Our BetterMost Community > Chez Tremblay
Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything
brianr:
Here is an excellent article on the success of women government leaders especially in times of crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/boris-can-bring-home-a-baby-but-for-true-cool-in-a-crisis-you-want-a-woman-20200430-p54osk.html
serious crayons:
That is a good column Brian, thanks for posting it! I was afraid it would suggest that women are somehow inherently better at handling a situation like this. I don't like speculation that women are biologically better at something any more than I do when it's about men. As far as anyone knows, they're equally skilled at most things, maybe with the exception of weightlifting.
But she didn't do that, she pointed out reasons why women who manage to get into positions of leadership in the first place -- despite all the obstacles and being held to a higher standard -- would be particularly skilled. And that countries progressive enough to elect women are likely to be progressive in other ways. And that voters tolerate a lot from men like Trump and Johnson that they wouldn't accept in women, leading to ineffective male leaders who can get away with doing stupid things.
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: brian on May 01, 2020, 09:18:22 pm ---Here is an excellent article on the success of women government leaders especially in times of crisis.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/boris-can-bring-home-a-baby-but-for-true-cool-in-a-crisis-you-want-a-woman-20200430-p54osk.html
--- End quote ---
Good piece, thanks for sharing.
I may have said it before, but here goes: while I've never voted for Angela Merkel, and never would, I'm pretty happy with her in this crisis. I'm glad she's a scientist, I'm happy with her serious, clear decisions and her way of communicating them. I watched her address to the country a few weeks ago in full length and was impressed.
Meanwhile, schools start to re-open tomorrow. Only for graduating classes respectively the two most senior classes. My son is among them. The schools have cleared out the classrooms, only 15 tables in each room, there is a complete mandatory hygiene schedule in place, one-way walking paths laid out and marked, lots of extra-ordinary school memorandums and so on.
While I think they're well-prepared, I think the weak point will be the school buses. I'm not sure the bus companies are equally well prepared.
I'm in a position to keep my son at home for the time being, since we have higher-risk persons in our household. For pupils with a higher risk, or with such household members, compulsory schooling has been paused. The parents decide whether the kids will go to school or not.
But he hasn't spoken to any person outside the six of us in seven weeks (except online), he really wants to go to school and I'm afraid his grades would suffer if he stayed home while the others go back to school.
So I'm willing to give it a try and see how school and bus services are doing. If I get the feeling the risk is too high, I'll talk to him and may reverse my decision.
Penthesilea:
With all the ways I think my country is handling this crises in a good way, there are also ways I'm pretty pissed about:
all teachers belonging in a higher risk group (or having higher risk household members) won't come back to school for the rest of the school year at least, maybe longer.
That's fine with me. But educators of smaller children (kindergarten teachers or however you call them) don't have the same privilege. I'm working with 1 to 3 years old children, they're basically still babies when they come to us. Thus I'm much closer to them than a school teacher is to 16+ year old teenagers: I get coughed on, spit on, peed on, vomited on, and everything else. We cuddle with the little ones, we have them on our laps half of the day, we carry them on our hips, in our arms - whatever is necessary to make the little ones comfortable and feel loved and safe. No social distancing possible.
And I do have diabetes, therefore I am a higher-risk person. But guess what: once my kindergarten will re-open, I'll have to work. I talked with my diabetes doctor this week and she told me it has been a simple economic decision: there are too many people with diabetes in Germany, it's too expensive to keep them all from working for a long(er) time.
So yes, I'm pissed about that. When the times comes, I'm thinking about asking my employer to transfer me to an office job where I don't have such close contact to other people.
OTOH, I'm an instructor (trainer?) for an apprentice. She already had to change instructors last year (difficult situation) and I obligated myself to be her trainer for the next two years. She's in transition from female to male, so it's a difficult time in her life. Things between us go well, work now goes well for her, as does the theory part of her apprenticeship. I'd feel like leaving her in the lurch if I switched to an office job now.
I do love my work with children, I do love being a trainer for young professionals, but I'm not sure about going to work in this Corona shituation. :-\
Front-Ranger:
That is quite a sticky situation, friend. I know what you mean about social distancing being impossible with small children. My youngest grandchild is only 19 months old and toddles to me as soon as she sees me, wanting to be held. The only answer is to stay out of her sight.
There are some things you can do to minimize the risk; you probably know them already, such as using a strong mouthwash, drinking hot liquids, disinfecting your toothbrush every day. Also taking Vitamin D, taking showers frequently and getting a lot of sunshine. You will hopefully be allowed to wear a mask.
Sending hopes for your continued health and that of your family!!! :-*
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