpriced, and not as nice as some of the Circo and Gerber stuff!!  

As as for the blaming the parents thing, I also tend to give the zoo type parents more slack than the non-babyproofing type of parents. Maybe an UO, but I get so annoyed/frustrated at the "my kid will listen to what I say, therefore I never have to babyproof" parents. Seriously, a lot of babyproofing isn't about discipline, it's about accidents! I have tripped over toys in the living room and caught myself using the bookshelf. If it weren't anchored, it would come down!   Also, my kids are really usually well behaved, but they have curiosity, and I don't have rules for "don't climb up the bookshelf and jump off" until they try it and I realize that I need that rule. (True story.) 

hp_momma

@Jkp7749 I love the Cat & Jack stuff!!! Seems better quality to me, my girls leggings are lasting longer without holes in the knees. I hadn't really noticed a price difference... 

hp_momma

My UO was reminded by the "National Whip Cream Day" post in randoms... I hate whip cream. The Starbucks baristas even give me a hard time when I ask for my drinks without as I'm leaving out the best part apparently. 

SKZW

nda_roxybabe 

I post carseat safety stuff on FB every month or so. I have a friend with 1.5 and 3 year old and every time she posts pics of them in their carseats either the chest click or the crotch buckle are completely undone. The carseats are also haphazardly attached and clearly not properly installed. She's seen my articles, she's seen mutual friends articles and she's chosen to be negligent.

Have you said something directly to her, or posted a comment to the effect of "please buckle your children in properly!," because sending someone an article she may not read vs. calling her out directly might have a different effect. Don't be pissed about it quietly! I'd risk stepping on toes to get those kids buckled in safely! She needs to know it's not cute & it's not okay. Use the car seat the way it is designed to be used!!

PghMom412

@BeachMommy2B I don't know how close you are to one but our babies r us just had a ton of the Gerber gowns, hats, and newborn mittens on their clearance which is an additional 50% off. 

kat81

Jkp7749 said:

@kat81 same. I feel more sympathetic to the zoo parents (there should have been no possible way for a child to get in. Kids are quick, and while we obviously need to do our best, the zoo shouldn't have an enclosure that was possible to get in to). As for the dresser thing, people anchor furniture for a reason. I admit ours isn't anchored, but she cannot open the drawers- they are super heavy as is the furniture itself. We do plan on anchoring it when we move. 

My UO is silly, and you all may agree, but I wish target hadn't gotten rid of circo and gerber. Cat and Jack is super cute and all, but it is so expensive and for layette stuff I'm not trying to spend a ton of money. 

Yes, FWIW, I am much more sympathetic to the zoo parents than the dresser parents. I think that in spite of the warnings, it is an honest mistake when dressers fail and that was a long, short dresser--those usually do not need to be bolted. It took both kids climbing at the same exact time (and empty drawers) to take that thing down. That said, it is weird how long the incident went on with no one noticing. As for the zoo, yeah this could really happen to anyone (or anyone with a "runner" kind of kid). And if you think it couldn't happen to you, just wait.

Oh and what pisses me off the most about these situations is that the zoo parents got MUUUUCCCHHHH more flack than did the dresser parents, as far as I can tell...one family was white, and the other one black. And in general when these things happen, the mom gets more flack than the dad.

Is sadness over target getting rid of circo and gerber a UO? (I also did not know this.)

nda_roxybabe

SKZW said:

nda_roxybabe 

I post carseat safety stuff on FB every month or so. I have a friend with 1.5 and 3 year old and every time she posts pics of them in their carseats either the chest click or the crotch buckle are completely undone. The carseats are also haphazardly attached and clearly not properly installed. She's seen my articles, she's seen mutual friends articles and she's chosen to be negligent.

Have you said something directly to her, or posted a comment to the effect of "please buckle your children in properly!," because sending someone an article she may not read vs. calling her out directly might have a different effect. Don't be pissed about it quietly! I'd risk stepping on toes to get those kids buckled in safely! She needs to know it's not cute & it's not okay. Use the car seat the way it is designed to be used!!

I have not mustered up the courage. I totally should though, it's dangerous!

pshaortao

I hadn't realized that Circo was going away! But I do love the Cat and Jack stuff more, they're just so cute. I do get the cheaper stuff and take advantage of good sales. They had one where it was $5 off $25 worth and the stuff were already on sale, so it ended up being a good deal. I haven't seen that since they launched the new line though.

As for being sympathetic toward parents whose videos have gone viral.. I have very mixed feelings on this. I saw the one with the dresser and the twins and I'm just like.. this kid is crying? (I didn't have sound on and I actually ended up bawling because hormones + nightmare came true for someone else), why isn't the parent running to the bedroom to interfere? And if they had the video, how did the parent not notice them starting to climb the drawers? I don't know.. I know there can be more to the story but it's how I felt based what I saw.

Yet I admit that we have a 4 drawer malm dresser that's not anchored to the wall. I had been trying to get the stupid anchor kit from Ikea all year and I just FINALLY got 3 of them at the same time last month. We are definitely going to anchor it when we move in less than a month as well as anything else that may pose a risk. Thankfully DD has almost always stayed in the same room with me and shows no interest in climbing furniture other than the couch/bed.

SKZW

nda_roxybabe said:

SKZW said:

nda_roxybabe 

I post carseat safety stuff on FB every month or so. I have a friend with 1.5 and 3 year old and every time she posts pics of them in their carseats either the chest click or the crotch buckle are completely undone. The carseats are also haphazardly attached and clearly not properly installed. She's seen my articles, she's seen mutual friends articles and she's chosen to be negligent.

Have you said something directly to her, or posted a comment to the effect of "please buckle your children in properly!," because sending someone an article she may not read vs. calling her out directly might have a different effect. Don't be pissed about it quietly! I'd risk stepping on toes to get those kids buckled in safely! She needs to know it's not cute & it's not okay. Use the car seat the way it is designed to be used!!

I have not mustered up the courage. I totally should though, it's dangerous!

To be honest, I have a neighbor who smokes in her car all the time, even with her child in the car, and it SUPER bothers me b/c it's so hazardous, and I, too, have not mustered up the courage to say something. I don't want to be a jerk & just blurt it out randomly one day, but if no one ever says anything to these idiots endangering their kids then nothing will change, and it's up to us! (Phew, ok, done.) (P.S. Challenge! I'll say something by Monday if you do too!)

Squirtgun

h&pmomma said:

My UO was reminded by the "National Whip Cream Day" post in randoms... I hate whip cream. The Starbucks baristas even give me a hard time when I ask for my drinks without as I'm leaving out the best part apparently. 

Does this include the amazing perfection that is homemade whipped cream?!?!  I don't know if we can still be friends 

nda_roxybabe

SKZW said:

nda_roxybabe said:

SKZW said:

nda_roxybabe 

I post carseat safety stuff on FB every month or so. I have a friend with 1.5 and 3 year old and every time she posts pics of them in their carseats either the chest click or the crotch buckle are completely undone. The carseats are also haphazardly attached and clearly not properly installed. She's seen my articles, she's seen mutual friends articles and she's chosen to be negligent.

Have you said something directly to her, or posted a comment to the effect of "please buckle your children in properly!," because sending someone an article she may not read vs. calling her out directly might have a different effect. Don't be pissed about it quietly! I'd risk stepping on toes to get those kids buckled in safely! She needs to know it's not cute & it's not okay. Use the car seat the way it is designed to be used!!

I have not mustered up the courage. I totally should though, it's dangerous!

To be honest, I have a neighbor who smokes in her car all the time, even with her child in the car, and it SUPER bothers me b/c it's so hazardous, and I, too, have not mustered up the courage to say something. I don't want to be a jerk & just blurt it out randomly one day, but if no one ever says anything to these idiots endangering their kids then nothing will change, and it's up to us! (Phew, ok, done.) (P.S. Challenge! I'll say something by Monday if you do too!)

I promise to next time she posts a picture of it (probably within the next month).

Jkp7749

@kat81 I guess I thought it would be since the cat and jack stuff is obviously so cute and I tend to be cheap to a fault sometimes(I stay home, so I feel like it's my job not to spend like crazy) but apparently everyone liked the circo and gerber stuff, so I guess it isn't really an UO. 

pshaortao

h&pmomma said:

My UO was reminded by the "National Whip Cream Day" post in randoms... I hate whip cream. The Starbucks baristas even give me a hard time when I ask for my drinks without as I'm leaving out the best part apparently. 

Ha. I love whip cream, but I too ask for my drinks without it. My friend who used to be a starbucks barista said it was an extra 200 calories sooooo ever since, I'm like no whip please! I do indulge every once in a while. Like a couple times a year ha.

psherman42wwsa

I haven't purchased any cat and Jack stuff yet... I saw it the other day and it is cute. I never liked the Gerber clothes. They seemed to fit different and I didn't Like the quality. 

Louise_Belcher

@kayemjay2 That is heartbreaking. It makes me think of a time in 2nd grade when a little quiet classmate whispered to me while we were sharpening our pencils that they took her dad to jail the night before. I am with you. It's sad, not funny. 

@h&pmomma I am 100% with you! I do not like and also seem to forget to mention it when ordering. I always have to find someone to eat it or scrap it into the trash. I do not understand why it is on hot chocolate. 

hp_momma

lrwardrop said:

I haven't purchased any cat and Jack stuff yet... I saw it the other day and it is cute. I never liked the Gerber clothes. They seemed to fit different and I didn't Like the quality. 

Yes, I think the Gerber stuff fits awful and the fabric seems so much thicker and stretches out! 

livin541

One good thing about Cat and Jack vs the older brands is that there is a one year guarantee on C&J! Keep your receipt and if it falls apart, gets a hole, etc you can replace the item or get store credit. I love that since kids are SO hard on clothes sometimes. 

hp_momma

@Squirtgun Haha, my best friend always asks for extra whip on her drinks and would it eat it straight from the bowl and we've managed a friendship for 15 years now Although my husband hates sharing a dessert with me because I don't want the whipped cream on that either! 

kat81

pshaortao said:

As for being sympathetic toward parents whose videos have gone viral.. I have very mixed feelings on this. I saw the one with the dresser and the twins and I'm just like.. this kid is crying? (I didn't have sound on and I actually ended up bawling because hormones + nightmare came true for someone else), why isn't the parent running to the bedroom to interfere? And if they had the video, how did the parent not notice them starting to climb the drawers? I don't know.. I know there can be more to the story but it's how I felt based what I saw.

I did think it was weird that it was a long time between the dresser falling (which presumably makes a sound, as does the kid crying) to whenever it was that they did finally go in there to see what was going on. But as for "how did the parent not notice them starting to climb the drawers" question, this could have been the first time they did it. And it took about one second from "starting to climb" to "dresser is falling" to happen.

The criticisms that I have to challenge are the, "why did they leave the kids alone?" ones. Parents don't sit in the room while their kids sleep. Sometimes kids wake up silently and start doing shit. But that's why when your child is out of a crib you need to make sure their room is safe. I probably would have trusted that dresser because it was short and long, but I guess when you have twins you have to think of extenuating circumstances (like them both climbing at the exact same time.)

L1C4gal

@kat81 I definitely agree, and I too noticed the race issue. It's hard not to wonder if that played a role in the backlash against the zoo parents. I also grew up in Cincinnati, so I was angered by all the hate directed toward the zoo. Suddenly, "experts" from across the country who had never set foot in the Cincinnati Zoo were boycotting it, flooding the internet with negative reviews, etc. It really is a fantastic zoo and a great resource and point of pride for the community, and I know it wasn't easy on those who had to make the call. Fault could be found on both sides (and on nearby adults who saw the kid getting away and didn't bother to try to stop him?!), shit happens, and it was sad all around. I wish that could be enough sometimes without sparking so much hate!

As for the dresser incident, I wondered why nobody came running or noticed what happened...but I don't have kids (yet) and I'm not going to jump to conclusions. Man, kids are scary!

KMD1106

I'm not sad that Gerber is going away. That stuff never fit true to size. I did like Circo though, so that's a bummer. Cat and Jack stuff is adorable though, so that's a good replacement I guess. 

I love whip cream.

BeachMommy2B

I wasn't really sure on the Cat & Jack (I knew it was there but didn't know it was replacing the other brands) at first because of the price. But it's so stinking cute. I've added a pic of DD yesterday in Cat &a Jack boots and outfit her grandparents sent her for Christmas! Sorry for the AW by just look at her  


My UO I think people go way to overboard with trying to be all natural and organic with their kids diet. I feel like if you restrict kids too much they will at some point down. 180 and have problems, I think you just try to teach them best, and treat them occasionally. Evey kid needs chicken nuggets and fries on occasion. It's all about balance! 

pshaortao

kat81 said:

pshaortao said:

As for being sympathetic toward parents whose videos have gone viral.. I have very mixed feelings on this. I saw the one with the dresser and the twins and I'm just like.. this kid is crying? (I didn't have sound on and I actually ended up bawling because hormones + nightmare came true for someone else), why isn't the parent running to the bedroom to interfere? And if they had the video, how did the parent not notice them starting to climb the drawers? I don't know.. I know there can be more to the story but it's how I felt based what I saw.

I did think it was weird that it was a long time between the dresser falling (which presumably makes a sound, as does the kid crying) to whenever it was that they did finally go in there to see what was going on. But as for "how did the parent not notice them starting to climb the drawers" question, this could have been the first time they did it. And it took about one second from "starting to climb" to "dresser is falling" to happen.

The criticisms that I have to challenge are the, "why did they leave the kids alone?" ones. Parents don't sit in the room while their kids sleep. Sometimes kids wake up silently and start doing shit. But that's why when your child is out of a crib you need to make sure their room is safe. I probably would have trusted that dresser because it was short and long, but I guess when you have twins you have to think of extenuating circumstances (like them both climbing at the exact same time.)

Good point, it could have very well been first thing in the morning and they are no longer in cribs and the parents were still sleeping. They were still in their jammies after all. DD is still in hers and won't even try to climb out because she got scared after one attempt that had her crashing down while we were in the room and it all happened so fast. 

In case there are some mamas here with ikea furniture without the anchor kit, you can request them for free. It just take awhile to get them, so better to request it now as they may not come for months.
https://info.ikea-usa.com/secureitkits/

Kipperoo

I am one of "those people" that didn't baby proof at all with my son except electric socket covers (no toddler gate at the stairs, no door knob covers, no anchoring things to the wall)...HOWEVER. We don't have any furniture in rooms he would be alone in (bedrooms, playroom) that are tall or heavy enough to worry about. We DO have a TV stand that is a little concerning, but he has never been alone in that room ever in the 2 years that we've lived in the house. We spend so much time out of the house (work/daycare, out places on the weekend) that it really isn't necessary because we are with him 100% of his awake time while at home. That said, if I was planning to spend more time with him at home, we would have babyproofed. And I DO judge that parent for not even being close enough to hear the fall and the kids crying. That's just ridiculous and negligent. 

On the zoo incident, I blame the zoo more than the parents, but it is still the parents job to keep an eye on their kids at all times. Especially if they know they have a runner. Yes, it's the zoo's fault that the (very dangerous) gorilla enclosure wasn't properly enclosed, but there are plenty of other things he could have gotten into and the parents should have been watching him. 

And I love Cat & Jack. I am bummed that Target hasn't had better clearance deals on kids clothes in general lately. With my son, I scooped up so much clearance stuff before he was born--I never paid more than $2 for onesie and the kid was very well dressed because I am ultra picky on kids clothes. I'm having a much harder time with this baby. 

On that note, my UO is that I really dislike cutesy kids clothes. I hate the "mommy's little slugger" crap, anything with cheesey animals, anything with tiny, unnecessary bows that ruin an otherwise adorable top, anything with animals on the butt...much to my dismay, my son is now insistent on wearing shirts with animals on them almost everyday and I go to painstaking lengths to find ones that look cool and not little kiddy.  

kat81

Kipperoo said:

On the zoo incident, I blame the zoo more than the parents, but it is still the parents job to keep an eye on their kids at all times. Especially if they know they have a runner. Yes, it's the zoo's fault that the (very dangerous) gorilla enclosure wasn't properly enclosed, but there are plenty of other things he could have gotten into and the parents should have been watching him. 

If I remember correctly, the zoo incident happened when a mom was with 2-3 kids by herself. I am SO sympathetic. You can be watching and it can still happen. I think parents who are on their phones while in places like this deserve some judgment--especially if the phone use is something like facebook rather than, say, using the camera to photograph your kid--but this can SO easily happen when you're paying attention but you have more than one kid.

So here's my question -- are you pro-leash? We never used one, but I am pro-leash. They look horrible and abusive, but that's one way to keep a runner in check, that is, IMO, more humane than a stroller, which doesn't allow them to walk/move at all.

There's my second UO for the day -- I am pro-leash. I totally judged them at first, but once I had a runner I decided to never judge them, and I was willing to use one (we borrowed one for a trip but then didn't use it.)

Kipperoo

@kat81, I guess you are right--I DO sympathize with parents who are out alone with 2-3 kids, but I also can't imagine taking 2-3 kids to the zoo by myself. It would make me nervous because I know that something like that could happen and I just wouldn't take the chance. If I had 2-3 kids alone, I'd more likely go to an indoor playplace or somewhere contained. Or use a stroller (with the kids buckled in) or a leash. :-) So to answer your question, I think a leash is totally fine. My younger brother was a runner and I can't imagine going half the places we did without him leashed. It's not abusive, IMO, it's preventing him from seriously injuring himself or others. 

vrj0522

Kipperoo said:

On that note, my UO is that I really dislike cutesy kids clothes. I hate the "mommy's little slugger" crap, anything with cheesey animals, anything with tiny, unnecessary bows that ruin an otherwise adorable top, anything with animals on the butt...much to my dismay, my son is now insistent on wearing shirts with animals on them almost everyday and I go to painstaking lengths to find ones that look cool and not little kiddy.  

DS had clothes that had little lines on them and I didn't mind them too much. Lines like "mommy's little monkey", "daddy's helper" or "little buddy" don't bother me but with DD I have completely avoided any phrases on clothing. Things like "little princess", "mom's the queen and I'm the princess", "I'm adorable" etc, really bug me and I don't know if it's them or me but somehow they feel sexist to me. 

pshaortao

@kat81 I used to side eye parents whose kids were on "leashes" until sometimes in the last year when I realized DD just would not listen to me and stay close to me. Now I get it. We never leashed her though but I had considered once or twice.

Louise_Belcher

@kat81 I am not against a leash, and I anticipate getting one for certain things. But will totally say that I have side eyed people using them and I know they look weird, but I will take some side eye and weird to prevent DS from running into traffic or getting away in a crowd. 

@Kipperoo I agree I will probably pick and choose where I take the kids when I am alone. Although I would have thought the zoo would be okay. I will never go to the beach or pool alone. That shit scares me. 

BeachMommy2B

@kat81 @pshaortao I totally still side eye leashes on kids. I understand the concept, but there are so many times i've seen that the parents just stop paying attention because their child is on a leash and at places like Disney those kids tangle around other people in the crowd. Drives me crazy! I also just dont like the idea of leashing my kids up like animals... not my style

Kipperoo

@Louise_Belcher , the pool or the beach terrifies me. I think I'm just a hyper cautious person. My brother (the aforementioned runner) used to get into all kinds of trouble as a kid and almost died multiple times under the age of 3 due to accidents (fell in a pool when he accidentally got out into our backyard alone, swallowed a penny, nearly got hit by a car but DID get hit by a quickly moving bike in the process)...I think that my judgement and caution probably stems from me personally judging my parents for their sometimes lackadaisical approach to child rearing. 

@vrj0522, I totally agree that the girl stuff all seems far more sexist than the boy stuff. And although I am definitely trying to shield my kids from that as much as possible, the reason I hate those types of things is far more vain...I just don't think they are cute. Haha...

bacorrea

I'm pro leash.

I love Cat & Jack. I think if you look hard enough you can find good deals. Last week they had a ton of clearance and an extra 20% off cartwheel plus my 5% red card I got pretty good deals. 

I hate word/cutesy animals on clothing, but I got all the clearance for 2.0 and I don't really dress babies in a specific "style" until they are 6+ months so I'm just dealing with the cutesy stuff. 

I don't judge the zoo mom. People are more important than animals. Sorry the gorilla had to die, but his life was no way more important than the child. 

I do wonder what took the twins parents so long. I anchor furniture. I also buy special holders for blind adjuster strings too. I'm all about child proofing. It only takes 1 second. 

My UO is that I hate when people post pictures of their babies with no clothes on/just a diaper on facebook. I know they are babies, but once a picture is out there, it's out there and you have no idea who can look at it. 

sls

BeachMommy2B said:

My UO I think people go way to overboard with trying to be all natural and organic with their kids diet. I feel like if you restrict kids too much they will at some point down. 180 and have problems, I think you just try to teach them best, and treat them occasionally. Evey kid needs chicken nuggets and fries on occasion. It's all about balance! 

Totally agree with this. Plus you can make healthy stuff taste delicious. I don't see any point in eating stuff that tastes like crap just because it's "healthy." My mother was ALWAYS trying to tell me that stuff that tasted horrible was good. No, carob is not a substitute for chocolate. No, those natural fruit roll-ups don't taste like the regular ones, they taste like shoe leather. I know what tastes good, and I know what doesn't taste good! Find something healthy that tastes good!