https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:58:42 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928330 Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:32:49 +0000 Chuckles 2928330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would agree with everyone that smoking around the kids, even if it's in a wide open space, is a hard no. I don't mind my kids being around people drinking as long as no one appears obviously drunk. I'm not sure how I'd feel about my kids playing beer pong with lemonade. Part of me feels like it's not that big of a deal and part of me knows that it's definitely unusual. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928328 Thu, 17 Aug 2023 19:46:07 +0000 ChitownRo 2928328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I’m ok w beer pong around kids and not making alcohol some secret taboo. My parents friends definitely partied around me growing up, so I wasn’t curious about alcohol. All of my friends whose parents didn’t socialize, or forbid etoh, wound up being much more wild with their binge drinking. I think it’s important to have a conversation with your kids about it…</p> <p>But no smoking at all ever around kids, indoors or outside. Cigarettes or weed. And if adults are partaking in thc gummies etc, they must be locked away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928327 Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:16:22 +0000 cake2017 2928327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@karenbme: I would be uncomfortable with it all. I wouldn’t attend or would just ask if they could play when children are asleep or play in a designated area where you and the child can hang. My husband and I do not drink anymore. My family does. We’ve asked to not drink around us or in our home and it’s respected. They are the same in their home because they want to- but if we went to their home, they chose to drink after we leave- that’s them tho. Everyone is different so if they want to drink and play, you can move to a different area or ask them? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928326 Wed, 09 Aug 2023 13:11:59 +0000 JJ2626 2928326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely no to the smoking! Secondhand smoke even with weed is real and just the smell is not something I would want my kid around. Can’t they just take gummies or something? Re: the drinking, I’m fine with people drinking moderately around my kid but it’s a hard no to having her participate in the beer pong with lemonade! That’s so weird. Ideally they would play away from the kids, but a 3 year old is probably young enough that she would just ignore the game once she’s told it’s for grownups. That said, I agree with a poster above that I would not be okay with the drinking if it got out of hand and folks were obviously drunk. Eek, good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928325 Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:32:26 +0000 Cait1 2928325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The weed is a hard no for me. I don’t drink at all, but would have less of a problem with the beer pong as long as no one is getting obscenely drunk. I think it’s okay for kids to see adults having fun while drinking responsibly. But the emphasis would be on “responsibly.” As a kid, my mom was an alcoholic, and it was scary and embarrassing to see her constantly getting wasted at family gatherings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928324 Tue, 08 Aug 2023 05:48:59 +0000 LadyDi 2928324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't want smoking around my children, weed, cigarettes, whatever. </p> <p>I feel like the drinking thing is tricky. My extended family drinks a lot when we're together (granted this is usually only once a year) so they have definitely seen shots but not college drinking games. If my kids saw beer pong they would for sure want to play. But it's partially your siblings' camp and they are there to relax too, so I can understand them being frustrated. Can they play in a garage or after your kids go to bed? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928323 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:56:42 +0000 LemonJack 2928323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nwm: I agree completely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928322 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:03:28 +0000 erinbaderin 2928322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with the drinking and the participating in beer pong but wouldn’t have a problem with them playing it around a kid. Just say they’re playing a grownup game, I don’t see it as being any different from telling kids that they can’t taste my drink because it has alcohol in it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928321 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:17:07 +0000 Lahela017 2928321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also adding that I definitely wouldn't want anyone smoking anything near my kids!! They don't need to be getting second hand anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928320 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:15:12 +0000 Lahela017 2928320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't want it going on right next to my kid, but could they play on the garage or on the deck away from the children? I definitely wouldn't have kids participating in any way, but maybe there's a way everyone can do their thing at the camp? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928319 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 18:25:21 +0000 karenbme 2928319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nwm: right?? Pre-Covid we went on an annual snowboard trip that was always half kids half no kids and it was a big party at night, but no one ever suggested that the flip cup tournaments should start at lunch time, and if we had it would’ve been quickly shut down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928318 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:12:14 +0000 nwm 2928318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i consider myself to be relatively liberal about drinking around children but am completely on your side on this one. the idea of having a three year old not just present for but actually participating in beer pong is absolutely wild to me (lemonade really doesn't solve the issue) and i sincerely doubt even some of my hard partying child-free friends would ever suggest something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/family-drinking-in-shared-spaces-around-kids#post-2928317 Sun, 06 Aug 2023 21:46:07 +0000 karenbme 2928317@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure if anyone is still here to see this, but I’m looking for other opinions. I have 3 siblings, 26, 33 and 42, none of whom have kids, and we all have access to a shared family camp. Two years ago the then 24 year old invited her friends over for beer pong and Jell-O shots explicitly when my then 20 month old was getting up from nap. I shut it down and said you can’t do that around a toddler. That was then interpreted as me saying no drinking ever at camp, which is not my position at all, and we’re in the process of talking through what’s ok and what’s not (again). All three siblings think there’s nothing wrong with beer pong around kids, comparing it to a sober friend at a party. Am I crazy in not wanting my curious 3 year old to be learning drinking games from her aunts and uncles, even if they have her play with lemonade??? It seems insane to me, but it’s the position they’ve all taken. They’ve also decided that since weed is legal in our state daytime smoking in shared outdoor spaces should also be totally fine no matter who’s around. I don’t care if they’re drinking, but I really don’t want my kid getting a contact high or playing drinking games at camp. Am I the only one totally horrified by these positions? This stuff seems like basic health and safety for kids to me, but the reaction I’m getting is that I’m a total killjoy for asking them to save it until bedtime.</p> <p>ETA: I should also note that I’m only there 2-3 weekends per summer so it’s not like they never have time to do whatever they want at camp. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927472 Fri, 16 Sep 2022 16:15:26 +0000 Lowell 2927472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We looked and looked and found this to be a very difficult problem. For context, we have 4th and 2nd grader, previously drove a Prius, and our priorities were the 3rd row for friends, hitch to transport bikes more easily, and fuel efficiency. Highlander is a great car but even with the hybrid, it was going to be hard to get used to gas mileage increase from the Prius. Plug in hybrids with a 3rd row just did not seem to exist when we were looking. So in Sept 2021 we went with the Tesla Model Y with the third row option. I cannot really recommend ANYTHING about the buying experience - we finally got the car in late August of this year (so 11 months after purchase, they really jerk you around while you are waiting with essentially no accurate delivery estimates until the last week). Price was high but this is now our only car as my husband is now 100% remote. 3rd row is very small and there is no captains chair configuration possible but it is just fine for when we need to carpool and we can now go places in just one car when my parents are visiting, which is amazing (kids sit in the 3rd row). We will outgrow this car pretty soon as our kids and their friends get taller, but it is perfect for right now and not buying gas is great. I can’t wait until there is more competition in the EV market to bring prices down and introduce competition… </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927471 Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:19:08 +0000 karenbme 2927471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just popping in here to say I was served an ad today for the 2023 Mercedes EQB, which is a fully electric 3-row with a 240-mi range that will be available next year. Starting price is under 60k, which is the cheapest I’ve seen for a fully electric three row. No info on towing and very little specific info on what’s included in the base, so 🤷🏻‍♀️ on value, but another option that seems like it will be available soon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927464 Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:38:30 +0000 bees_knees 2927464@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@karenbme: oh cool! Yes feel free to pass it along! What an interesting job that never even crossed my mind existed (but of course it does!!)</p> <p>Yeah def $$$ 😬 hopefully you can find something that meets your needs, before baby arrives would be a plus! Hope you’re feeling well :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927463 Wed, 07 Sep 2022 15:32:24 +0000 karenbme 2927463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bees_knees: I actually know someone who is a designer at Rivian, I might pass along your (positive) feedback if that’s ok. The R1S looks like a quality vehicle (and I’m pretty sure my friend wouldn’t work there if it wasn’t). But their distribution is super limited at this point, so I definitely wouldn’t be able to see one in person let alone test drive before putting money down, which is a deal breaker for me. In a few years, though, it seems like a good option, but still one that would be 75-80k, which is something we might be able to stretch to, but out of the preferred budget for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927462 Wed, 07 Sep 2022 08:07:37 +0000 catgirl 2927462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were shopping for a three row vehicle last year and in an ideal world would have loved a hybrid or plug in hybrid but none of the ones we looked at worked for us. We were planning on regularly having 4 adults and 1 kid, 4 adults with two kids, or 2/3 adults with 2/3 kids. We were very interested in both the highlander and sienna but were disappointed by both. The third row in the highlander was too small for us - I couldn't fit back there (as one of the smallest adults we transport) because my head was pushed into the ceiling. But DD couldn't go back there because her harnessed seat (and eventual booster) was too tall to fit. We test drove the sienna on two different days - the first day we loved it when DH drove and I sat in the third row and I drove and DH sat in the middle row. But the second day we drove it DH tried to ride front passenger while I drove and he was too tall to fit! He is 6'2" but his head had to be sideways and the front passenger seat did not have an up and down adjustment. So that ruled out both toyotas. We briefly considered the Chrysler pacifica but the headrests in that middle and third row are incompatible with many car seats and boosters and decided it wasn't worth it. </p> <p>We ended up with a Kia Telluride, which is obviously not avialable in a hybrid, but we love it! I easily fit in the third row and DH can fit fairly comfortably in the third row. If we hadn't needed to replace my car last year I would have liked to hold out for more hybrid options but we weren't in a position to wait. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927461 Wed, 07 Sep 2022 01:19:00 +0000 bees_knees 2927461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just saw an IG reel about the Rivian R1S. I’d never heard of it before but it looks like it checks all is your boxes! Very intriguing. I especially appreciate it looks like they designed it to be family friendly, which is something SERIOUSLY lacking in the larger (Yukon XL/Suburban/etc) type vehicles. Like who do they think drive these beasts, single men 😑 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927453 Sun, 04 Sep 2022 12:19:24 +0000 karenbme 2927453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: good to know that the highlander hybrid is a decent alternative. That was in the back of my mind as another option if I can’t find a plug in. </p> <p>I agree that it’s a major miss that there are so few three row options. If anyone should be worried about saving money on gas and/or making sure the planet doesn’t burn it should be families with kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927440 Thu, 01 Sep 2022 07:34:36 +0000 Anagram 2927440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@karenbme: we have the 2021 highlander hybrid. It’s not a plug in hybrid, but I think your instincts are right to be going for a plug-in. I 100% want my next car to be a plug-in hybrid.</p> <p>We had a highlander before and it literally averaged only 18-22 mpg. Our hybrid averages 38 mpg and that is a HUGE difference with current high gas prices. If I drive carefully, I can get over 40 mpg. </p> <p>We bought it in 2020, so there were no plug in options in the 3 row category back then. My husband was lobbying hard for the hybrid so highlander was the only option at the time. For a 3 row, it has its pros and cons. It is smaller than a lot of other 3 rows. But we only have 2 kids so the 3rd row is only used rarely. We also live in an urban area where I have to parallel park a lot and a smaller SUV comes in handy there. Lastly, our weekend house has a garage built at the turn of the century so it’s a tiny garage compared to modern garages—and our highlander JUST BARELY fits in it—even an inch wider or longer would mean we have to street park. So for us, the highlander is great but I wouldn’t recommend for more than 2 kids on a regular basis. </p> <p>I have a friend with the plug in Chrysler Pacifica mini van and they can get like 100 mpg or something amazing. So my next car will definitely be a plug in and I’m so excited to move away from the reliance on gas, especially when gas prices are so high. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927434 Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:01:05 +0000 erinbaderin 2927434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you for starting this because I'm in the same boat. We have two kids and a medium sized dog and our fully electric Kia Niro is amazing 90% of the time but camping and traveling to see my family at Christmas presents real capacity problems. Plus the kids are getting older and it would be really convenient if we could drive their friends around. Desperate for a three row fully electric SUV, it seems like a real gap in the market! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927433 Tue, 30 Aug 2022 21:27:38 +0000 ElbieKay 2927433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love our VW Atlas but it is gas only, and a gas guzzler at that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927432 Tue, 30 Aug 2022 18:00:46 +0000 karenbme 2927432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: that’s good to know! I’ve also heard that a PHEV Honda pilot could come as soon as next year. For me a plug in hybrid is more attractive than a full EV because 99% of my daily needs would keep me in the all electric range and if it’s the family road trip car I wouldn’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere without a charging station. We regularly road trip to the ADKs and northern ME, where I know the infrastructure doesn’t exist now, so the hybrid flexibility is nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927431 Tue, 30 Aug 2022 17:27:04 +0000 hitchhiker 2927431@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just commenting to commiserate. I have been waiting for a third row electric vehicle for years. I think the only options right now are the Volvo you mentioned or the Pacifica minivan hybrid. But next year VW and Hyundai are both supposed to be coming out with third row all electric vehicles. I’m holding out for one of those because I want to ditch internal combustion engine maintenance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/favorite-3-row-suvs#post-2927430 Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:50:21 +0000 karenbme 2927430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wondering if anyone on here drives a three row SUV and whether you’d recommend your vehicle. My three top priorities are—room in the interior for 2 adults, 2 car seats, a 50lb dog and a cooler without crowding; some sort of hybrid (preferably plug in); towing capacity of 4000lb or more—in that order. The only vehicle I’ve found that hits all 3 is a Volvo XC90, and I can’t quite bring myself to spend 70k on one car. Currently I drive a Mazda CX-5, and it’s been great, but we’re trying to figure out how we’d do a camping trip with 2 kids and the dog in that or my husband’s VW station wagon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/kids-visiting-grandparents-on-their-own#post-2927014 Sun, 08 May 2022 18:12:55 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 2927014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn’t do it. Just make it a family trip! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/kids-visiting-grandparents-on-their-own#post-2927007 Fri, 06 May 2022 19:13:11 +0000 ALV91711 2927007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Growing up myself and my cousin spent a lot of time going to grandparents together. We have so many great memories. My grandma would also take me when she went to stay at other families houses in the summer. We lived really close to all our family though, like couple hour drive at the most. </p> <p>When my mom was just here we were talking about my oldest to go out in the summer by himself for a couple weeks. He’s 9 now and not quite ready. My mom lives a 1.5 hour flight away or 15 hour drive. </p> <p>My MIL would also like to do this but again in a couple years. They live an 8 hour drive away but we have family pretty much in the middle that we could meet at. </p> <p>I think it is good for them to go but only if they are ready and want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/kids-visiting-grandparents-on-their-own#post-2926941 Fri, 29 Apr 2022 10:18:26 +0000 MountainBaby 2926941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did once as a kid. The plan was to for the grandparents to take each kid for a special one-on-one trip for a week the year they turned 10. I'm the oldest, and unfortunately the only one who go to do it because my grandfather passed away before any of my cousins turned 10 :(</p> <p>How we did it was one grandparent came to our house, then I flew with them across country and spent the week with both grandparents. Then a week later the rest of my family came out and we did our big family vacation all together, then I flew home with my parents/sister. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/kids-visiting-grandparents-on-their-own#post-2926932 Fri, 29 Apr 2022 08:00:58 +0000 bhbee 2926932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: yes, someone (us or her) would have to fly with the kid(s). I agree the logistics are too crazy. And we already spend a lot of time visiting so I definitely don’t want to add those logistics on top at this point. </p>