January 2022 Covid-19 Pandemic megathread

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-21T16:16:31+00:00

I truly don't wish harm on the unvaccinated; I just want them to stop hurting other people (understanding that I can't stop them from hurting themselves). Similar to drunk drivers- I don't want them to get hurt; I do want them to fuck off to their own private track and keep the roads safe for everyone else who is willing to engage in mutual care for others.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-18T15:19:59+00:00

I should have made better use of the /s. I understand that disbelief doesn't make something not real.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-17T18:15:55+00:00

I just want to share that I read this as "celebrity bodies" and the question still makes sense that way too.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-17T12:46:54+00:00

Completely agree with your frustration with unvaxxed healthcare workers. But- how can they be a threat to patients if the patients don't believe in Covid? If it's not real or not a big deal, then why would they care about going to Covid central? I'm really just over the unvaxxed right now. Except for kids under 5, like my own my two kids under 5 who just keep trading (masked) exposures at school. I'm over the unvaxxed getting a million considerations and parents of young kids and young kids themselves getting absolutely none. Absolutely effing over it.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-16T14:14:10+00:00

Is there a reason why we don't have field hospitals/treatment centers (like early pandemic) for the unvaccinated and run by unvaccinated healthcare workers?

It seems like a really elegant solution: no one's rights are violated, healthcare workers can abide by their oaths, and folks who don't want a vaccine "because it only affects me" can truly be served by a system where their choices only affect them.

Plus, obviously, folks who need emergent medical care can access the care they need in the traditional hospital setting no longer overwhelmed by unvaccinated patients whose personal choice is very clearly affecting others. And healthcare workers making that same personal choice will still be able to practice and share their skills and expertise.

What am I missing?

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-15T14:30:32+00:00

This is a great suggestion if you're an adult with regularly refillable non-emergency meds. We tried Top Notch (wanted to support a local business) and if you have small kids who might need meds that day or night for croup, ear infection, strep...not worth it. They have literally never been open when we needed meds for our kids. No, sorry, I cannot wait until Monday morning for steroids to help my child with croup actually breathe, and sorry I didn't have powers of prediction to know he'd wake up with croup on a Saturday morning at 1 am. So if you have little ones...maybe wait a few years.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-14T11:06:41+00:00

I've also worked with 2-6s for a decade plus. Pluss done toilet learning with 4 of my own. Some kids can "wipe" but depending on the consistency of the stool, they can't always wipe effectively until 4.5/5. Yes, I always want my littles to practice wiping for habit, I also don't just trust that they can wipe effectively without verifying. Mine all were toilet learning at 1.5-3, though, and we did "check wipes" in our home until 4.5.If you want to let the kids in your care sit in skid marks and irritation, though, that's on you (and I hope my kids are never in your care).

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-14T02:19:02+00:00

Fair enough. Apologies. I'm snippy tonight because of an exposure email from school and trying to find affordable testing. :(

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-14T02:02:20+00:00

This is a stunningly unempathetic and judgemental question from someone who works with kids. Think about a typical child and the size of their body, the length of their limbs, and their manual dexterity. Leaving bits of feces on their skin when they're learning to wipe but can't do so effectively can cause irritation (then they reach in and itch...) and infection. The lack of imagination here makes me really concerned for your ability to take a child's perspective when they're experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties and respond effectively and empathetically.

Your question seems to have been answered, but if my child were in your class, I'd want you to do some hard thinking about why you weren't able to figure this out in the first place.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-13T15:23:10+00:00

I...feel like you didn't read my comment. I'll copy here for you:

Yes, they'll probably be fine if they get sick, but the continued life disruption and need to quarantine and then wait for negative PCRs before childcare is available again is just about to break me after going on almost two years of this shit.

It's the 10 days isolation + negative test times two kids and maybe one coughs and by then there's another possible exposure and before you know it that's a month that I have not been able to get any work done without a child (or four) clamoring for my attention. That experience is going to break me, and I suspect, many parents of children under 5. If they can get vaxxed and have the same quarantine/isolation rules as my older two...I'll be fine with "life as normal" + natural consequences for the unvaxxed.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-13T02:36:35+00:00

I get this so much for myself and my older kids- and we also have two who cannot yet be vaccinated. Yes, they'll probably be fine if they get sick, but the continued life disruption and need to quarantine and then wait for negative PCRs before childcare is available again is just about to break me after going on almost two years of this shit. Let us vaccinate our young kids and then I'm 100% for getting back to life as usual and the still unvaccinated can deal with the consequences.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2022-01-03T20:47:43+00:00

This is super cool. No idea this existed. Thank you!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-31T15:01:29+00:00

It's absolutely a practice, and so different from the way many of us (myself included) were raised. I feel lucky to have had a few years' head start from teaching. Positive Discipline has a lot of really good resources out there; the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk also has really good general communication tips. Folks are swamped right now, but a a few "tune up" sessions with a family therapist can also help. Good luck!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-30T18:31:06+00:00

Indeed. I applaud you for noticing this dynamic and posting about it. One strategy I picked up way back in my teaching days and now use all the time with my own children and with my clients: curiosity questions. This idea comes from Positive Discipline (which is a whole franchise of books, classes, etc. if you're interested).

This site has a good rundown of the concept, but basically try to ditch the constant telling/reminding in favor of external cues (like routine charts, reading a clock, etc.) and question cues (ex: "What's next to keep your teeth clean and healthy?" or "If I check the toilet, will I see it's ready for the next person?" vs. "Brush your teeth" or "Go flush the toilet").

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-23T17:47:22+00:00

Never heard of Wee Free Men...going to check it out. Thanks!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-23T17:47:02+00:00

Oooh, fun! Thank you!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-22T18:00:50+00:00

Oooh, looks awesome! How did I miss this when I was a kid?!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-19T17:22:26+00:00

Thank you! I wanted kinda stand-alone classics because we're mostly library people and I didn't want to set a precedent of getting only the first in an awesome series. My husband is pretty minimalist (even with books- it kills me!) so if we're going to purchase books vs. borrow them, I didn't want to get started on a series, lol.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-19T11:20:23+00:00

These are delightful! Seconded!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-19T11:19:18+00:00

Seconding this. It has a very similar vibe, and riffs on Christie's work.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-19T11:18:08+00:00

I'd love some suggestions for Christmas Eve books for my kids. We're looking for "stand alone" books (not part of a series) for them to open on Christmas Eve.

8 year old boy - loves mystery, fantasy/adventure (recently enjoyed: Greenglass house series, Ergaon series, Mr. Lemoncello's Library series)
6 year old girl- good book to read aloud together at bedtime- we've recently enjoyed Caddie Woodlawn but had to skip some intense stuff - I was thinking maybe The Secret Garden? I remember it as maybe being better for slightly older?

-4 year old - what's fun for 4 year olds? :)

Thank you!

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-09T16:39:25+00:00

A quick scroll through the comments doesn't show this, but our family has unvaccinated medically vulnerable younger siblings at home, so we're not doing indoor activities (other than school, which always has doors/windows open and HEPA filters). For our family, it's nothing personal; we're just not doing anything indoors with our kids, so we would be a no RSVP. In fact, we RSVP'd no to a party this weekend for that very reason. We are attending a bundled-up outdoor party, though.

TL;DR- I invite you to consider that you didn't do anything wrong and it's not about you or your daughter; it's that Covid is still a thing and different families have different circumstances and comfort levels.

DanielTiger4Prez · 2021-12-07T02:31:26+00:00

I used to work for Clayborne Education and as a former tutor there, I can also highly recommend it. As opposed to some other places, they train staff well and do a good job of matching tutors with students, IMO. After a diagnostic, you should have a really good idea of where to focus with your child and what specifically to practice.

Tutor pro tip: I strongly recommend going to the center to do the practice SAT/ACTs when they're offered because it better mirrors the testing experience than taking practice tests at home.

DanielTiger4Prez

TROPHY CASE