Our family recently moved to the U.S. from another country and our son is now in 1st grade. English isn't his first language and he's still trying to find his confidence speaking it.

As a parent, it's a little heartbreaking sometimes because I know he has so much he wants to say, but he can't always express himself in English yet. I really want to help him feel more comfortable, make friends, and enjoy school without putting too much pressure on him.

I've been wondering what's actually helpful at this age. Should we look into an English tutor? An after-school program? Or would it be better to just let him learn naturally through playdates and spending time with English-speaking friends?

I'd especially love to hear from parents who moved to the U.S. with young kids or raised bilingual children. What worked for your family? How long did it take for your child to feel comfortable speaking English?

We're in the Palo Alto area so any local recommendations would be amazing too!

Just a parent trying to figure out the best way to support my little boy. ❤️

Thanks so much for any advice!

This is a relaxed, guided trick or treaty painting experience — no painting experience needed!

🎃 TRICK OR TREAT SIP & PAINT

Spooky Painty Fun for All Ages!

Grab your crew and join Jamm the Artist for a fun afternoon of creativity, drinks, and spooky-season vibes at Laughing Monk Brewing! 🎨👻🍺

This is a relaxed, guided trick or treaty painting experience — no painting experience needed!

🎨 WHAT'S INCLUDED

Your ticket includes:

🎨 All paint + painting supplies including a canvas to paint on
👩‍🎨 Step-by-step instruction with Jamm the Artist
✨ A fun, creative experience for all ages

Come ready to get a little messy, have some fun, and create your own spooky-season masterpiece!

🍺 TWO LOCATIONS. TWO DATES.

SUNNYVALE. Sunnyvale RSVP Here
📍 Laughing Monk Brewing
1235 Oakmead Pkwy, Sunnyvale
📅 Sunday, October 18
⏰ 1:30–3:30 PM

LOS ALTOS LOS ALTOS RSVP Here
📍 Laughing Monk Brewing
170 State Street, Los Altos
📅 Sunday, October 25
⏰ 1:30–3:30 PM

👻 YOUR PUMPKIN. YOUR STYLE.

Jamm will guide you through the painting, but you get to make it your own! Whether you go spooky, cute, colorful, creepy, or totally unexpected, there's no wrong way to paint your pumpkin portrait.

Come sip. Come paint. Come get spooky with us! 🎃

We’re considering moving to Palo Alto to raise our family, and I’m genuinely curious to hear from parents who have made that choice.

The excellent schools, proximity to Stanford, and career opportunities are obvious advantages. But what I’m really trying to understand is what makes Palo Alto special beyond those things?

Were there specific experiences, community events, friendships, or opportunities for your kids that made you feel, “This is why we chose to live here”?

Given how expensive housing is, I’d love to understand what makes the premium worthwhile compared with other great Bay Area communities.

Not looking to debate whether it’s overpriced — genuinely hoping to learn from families who’ve experienced life here firsthand. Thanks!

I had a very bizarre and uncomfortable interaction the other day biking home from work. My ebike battery died so I was pedaling but going very slowly since the bike is so heavy. A guy slows down and calls out to me asking if I am good it seemed like a harmless interaction so I just explained my situation and he says he'll slow down and ride with me so I'm not alone. We are just chatting and he seemed friendly. He is very vague about his personal details though...

Then I can't get rid of him and realize he wants to follow me all the way home. Then he starts talking about how he saw me and fell in love and how I'm so pretty blah blah blah I started getting very uncomfortable. He asked me for my number and I wasn't sure what he was going to do if I said no so I just gave him my number. When it became clear he wasn't leaving and was sketchy I told him I needed to go shopping and ditched him at the store. He wanted to give me a hug and kiss goodbye and kept saying how he was gonna call me so we could hang out etc. I immediately blocked his number once he was gone but was pretty freaked out by the whole interaction.

I know I probably should not have given any stranger the benefit of the doubt or been that polite or friendly to a stranger but I did the best I could to handle things in the moment. Does anyone have any tips or strategies to avoid these kinds of interactions?

My plan is to always carry the charging cord and not leave the house without a full battery but I am not sure what else I can do other than just not talking to any strangers period. I can't afford a car and will be taking that same route to commute so just driving to work or taking an alternate route is not an option.

Helpful comments only please

- budget $4k-$6k a month
- have 2 cats
- would like to have a dishwasher and laundry on site
- work in healthcare tired of commuting an hour home over Dumbarton each day
- non smoker, spend all my time working
- I’ve tried looking at SU post and craigslist but haven’t found many places that are ok with the cats. I’m not Stanford so can’t live in Stanford housing

Do I really have to hire someone to find a place to rent? If so how much does that usually cost?

I am looking for suggestions on restaurants serving thanksgiving dinner in Palo Alto or nearby.

Hi everyone! I’m helping with a startup-focused coliving house in Midtown Palo Alto, about 2.5 miles from Stanford.

It’s a community of people working in tech, startups, research, design, and other professional fields. The idea is to live with like-minded people, meet others working on interesting things, and have a comfortable place to stay in Palo Alto.

We currently offer furnished shared rooms for 2, 3, or 4 people, as well as a limited number of private rooms.

A few details:

• Month-to-month stays (30+ days)
• Furnished rooms
• Utilities and Wi-Fi included
• Large, quiet backyard
• Fully equipped shared kitchen
• Living and dining areas
• Washer/dryer
• Linens and towels included
• Shared bicycles
• Outdoor grill
• Walking distance to Safeway, Walgreens, cafes, and restaurants
• About 2.5 miles from Stanford

The house is on a quiet residential street and has a pretty large green backyard, which is great for working outside or just relaxing.

If you’re moving to Palo Alto for work, a startup, an internship, research, or a longer stay and are looking for a community rather than just a room, feel free to DM me. Happy to share photos, current availability, and pricing.

Oddly, I cannot find this article posted online. I wonder why....

Let's support our local teachers. 🍎📚 They shouldn't need to deal with this type of nonsense.

Hello everyone! 😊
I’m looking for recommendations for a good hairdresser in the South Bay who has experience cutting straight hair and creating beautiful layers.
I’d love to find someone who knows how to add shape, movement, and volume to straight hair while keeping the haircut flattering and easy to maintain.
If you’ve had a great experience with a hairdresser or salon in the South Bay, please share their name and details. Personal recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone!

My wife and I are planning to move to Palo Alto in 2027 and are looking to buy a home, preferably in University South, Evergreen Park, College Terrace, or nearby neighborhoods.

Looking for a detached single-family home, 3+ beds, 2 baths, 1,300+ sq ft. Budget under $3M (up to $3.2M with seller financing).

We’re financially prepared and flexible on timing.
Any suggestions on finding off-market homes or approaching homeowners for a private sale? We’d also love to connect with anyone considering selling directly.
Thanks!

Hi ! I want to hire a professional to renovate my house in Palo Alto. Any recommandation for a reliable professional for electrical work, painting, flooring... ? If possible, I want someone who is in charge of the whole project.

I’m running for city council in Palo Alto. I was born and raised here. Ask me anything about my candidacy, Palo Alto, or anything else!

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here, but I’m finally doing it because you all seem super helpful.

Are there any local writing groups specific to Palo Alto?

If not, would anyone be interested in starting one?
I live on the Stanford campus near the bookstore and I would love to meet somewhere walkable (I don’t drive) like Coho with people who would be interested in starting a writing group together.

Hi! I'm a 25F traveling solo looking for all sorts of recommendations. I love hiking, sight seeing. I want to meet people and want to find bars I'd feel comfortable sitting alone at. Also good food recs :)

I refuse to vote for any tax increase (any of the California ones, the Caltrain one, and Prop J) until Prop 13 is repealed. It is absurd that you need to have a mid 8-figure exit to afford a house in this town while the Boomers get a fat property tax subsidy from the state for no reason other than that they’ve lived here for decades.

Housing equity now!

Are there any traditional looking Hindu temples to go in the bay area ?

I used AI to help compare candidates this year. Here is what it reported for the Palo Alto School Board (the most exciting election in the state).

Hope the people of reddit find this helpful.

I'm voting for Avery and John because I believe that Linda confuses equality with equity. Her platform is equality based - providing all kids the same resources regardless of their background. True equity is providing differing resources and support to meet and help people where they are at. Linda's approach (e.g. "general education classrooms should be the default placement for all students.") is an outdated equality based mindset.

I also believe that the board should be independent from the administrators, staff and teachers they are overseeing so discount deep volunteer work, teaching experience within the district.

Avery Wang

• Background: An engineer, Apple research scientist, and co-founder of the music-identification app Shazam. He is a PAUSD parent and holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford.
• Platform: Wang’s campaign focuses on academic excellence, evidence-based policy, financial responsibility, and establishing a zero-tolerance policy for bullying. He advocates for greater district transparency, reducing unnecessary spending, and reinstating advanced math courses like Multivariable Calculus.

John Craig

• Background: An operations executive and engineer with an MBA. He is a PAUSD parent and PTA leader running an independent grassroots campaign.
• Platform: Craig emphasizes fiscal accountability, data-driven decision-making, and independent, democratic oversight. He aims to improve district culture, increase transparency between the district and families, and also supports allowing greater academic advancement in subjects like math.

Linda Henigin

• Background: A PAUSD parent with a master's degree in education who works as an instructional aide in math intervention at Duveneck Elementary. She has been deeply involved in community safety initiatives, including organizing volunteer track watchers at rail crossings following student tragedies.
• Platform: Henigin focuses heavily on student equity and well-being. She advocates for ethnic studies programs and prioritizes supporting students who are not reaching their academic potential, arguing that general education classrooms should be the default placement for all students.
• Campaign Note: Henigin's campaign recently faced a lawsuit challenging her ballot designation; critics argued that listing herself as a "math teacher" misrepresented her official district role as an instructional aide.

Was curious if there are any local resources to help you take a market validated idea to the next level? I am not affiliated with Stanford, so probably can't use any of their resources.

Are there 4.0 open players during off hours 10-3pm at mitchell park on weekdays?