They are taking precautions but I'm not sure what all that entails so I'm sending over an email to get that info. I don't know the families, but my/my son's therapist does and she loves them (I respect her opinion and she is taking COVID seriously so that's a good sign). It's so hard balancing between physical safety (not getting COVID) and emotional wellness (school and socializing). I think we'll likely do it, but I'm super nervous about it and my wife would like to push it out. Ugh.

And absolutely no judgement for anyone who has sent their kids back to school/daycare/etc for whatever reason. We recognize that we are in a privileged position to be able to keep them home.

It sounds like it's more or less the least-bad option available. Can you talk to the parents about "community norms" around risky behavior.

We've had to make the decision to send Oliver back to school (blended, part in-person, part virtual) because they are failing. I honestly feel like the biggest community spread isn't necessarily inside the schools but what families decide to do outside.

Owen is going all-online for the rest of the year, but it will be a more structured program of online participation.

Looking back, I wish I had pulled them out completely and home-schooled, but I don't think I could have pulled it off with both of us working.

Of course all of this is going to happen at the end of January--so we'll see what the fallout is after the holidays. Everything could change. The point of all of it is that you have to be prepared to make changes and adapt to the situation on the ground and do what's best for you family. I wish more people had the flexibility and resources to do that.

I’ve had ltc back in school this year because both her mental health and my own mental health were really suffering after 6 months of being home together. I worry every day that I made the wrong decision, but it seemed to be the least bad option.

There is just no perfect answer. We're probably going to send him and have that be the only COVID risk we are taking. I feel like if we don't, he'll have to repeat second grade and while that's certainly not the end of the world, I know it would make him spiral. Fucking COVID, fucking Trump, fucking 2020.

That seems entirely reasonable to me, Glam. Good luck -- I hope it's a good fit for him.

Yeah, I say talk to the other families and see if there’s anything big that strikes you as not ok safety wise other than school, and then decide, but sounds like it would be helpful? On the other hand, I have a friend in NC who is a hospitalist at a children’s hospital who said the system is so swamped they’re about to have to start treating adult patients too, which is scary.

Glam, that seems very reasonable. School and doctors appointments are our only risks right now. ltc wears a mask all day at school. Do you know if this pod is doing that?

Did everyone see the Google Doodle today? It's beautiful.