Just when we thought back to school 2021 would be less stressful than 2020, the Delta variant decided to throw a huge, dangerous wrench into our decision. As so many parents struggle once again with sending their kids back to school, especially as many school districts are mask optional, we decided that it was important to discuss this topic. Again.
How can parents advocate for safer choices with their school district? How can parents talk to their kids about masking, even when their schools are not requiring it and many of their peers may not be? We answer these questions, and talk about our own challenges in this tough, timely episode.
You can listen right now, but please, be sure you’re subscribed to our podcast on Apple (or wherever you listen) so you never miss an episode. Our new season is in full swing and we’ve got a slate of pretty amazing guests lined up!
Some links from the show
– The CDC recommendations for the 2021-2022 school year
– Here are the AAP recommendations for the 2021-2022 school year
– Hospitalizations of kids with COVID is now at a record high
– Metro Atlanta schools have been open for a few weeks. They have 4000 cases, and growing.
You can also listen to our past episode on this from last year, and we recommend listening to our past episodes with Ken Ginsburg and Lisa Damour. They have such wonderful advice on how to talk to kids and teens about hard topics. You can check out their books, too, which we featured in our Cool Mom Picks Book Club a couple of years ago.
Our wonderful sponsors!
We love Vitapod
We’re excited to introduce you to this new, very cool machine that makes it easy for everyone in your family to get their vitamins and nutrients, all in a tasty drink. With just a simple, recyclable pod, which is overflowing with vitamins, essential minerals and flavonoids, your Vitapod machine whips up a drink in seconds. It also filters your water 10x better than market-leading filters. The pods were formulated by a team of human health scientists with the health of your family in mind. And none of the pods contain any sugar (except the sports pod which uses sugar to aid recovery).
You can head over to our site to see the Vitapod in action. And to get your own machine, use CMP10 for $10 off the machine or starter kit at VitapodWorld.com
We love Mabel’s Labels
Where to we start with our love of Mabel’s Labels? We’ve been using them for years, so it’s always awesome to welcome them as a sponsor of our podcast. They’ve added some cool new designs that make keeping track of all your back-to-school gear a whole lot easier. Plus, using labels can make old items feel new again, which is great for the budget.
They’ve also added something amazing: pronouns. So, if you so choose, you can add your child’s pronouns to their labels. Kudos to them for acknowledging how important this is. Liz did a whole post on different ways you can use the labels (some of which are surprising!).
And lucky you! We’ve got a great discount code, which you can use at MabelsLabels.com. Save 10% + free shipping with COOLMOMPICKS. Order them now so you have them in time for back to school!
Cool Picks of the Week
Liz: Another reason to get Apple+: Schmigadoon. Fellow musical nerds, you will love this.
Kristen: Congrats to Kristen on her upcoming children’s picture book We Are American, Too, illustrated by Jieting Chen. It’ll hit stands in Fall 2023! Hooray!
