Mile Square Parenting

Family Strategic Planning For 2011

2010 was a life-changing year for Kathy Zucker's family. The past year provided lots of data for her to plan for 2011.

December has been a month where all our family members have been cycling through the same illnesses (it's like Pokemon trading cards; gotta get them all). Most families experience ongoing infections when their kids start school. This winter marks the first that our oldest child has been in full-time pre-school so we have been thoroughly inducted into the unpredictable world of sick parents and children. As I look to the year ahead, January serves as an excellent reminder of how to plan for the new year. My main tip: always have backup plans and stay flexible. At the moment, our child care arrangement includes a mix of babysitting, daycare and school, with my mom as a last resort. I work the first half of the week, so our babysitter …

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Back to School Shopping for Hoboken Toddlers

Kathy Zucker knows how to stretch the dollar for seasonal necessities.

My oldest child is starting Abbott preschool in Hoboken this week, and I just realized she doesn't have any clothes. The situation isn't quite as dire as it sounds. At the end of each season, I buy clothing several sizes up on clearance. In this manner, I have stocked up on Tea jeans in sizes 3T, 4T, and 5T at Bellie and Katrina, Italian designer down coats at Ciao Belly, adorable embroidered tanks at Gymboree, and Naturino shoes for the next four years, after Shoephoria went out of business. I also load up on play clothing like Cherokee long- and short-sleeved tees - great for playing in the dirt at Pier A or painting in school - when Target applies the red sales stickers marking them down under $3. In addition, we inherit a variety of …

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