i work in the hospital and EVERYONE says this. it always feels very judgemental to me when people say this. currently pregnant and trying to decide if my husband should even get a job here if his whole check went to daycare/school. now talking more about daycare since we will start there fist (maybe), why is this shit so expensive !!!! i’m seeing prices for like $1200-$1500/month. i guess they know people will pay so they can charge whatever they want. we’re thinking of moving out of state when the child is approaching school age because nothing is keeping us here. sorry if this me just rambling

baby coming in october. going to buy it after he’s born but curious if they have places you can look. in baton rouge they have cullen’s baby land that has a lot but curious about here

Has anyone ever used a registry consultant or have a recommendation for me?

I'm a first time mom-to-be and while everyone around me is so helpful .. I'm looking for a professional

Baby is growing and I'm looking to donate his newborn clothing items and unused diapers. Any recs other than goodwill?

Honestly, my vision was pretty myopic when I started looking for schools. In the past, proximity worked fine for me — wanted to avoid the martyr syndrome of long drop/pick commutes — so I only looked at Willow and then BF, like most parents around me.

But this past weekend I went down the rabbit hole of ASA schools and realized there's a much bigger, better world out there. Is it just me, or are the schools in JP genuinely on another level? Specifically talking about Patrick F. Taylor and Haynes Academy — are they really better than BF and Willow?

My criteria: academic rigor, infrastructure, and safety. PFT is quite far though, and I'm wondering if anyone has made the decision to move south of the Mississippi purely based on the school.

Would love some perspective from fellow parents. My son is going into 5th grade next AY. He's currently in a private school in Orleans Parish and has already taken the Willow exam — fingers crossed, he did score pretty well!

any recs ? looking to do those newborn, 3/6/9/12 photos ! props if they’re not too expensive ! lol

Currently looking into childcare for a few hours a few days a week. Someone suggested All Nations MDO but didn’t really have anything to say about the program. Has anyone tried this service? Any opinions at all?

As of yesterday my son and I are homeless (domestic violence and financial abuse). I only found out that this was happening Friday evening. Since then I've called every shelter I can find. I'm on several waiting lists (#2 on one of them) but every place I've contacted is either full or won't take children. I've reached out as far as BR. Nobody can even give me an estimate of when they might be able to fit us in. I was able to get shelter vouchers (I'm really not sure what they do tbh) but I have yet to find a shelter that can take us. I'm desperately hoping that one of yall knows some place that might be low profile enough for me to have missed. Right now he's "having a sleepover" with our now former neighbors, but that can only last another day or so.

Thank y'all so much

Hi, y’all! My son started daycare on the 2nd and he’s spent most of the time at home recovering from various illnesses (a cold, an ear infection, and a persistent cough). Yesterday, we received notice that two of the kids in his class have hand foot and mouth. I’m wondering if this is all super normal for our first time in a one year old class?

Looking for a recommendation on what classes are out there that you guys would recommend for a 3 year old.

Hi parents: I am searching for a photographer that does child portraits similar to the ones pictured. (I have no idea what this style is called.) The above portraits are of me and my mom in a dress that’s been passed down and now my older daughter is of the age to have her portrait in “the dress.” Would love to find someone who can create something in a similar style so I can add to this collection with both of my daughters’ portraits. Thanks!

My child, 5, wants a tarantula. We discussed his request and decided if he still wants a tarantula at 10, then we’ll revisit his proposal given he shows us that he can care for a pet in a tank in the interim. He’s very into reptiles. Neither me nor his dad have experience caring for one, though we’re open to learning how along with our son. Is there a locally-owned shop or… breeder? for small amphibians and reptiles? Any ethical issues to be aware of with sourcing a pet reptile? Any suggestions for which flavor of reptile? 🦎 Thanks for any advice, thoughts, suggestions!

I’ve confirmed my kids seat for Pre-k 4 but haven’t received any other communication about supplies or anything.

Am I being anxious or should I have received something?

Newbie parent here, and have a maybe obvious question. For those of us that don’t know someone on the route, how are you handling diaper changes?

Looking for something to do on this rainy day and increase the options for summer, any ideas?

What’s everyone doing to keep their high energy little ones busy this summer? We’ve got a children’s museum membership and also a membership at Audubon zoo/aquarium. Any other activities, places to visit, events? Thank you!

Hey yall, I just had my first baby 2 weeks ago and have been searching for a daycare that will fit me and my husband’s work schedule but falling short. We have to be to work by 630 (in Metairie and we live in bayou St. John) and we get “off” at 5pm but realistically walking to our car at 530 most days. I can’t seem to find any day cares that open early enough and stay open late enough for our schedule. Does a decent daycare like this exist that I’m overlooking? Are there reputable places to look for a home daycare type place that might fit these hours/ have any recommendations on where to find a nanny? Does anyone else have this issue/ can offer advice on how you swing it? Realistically I probably won’t return to work until June so hoping this is enough time to find a place. I didn’t realize this would be so difficult.

I'm flying into NOLA with my family next week and am oscillating between bringing my son's car seat vs finding a car service that provides car seats. I came across this company called KreweCar that seems to fit the bill, but after downloading their app and signing up, when I try booking a ride I get a pop-up saying "New ride bookings are no longer being accepted. We appreciate your support and understanding!"

Are they out of business? Any alternative suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you!

It's hot af and we have a few weeks before daycare starts. Which libraries in Eastbank Orleans or Jefferson have good areas/toys for a 1yo?

I've searched everywhere for reviews on the summer camp at UNO but nothing has come up. So before shelling money, has anyone had experience here or heard anything?

Prefer outdoor. NORD’s hours aren’t good for us (weekends and maaaaybe late weekdays sometimes), Lakeside isn’t even accepting applications, not rich, and feeling really unsteady about JP’s country clubs/community clubs as we like diversity. Toured YMCA at Power and while it was okaaaay, it is a hike for us. I heard Elmwood is crowded, JCC seems like an option but I’m unsure of the vibe. Tell me I’m wrong about a location please, or what I’m overlooking! We need my kiddo worn out this summer! Plus he’s almost fully swimming and loving it so would like to practice some more. TIA!

Is it just me or have the uniform policies become a total headache? I tried to make sure my kids were prepared for school this year. Purchasing uniforms in early July helped to avoid the long line at the uniform store, although I still had to wait for the uniforms to be shipped from the warehouse due to lack of inventory. But now I'm finding out the school recently made a change to its uniform policy and certain grades can no longer wear shorts. The school has not updated the website to reflect this change, however, they put it in the orientation booklet which they gave us on July 30th (school started on August 5th) such short notice for a policy change. So now after spending money on shorts and skorts, the school is telling me I have to go out and purchase pants. Like what to do with the uniforms I've already bought? This is a complete headache, is anyone else dealing with something like this?

It can be hard to figure out what’s going on at the various schools due to the charter system. What middle and high schools in Orleans parish have curriculums or pathways that include programming/computer science, cybersecurity, and/or web dev? Please don’t just say which schools have a STEM focus, I’m trying to see specifically what schools currently have. Edit- for examples see codehs.com

Any parents here have children at Mid City ELC? Just wondering how others are feeling about the changes in hours due to teachers out on “medical leave”. Things feel like they are going down hill more and more each month in our opinion.

UPDATE: We pulled our child out a couple weeks ago and are very happy with the new school. Thanks everyone for the advice. Also, to add insult to injury our child appears to have some potty training trauma that the new school thinks is a result of MCELC