3 random things on my mind….
1. Audiobooks vs. Podcasts
I mentioned last week I’ve been listening to The Self-Driven Child on audiobook (checked out from the library app). On the whole, the book has improved I think quite a bit and it’s actually turning out to be pretty good.
I used to listen to audiobooks all the time, but fell out of the habit when I started listening to more podcasts. What a conundrum! In theory I love the idea of listening to audiobooks (will help me get through my never-ending list of books to read!). But, there are also so many good podcasts!!! Even in the ~1 week I’ve been listening to the audiobook, I’ve fallen WAY behind on many of the usual podcasts I cycle through.
I just don’t have a ton of time anyway that I usually listen to audio, period (no commute, not currently walking/ running a ton…). I’m thinking maybe I will just listen to audiobooks occasionally- like one every month or two- with big gaps in between so I can listen to my podcasts. Curious what others do?
2. Germs
Ivan and I have been talking about this lately, and then one of Asher’s friend’s moms mentioned something about it too recently to me….This whole pandemic thing is extra hard (well, was– we are all very used to it now) for people who are, generally speaking, NOT germaphobes!
In our family, we are not really big germ freaks (in normal times). I mean, we’ve always washed hands frequently, etc. But when the kids were babies, let’s just say we were NOT the people Chlorox wiping every inch of the grocery cart before putting the baby in. We also might have been the people that picked up the dropped pacifier, wiped it on our jeans, checked for any visible dust or hairs and then popped it right back in baby’s mouth. hehehe….
It’s just funny to think about what a huge shift has occurred. Now, it’s like…wash. sanitize. mask. disinfect. MAINTAIN YOUR DISTANCE!!! lol. Kind of stinks, as I traditionally would really prefer the mindset of, “We have white blood cells in our bodies for a reason. Let them do their thing.” (Obviously, COVID is a different beast, soooooo…my old logic does not apply nowadays.)
But we’ve been wondering about how this year+ of serious isolation bubbles will affect little kids! (if at all). I mean, when the boys were little, they were in daycare, preschool, McDonald’s playgrounds, mall tot lots, etc. constantly. They were like little walking petri dishes, probably. Ha. And yeah, they got sick a bunch- colds, stomach bugs, etc. were pretty common for a bit. But now, it seems like as a result, they have developed nice, solid, strong immune systems. I think, anyway! Pre-covid, they very rarely got sick anymore.
Just makes me wonder…what happens to a young, developing immune system when it has NO EXPOSURE to germs??? I bet some kids literally have not had contact with another person since last year- and maybe won’t for a long time. I don’t know the answer, but it’s kind of interesting to think about.
3. This is Us
SERIOUS QUESTION for This is Us viewers….
Do we EVER find out what happened to Jack??!?!?!?!?!? OMG!!! We are only a few episodes into Season 2 but have been kind of binge watching a bit. Every episode, we think, “ok, here we go! This is the one! We will find out how he died!!!” Nope. Nope. Nope. 🤣🤣
Ivan said, “Maybe this is actually the entire premise of the show…to keep this hidden until the series finale or something!!” Hahaha. LOVE THE SHOW though so much!! So, so, so good.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for good TV shows!
GRATEFUL KAE 
I am grateful that my son is at school. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks (from the library). I usually listen to audiobooks while I walk the dogs and drive and otherwise listen to podcasts (now I’m listening to a fascinating one about NXVIM). I’m curious as to whether you have any podcast recommendations. thanks.
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Let’s see…well, it depends I guess what you’re into. I enjoy podcasts about personal development type topics a lot, along with “working mom type stuff” I would say…. So, a few I listen to fairly regularly: Best of Both Worlds, Before Breakfast, Best Laid Plans, The Mom Hour, Hidden Brain, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, The 5 am Miracle, Beyond the To do list, The Gratitude Diaries, sometimes How To Money, Optimal Living Daily….for non personal development topics, I sometimes listen to the History Extra podcast, Overheard at National Geographics, Stuff You missed in history class…and just whatever else I run across!! I would welcome recommendations too! Always on the outlook for good podcasts. 🙂 The topic you mentioned does sound fascinating!! Which podcast is that on?
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Thanks! The podcast is called “Escaping NXIVM”
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The Jack thing is in Season 2, yes. So you won’t have to wait much longer!
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Oh goodie!! 🙂 🙂
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Our son is in daycare so he’s still exposed to germs but he has been soooo much healthier than past years which I am so happy about. He still gets the occasional runny nose and such but no terrible illnesses and he hasn’t had a fever in so long. I hope that continues as it’s tough to see kids sick. But I get your point about how this might impact immune systems! Hopefully they bounce back when we come out or strict quarantine. We are not germ phobes either and definitely pop the pacifier back in after it falls on the floor at home!
I don’t list to audiobooks since I can’t keep up with podcasts as is! Even when I had commutes/more time to listen to podcasts I still didn’t listen to audiobooks! It just felt like such a time commitment as I can read a book faster than I can listen to it and I’m all about efficiency 😉
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You don’t need to listen to audiobooks!!! You read enough for the rest of us in regular books. 😛
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My kids (2 and 4 now) have only had a few mild illnesses since starting back at daycare last summer with all the Covid protocols (4 year old masked, no parents in the building, fever check at entry). We were tested for Covid each time they were sick and then had to wait 24 hours post-symptoms to send them back to school. In pre-Covid daycare times, they were sick CONSTANTLY. I know it’s good for their immune systems but omg as working parents without family in time it was tough to be out all the time with strep throat, pink eye, various colds, stomach bugs, etc. Not to mention my husband and I were sick all the time too- so tough!
I also vividly remember a time when I was dropping off my then 3 year old at school when one of her classmates came up to me and said “I have a fever, I want to go home” — and guess what, when I picked up my daughter that classmate had gone home sick! And the next day, my daughter had a fever 😦
I am not sure if this means that my kids will be constantly sick in elementary school because of the lack of germs, but I really hope that people don’t go back to sending their kids to daycare obviously sick. My 2 year old’s class isn’t masked and nothing is that different for his class due to Covid, because 2 year olds, so I’m hoping that simply keeping sick kids home can continue and and he can stay healthy!
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Ohhhh boy!! Yeah, so, while I *now* feel like I enjoy the benefits of the kids’ strong immune systems thanks to previous germs, I will say, I was NEVER ok with those people who would send their kids to daycare while obviously sick!! That is just so wrong!!
And I completely agree- we went through a phase too where it was SO hard having someone sick all the time! There’s only so much sick time working parents can take, you know?!
My guess is that for the 2 year olds, another big part of them not getting sick currently is the limited exposures OUTSIDE of daycare, too. They aren’t all getting together in other germy places, plus the families are probably all pretty isolated yet I would assume, too (+ masked adults/siblings when out places, plus so many other changes in society, like no more Doctor’s office waiting rooms, etc.). But I hope for your sake that the keeping sick kids home thing continues indefinitely, because of course, no one likes to see sick kiddos!! 🙂
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So true – we are only sending them to daycare right now. No playdates indoors with other kids (which I am really missing because it’s been too cold for park meetups), no visiting the indoor play places which were so germy but I really miss for getting out their energy in the winter!!
I hope in general after Covid that people are much better about staying home when they’re sick and that workplaces are more understanding as well!
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Have seen every This Is Us episode. My entire family watches too (sister, parents, in laws). I love that show so much.
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That’s awesome!! We just started watching it recently and I’m already obsessed.
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I do wonder about this–we started Avi in daycare at the beginning of the year and with pandemic restrictions and normal just started daycare sick all the time, we ended up finding a smaller childcare setting with less exposure for the year because we had missed so much work already. We’ll see what we end up deciding to do next fall, but I’m curious how much Avi’s immune system will have changed with just a little more exposure to germs this year.
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Saw this today – and thought of you! Very interesting but not surprising, to be honest.
https://www.statnews.com/2021/02/23/schools-may-see-a-burst-of-the-common-cold-when-they-reopen-research-suggests
I suspect this will happen here, too, when more schools and day cares reopen… Hope you all remain well!
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