Response to: “What was the best gift you received as a new parent?”My favorite gift was from my friends Moni & Ale, they got us a ton of delicious frozen empanadas. Super easy to just pop in the oven and ready in 20 minutes, incredibly convenient (zero effort) and delicious.
Response to: “What are your must-have items for traveling with kids and why?”I’m heading to India on Saturday with my nearly 2 year old, so this is a well timed question • The basics: 2x the diapers & wipes you need (you never know what will happen!), and a change of clothes for everyone as a carry on - caregivers included. I also bring a few ziplock and garbage bags, as well as a changing pad. • Toys: With long hauls I bring out a bunch of new gear. A few of our favorites: Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Coloring Activity Set, stickers, busy boards like the HABA Busy Board for Toddlers, and small book sets like Thomas & Friends - My First Library Book Block 12-Book Set • Snacks! We bring all of his favorites and all of the treats he wants at home. Goldfish, cheerios, whatever he can easily eat (and it can be entertaining) ++ To the comment for the Doona stroller above, esp if your kiddo is <1 year old. That was a life saver! Highly recommend
Response to: “What’s one thing you need on a beach day with the kids?”Sunscreen and the sun hat!! We don’t have anything too fancy, anyone have a kids sunscreen they love?
Response to: “What advice would you give yourself as a first-time parent?”My advice would be — it only gets better from here. It’s hard, you have to change your lifestyle but you will love this little one more than you ever imagined, and it doesn’t all happen at birth. It grows over time. And you got this! It’s hard but you can do this, and you will be amazing
Response to: “What are the most important questions to ask when interviewing a nanny?”My process was a combination of interview, visit, and reference checks For the interview I asked questions about their experience, what a typical day looks like (do they stay at home? Go to the park? Meal prep?), What their best nanny experience was, and their worst. For the visit I got a lot of info on how they interact w our child. For the references, I asked what they liked about them, one thing they would change. Overall would they hire them again? And of course I over indexed on personal connections on references. If I know someone (even friend of a friend) that helped add a data point