If your kid is heading back to an actual school building than you've probably heard the word "cohort." A cohort is a small group of kids that hang together all day and don't really mix with other groups of cohorts. On the one hand, it makes sense to keep the kid's exposure to other people to a minimum. On the other hand it's another thing to keep straight while we help our children understand that they have to wear a mask, stay at 3-6 feet away from the other kids, and eat lunch far enough apart that they have to shout at each other, which you shouldn't do during a pandemic anyway.
Here's the thing. 2020 has been super hard. 2020 owes the entire world an apology. If life were a TV movie about alcoholism, 2020 would walk around all next January and February making amends like you always see drunks do when they sober up in the movies.
The cohort thing is one part of how we'll get through this school year safely, but it's an important part. If we master the cohorting, its only a matter of time before we get to the cavorting.
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