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Workwear Hall of Fame: Josie Kitten Heel Pump

Coffee Break· Workwear Hall of Fame | · ·

Dec. 2020 Update: This shoe is included in the 2020 Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale, marked down to $83.

Readers have been big fans of Vionic for years, and these Josie kitten heel pumps are always on our hall of famers list (and our Guide to Comfortable Heels). They’re a great choice if you’re looking for a very low heel.

For those of you who are heading back to the office or who may be heading to an office for the first time and may not be used to wearing heels, a 2″ inch heel is a nice place to start for a very conservative aesthetic.

These are also very affordable — they’re $140 at Nordstrom. You can also find them at Zappos and Amazon. Josie Kitten Heel Pump  

 Note that the Minnie is a very similar style from Vionic that has a bit of a Mary Jane vibe. 

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Workwear sales of note for 6.07.23:

Other noteworthy sales:

  • CB2.com – Up to 40% off; pop-up sale up to 30% off
  • Tuft & Needle – Save up to $775 on mattresses (Reader-favorite brand; Kat really likes hers!)
  • West Elm – Up to 25% off in-stock furniture; up to 60% off clearance

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Just had an interview that was mostly great but my interviewer seemed concerned about an answer. Responding to a question about how I’d solve a particular problem, I talked about solving a very similar problem years ago, saying it took a year but ultimately things were great. She said it would be a problem to take anything like that long in this role, and I hastily tried to explain why it wouldn’t in this case (it was long ago early in my career, it was a really bad version of the problem, I learned a lot from solving it and since then…) but argh. And of course since we hung up I’ve thought of several examples I could have used that happened much faster.

    Wondering if there’s anything else I should do, like allude to it in my thank you note, and if so any phrasing you recommend. I guess I just feel dumb–I didn’t have to say it took a year, and does not mean anything about my ability to solve problems quickly, it’s just that I told this story because the setup was so similar to the one she mentioned.

    • In-House in Houston

      I would let it go. Trying to explain what you meant in a thank you note will come off as high-maintenance. Also, it’s possible that she’s already forgotten about it and you trying to explain it in a thank you note will just bring it all up again. Definitely send the TY note, but don’t rehash it.

    • Anonymous

      No. Do not mention it in your follow-up note. Try to move on and recover like an athlete that just made a bad play.

  2. Anon

    After following the conversation that someone else posted the other day, I ended up buying a rowing machine for myself (the C2 wasn’t in my price range either, but I got a model from Amazon with good reviews). Does anyone have any recommendations for rowing workouts, YouTube channels, apps, etc? I’d love some ideas to mix things up and keep the workouts as fresh as they can be when I’m stuck inside my house…

    • Anon

      Former coxswain here. Some of our go to workouts in college were 2x6k; 10min on 1 min off, 9 min on 1 min off down to one min; blasters (like HIIT for the erg) either time or distance (30s, 250m, etc), lots and lots of steady state. 2×20 mins within 2 splits of your 2k.

      We did one called the castle every week, it’s 30 min and you change your rate (strokes per minute) every 2 minutes. If you were to graph the rate it’d look like a castle. I don’t remember the rates or split goals sadly.

      Another was til the cows come home. You get a split below your 2k (forget how far below) and hold it as long as you can. You’re done when you have 3 consecutive strokes above your split, or you finish the 2k.

      Obviously you’re not needing D1 workouts, but you can use these as a baseline and adjust (we did 2×10 blasters, you could do 2×5; we did something 2 splits above 2k, you do it 5 splits above, etc)

        • Anon

          Also I recommend looking at videos how to correctly erg. Most people don’t do it correctly, and that’s a quick way to hurt your back.

          Most of rowing is the kegs, thats where the power comes from. The sequence is drive with your legs, then swing your back, finish with the arms. The handle should be roughly at the bottom of your sports bra when you finish. On the recovery arms release, then back, then legs. It should be a fluid motion, not jerky.

          I know some of the other former rowers / coxswains on the board have coached, so listen to them over me!

    • Anonymous

      I like Dark Horse Rowing and British Rowing on YouTube. Both have tutorials on proper form and lots of workout options.

    • Charmed Girl

      Not an expert, but I am also a beginner who recently purchased an inexpensive rower off Amazon. What I’ve liked so far are the workouts from Dark Horse Rowing (also really important/ good videos on correct form). I’ve also liked searching You Tube for indoor rowing scenery. So when I am just rowing I have something pretty to look at. I have found that the display on the machine I got is less than useful. But the RowingCoach app along with my Apple Watch at least gives me some more useful info. Good luck!

        • City chick

          Not sure about the original poster, but I just bought the Sunny 5515 on Amazon for $244 and am happy given the price point. It doesn’t measure distance or speed (just time and counts rows).

  3. Horse Crazy

    I’m looking for some wording help – I work for an elected official who is terming out of office at the end of this year. We already know who will replace him; it’s a runaway race. My current boss forwarded my and my coworkers’ resumes to that person, asking him to consider hiring us (fyi, this is a normal thing to do when the exiting and entering electeds are of the same party and/or are on good terms). He responded pretty neutrally – he said he appreciated my boss sending them and that he would consider it. My boss suggested we each follow up with him individually and ask him about his hiring timeline/see if he needs more info. I’m really not sure how to word that email. I tried googling it, but I couldn’t find a template that applied to my situation. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    • Lily

      “Dear so and so,

      Following up on [boss]’s email, I’m checking in to see if you need any additional information/documentation from me, and if you are able to provide any information about your hiring timeline, which would be very helpful for planning purposes as we get closer to [boss]’s transition out of office at the end of the year. As [boss] mentioned, I would be delighted to continue in my current role and am proud of the contributions I’ve made to the [jurisdiction] during [boss]’s tenure.

      Thanks and best regards,
      you

      • Anon

        Eliminate the part after “your hiring timeline.” It sounds a bit presumptuous.

      • Anonymous

        That first part doesn’t sound right to me. It sounds a little like you’re chasing down something that they should have done for you, like they owe you something. It also can come across as pretty presumptuous to talk about particular roles. I’d phrase things more from the recipient’s point of view rather than your own. “Reaching out to see if you have a hiring timeline in place yet and hope I’ll hear from you as we get closer to transitions. I’ve enjoyed the past X years doing blah blah as (X position) and would very much like to be considered for bringing my talents and skills in blah blah to the new team that will be starting as well.

        • Anon

          +1 The tone should be “what can I do for you?” not “when are you going to do something for me?”

    • Anonymous

      Maybe a cover letter to express your interest and attach another copy of your resume as if you are officially applying to a job? Seems weird to ask for a hiring timeline when you haven’t personally expressed interest/applied.

    • Anonymous

      Congratulations on your new position. I currently work for [boss] in [role]. I’m interested in working with you in the future/continuing my work in x, y, z.

      … Your specific campaign promise of abc or work in xyz is something I want to be part of …

      My cover letter and resume are attached.

  4. Philmont

    Carrying over from this morning . . . OMG Philmont looks amazing.

    I am a scout mom of girls in BSA scouting am finding as the same-gendered parent, that I am becoming involved as an adult leader (currently merit badge counselor and YPT certification so I get to go on overnights so we have 4 adults at all times). Is this something that troops do (vs individual scouts on their own)? This may be my great reward if I am “needed” to go (otherwise, would be fine sending kids there and I go to a spa before flying home).

    We are new to troop level scouting this spring coming up from Cub scouts and our older scout’s first troop camping got shelved and converted to a really cool day camp in-county, so we are still learning the lay of the land (esp. me who is sort of an office-friendly grownup but loved being outside as a kid).

    • Anonymous

      Yes typically this is a troop activity. And typically older ones since the main use of the site is 8-14 day backpacking hikes.

    • Lana Del Raygun

      There are some treks and programs you register for as a crew and some where you register as an individual and they assign you to a crew.

    • Anonymous

      My husband and brother did it in the 90s. Husbands troop did a 14 day survival type trek. Brothers troop did a 5 day one.

  5. NYNY

    Thank you to everyone who responded to me on the morning thread. Your kind words mean a lot to me right now, and you demonstrated exactly what I love about this community.

    I took an extra day off for the July 4 holiday, and hoped to come back refreshed, but time off didn’t help much. My wedding anniversary is July 4, so DH and I talked about our wedding and my Mom’s participation in it a lot, and we both cried quite a bit. Then my Dad, who is alone for the first time in his life after nearly 55 years of marriage, sent us a card – that was always Mom’s thing – and I cried again. It was a very emotional long weekend.

    I’m trying to strategize work to be able to half-ass more. Delegate some tasks, decline some meetings, push arbitrary deadlines. Hopefully it will add up to some breathing room. I’m also trying to save time off for later in the year in case I can travel to see my Dad safely. Still, I may find ways to take a little more time off now for myself. I have a therapist, and don’t feel ready for antidepressants, but will keep that in mind.

    Anyway, you all are great. I needed the support.

    • Anon

      i lost my mom in December so all the hugs. i am grateful that it happened prior to the pandemic, so i cannot imagine being in your shoes. It is so so strange receiving cards that only say “Love, Dad” and don’t say “Love, Mom.” So many occasions have been very bittersweet over the past 6 months because they are all the first time without having my mom, compounded by the fact that my dad lives on the other side of the country so who knows when we’ll be able to see him again. there are also certain things that have set me off that have totally surprised me (as i tear up writing this post). losing a parent is always tough, there are no words for what it is like losing a parent in the middle of a pandemic when you can’t do half the things you might normally do to help you grieve

      • NYNY

        I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s a terrible time, and I think those of us dealing with personal loss unrelated to the pandemic are feeling a bit disconnected from the rest of the world. Even though you lost your mom before it hit, you’re still right in the middle of grieving. We’re in the same boat. Hugs.

    • Anonymous

      My dad passed away in April very suddenly. I talked to him the day before and he was fine. My parents had been married 55 years too. I would encourage you to let the tears roll. I think its healthy. Without a “normal” funeral, accompanied by lots of hugs from friends and family, I needed another way to process the loss. Lots of things have triggered tears. One of my friends encouraged me to have a touchstone of him to remind me of him when I saw that (hers is a specific type of bird). I haven’t landed on that yet, but I think its a good idea, as I think eventually it will become more of a trigger for happy memories. Take care of yourself.

      • anon

        My dad does that, usually also birds! He has a big back yard with lots of birds and says he will sometimes feel the presence of his father and brother (who passed suddenly and senselessly) when certain birds come to visit. It brings him a lot of comfort.

    • Walnut

      I have tears in my life reading about your dad sending a card.

      Hugs from an internet stranger.

      • Senior Attorney

        In my experience, if I wore something the last time around I often just don’t feel it when it comes back, whether or not it’s objectively a nice piece.

        • Anon

          I don’t think these are coming back around. They are frozen. They were not high fashion then or now. For some, these might be part of an acceptable “wear to the office” uniform between heels and flats.

        • Cat

          Rude but – yeah these shoes do look like what my mom wore in the 80s, and not in an on purpose throwback way.

          I’d wear flats instead for a more modern, comfortable look.

    • Anon

      Aw – I wore them to my 8th grade dinner dance in 1983. My dress had big puffed shoulder sleeves.

  7. Anonymous

    You’re a successful woman. What are you “bad” at. Or have accepted you won’t try/do?

    Me:
    – terrible at geography. I couldn’t identify half the U.S. States on a map let alone other countries.
    – bad cook.

    • In-House in Houston

      Math in my head. I use my phone/calculator for pretty basic math – usually calculating a tip for something. I’m an attorney and very successful, but math in my head is not my thing. If I write it down, I’m fine….but how often does one do that?

    • Anon

      Grocery shopping by myself. You can send me with a list, and somehow I will still wander around like a lost child and come home with the wrong things. I need a chaperone.

      • Anonymous

        Me too! I make a list and then never look at it. Or worse, I follow the list, crossing off items, then somehow get distracted 3/4 of the way through and come home with missing items and lots of random stuff.

      • anonymous

        Me. Too. Apparently you can send me with explicit instructions, text me while I am looking for the item and I will *still* get it wrong, and I will also fail to defrost it properly. My SO wonders how I kept myself alive for the 12 years of adult life before we met.

    • Senior Attorney

      I am a terrible physical coward when it comes to high speed activities. I gave cycling a good try but I was petrified the whole time and finally gave up on it. See also: Broke my ankle on the bunny slope in a private ski lesson. I don’t even like to be in the car when it’s going fast. (Strangely, though, I did martial arts for years and it didn’t scare me a bit. I think it’s the “being out of control” aspect that gets me.)

      • Anon

        If it’s the “out of control” aspect that bothers you, it probably means you didn’t stick with the activities long enough to develop your skills and confidence. Obviously it’s up to you, but the out of control feeling goes away when you’ve put in the time and then you just get the amazing rewards of the fun activity.

        • Anon

          Nope, I feel the same way, right down to being in car. Speed = dangerous, even if you’re good at it.

        • Senior Attorney

          Yeah that’s what everybody told me for three years.

          Fun fact: I told my therapist I wanted to work on not being scared of going downhill fast and he said “Why? I think that’s an entirely rational fear!” HAHAHAHA!!!

    • Anon

      I don’t understand how currency works. People say things like “strong dollar” and “depegging the yuan” and I can’t seem to grasp what it actually means. I’ve tried many, many times and am a successful professional whom most people would consider fairly highly intelligent. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      • Monday

        Love this! I am the same way about football, come to think of it. People have tried to explain it to me many times, and I still don’t get it. Like, I couldn’t really tell you how points are scored, let alone how many for which plays. I assume if it was important for me to learn, I’d find a way. I am able to follow other sports.

        • Senior Attorney

          Ha! I’ve been watching football for more than 50 years and I understand the scoring and a lot of the plays, but I couldn’t name the positions (other than quarterback and center) to save my life!

          • Walnut

            I *love* football, watch it constantly, and can’t for the life of mre identify holding or understand why it is even a penalty.

      • Vicky Austin

        Me too! I’m even an accountant and there’s a lot of stuff in higher finance/ibanking I just do not get. Ditto all home improvement talk. If I ask anybody how to do something for my house, I usually end up with more questions.

      • Anon

        Ha, so glad I’m not alone. I don’t know if there are any former APDA debaters from my time, but there was a Yale case we called “trills” that I lived in fear of hitting. It was something about some kind of bond split into trillions of bits?? They would have destroyed me if I ever hit it.

    • Monday

      –I just can’t interest myself in cooking. I rarely get takeouts, I just eat this and that around my house. It’s not a very interesting menu, but it’s not worth it to me to cook.
      –I often miss my friend’s birthdays. I’m a very responsive and communicative friend otherwise, so I just hope they forgive me.
      –I get too scared to enjoy intense rides like roller coasters. I’ve stopped making myself go on them.

      • Anon

        My cousin and I are the same way. We call it assembling dinner, rather than cooking

        • Monday

          Cheers! I call it “preparing food.” At most. As in, toasting an English muffin or something.

    • Pink

      Driving a stick shift.
      Knowing what spices go well together.
      Anything more than basic grooming: keeping my hair and nails clean and trimmed and my eyebrows under control is about all I can manage.

    • Vicky Austin

      Things I cannot seem to get my head around: anything beyond the basics of driving, the incredible span of things you need to do to keep your house clean

      However, things I went around proclaiming myself to be terrible at and hating in high school: math, cooking

      Things I do literally every day and enjoy now: math, cooking

      So, you know, I’m going around proclaiming how terrible I am at driving and cleaning. I’ll report back in a few years.

    • Carmen Sandiego

      Balance sheets & P&L’s and the difference WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN. I have been on a non-profit board for six! years. I have been to multiple trainings about this. And still, every single month I have to give myself a new tutorial on what the financials mean. I just cannot make it stick in my head. Everything else non-profit, totally fine, I get it. The financials kill me and I feel like such an idiot, because it’s clearly very, very important.

      • eertmeert

        Balance Sheet (assets = liabilities – equity)
        = measures what you have left over once all debts are paid. In other words, what you own (assets) less what you owe (liabilities) equals the organization’s equity.
        = it is a snapshot of a point in time. So it will always say “as of x date”

        Profit & Loss Statement (aka Income Statement) (income – expenses = profit/loss
        = what you made and what you spent is the profit or loss
        = measures income and expenses over a period of time. Will say “for X date to X date”

        Equity Account (on Balance Sheet)
        = beginning of year equity + income – loss + contributions – distributions = end of year equity
        So if you start off the year with $100 assets, less $90 liabilities = $10 equity, then the only make $50 income and have $30 expenses throughout the year with no changes to assets or liabilities, your ending equity is $30.

        Every account is a similar concept: beginning balance + increases – decreases = ending balance
        The balance sheet reflects the beginning and ending balances and the income statement measures the increases and decreases.

        This may be too remedial for you, but it’s a fascinating topic and i found that these basic mechanics allow me to anchor myself. If this is helpful you can add it to your tutorial notes :)

        • Carmen Sandiego

          Thank you for this! I’m going to copy it into an email to myself. I’m the outgoing president (thankfully, because the finance stuff during COVID are nearly doing me in), but I do hope to sit on another board in the future (and of course, still have my last year on this board as past pres.) and I think this will come in handy. I feel like it’s something I need to master.

    • Anon

      In life: Math. Sticking to my diet.

      At work: logistics and operating heavy machinery / trailering

    • Anon

      Basic, IKEA-level assembly. Reading maps. Tidiness. Going to bed early. Having the fashion/shopping sense for myself at which I excel for others.

      • Monday

        IKEA-level is actually the most advanced level of assembly skills. If you can put something together where the instructions include words, you’re doing great.

      • Maudie Atkinson

        “Going to bed early.” Me too. And just estimating how long any given task will take, ever–work tasks, making dinner, driving anywhere. Everything takes longer than I anticipate.
        Also–science. Basically all of it. I skated through two semesters of a lab science in college because I had to, but I have never really understood science.

    • Anon

      Exercising. Far from now deadlines and pacing myself. Technical reading. Surfaces.

      • Pink

        Yes the far from now deadlines! I have told my team if they need me to complete a project, the deadline should be that same day or 24 hours later (within reason). Otherwise it goes into the black hole of “I’ll get to that when I get caught up on user requests which is to say December of 2035.”

    • mascot

      Seeing when a player is offsides in soccer (my kid plays, I’ve watched a ton of youth soccer). Actually, I have a hard time with seeing fouls in real time for most sports unless it is glaringly obvious. Reading financial and accounting statements- like another poster, I have refresh myself on what is what. I have no sense of direction or travel memory so I have to consult a map prior to going anywhere, even if I’ve been there before. Bonus, I am pretty good at reading maps and ultimately end up memorizing streets/landmarks so I look better than I am at direction.

    • anon

      Another one for geography! Plus:

      – Budgeting. I just kind of spend and hope for the best.
      – “Build your own” anything edible (salads, pizza, sandwiches, etc). It’s safer if someone else creates something tasty for me.
      – Walking in heels. You must all be capable of levitating or something.

    • Anon

      Hair, makeup, and accessories. I manage the basics (clean, brushed hair; lipstick, blush, mascara; necklace, earrings, watch), but that’s it.

      Gardening (metaphorical).

    • pugsnbourbon

      Any string or fabric-based craft is a no-go for me. I could never make a friendship bracelet. I cannot sew a straight seam to save my life. If I had to work in a mill in the industrial revolution, I would have been sucked into the machine on my first day.

    • anon

      My bad things:
      -anything artistic, crafty, DIY. I am not interested in the process enough to try and become good at it. So no, I will never be that pinterest mom with the picture perfect birthdays for my child and I am 100% ok with that.
      -keeping plants alive
      -Machines – cars, computers, etc. They are magic.

    • Anonymous

      Spatial relations, I cannot figure out if furniture will fit in a room. Paint colors, I keep picking flesh tones. Hair, I cannot figure out how to do anything with mine other than give it a swift brushing and hope for the best.

    • Anonymous

      Anything involving depth perception or spatial sizing. Catching fly balls in softball, judging distance to a stop light, but also conceptualizing the size of a cell vs. an atom vs. an electron.

    • Anonymous

      Anything related to music that is not a broadway show tune. I can hear a song a hundred times on the radio, maybe even have memorized the words, and couldn’t not tell you the name of it or who sings it. I also couldn’t tell you a single song Beyoncé or Taylor swift or similar award winging artist sings.

      Also, I cannot figure out for the life of me how tennis works. Which is actually relevant to my life because the two main parry era I work for are tennis junkies and (locally) competitive tennis players (as are their wives) and one of their kids is a Top 25 nationally Ranked player for their age group.

      • JuniorMinion

        I’m an avid (4-5x a week) tennis player and love the sport. If it makes you feel better I would never expect someone who didn’t play tennis to know all about how it is scored. Tennis is (per my internet reading) the most popular recreational sport actually played (vs just watched) in the world and most of the people I know who watch tennis came to enjoy watching it through playing it so there’s less of an expectation that you follow something because its the football / baseball team in your city even though you’ve never thrown a football before if that makes sense?

        I still don’t get football. And I don’t really have an interest in getting football. I know there are downs and the goal is to get the ball into the end zone and at certain indeterminate points you can kick the ball into said end zone but thats about it.

    • Anon

      Technology, specifically home technology. I’m not interested in figuring out why the WiFi isn’t working, resetting the router (uh, I think I just unplug it and plug it back in?), setting up Apple TV or Firestick etc., syncing home devices to my phone. Big nope. I outsource that stuff as much as possible.

    • Anon for Sure

      Healthy relationships. I look good on paper but peek behind the curtain and you’ll see a string of relationships with underemployed, alcoholic , and /or emotionally abusive men. Just can’t get it right.

  8. Diana Barry

    Can anyone help me with strategies on how to leave my DH alone when he is upset/worried? I am a fixer so always want to help him feel better, but whenever we talk about things (*always* about his anxiety about coronavirus and associated worries with visiting my family, which is coming up), it never helps him to feel better and I always end up feeling worse.

    • Bonafide

      What would help? Talk to him about reducing the amount of these conversations because it’s unproductive for the reasons you cite. Talk to him so he doesn’t feel ignored when you try to pull back on this.

      You might try: If you do have ideas for solutions when worries arise again, don’t speak up at the moment but tell yourself if this still seems important tomorrow, you can tell him then. Instead listen and say things like that sounds tough, let’s hope for the best, I think our plan for visiting family is detailed enough, how do YOU propose we solve this or do we need to accept the circumstances (you get the idea).

      We’ve instituted a no discussing serious news, etc, after 10 pm rule to promote better sleep.

      • Anon

        It doesn’t sound like he is the one instigating the conversations, so how is he supposed to go about reducing their frequency? That’s on OP to solve.

        • Anonymous

          “We talk about things.” Conversations take two. If he’s moping and OP doesn’t ask about it as usual … this is to let him know why/that she’s trying to break the pattern.

    • Senior Attorney

      Tell yourself that leaving him alone IS fixing it/helping him to feel better.

    • NYNY

      With my anxious DH, the two best phrases are “I hear you,” and “That sucks.”

  9. Anon

    What would you do?

    My child is in high school. The school district has sent out a survey asking whether we would prefer distance learning 100%, or a hybrid approach, which is not set in stone but they’re thinking about 2 days per week of in-person instruction, 3 days from home. They promise to have temperature and symptom monitoring, mandatory mask wearing, and minimum spacing requirements. If you choose 100% distance learning, you’re asked to justify why.

    One of the justifications for 100% distance learning is living with someone immunocompromised. Unfortunately, that’s me. I have a chronic auto-immune disease and take immunosupressants. I’m not exactly at the chemo patient level, but I do know they compromise my immune system, intentionally.

    My son is leaning toward distance learning, I think to protect me, but I think I could get comfortable with the precautions the school is taking if my son gave it a shot and reported back that the school is indeed being very careful. I don’t want my son to miss out on the limited social life he might get from 2 in-person days of school, because he’s already an introvert and only really has contact with a couple of peers through online gaming.

    On the other hand, if he got me sick and I got really, really sick, I know he would feel awful.

    What would you do? What considerations should we be mulling over that we may not have thought of already?

    • Anonymous

      It’s just a survey? Sounds like you both prefer full time distance learning because neither of you want you to die! That’s okay! You can try to find ways for your son to get social interaction that aren’t sitting inside all day.

      • Anonymous

        Yes, this. If in-person interaction is important maybe organizing a small study group of 4 kids who meet weekly (online?) to discuss a certain class, do homework together, or play a game would suffice.

    • Vicky Austin

      I vote for 100% distance learning + additional, intentional socialization on YOUR family’s terms.

    • Pink

      So, this was my issue with the survey our district sent. The options were: 100% online, or in-person. No other details were provided, like whether masks or even social distancing will be required! That is an impossible decision to put on me as a parent. I guess if I were you I’d choose online learning and write a diatribe in the comments section about how I cannot make this choice without a lot more information. I know I’m probably being difficult, but the way my district is handling this (closed the survey 6 weeks ago – have been totally silent on what they’re doing when we return in August) is driving me nuts.

      • Anonymous

        What they’re telling you by this is that they won’t guarantee that any safety measures will be in place or be held responsible for enforcing measures. They’re not putting their mask policy in writing because they will not be held accountable for enforcing it.

        If they won’t give you the information you need to make an informed decision, the only possible decision is not to go. Vote for online or make alternate plans if you can.

    • Anon

      I would give a call to your doctor (whoever is most familiar with your condition) and ask for advice, including the old “what would you do if you were in my shoes, doc?” I do think that taking the kid out of school for what I would assume will be another 1-2 years is a really rough thing to do. But if you can’t make it work, you can’t. If this is going to be long-term, I might consider whether there are any alternatives that would allow the kid to go back to school (like one of you living somewhere else for a while).
      I’m sorry you have to deal with this.

      • BeenThatGuy

        +1 I take 2 immunosuppressants for my autoimmune disease. After my in-person appointment with my Rhuematologist last month, she assured me that my risk is no greater than anyone else (North Jersey, if that matters). The only “gotcha” is that if I am sick, meaning non-covid standard bug/cold, that’s when I hit the danger zone for being more vulnerable. Bottom line, speak to your specialist about this. They will advise you.

    • Anon

      What about 100% online, but then you get him enrolled in a social-distancing-friendly, introvert-friendly activity like archery?

    • AnonNYC

      I’m leaning strongly toward remote learning for my rising kindergartener and third grader. I think it’s too early to know what safe in-person school looks like and my kids will be way more traumatized if DH or I are seriously sick. They miss their friends, my kindergartener is already socially behind, they aren’t going to learn as much. But we will all feel safer. I hope.

  10. Allie

    If you go to the gym at lunch – how long do you go for?

    I’m working from home, and our local outdoor pool has finally opened. I love swimming as exercise, only exercise I like actually, and the hours when the pool is the least busy are roughly from 11-2. Im salaried, no one tracks my hours too closely, etc. going to the pool, swimming, coming back, showering would probably take like 1 hr 15 minutes. Is that too long to be gone in the middle of the day?

    The other option is that the pool closes at 6, which is when I usually stop work, and maybe I could go to the pool earlier and then catch up on work later:

    Me doing this wouldn’t affect others work, I’d put it on my calendar, it could make some meeting scheduling harder if it’s marked as busy on my calendar but I would of course be flexible about that

    • Jules

      With the caveat that I’m a partner and no one pays attention to how long I’m gone (or would be, if I ever actually left the office for lunch), this does not seem excessive or unreasonable to me.

    • MagicUnicorn

      Back when I did go to the gym over lunch, it was usually a full 1.5 hours (leaving at 11:45, back in my seat at 1:15). This was normal and not excessive. If I had a meeting at 1, I just made sure to leave the gym a few minutes earlier than usual.

    • Aft

      I routinely did 1.25-1.5 hr lunches to workout when I was in the office. I think it’s fine.

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