Bc it is their mental health. They need to be in school, learning, being social, enjoying time with friends and being kids.
You didn’t read the tweet or comments? School may be part of the struggle. But remember the same kids we say need to be in school for their mental health are the ones walking out in protest because they don’t feel safe and want remote until they can be safe.
Exactly. I sometimes think this boils down to the parents
NEEDING baby sitting services, their child’s health be damned!
My boys are older so “babysitting” is not the reason my boys are in school. They are in school because they get a far better education there than sitting at home on a computer. The protocols they have in place have proven to work and the spread of COVID has not been what others may perceive it to be. My son plays basketball on the middle school team and masks are worn by all players and fans. We’ve had zero COVID issues with our team or any other team we have played. Perhaps we have just been lucky.
I do believe that remote can work for some kids as well and it should be an option. But I also don’t want to be labeled as someone who doesn’t care about my kids’ health so that is why I send them to school. As a parent who is in the thick of it with school and sports I can assure you that everyone takes COVID serious but we have also found a way to live with it.
Thank you, Sue. Always nice to see you here. I agree re sports. I think in many cases they are targeted because school boards who should have control have had it taken from them. Sports are their only option
I can’t agree with the huge numbers of positives in the past few weeks being even close to safe. Remember, I’m not nor have I once this school year argued for full remote. We know the very real risk of long covid. And there is another, less prevalent but still worrisome, side effect from covid in kids. But we also know that education is far from quality with the Number of teachers out and the lack of subs.
This may not be the case in one persons school and I appreciate that. But it would be in the minority. I have next to no skin in the game since five of my six grandkids are homeschooled this year. And I can say with absolutely accuracy that they are ahead of their peers in school. That is from the still very involved staff in their schools. As you know, this applied to last year for all six grandkids when using remote zoom.
But I don’t need skin in the game to know that not having a remote option is absolutely wrong. That cannot be argued. It is wrong. The quote above on having to choose between health and education says it all. The article on what many schools are using for subs cements it.
Not in my daughter’s school. It has been rampant.
I will always disagree with those that think schools
should be open, covid be damned.
Remote learning can work if set up properly.
BUT, no one took the time to have that all in place for what we all knew was coming. Far better to bury our heads in the sand.
If our children were school age we would be doing home schooling as both my wife and I are qualified to do so. I understand not all parents are so qualified. Then the remote learning is a workable solution.
Sue I’m interested to know what your school protocols are. I know it didn’t handle remote well but perhaps it has some practices other schools can incorporate
I know your school has had a large number of positives. Not the highest but closer than can be considered comfortable and only slightly higher than the two here where my grands attend. But both are struggling with consistency of education and admins are openly stating this is not sustainable.
Also I want to say that no one could ever ever accuse you of not caring about the health of your kids. But sadly, there are some that applies to
A few thoughts here:
I think a lot of folks love the idea of having a baby but not so much the idea of having a KID. Culture still says, “You grow up, you get married, you have kids. Any deviation is weird.”
For working parents, especially ones that can’t stay home school does take care of the “babysitting” aspect.
Teachers are FAR underpaid and under appreciated.
As a retail worker, I always despised parents that bring their obviously sick kid to run errands on their “day off.”
“As we write in the piece, we should not be forced to choose between children’s education and the health and safety of the educators providing it. Instead, we demand a reset of federal COVID policies”
I’d add the health and safety of the children as well as educators
Oklahoma state employees can keep their jobs and still substitute as teachers.
There is a lot more re who is now teaching our kids in the article. Is this the quality education that was once used as the excuse to keep schools open. Although, the reasons surprisingly change as each is discredited. And please please please do not take that as a discredit to the very many teachers working against all odds to do what is best for the kids they care deeply for
I am sorry, but this country has gone to the DOGS!
I am fed up. My daughter now doesn’t feel well. She had a rapid test yesterday that was neg and a PCR test for which she does not have the results.
This covid crap is NOT being handled properly at all.
Could NOT agree with you more. If we want to fix at least one aspect of Covid, we close restaurants to diners and close bars completely. Yes I know that hurts their business, but honestly, wouldn’t you rather we cut down on unmasked, willfully unvaxed folks for awhile rather than this constant state of flux?
YES!!!!
As a kid, Gen X in the 80s, I would have LOVED schooling at home (provided shit worked correctly). I hated being around other kids…I was shy, occasionally bullied and just worked better on my own rather than as a group. Plus my dad was immunocompromised so it might have been safer for him.
My youngest felt the same way. She hated school. One of hers might opt to remain home schooled. Her youngest wants badly to go to school. As the only one of the three who would have loved preschool, she was the one who missed out on it.
For me, school was a social experience. No one could have convinced me I was there to learn. And as I think of it, that is odd. I was basically an introvert when younger and had little self confidence
JPD. Keeping positive thoughts and prayers for your daughter.
Joshua, have you seen data on long covid for folks who have covid more than once? I wonder if the chance of it increases or if it just doesn’t make a difference
I don’t know, unfortunately.
Thank you.
U.S. numbers yesterday, still very, very bad. Note, deaths at 3,404. Hospitalizations keep rising. Growth in hospitalizations has slowed, but as I noted earlier this week the numbers continue to increase. https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1483979500564140033
Good news on MA wastewater as it has resumed its downward trend.
Please note, however, this could be a temporary phenomenon. UK cases have risen 3 straight days, as have cases in France (exploded), Austria, Sweden, and several other countries. Don’t assume that because cases are declining in MA, NY, CT that this will continue.
Ok – totally personal favor. I’d like to take a brutally honest straw poll here as I feel like this group is incredibly sensible and well balanced in opinions re: risk mitigation.
For Christmas I gave my 11 year old son a trip to Disneyworld – which is scheduled for mid march. I’m on the fence – but now leaning more towards canceling the trip as it seems like it might be a foolish risk to take right now as even when omicron starts to subside it seemingly doesn’t fully retreat yet.
Of course my son will be disappointed but even though we are both fully vaccinated the fear of acquiring long covid kind of stops me in my tracks. Or even fear of getting stuck in isolation if we trst positive in Florida…,
Thoughts/advice?
I would wait until at least the summer.
We had all planned to go last summer and postponed till this summer. Most of us will postpone again One daughter still on the fence. The other daughter hoping to drive to Charleston in April.
If you have any questions either would be happy to talk to you. I keep telling them they should be Disney agents.
Not fair for me to answer as I always err on the side of caution when it comes to covid.
It “may” be better in March, but I wouldn’t count on it. I’d reschedule till a later date
Thanks to all for input – pretty much what I expected and it gives me support in my decision to postpone the trip.
You probably know this, but Disney is awesome about postponing. Also, in summer you may get the free meal plan deal. I don’t know much about it but both daughters do.
Thanks Vicki! But I’m thinking we will push it to 2023 – I’m super nervous about rebooking any time soon!
We did the same It just doesn’t make sense right now. My youngest has everything set up for Charleston so it can be cancelled within a matter of days also.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but why hasn’t Biden given a formal “State of the Union” address to the nation? He needs to formerly address the nation and Congress together, not that one year anniversary press conference of yesterday. What a BOREFEST!!!
I certainly have NO love for Trump whatsoever but sometimes I wonder…especially with regard to the virus.
I am not happy with the way Biden is handling virtually everything. However he beats the hell out of the orange menace!!
I really support his infrastructure plan. But thanks to the members of the far rights attempt to destroy our country, he won’t get anything passed
Globe header
COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts
The U.S. confirmed its first Covid-19 case two years ago today! 🙁
I think Biden will be doing a State of the Union address soon. It’s usually in late January. Perhaps this year it’ll be in February.
I am shocked at the lack of cooperation on voting rights. Also very surprised at the reluctance of a number of moderate Democrats to even do a slimmed down version of Build Back Better. Just to name one thing, diabetics in this country are screwed by pharma and the insurance industry, to their detriment. We need price reform of some kind.
Regarding travel, I will be going to London in March, despite the ongoing pandemic, which I do think will be lessening in impact by then (you know the caveats, so I won’t repeat them). There will be restrictions in place, or at least a number of things I’ll need to do, including multiple tests and passenger locator forms. But, I will do it, as otherwise I won’t be able to see my daughter. It’s already been 5 months since my last trip. I didn’t see her at all in 2020. My son didn’t see his Mom for 15 months. And so, I regard these trips as essential. Certainly not risk-free or hassle-free.
Joshua I can imagine how difficult this has been. I’m glad you will make the trip in March.
I was just talking to my daughter about that with the trip planned for charleston. The house they will rent has strict covid policies. They will test when they leave and when they arrive so hopefully they don’t being anything back. All will be fully vaccinated.
Disney is a different animal I think.
I felt the same for Christmas. It has been over two years since we had been together as just a family. I’m blessed to see both girls and their children. It is not seeing my son and his family that is the one part of this that breaks my heart.
I will say the grandkids have found u inquest ways to “see each other” during this. The two eight year old boys spend time on FaceTime and also playing fortnight. Because they are separated by a state, they are closer now than they would otherwise be. The three grandkids here have gotten much closer as siblings.
Joshua, it sounds as though UK day 2 testing for UK arrivals will end soon. The requirement to test before flying to the UK has already ended.
England’s Plan b, which involves working from home if possible and mandatory making should end even sooner. Children over 11 were allowed to stop wearing masks in school starting this week. This is all supposedly about learning to live with the virus.
We have a ten day trip to Grenada in the Caribbean booked for March. We’re staying in a cottage on the beach and thing should be quite outdoorsy. We’re buying travel insurance for the first time.
I saw the UKs learning to live with the virus plan. It is when I commented the world has gone crazy.
IMO…is it a way to cover up the horrific mistakes made by allowing kids especially to be infected.
Thanks TK.
It is truly sad that folks use children’s mental health as an excuse to keep kids in school. The comments are well worth reading
https://twitter.com/evanblake17/status/1483861562121146385?s=21
Bc it is their mental health. They need to be in school, learning, being social, enjoying time with friends and being kids.
You didn’t read the tweet or comments? School may be part of the struggle. But remember the same kids we say need to be in school for their mental health are the ones walking out in protest because they don’t feel safe and want remote until they can be safe.
Exactly. I sometimes think this boils down to the parents
NEEDING baby sitting services, their child’s health be damned!
My boys are older so “babysitting” is not the reason my boys are in school. They are in school because they get a far better education there than sitting at home on a computer. The protocols they have in place have proven to work and the spread of COVID has not been what others may perceive it to be. My son plays basketball on the middle school team and masks are worn by all players and fans. We’ve had zero COVID issues with our team or any other team we have played. Perhaps we have just been lucky.
I do believe that remote can work for some kids as well and it should be an option. But I also don’t want to be labeled as someone who doesn’t care about my kids’ health so that is why I send them to school. As a parent who is in the thick of it with school and sports I can assure you that everyone takes COVID serious but we have also found a way to live with it.
Thank you, Sue. Always nice to see you here. I agree re sports. I think in many cases they are targeted because school boards who should have control have had it taken from them. Sports are their only option
I can’t agree with the huge numbers of positives in the past few weeks being even close to safe. Remember, I’m not nor have I once this school year argued for full remote. We know the very real risk of long covid. And there is another, less prevalent but still worrisome, side effect from covid in kids. But we also know that education is far from quality with the Number of teachers out and the lack of subs.
This may not be the case in one persons school and I appreciate that. But it would be in the minority. I have next to no skin in the game since five of my six grandkids are homeschooled this year. And I can say with absolutely accuracy that they are ahead of their peers in school. That is from the still very involved staff in their schools. As you know, this applied to last year for all six grandkids when using remote zoom.
But I don’t need skin in the game to know that not having a remote option is absolutely wrong. That cannot be argued. It is wrong. The quote above on having to choose between health and education says it all. The article on what many schools are using for subs cements it.
Not in my daughter’s school. It has been rampant.
I will always disagree with those that think schools
should be open, covid be damned.
Remote learning can work if set up properly.
BUT, no one took the time to have that all in place for what we all knew was coming. Far better to bury our heads in the sand.
If our children were school age we would be doing home schooling as both my wife and I are qualified to do so. I understand not all parents are so qualified. Then the remote learning is a workable solution.
Sue I’m interested to know what your school protocols are. I know it didn’t handle remote well but perhaps it has some practices other schools can incorporate
I know your school has had a large number of positives. Not the highest but closer than can be considered comfortable and only slightly higher than the two here where my grands attend. But both are struggling with consistency of education and admins are openly stating this is not sustainable.
Also I want to say that no one could ever ever accuse you of not caring about the health of your kids. But sadly, there are some that applies to
A few thoughts here:
I think a lot of folks love the idea of having a baby but not so much the idea of having a KID. Culture still says, “You grow up, you get married, you have kids. Any deviation is weird.”
For working parents, especially ones that can’t stay home school does take care of the “babysitting” aspect.
Teachers are FAR underpaid and under appreciated.
As a retail worker, I always despised parents that bring their obviously sick kid to run errands on their “day off.”
Again. YES!
https://twitter.com/courtneyboen/status/1483844636942737413?s=21
“As we write in the piece, we should not be forced to choose between children’s education and the health and safety of the educators providing it. Instead, we demand a reset of federal COVID policies”
I’d add the health and safety of the children as well as educators
Oklahoma state employees can keep their jobs and still substitute as teachers.
There is a lot more re who is now teaching our kids in the article. Is this the quality education that was once used as the excuse to keep schools open. Although, the reasons surprisingly change as each is discredited. And please please please do not take that as a discredit to the very many teachers working against all odds to do what is best for the kids they care deeply for
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/19/1074109355/oklahoma-substitute-teachers-shortage-state-employees
I am sorry, but this country has gone to the DOGS!
I am fed up. My daughter now doesn’t feel well. She had a rapid test yesterday that was neg and a PCR test for which she does not have the results.
This covid crap is NOT being handled properly at all.
Could NOT agree with you more. If we want to fix at least one aspect of Covid, we close restaurants to diners and close bars completely. Yes I know that hurts their business, but honestly, wouldn’t you rather we cut down on unmasked, willfully unvaxed folks for awhile rather than this constant state of flux?
YES!!!!
As a kid, Gen X in the 80s, I would have LOVED schooling at home (provided shit worked correctly). I hated being around other kids…I was shy, occasionally bullied and just worked better on my own rather than as a group. Plus my dad was immunocompromised so it might have been safer for him.
My youngest felt the same way. She hated school. One of hers might opt to remain home schooled. Her youngest wants badly to go to school. As the only one of the three who would have loved preschool, she was the one who missed out on it.
For me, school was a social experience. No one could have convinced me I was there to learn. And as I think of it, that is odd. I was basically an introvert when younger and had little self confidence
JPD. Keeping positive thoughts and prayers for your daughter.
Joshua, have you seen data on long covid for folks who have covid more than once? I wonder if the chance of it increases or if it just doesn’t make a difference
I don’t know, unfortunately.
Thank you.
U.S. numbers yesterday, still very, very bad. Note, deaths at 3,404. Hospitalizations keep rising. Growth in hospitalizations has slowed, but as I noted earlier this week the numbers continue to increase. https://twitter.com/BNODesk/status/1483979500564140033
Good news on MA wastewater as it has resumed its downward trend.
Please note, however, this could be a temporary phenomenon. UK cases have risen 3 straight days, as have cases in France (exploded), Austria, Sweden, and several other countries. Don’t assume that because cases are declining in MA, NY, CT that this will continue.
Ok – totally personal favor. I’d like to take a brutally honest straw poll here as I feel like this group is incredibly sensible and well balanced in opinions re: risk mitigation.
For Christmas I gave my 11 year old son a trip to Disneyworld – which is scheduled for mid march. I’m on the fence – but now leaning more towards canceling the trip as it seems like it might be a foolish risk to take right now as even when omicron starts to subside it seemingly doesn’t fully retreat yet.
Of course my son will be disappointed but even though we are both fully vaccinated the fear of acquiring long covid kind of stops me in my tracks. Or even fear of getting stuck in isolation if we trst positive in Florida…,
Thoughts/advice?
I would wait until at least the summer.
We had all planned to go last summer and postponed till this summer. Most of us will postpone again One daughter still on the fence. The other daughter hoping to drive to Charleston in April.
If you have any questions either would be happy to talk to you. I keep telling them they should be Disney agents.
Not fair for me to answer as I always err on the side of caution when it comes to covid.
It “may” be better in March, but I wouldn’t count on it. I’d reschedule till a later date
Thanks to all for input – pretty much what I expected and it gives me support in my decision to postpone the trip.
You probably know this, but Disney is awesome about postponing. Also, in summer you may get the free meal plan deal. I don’t know much about it but both daughters do.
Thanks Vicki! But I’m thinking we will push it to 2023 – I’m super nervous about rebooking any time soon!
We did the same It just doesn’t make sense right now. My youngest has everything set up for Charleston so it can be cancelled within a matter of days also.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but why hasn’t Biden given a formal “State of the Union” address to the nation? He needs to formerly address the nation and Congress together, not that one year anniversary press conference of yesterday. What a BOREFEST!!!
I certainly have NO love for Trump whatsoever but sometimes I wonder…especially with regard to the virus.
I am not happy with the way Biden is handling virtually everything. However he beats the hell out of the orange menace!!
I really support his infrastructure plan. But thanks to the members of the far rights attempt to destroy our country, he won’t get anything passed
Globe header
COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts
The U.S. confirmed its first Covid-19 case two years ago today! 🙁
I think Biden will be doing a State of the Union address soon. It’s usually in late January. Perhaps this year it’ll be in February.
I am shocked at the lack of cooperation on voting rights. Also very surprised at the reluctance of a number of moderate Democrats to even do a slimmed down version of Build Back Better. Just to name one thing, diabetics in this country are screwed by pharma and the insurance industry, to their detriment. We need price reform of some kind.
Regarding travel, I will be going to London in March, despite the ongoing pandemic, which I do think will be lessening in impact by then (you know the caveats, so I won’t repeat them). There will be restrictions in place, or at least a number of things I’ll need to do, including multiple tests and passenger locator forms. But, I will do it, as otherwise I won’t be able to see my daughter. It’s already been 5 months since my last trip. I didn’t see her at all in 2020. My son didn’t see his Mom for 15 months. And so, I regard these trips as essential. Certainly not risk-free or hassle-free.
Joshua I can imagine how difficult this has been. I’m glad you will make the trip in March.
I was just talking to my daughter about that with the trip planned for charleston. The house they will rent has strict covid policies. They will test when they leave and when they arrive so hopefully they don’t being anything back. All will be fully vaccinated.
Disney is a different animal I think.
I felt the same for Christmas. It has been over two years since we had been together as just a family. I’m blessed to see both girls and their children. It is not seeing my son and his family that is the one part of this that breaks my heart.
I will say the grandkids have found u inquest ways to “see each other” during this. The two eight year old boys spend time on FaceTime and also playing fortnight. Because they are separated by a state, they are closer now than they would otherwise be. The three grandkids here have gotten much closer as siblings.
Joshua, it sounds as though UK day 2 testing for UK arrivals will end soon. The requirement to test before flying to the UK has already ended.
England’s Plan b, which involves working from home if possible and mandatory making should end even sooner. Children over 11 were allowed to stop wearing masks in school starting this week. This is all supposedly about learning to live with the virus.
We have a ten day trip to Grenada in the Caribbean booked for March. We’re staying in a cottage on the beach and thing should be quite outdoorsy. We’re buying travel insurance for the first time.
I saw the UKs learning to live with the virus plan. It is when I commented the world has gone crazy.
IMO…is it a way to cover up the horrific mistakes made by allowing kids especially to be infected.
MA numbers are not pretty. Sure, cases are declining along with test positivity (good), but the other numbers are quite dreadful. 86 deaths reported today; nearly 500 in ICU. Omicron ain’t mild. It’s less severe, but it’s killing a lot of people and hospitalizing many more. https://www.boston.com/news/coronavirus/2022/01/20/mass-reports-14384-new-covid-19-cases-86-new-deaths/?p1=hp_featurestack
C-19 for 1-21 is ready.