How do you tell a child they life they knew is over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, at some point people are just going to start ignoring the “new normal” and just revert back to our “old normal”. Yes, people will get sick and some will die, but eventually we’ll reach herd immunity and things will be back to normal. Many people will not allow this to become a long term way of life, no way.

Well, I’m in the camp of hoping it just goes away on its own. I have no faith in a longterm vaccine, because research is showing no antibodies after out 2-3 months. IF there is a vaccine that actually works, I look for people to need boosters every 1-2 months, and there’s no way for supply to keep up with demand.

That is not how this works. Stop with the stupidity.

+1. Goes away on it's own? I just can't ...

We could reach herd immunity if we reach a ~70% infection rate, yes, thousands will die.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of you grew up with drama ocd queens like op?

New normal. Say it with me. It means permanent.

No, it does not! "Normal" and "permanent" are two different words with different meanings, OP. Perhaps your poor grasp of English is part of the problem here.

Many "normal" things are not permanent. Having no front teeth when you are a kid is a new normal, but it isn't permanent. Forming a chrysalis is a new normal for a larva, but it isn't permanent.

You say your kid will never be able to attend school or travel, etc. I teach in a European country that reopened schools in early May, and we teachers are going back in two weeks for in-service, followed by all kids coming back again and school starting as normal (with some extra care and attention to hand washing and sanitizing, spacing, etc). So I am SURE that your child's school will also reopen, it will just take a little longer because your president is incompetent.

Also, I have multiple friends and colleagues who recently traveled for holidays in this country or neighboring countries, and they did this by plane and car. People are traveling. Again, this will happen for you and your child, just a bit later than us because your president is incompetent. But it will happen.

We still wear masks in shops, but I had the loveliest dinner tonight in the city centre, sitting outside at a table with some friends. We don't have to wear masks outside, and there were many other people enjoying dinner, drinks, walks, etc. It was fine. It will happen for you.

Calm down. I promise this will pass. It might take some time, but it will.

OP, we aren't the first generation to experience a pandemic. We won't be the last. This won't be permanent.

Do NOT tell your daughter life as she knows it is over.

All this. And in the meantime, focus on the positives! For example, we’ve gotten much closer as a family, we’ve been doing a ton of hiking and biking, my DD made great strides in reading with more parent focus, we’ve done some great jigsaw puzzles, and we even did a strict quarantine and went to stay with grandparents (one of whom is undergoing cancer treatment and very high risk...the doctor was fully on board).

[Anonymous]

I simply tell my little kids that we will get through this and we will get back to normal. Until I know more and can speak factually I will stay optimistic.

[Anonymous]

I hugged a friend yesterday (masked). My daughter is seeing both sets of grandparents on Saturday, outdoors at a small party we are having for her birthday (shave ice truck outdoors, socially distanced). She starts in person school next month. We hope to do a small road trip to and Air bnb this fall.

You can do a lot of the things you list as long as you take precautions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of you grew up with drama ocd queens like op?

New normal. Say it with me. It means permanent.

Only if Trump stays in charge. Otherwise there’s no reason to believe new normal = permanent crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college students feel the same way. I don’t have the heart to break it to them.

That they have the mental age of a 6-year-old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of you grew up with drama ocd queens like op?

New normal. Say it with me. It means permanent.

No, it does not! "Normal" and "permanent" are two different words with different meanings, OP. Perhaps your poor grasp of English is part of the problem here.

Many "normal" things are not permanent. Having no front teeth when you are a kid is a new normal, but it isn't permanent. Forming a chrysalis is a new normal for a larva, but it isn't permanent.

You say your kid will never be able to attend school or travel, etc. I teach in a European country that reopened schools in early May, and we teachers are going back in two weeks for in-service, followed by all kids coming back again and school starting as normal (with some extra care and attention to hand washing and sanitizing, spacing, etc). So I am SURE that your child's school will also reopen, it will just take a little longer because your president is incompetent.

Also, I have multiple friends and colleagues who recently traveled for holidays in this country or neighboring countries, and they did this by plane and car. People are traveling. Again, this will happen for you and your child, just a bit later than us because your president is incompetent. But it will happen.

We still wear masks in shops, but I had the loveliest dinner tonight in the city centre, sitting outside at a table with some friends. We don't have to wear masks outside, and there were many other people enjoying dinner, drinks, walks, etc. It was fine. It will happen for you.

Calm down. I promise this will pass. It might take some time, but it will.

OP, we aren't the first generation to experience a pandemic. We won't be the last. This won't be permanent.

Do NOT tell your daughter life as she knows it is over.

All this. And in the meantime, focus on the positives! For example, we’ve gotten much closer as a family, we’ve been doing a ton of hiking and biking, my DD made great strides in reading with more parent focus, we’ve done some great jigsaw puzzles, and we even did a strict quarantine and went to stay with grandparents (one of whom is undergoing cancer treatment and very high risk...the doctor was fully on board).

Exactly! We spun DL as a good thing so we can continue to see grandparents and cousins during the school year. We are expecting a new baby nephew/cousin this fall and can’t wait to cuddle him, which is possible because we and his older siblings will all be DL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? Haven't you been discussing it all along. Sounds like its a parenting issue.

She's 6. Explaining that her life is over is kinda tough, O Super Parent.

Life isn’t over. Life is different now. It will be different again. Change is part of life. Teaching your kid to adapt is an ongoing effort. There is no “talk” where boom! One thing ends and the next thing starts and we all just run on that treadmill until the next major announcement. My son is 6 and we’ve been talking about this since March, as it naturally comes up.

He really wanted to have a BD party at Chuck E Cheese in July. He had been looking forward to it since last August when his friend had a party there. First we had to tell him “no party in July, maybe in the fall”. Then we had to say “no party this year. Maybe when you are 7”.
Finally we just said “even if Chuck E. Cheese opens, a lot of parents may not feel safe bringing their kid there. But there will be new types of parties we haven’t even heard of yet.”
And there are. We had an ice cream truck at a large park with lots of room for distancing and masked playground playing. He had an amazing day. As we were packing up to go home, another group came with masked kids and a company that had buckets of water and super soakers for their kid’s BD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I simply tell my little kids that we will get through this and we will get back to normal. Until I know more and can speak factually I will stay optimistic.

At long last, THE VOICE OF REASON!

[Anonymous]

OP was clearly a troll. Humanity has always returned to normal after a pandemic passes. But she succeeded, hope you had a good day OP.

[Anonymous]

Let's say op is right! That from now on we will never hug, never kiss, wear masks, never travel...always worried that we are about to die.
In that case, her 6 year old really does not have to worry about life as she knows it being over. For her dd will not remember anything before masks and social distancing. She is 6! Her life "as she knows it" is just beginning. Kid has nothing to mourn over and nothing to feel upset about. She will never remember hugging grandma or traveling. So, either way, OP has nothing to worry about! Her kid is starting the life as she knows it right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP was clearly a troll. Humanity has always returned to normal after a pandemic passes. But she succeeded, hope you had a good day OP.

The sad thing is, I don't think OP is a troll. Many many people feel like this. No ability to think rationally or critically for themselves. I fear THAT is the new normal. This country will become a bunch of sheep or autonotoms who just believe whatever the read in the New York Times and think exactly the way they are told to think, without questioning at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP was clearly a troll. Humanity has always returned to normal after a pandemic passes. But she succeeded, hope you had a good day OP.

The sad thing is, I don't think OP is a troll. Many many people feel like this. No ability to think rationally or critically for themselves. I fear THAT is the new normal. This country will become a bunch of sheep or autonotoms who just believe whatever the read in the New York Times and think exactly the way they are told to think, without questioning at all.

*automaton--typing too fast.

[Anonymous]

Most people who are smart enough to read the NYT are also smart enough to read books about earlier pandemics and know that this too will pass.

Too many people hate studying history and refuse to learn from it. It's something we can all do while we are at home, instead of being dramatic

[Anonymous]

Here is a link to an article giving the dates and details of 20 other pandemics and epidemics that humankind has survived: https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html

One of the most interesting facts in this, to me, is the way that the Black Death in Europe contributed to the end of serfdom and improved living and working standards for the very poor. I'm going to look for more info on how it contributed to technological innovation as well. Super interesting stuff.

The Covid-10 pandemic will eventually become something that happened in the past, and OP's daughter will read about it in high school or college as a historical event.

This pandemic won't last forever; none of the others did.