Pretty sure my kids will not have a semblance of normal childhood socializing again

[Anonymous]

During the lockdown we bubbled with 3 families who were also being very cautious. Of course, this can happen only IF you have a functional family and you know normal, functional families.

Now, my kid is going to school and the masks are on but they kids don't mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. I live in Texas. I am pro vaccine and anti all of our state leadership.

But our kids are back to normal. School is normal. Sports are normal. Playdates are normal. It's all normal.

Tell me more. I’m actually looking into moving purely for normalcy. Masks in school? Play dates without hesitation?

Most places don't have masks requirements. Schools can't require them. My kids are tweens and teens but socializing and sleepovers and homecoming and parties are all the same as 2 years ago.

That said, there are no abortion rights anymore and the state laws are getting more red and I have no confidence that Beto or Matthew Dowd will win. I aim to move out when my kids graduate because it's feeling Gilead.

Yes the abortion situation is unfortunate. It really only (tragically) impacts those without means or time. If my daughters needed one I could fly them to California or wherever. It would be an inconvenience only.

LOL Did you forget about the $10,000 bounty on your daughter's head? If she told anyone about the abortion/miscarriage/pregnancy. Her friend from camp, the boyfriend that got her pregnant, your sister who can't keep her mouth shut. If they told anyone - a friend of a friend. Any of those people can turn her in for the abortion bounty and many will.

But yes, enjoy your states with free open carry and no abortions for any reason.

There’s no bounty on your daughter’s head- it’s on the abortion provider’s. Your DD can go to Louisiana, California or wherever to get an abortion. She can likely get abortion pills by mail order. Yes, this law is unfortunate- maddening. However, it impacts us way less than the lockdowns. I’d rather have to deal with an out-of-state abortion and have my kids in school full-time and back to normal than have easy access to abortion but have schools shut.

News Flash. Texas is not “normal.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re the one depriving them of their childhood. There’s no need for that level of isolation unless they’re truly medically fragile.

Yep! I wish people would understand. We have the vaccine. There is no magic pill in sight to reduce the risk even further. It’s on you if your kid isn’t hanging out with others

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s better that way. They won’t know what they’re missing. Try having a kid on their third covid-affected year at college. Imagine finally reaching freedom only to encounter more restrictions than anyone could ever imagine. The whole thing has been a nightmare and a waste of money and time that they can never repeat.

My kid had a pretty normal year at Bama. I was initially resistant to the south but it was the best decision for these times although we couldn’t have predicted it.

This made me laugh out loud. There is absolutely nothing normal at Bama. Most people would choose covid restrictions over a place that accepts racism, The Machine, and zero sense of social responsibility as normal.

[Anonymous]

Why? Do you not look at covid data for children?

[Anonymous]

Some things are out of your control, OP-- new variants, rules for entry and capacity in public places-- but what you do in your own home and with your own kids is your choice, and you don't owe us or anyone an explanation of what you do.

All choices have risks and benefits. We saw this before covid. (If you're a fan of Lenore Skenazy like I am, you've always been of the opinion that some of the things we do to keep our kids "safe" actually doesn't.) Now add that special sauce of "societal shaming and calling you a potential superspreader if you dare not follow the rules" (often done by someone who secretly flouts a few of the rules themselves but wants others to follow so they'll be safe) and it's hard to remember that the only measure of good health in our society is not the current number of covid cases.

I'm of the opinion that the future will be a better place if we prioritize giving our kids a childhood. I've been doing it ever since it became clear just how little a danger healthy children face from covid-- and that when they spread it, it doesn't seem like they do so with a homicidal viral load. (Anybody here who caught their covid from a child, can you back me up on this? Or who knows of studies where a child was patient 1? I don't see a lot of evidence that children are lethal spreaders of covid.) We're not throwing huge unmasked parties, but each of my kids has a best friend who is welcome for sleepovers and playdates. As long as things are open we are doing regular kid stuff.

And yes, I have the same worries as you, OP, about new variants and how they may affect children and evade the vaccine. But (and this is going to get dark) I'm sure we all have had those moments in life that make us face our own mortality. A sibling dying, or a high school classmate, a parent, or a colleague, or a friend. We do all that we can to prevent death and suffering, but we also need to do all we can to promote joyful living. Because if-- God forbid-- one of us were to perish in the near future, we wouldn't want to do so with the regret that we were just sitting life out, waiting for the danger to pass so that we could resume living. And we need to stop trying to put out each other's sparks out of fear that they might light us all on fire.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just getting to the point where I was thinking about allowing indoor play dates again. Maybe a small birthday party for my winter birthday kids. My oldest is 12 and fully vaccinated, my younger two have had the first dose. I was thinking after they were fully vaccinated we would try to return to more normalcy with friends. Now this news of a new variant and possible restrictions coming. I am so down and feeling a little hopeless. They miss their friends, normal childhood play, sleepovers. We are cautious and want to protect them and also prevent spread. But I feel like this will consume our lives for a long time and it is so depressing.

Your kids haven't been indoors with friends since March 2020???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just getting to the point where I was thinking about allowing indoor play dates again. Maybe a small birthday party for my winter birthday kids. My oldest is 12 and fully vaccinated, my younger two have had the first dose. I was thinking after they were fully vaccinated we would try to return to more normalcy with friends. Now this news of a new variant and possible restrictions coming. I am so down and feeling a little hopeless. They miss their friends, normal childhood play, sleepovers. We are cautious and want to protect them and also prevent spread. But I feel like this will consume our lives for a long time and it is so depressing.

So because there was a variant detected in South Africa that has been confirmed to be mild, your kids (who are beyond low risk if they're healthy) aren't living a normal life? Please rethink this approach...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? Do you not look at covid data for children?

+1!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just getting to the point where I was thinking about allowing indoor play dates again. Maybe a small birthday party for my winter birthday kids. My oldest is 12 and fully vaccinated, my younger two have had the first dose. I was thinking after they were fully vaccinated we would try to return to more normalcy with friends. Now this news of a new variant and possible restrictions coming. I am so down and feeling a little hopeless. They miss their friends, normal childhood play, sleepovers. We are cautious and want to protect them and also prevent spread. But I feel like this will consume our lives for a long time and it is so depressing.

So because there was a variant detected in South Africa that has been confirmed to be mild, your kids (who are beyond low risk if they're healthy) aren't living a normal life? Please rethink this approach...

Actually it hasn't been confirmed to be mild but keep telling yourself that. However, these kids have a normal childhood so this conversation is silly. Their child is 12 and back to school in person so that is far riskier than most other things given how large middle school is and the lack of distancing.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but this is abusive to your kids. And not grounded in science.

[Anonymous]

We have been mostly normal since the summer. Im sick of masking and upset that this new variant means we will have to mask another year.
At some point you have to get on with life. I grew up for a period of time in a war zone and life was actually pretty normal as most people accepted the higher risk and decided that life has to be lived.

[Anonymous]

Time to do something about it! You know it’s not healthy and ok to keep your kids from socializing. Seek the help you need to cope with covid anxiety. In 15 yrs you do not want to have adults on your hands who still can’t cope all because you traded their social well being away to lessen the risk of this virus. You’re realizing it, so now it’s time to act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just getting to the point where I was thinking about allowing indoor play dates again. Maybe a small birthday party for my winter birthday kids. My oldest is 12 and fully vaccinated, my younger two have had the first dose. I was thinking after they were fully vaccinated we would try to return to more normalcy with friends. Now this news of a new variant and possible restrictions coming. I am so down and feeling a little hopeless. They miss their friends, normal childhood play, sleepovers. We are cautious and want to protect them and also prevent spread. But I feel like this will consume our lives for a long time and it is so depressing.

Your kids haven't been indoors with friends since March 2020???

DP. Not outside school and a family we podded with on vacations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just getting to the point where I was thinking about allowing indoor play dates again. Maybe a small birthday party for my winter birthday kids. My oldest is 12 and fully vaccinated, my younger two have had the first dose. I was thinking after they were fully vaccinated we would try to return to more normalcy with friends. Now this news of a new variant and possible restrictions coming. I am so down and feeling a little hopeless. They miss their friends, normal childhood play, sleepovers. We are cautious and want to protect them and also prevent spread. But I feel like this will consume our lives for a long time and it is so depressing.

Your kids haven't been indoors with friends since March 2020???

DP. Not outside school and a family we podded with on vacations.

School is indoors. And, so are pods. Don’t pretend you have not been indoors with friends when you do.