Nerdy Girl Joanna here. As we approach the 4th year of the COVID pandemic, Those Nerdy Girls want to acknowledge those families who continue to struggle with how to keep their high-risk kids safe from COVID.
Mine is one of those families. Thankfully, my teenage son has not yet been infected with COVID. I am grateful he has been able to stay up-to-date with vaccinations and boosters which most likely will protect him from severe outcomes, and that he complies with his mother’s mask protocols. But as so many parents know, even those “milder” symptoms and sequelae that other kids may experience can be extremely challenging for ours. In our own case, for example, my son’s sensory issues make taking any medication, in any form, very difficult. And since processing challenges already complicate academics for him, I’m extra-concerned about the impact of long-COVID challenges such as brain fog.
Simply put, my son has “enough on his plate” without adding COVID to the mix. So we remain vigilant. I make constant risk-management decisions, and nearly always err on the side of caution. We always mask indoors when outside our home. We skip crowded venues or indoor parties entirely. When COVID numbers are up in our NYC community (as they are now), I sometimes pull him from school, since many kids around him don’t mask at all.
We know that we’re not alone—although sometimes, when it appears that so much of the rest of the world has “returned to normal”—it can feel that way. Those Nerdy Girls want to acknowledge those members of our community who may be in similar situations. And we want to ask: How are you managing these days? How are your kiddos doing? Which circumstances or decisions have you found especially difficult? And what do you wish other people knew or understood about your reality?
Please share your thoughts here. We appreciate your input!
Stay safe. Stay well.
Those Nerdy Girls
—————————————–
