We got a climber

Happy Friday! Today is Veteran’s Day, and we’re extending a very big, very FamilyMade thank you to all the brave people who’ve served and sacrificed for their country. We appreciate you!

On deck today: The theme is transitions. From bottles to sippy cups. From cribs to beds. From babies to toddlers. Change is the only constant, huh? Let’s jump in 😊

—Lindsay

Our answer: Guess what? Both of my kids hate milk. Cow milk, nut milk, soy milk—doesn’t matter. They just hate milk (unless it’s the chocolate milk their Didi gives them that looks suspiciously like melted chocolate ice cream). Sounds like your little one would fit in well at our breakfast table!

But here’s the thing—it probably doesn’t matter that our kids aren’t milk fans (luckily we’re past the days of bonkers “Got Milk?” commercials like this one). If your child is happy to use his sippy cup for water, stick to water for now until he gets a little more used to drinking from the sippy regularly.

• Quick thing: Check in with your pediatrician, but if your almost-toddler is getting enough calcium and nutrients from other foods like cheese and yogurt? He’s probably good.

Once he’s a sippy cup star, you can start to introduce new bevs—milk, juice, virgin piña coladas (kidding). And as he gets bigger, you can find fun ways to incorporate milk into his diet. My kids love using their Super Special Spout—which is just an old Pyrex measuring cup—to pour milk on their cereal or oatmeal.

Bottom line? Don’t stress, take a cue from your little one, and get creative when you can.

Our answer: First of all, bookmark Monday’s edition about raising community-minded kids for your daughter—with all that determination and will, maybe she has a political run in her future?

While it’s cool to see our kids become smart and strategic, it’s frustrating to see them put those skills to use maneuvering out of the safety of their surroundings. Here’s what our team thinks about the inevitable crib-climber stage—but first, take solace in this video of Shawn’s reaction to Drew’s first crib-climbing experience.

Once toddlers start to climb out of their cribs, moving to a toddler bed is the safest bet (most experts agree). After you shed a single, sad tear about how quickly time is passing, you’ve got an opportunity to get creative with your new setup.

Think of it this way: A new bed is a completely new world for your child, and with it should come a new routine that’s suited to this exciting time in big kid development!

Reassess your nighttime routine and tweak it to better meet new needs or reflect new boundaries.

• Maybe that’s a new bedtime, a new blanket, or a new rule—for example, “Once mommy kisses you goodnight, it’s time to close your eyes and go right to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

• When Drew began climbing out of her crib, Shawn said she had a talk with her about staying safe. She told her that if she needed to get out of her bed, she had to wait for mommy and daddy. Sometimes being direct about why it’s important to stay in the crib can help!

As always, though, practice and consistency will make any new routine stick—so keep at it. 💪

And one last thing: A personal favorite resource is the book The Happy Sleeper: The Science-Backed Guide to Helping Your Baby Get a Good Night's Sleep. The sleep training tips for infants in that one saved my life…but it also features a method for older kids who have trouble staying in bed at night.

Submit a question to be featured in a future Q&A here.

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Ugh, as if! Yes, Halloween is over and the holiday decor is coming down from storage. But, we just had to share this Clueless throwback. Donald Faison and his daughter bring us back to the days of Dionne and Murray.

Allowing for allowance. Do you pay your kids allowance? Scholastic breaks down the age old question(s)—how much, at what age, and how to introduce household tasks.

Parenting, Today style. All the mainstays of The Today Show are parents, but they parent very differently. Are you an Al or a Savannah?

If you have a small (or large) victory, tip, or trick, hit reply and share! I’d love to hear from you.

That’s all for today! I hope you get some time this weekend to celebrate something—big or small, even the failures (more on that in an upcoming newsletter)! See you next week!