đ Parents' Pandemic Playbook - Part 1
Guidance on how we can make the right decisions for our families, given where we live and our personal risk thresholds.
đ° The Topic
If becoming a parent felt like we were put in a raft and told to traverse these wide choppy waters of parenthood on our own, then coronavirus feels a stage 4 hurricane descended upon us without any notice, upgrade in watercraft or rescue plan.
It was one thing for us to remain at home, frantically figuring out schooling, work, childcare and home duties with little to no outside help. While hard, it was straightforward.
What lies before us is more complicated. Each day requires us to make decisions that trade-off off on impossible things - job security vs. risk of daycares, emotional well being seeing family vs risk of making grandparents sick, much needed social time for the kids vs. the risk of summer camps⊠and on and on it goes.
Weâre now truly in uncharted waters - seemingly each left to our own to figure out how to move forward. And not only do we need to do the right thing for ourselves, but we need to make judgements and choices for the most important people in our lives - our children, our parents, our communities.
Today, weâre going to start sharing in a series of how parents can navigate risk for their own families. First, by figuring out your own risk tolerance. Then by creating a plan that acknowledges your needs. And finally, tools and templates to help you execute your plan each week, with as little disruption as humanly possible.
Our goal is to equip you to build a plan thatâs flexible, strategic and right for you so you can stick to it, while staying informed and vigilant.
𧰠The Tools
First up this week - letâs build the system to feel on top of the information so we know whatâs going to help us flex between the different restriction scenarios. Then letâs figure out our own risk profile and in a way that removes judgement and introduces productive language.
Always know where cases stand. Find your local source of info - usually your stateâs health department website (like this California one) or a tracker like this or this. Bookmark the site and maybe even make it into a teaching moment with the kids so you can all track it together.
If cases start rising, itâs your cue to kick in the more conservative plans. Cases consistently falling? Flex more leniently on a couple of your top priority needs. But inform your vigilance and caution from the data.Know your personal risk tolerance. If your have anyone high risk in your family or have a high exposure risk (eg. front line worker), youâre likely going to have a much lower risk tolerance than a family that is able to WFH but needs to send the kids to daycare and donât have grandparents nearby.
Risk is a highly personal thing. As Dr. Bonnie Henry says: âIt really is about the recognition that we are all in the same storm. This is a storm thatâs affecting the world. But we are not in the same boats, so we canât make assumptions about other people.â
One way we can start thinking and talking about our personal thresholds is to come up with a common, judgement free way of assessing and sharing where weâre at:đ»Bear - low risk profile that prioritizes maintaining distance and more stringent precautions. Either because of high risk family members or preference. Will continue to minimize close socializing, lean on online shopping and delivery services and choose childcare/schooling options that keep kids at home.
đŠFox - risk tolerance that falls in the middle. Prioritizes creating a small âpackâ of 1-2 other families, to balance some socialization for parents and kids, while working to minimize other risk. Falls somewhere in the middle of Bears and Llamas.
đŠLlama - higher risk tolerance, from necessity or preference. Prefers the âherdâ for social/emotional or critical support (like schools, daycares, camps for childcare). Can have a higher risk tolerance because of where they live, their family situation or preference.
It matters less what your profile is and more that it can help you have conversations with others around you and it can guide the plans you need to build for your family. If youâre a Bear, find the other Bears and set up regular video chats or socially distant playdates. If youâre a Fox, find 1-2 other Fox families to create a small pack, with which you observe the same precautions. And if youâre a Llama, find the other Llamas to do summer camps with or get together for a BBQ.
Btw, this is a far from perfect or scientific guidance. Instead, itâs a frame to think through decisions and come up with what is best for you. Have thoughts on how to further improve it? Would love to hear it. Weâre all in this together. Letâs start by connecting our boats together in the ways that help us get through this.
Next week, creating a Plan A, B and C that uses your familyâs risk profile to create the right plans for every stage of restrictions.
đ§ Worth Reading/ Watching
Can I Go To A Small Dinner Party? Brigham And Womenâs Hospital Epidemiologist Weighs In
As Playgrounds Start to Reopen, Hereâs How to Keep Kids Safe
To my white friends, the time for talk has passed. Now is the time for work.
My Last Encounter With Pandemic Parenting - âAn assignment for all of us to help capture an extraordinary time.â
đNuggets for the Week Ahead
đCamps for the kids this week:
Camp Kinda - Wild Weather
Camp Wonderopolis - Build your Own Wonder City
Camp Highlights - Celebrate your Superpowers
đ§źKeep the learning going: