⏳Phasing our way to What Comes Next
📰 The Topic
It’s May and for many of us, week 8+ into The Great Pause. And while most of us have settled one way or another into a routine of sorts, there is the uneasiness of What Comes Next.
Increasingly we’re seeing and hearing about a “phased approach” to reopening, which is guided by each area’s specific numbers around testing, active cases, sanitization/distancing policies and hospital capacity.
At a high level:
Phase 1 - Strict social distancing, no non-essential travel and no gatherings of >10 people. Schools/daycares still likely closed and WFH continues.
Phase 2 - Continue to maximize social distancing but gatherings up to 50 people. Schools/daycares able to reopen as well as many restaurants, services etc under increased social distancing and sanitation protocols. Some offices may reopen under lighter capacity guidelines and travel could start up again, with necessary safety measures.
Phase 3 - As close to “normal” but with continued physical distancing, masks and other precautionary measures and testing/contact tracing of any new cases.
For most parents, any talk about reopening is irrelevant if our main childcare options - namely schools, daycares and summer camps aren’t also reopening. But this is where it gets even more complex, with many issues to think through, from safety and sanitation to new schedules and online/offline learning models.
And although time seems to be running out on believing schools will open up before the usual year-ends in June, we can get a sense of what some of these scenarios could look like from countries like Denmark, Japan and Taiwan.
For now, we’re still waiting and working. Below we share some ideas to help share the load of activities and meals.
But as parents across the country start entering The After, we’ll be gathering the “best practices” that we can share out to everyone so we can all continue to Parent Like a Pro.
🧰 The Tools
Here are some nuggets to make the load of this week lighter.
🦸🏻♀️5 Sanity Savers
🌍 Reading the ABCs from Space - Google Earth takes kids from A to Z around the world
🍳Meals
🌮Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos - summery, easy and fresh.
🍚Easy Fried Fried Rice - super easy to get the hang of and make to your liking.
🥙 Greek Nachos - one of my family’s favorites - super simple, fresh and packed with flavor.
🥞Pancakes - Breakfast for dinner - exactly the kind of fun we could all use.
🍛Coconut Curry Chicken - pair with some rice for a filling, flavorful meal.
🧐 Worth Reading/Watching
🌈 Parting thoughts
Beautiful reimagining of the future, told as a bedtime story: