Arfie - Heard on the news yesterday that most of western Europe's schools were never closed, and the kids attended in-person classes without issue to the children and teachers. So I think there are examples of classrooms in Covid out there. Children do not seem to get infected or pass it on. No one knows why. Maybe we should base our vaccines on a bunch of kids.

Thank you for the socially distant news report, Thor. Children never were at risk from COVID. Mortality rates are still not significant for persons under the age of 65. Alas, I live in the US and the marshal law applies to all, indiscriminately.

Still looking for feedback from people who actually live with children under the current dynamics of Coronaville.

I have had to be more cautious due to an autoimmune disease, but I try not to live in fear and pass it on to my child.

What I have seen my son (who is 8):
-- when we get to a store, he grabs the handkerchief out of my purse without me mentioning it. He has even reminded me when I have forgotten it.
-- he began to ask a lot more about death..... like 'is he dead' when sees someone on tv, etc
-- he immediately grabs a wipe to wash his hands and cart as we enter and leave Walmart
-- I think not having a friend come play has been the toughest, but we try to fill in best we can
-- he has missed going to church and asks if we are going (we haven't been going because a church member has covid currently)
-- I have enrolled him in some zoom courses which has helped getting him connected to others... kind of. He looks forward to them, at least!
-- he asks about the "sickness" and has taken our temperatures a few times (which I let him)
-- he has asked a few times about school.... there is uncertainty about when starting, etc.

I don't know. It is a weird, weird time to grow up in. If only it were the "good old days." Sigh......

Thank you, Bluejay. There are tears of hope rolling from my eyes. Just hoping. . . Priceless as your response is, two people are not a village.

The weirds of being isolated with the launch of my second parenting career have been? ? ? Weird beyond words. . . My fellow senior citizens have abandoned us with a callousness that is stunning. I've had to silence several of them for telling these orphans that they are hazardous to the health of the only door open in their lives. If I can't keep these children out of the foster care system, I will happily die trying. Yes, I am of the age where the COVID mortality rate rises, but I still have more faith in my immune system than the media hype and marshal law.

We were socially marginalized among the local parent circles by virtue of being the *new kids on the block*, our age and the absence of Mommy and Daddy. We still don't know WTF a play date is, much less how to parent by Apps and social media.

To trade notes:
--I am still having PTSD flashbacks to medical trauma when I see a surgical mask. The children seem to be learning my mask phobia.
--My foster charges were still grieving the recent deaths of their parents when their world was pulled out from under them. Death was already hot topic on-board our little ship of fools.
--Way back when the 7 year old was 6, we caught him using antiseptic with intensity that put us in fear of his over-dosing on it. We put all antiseptics out of reach of children.
--His family only birthday party was fun for all, but was fighting tears when he attempted to tell the visiting social worker about the party.
--The still open court cases involved with these children has called for intensive use of social media. I don't believe the current approach makes for clear distinction between judges, teachers or any of the other members of the adult hierarchy. A grown-up is a grown-up.
--We have attempted to broach the subject of school. Ours has been set to start on Aug 3 and the 4 year-old is supposed to start pre-k. The attempts to talk about school have been met with thunderous silence. The school district has asked us to assure them there will be smiles under the masks hovering over their heads. We have yet to get the subject far enough for such aesthetics.

Weird times, indeed. Children seem to have disappeared from our local scenes. Where have all the children gone? Does the human species still have a future?

I am so sorry.... there comes a point that when a child needs a hug, you just hug them. They are tender, forming, growing, and in your case.... healing. They are in such good hands with you and your husband.

To know your peers (or friends?) have been scared to the point of seeing a child as a threat (rather than the child as a CHILD) is heartbreaking.

I am really trying to figure out if I should homeschool this year.... just to provide the stability, expectations that won't change weekly, and the freedom to be mask free for him. I am strongly leaning towards it. The next couple of weeks will be my jumping point.

It's hard to provide a stable presence when the future is so unknown. If not us though, who will?

I am a far more qualified engineer than teacher. I salute teachers with far more sincerity than I have ever saluted generals without dishonor to my own military service.

Still. . . Social instability is a huge challenge to even the greatest of teachers and these children are already grieving on too many levels. It feels far safer to stay socially marginalized than to risk having the proverbial rug pulled out from under us AGAIN.

I do feel like I'm picking poisons. . . Or am I shooting craps? ? ?

The bright side of being abandoned my age peers is I don't have to listen to their latest medical tales any more. Those started getting tedious around the time that I started receiving age-related testing junk mail/spam. I'd far rather die hugging a child than kissing a mask.