@jdlogan65 & @fiesty76 I am going to weigh in here with a slightly different question/perspective.
What does the Covid-19 world look like to a 10 year old, a 14 year old or a 4 year old, compared to how it looks to someone 50, 60 or 70?

We are able to listen to the news and understand what is going on, but it provokes anxiety in even the most mellow of us. We have lived through 9/11, numerous wars, HIV/AIDS, so we have context for catastrophe. If a child or a teen watches, they see frightening images, death statistics, and riots in the streets, with no personal context for understanding.

Many of us have health risks that make us more aware and more cautious, and we know people personally who have been infected, and perhaps have died of Covid. Not so with kids - they keep hearing "It's safe for kids to go back to school" and "Kids don't get really sick from this". Then they see their "heroes" - pro athletes, being allowed to go back to their sports, further confusing the message. We are able to understand the possible long-term consequences of even a moderate infection with organ damage and chronic issues appearing - again not so with kids.

All kids understand is they have been pulled out of school and made to stay home for months, have tried distance-learning, can't play sports or see their friends, and are living with adults whose own stress levels are "off the charts" - especially if they are still working from home, or even worse, going to their workplace & risking infection for themselves and their families.

Kids' mental and physical health are suffering. They are regressing in behaviors and academics, exhibiting anxiety and depression. There is only so much "at home" stimulation even the most dedicated parents can provide when all of the resources they usually use are off-limits - museums, zoos, libraries, fairs, sports, even the local playground or pool. For many families, the state their kids are in is truly alarming. In desperation, parents look for the "least bad" choices, make their decisions, and move forward.

I am giving fiesty's daughter and son-in-law a "pass" on this one - they looked at infections in their area (low), the risk levels of the activities (moderate, if stated precautions were taken) and the need to allow their kids to do something normal (high), and made what they hoped was a safe decision. Sadly, in this case, it didn't work out. On the other hand, my next door neighbors made the decision - for many of the reasons stated above - to allow their 12 year old to go to basketball "camp" 1 hour a day for a few weeks, where they strictly followed our state guidelines, and he is fine. And is back to shooting hoops in the yard, running with his Mom or sister & mowing lawn for his Dad - instead of laying on the couch whining.

Just food for thought. Please remember, in many places, millions of people will be sending their children off to school soon, and we must not condemn them, just hunker down and protect ourselves. One of the really ugly things about this pandemic is that it is not an equal risk for everyone, so those of us at higher risk must take extra measures to protect ourselves, and those at lower risk must make hard decisions.

Sue

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