r/nycparents

UWS family, both parents working hospital schedules. My daughter is 4.5, starts K next year, daycare is half-day so my nanny picks her up at noon and we tag in around 6. The only window I have to do phonics with her without her being overstimulated or exhausted is our subway commute on saturdays when we go uptown to my mom's. 25 minutes each way. So 50 min of phonics time per week, on the train, with her on my lap or in the seat next to me.

We use a phonics app on my phone with airpods so we're not annoying everyone in the car. She likes it. The novelty of doing it on the train actually helps her stay engaged. Her preschool teacher says she's making progress.

Is 50 min a week enough or are going to hit a wall because we're not doing daily practice. I literally cannot find another window. Mornings are sprints out the door. Evenings she's done. Weekends my partner and I both work some weekends so the train is sometimes our only contiguous parent-kid time. Other working nyc parents, how have you fit phonics into a real working schedule that doesn't include a stay-home parent or a tutor?

Hi! I’m FTM and I’m looking for CHP/Child Health Plus advice/ recommendations for plans. I can’t absolutely afford my employer sponsored plans so CHP is the only option.

What plans - HealthFirst/MetroPlus/Anthem/Fidelis/UHC Community - do you recommend that are widely accepted private clinics and hospitals in NYC? We are in UES area

Thank you!!

I took my soon to be 4 year old to her first private swim lesson on Friday. It was 30 minutes and she cried the whole time. I had prepared her every day for a week before the lesson too. I mentioned her instructor’s name, showed her his picture and showed her videos of other toddlers at their swim lessons. She was super excited. She loves being in a pool with us too so I know she’s not scared of the pool & water itself. I know it’s normal for them to cry but she told me she doesn’t want to go again. And when I ask her about her lesson, she ignores me.

Any advice on what we should do? Should we continue taking her and hope she eventually starts to enjoy it? Or will this traumatize her. She’s always been one that’s slow to warm up. Thanks!

Hello! We’re moving to NYC this fall, at about 7 months pregnant. We are looking in Queens and Brooklyn for an apartment, ideally somewhere near a good park, with a dog run and good transport options to midtown.

Are there any neighborhoods with great daycare/preK options that stand out? We won’t be able to apply for daycare until we get settled, likely around 8months pregnant, so would love a neighborhood with lots of good options. Thanks!

When you went to the hospital to deliver your baby, did you take an uber? How about on the way back? We don’t have a car so we are figuring out these NY specific logistics!

Hey r/nycparents,

Solo founder here, posting with mod approval.

Full disclosure: this is my own project.

I built OhMyQuest, a self-guided treasure hunt through Central Park for kids 5–10. You type your kid's name and it generates a 2-hour quest where they're the hero: their name is woven through the story and illustrations, with parent prompts at each stop so you always know what to say. The route runs from Balto to Pilgrim Hill, works in your phone's browser (no app to download), and includes a printable booklet if you'd rather go screen-free.

Honest situation: it's brand new and I need real families to stress-test it and tell me what's confusing, boring, or broken. So for families from this sub, code REDDIT90 takes 90% off at checkout: the $19 hunt comes to $1.90. All I ask in return is a few honest sentences afterward about what you and your kids thought.

You can flip through a full example hunt before paying anything:

https://ohmyquest.com/paris/tuileries/la-quete-de-leclair-divin/example?lang=en

If your kid doesn't have fun, message me and I'll refund the $1.90 too. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Hi! We are relocating to NYC in 2027 and looking for recommendations for a private daycare or preschool that has parental camera access. It’s quite common where we are from (Toronto) and it would help with my anxiety in relocating. Thanks!

That includes friends and dating. Any good spots? My baby is about 1 years old. Classes are typically during the workweek so it’s hard to make them.

What are the best libraries in Queens/Manhattan for kids in the 5-9 age range?

Hello, I am planning a VBAC at Alexandra Cohen Weill Cornell this fall and am looking for a doula, or ideally a doula team to avoid an unknown person at birth. Any recs of someone you've used recently? I wanted to make sure I was a good VBAC candidate before hiring so I know I am a bit late. Thank you!

I was just wondering how others feel regarding safety? We are thinking about how to get our three year old to 3k this fall, after getting a seat that’s a half hour walk from home. My husband doesn’t want to walk to the school & thinks biking with kid behind him in a bike seat is going to be fine, but I am risk averse because of all the terrible, unsafe drivers I see on a daily basis. I’m worrying about it and wonder about other parents’ experiences and if I’m being too anxious. We have bike lanes in our neighborhood but most aren’t protected.

I posted previously about opting out of iReady and the classroom iPad. I wanted to provide an update for any parents that were interested or felt the same way I do. I emailed my CEC council president. he said parents can always opt out of state and local screeners/assessments but the 1-to-1 device has to be negotiated through the school. I spoke with the school leadership team and principal. principal tried to say I ready is mandated by the city, it’s not the city mandates periodic assessments not “iready minutes” there are districts in NYC that don’t even use iReady. she did not address any of my concerns on data privacy only said it’s not how they get their “main instruction.”

she said the device is integrated into the daily curriculum. i mentioned NSUT teachers union resolution calling to get rid of 1-to-1 devices before grade 2 and CEC resolutions in other districts calling on NYCPS to do the same. she said ”we don’t operate on what other districts do and there’s been no policy change.” which wasn’t even my point of bringing it up, I was saying it’s not an absurd request for a parent to make. they were very unwilling to work with me. I contacted a charter school to ask their policy and they told me they don’t allow you to opt out of 1-to-1 device either unless it’s for disciplinary purposes (child misusing it).

i will be home schooling for kindergarten this year and am considering private school for higher grades. I’m still in contact with my CEC President and plan on making comments at the next meeting. I never imagined not putting my kids in public school but this has been so disappointing. if you have the same concerns even if your kids aren’t school age yet you should contact your CEC councils and speak at the meetings and make public comment at the PEP meetings. the homeschool population in NYC has grown which only hurts funding for public schools and I know more parents have went private because of this too.

My husband and I are officially done with temporary gear. We bought a cheaper plastic high chair for our first kid, nd by the time he was a toddler, it was wobbling like it was on a ship in a storm.
Now my second baby jst hit the 6month mark and is ready for solids, but I’m dreading draggng out that old plastic high chair. We really want to invest in a grow with me (wooden) chair this time around so our older kid can use it too (hes always trying to climb on everything to reach the kitchen counter to help me cook).
We’ve been researchng a few options like Abiie beyond, Bugaboo giraffe, and Momcozy dinerpal, but they’re definitely an investment, so I want to be sure about the quality before we pull the trigger. I’m particularly curious about the learning tower aspect since my toddler is always underfoot in the kitchen, does one of these actually convert better than the others? I dont want to buy a chair thats a pain to switch back and forth. Is there one thats actually sturdy enough for an older kid to climb on without me freaking out about it tipping over?

I am expecting my first baby in November. My partner and I will take alternating leaving until May or June. How early do I need to try to secure a daycare spot for my baby?

I’ve just booked my first consult there with Dr Jenna Turocy. Appointments were hard to get, but I read great reviews about her. I’d love to know if anyone has had positive experiences at this clinic and/or with this doctor. For context, I had an MMC in February and have been struggling to get pregnant since. I don’t want to jump right into IVF, I’d like to start with testing for myself and my husband, but I also don’t want to waste any more time either - hence why I’m setting up an appointment now. Any insight or tips for starting this journey would be greatly appreciated ❤️.

My partner and i both work full time, and our 18 months is in daycare.

My job is demanding and I am sad that the few hours that I have with her are spent on chores - packing lunches, cooking and cleaning. We’d rather spend quality time with our child.

Is it possible to hire part time help in the evenings for cleaning and maybe meal prep, without expectation of childcare? How do we find this person, do we still go through a nanny agency?

Hey everyone!

I have an IUGR baby and am currently 35w4d pregnant. I was told that an induction at 37 weeks is recommended for me and I’ll receive a phone call next week for it to be scheduled.

This is my first baby, I’m SUPER nervous. I was wondering if anyone else had an IUGR induction around 37 weeks at Alexandra Cohen hospital and how was your experience?

I’m overwhelmed trying to research options... Please help. I’m willing to pay for a good option. Would love to hear your recommendations tailored to NYC city life.

Maybe some relevant facts:
- I’m in LIC neighborhood. Sidewalk and crosswalk conditions vary
- First time parents
- Don’t have a car, will be relying on cabs until we decide we really need one

Sorry if this topic is over-discussed!