Pandemic school creates problems

Dear Amy: My son, a teacher, is scheduled to return to the classroom in two weeks. He has a wife and an 18-month-old son.

My other son has three young children who will also be going back to school. He lives about an hour away. My husband and I are very conscious of who we are around, so we are able to continue to see our grandchildren and also our own parents (all in their 80s).

Only my husband went to the grocery store. We didn’t go out to eat or socialize.

My son (the teacher) has said it is not a question of IF he’ll get COVID, but when.

What do we do when school resumes?

I feel that the moment my son goes back to school, he becomes a possible virus carrier and could expose his family. I also feel the same way about my other grandchildren.

But I don’t want to go the entire school year not seeing my kids and grandkids. — Scared Mom/Grandma

Dear Scared:

Don’t be scared. Do be smart. You and your husband should hunker down again. No, you should not have close contact with your sons and grandchildren until there is a vaccine, treatment, or more reliable and consistent information. This does not mean that you cannot see your grandchildren, but that you should not have close physical contact with them.

This situation is unprecedented, and you should do your best to anticipate and react based on what you know so far.

It might be overwhelming to think of this in terms of months, or a year. So, think of this as a seasonal decision. Later on, you will reassess and make a fresh decision based on the best available information.

Every time I feel frustrated by the undefined scope of this pandemic, I think about the people of Europe during WWII. Surely, we can “keep calm and carry on,” too.