We have loved acrotex, Art Academy, Bee Cave Art camp. I have heard great things about the Farm camp off Hamilton Pool and recently heard about an awesome camp called Earth Native.

@Bluebonnet generally by 2 years of age toddlers should be saying about 50 words, starting to put two words together and about 50% of their language should be understandable to others. I think if you have any concerns they best thing is to discuss it with your pediatrician and ask for a referral to speech therapy. Sometimes they will also refer you for a hearing screen to make sure there are no issues there. Some kids just need a little more time but better to start sooner if you are concerned!

You want to find a vascular surgeon and look into sclerotherapy.

Looking for advice on any good products/shampoos or home remedies for chlorine green hair for my very blonde daughter. We have done the special swim shampoos, tried conditioner before she swims, rinse it right away, etc. She hates a swim cap and we are barely into swimming weather and it’s already mermaid green!

One thing I was told by our pediatrician when we went from one to two kids is that it’s the quality of time and not the quantity. She told us to make a big deal of the one on one time by telling them how special it was to us and how much we enjoyed it. It could be as small as sitting down to read a book, do a puzzle for 15-20 min but it really did make a difference to spend that time and verbalize how special it was.
Some other fun ideas that we have enjoyed is art hub for kids drawing videos, hide and seek, legos, trampoline or even throwing the ball with my boys. For my oldest he likes to be able to go with just me places, even if it’s to Target!
For dates we will do ice cream, Starbucks, and I have even done sushi before.

Ok you have to check out T3 swim suits!! They are amazing and legit work. I’ve had mine for a few years and hasn’t stretched out at all. They are pricey but worth every penny!! If you know who the comedian Heather McMahon is she is a big fan and that’s how I found them!

Ok I had this problem too and easy solution! Get a mason jar, poke 3-4 small holes in lid then pour in some vinegar and dish soap. It doesn’t stink and they flock to it!

Curious, do most people do a flat weekly rate or hourly rate for their summer babysitters? We do hourly right now for the afternoons she helps us but it will add up quickly with her helping us more this summer.

Amex is great and lots of benefits. SWA has been good but eager to see what everyone else says!

Baking soda and club soda has worked well for me and I let it sit out in the sun for awhile after I cleaned it. If you have one of those fabric/pet cleaners like the green machine those work great too!

I have really cut back on the thought and energy I put into these since boys really seem to not care much. Usually I’ll do some sort of snack like goldfish, maybe a lollipop and I have done some cool bulk keychains from Amazon before or stickers for
Their waterbottles, stick on tatoos, or glow sticks.

@BoyMama NeilMed sinus rinses, Flonase, mucinex, steam showers and plenty of hydration to help thin mucus. Vitamin C/D and zinc can help boost immunity as well

My 10 year old has been questioning if God is real and heaven. We have been having some great, open convos but would love any suggestions or resources so I can be better prepared to help him navigate this.

I had a very busy job that kept me away from my kids quite a bit. I stepped away from it and the opportunity to grow in my career because I saw the toll it was taking on my kids/family and my own mental health. I am still in the same field but have a job with better and more predictable hours. It has helped tremendously for our family and I have found that my guilt about being away from them and the mental exhaustion from that is gone. I think it’s important for my kids to see me work and my career, but not at the expense of missing out on their childhood and my happiness too. I’ve never regretted it and I don’t think you will either. I finally asked myself 10 years from now will I wish I had worked more or had more time with my kids and it helped me
to keep perspective when I walked away.

Dr. Seade replaced both of my dad’s shoulders and was wonderful. He’s who you want to see for any shoulder issues in Austin

My sister is in dermatology and her biggest three recommendations are sunscreen, vitamin C serum/antioxidant, and a retinol

Any recommendations for sleep training/sleep experts in the Austin area?

We do maybe one a week per kid but bonus if you can double up more than one kid! One thing I do with a friend who has kids close in age is trade kids so they can get some individual time. I’ll take the younger ones one day and she’ll take the older ones or vice versa.

Curious how people pay babysitters if they are staying overnight. Do you pay the same rate for when the kids are asleep? Flat rate?

Kids eat in Color is a great resource for picky eaters and they have lots of creative ideas. Key is to keep
offering even if they don’t eat it and not to do the bargaining where you make them eat it in order to get something else, it will always backfire. Choice and control are huge at this age so any opportunity to let them ‘choose’ or be in control can sometimes help!
I also add pureed veggies to most of my sauces and mix in zoodles with my regular spaghetti and they often can’t tell the difference!