Any parent, grandparent, or teacher who has told stories to their children will recognize that at the end of a good story, you don’t just walk away with a good story – the two of you feel closer. Why? Doctors call this attachment. And to understand how it works we have to shift our perspective for a moment from the story itself to the relationship that arises between speaker and listener during a story.
We will never reduce the risk of infection to zero. But there are steps we can take to minimize risks. If families are willing to follow them, it should be reasonably safe for babies and grandparents to meet each other.
If you’ve been rereading books you adore, welcome to the club. Like a well-loved blanket and a favorite set of jammies, familiar books, worlds and stories may be exactly what you need when everything both changes by the minute and remains relentlessly the same. (Breaking news: The couch is still comfortable, and I am still on it.)
You might think you’ve raised your children to be open and accepting, only to feel mortified when your 5-year old says she doesn’t want to play tag with two little boys at the mall play area because they’re “too dark.” Such was the case for Michelle Meredith, who blogs at Bright Color Mom and describes her family as “a very pale bunch.”
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum! It’s ‘Magical Tales’ week at #CampCaribu! It’s the perfect time to enjoy classic stories of mermaids, magic, and mysteries with family and friends! Discover tales of adventure, dragons, giants, wizardry, and even a few friendly monsters.
It’s Fourth of July weekend, and people across the country are planning virtual fun for the holiday. Many families this year are choosing to avoid in-person socializing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those who are older and more vulnerable. Despite the distance, family members can still log in to apps like Caribu and connect with relatives through books and activities in a video-call.
Since schools aren’t hospitals, the school nurse will be one of the sole medically trained guards against COVID-19. This isn’t radical. A nurse should do a nurse’s job. But there are very few full-time nurses in American schools.
Summer vacation is here. For many of us, it’s been with a mix of relief and dread that we kick the 2019-20 school year to the curb and enter a summer that seems to spread out endlessly before us. Hey, remember when kids used to play with each other? Like, in person?
To be honest, it was the first time I had allowed myself to yield to the emotions bubbling beneath the surface these past few months as the world came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus. I never cried when my daughter’s high school prom or graduation was canceled; I didn’t weep when all of our family vacation plans for the summer evaporated. I never shed a tear when I couldn’t celebrate with my 83-year-old mom on Mother’s Day for fear of making her ill. Nothing got to me—it was as if I had somehow hit the pause button on my heart, keeping it on hold from any harm. I would weather this global health crisis stoically; I wouldn’t crumble or cave or show a single sign of weakness. After all, I’m a mom—wasn’t it my job to be strong?
In order to stay healthy and active as a grandparent, your joints, muscles, and immune system need to be prepped, primed, and protected. This is especially true at the moment, as many grandparents are helping babysit little ones while their own children are busy working remotely.