How to Travel With Unvaccinated Kids

April 10, 2021

A roundup of new guidance and stories from NYT Parenting.

Golden Cosmos

One way to manifest yourself out of the pandemic doldrums is to start planning a vacation. Christina Caron interviewed epidemiologists and other experts about how they are handling trips this summer — whether they feel comfortable flying if their children aren't vaccinated, and what sorts of lodging situations might be safest. Like many things in the pandemic, it comes down to your individual family's health circumstances and your appetite for risk.

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What struck me while reading Christina's piece was the mental weight of the additional calculations parents need to do for every mundane activity. A family vacation isn't just about attempting connection, relaxation and joy — it's about constantly negotiating and mitigating danger.

I thought about this added heaviness when I read Stephanie H. Murray's essay about parenting with depression. As Stephanie points out, more parents are reporting symptoms of depression than before the pandemic, and she offers ways to cope with the added emotional burden of this moment.

On a much sweeter and brighter note, Erik Vance tells us about recording an hourlong talk for his son on the child's birthday each year. Erik records these monologues for his kid to listen to when he's a young adult. "I pull out an audio recorder and just rap with him," Erik writes. "And I am honest — brutally honest — which is the only way this works. I tell him my fears, my prejudices and my hopes for him. I just talk like he's a buddy. I laugh, gush and tell weird stories." This essay makes me want to whip out a recorder so that my daughters can benefit from my cranky musings when they're grown-ups, too.

Also this week, Heather Murphy answers lots of questions about Covid vaccines and breast milk, and Jacquelynn Kerubo has a lovely essay about I.V.F., genetic testing and taking a chance on an "imperfect" embryo.

Have any pressing parenting questions you'd like answered? Let me know by emailing me here.

Thanks for reading!

— Jessica Grose, columnist, NYT Parenting

THIS WEEK IN NYT PARENTING

Rose Wong

How Epidemiologists Are Planning to Vacation With Their Unvaccinated Kids

The pandemic has made it tough for families to figure out safe travel options. So we asked some experts what they're doing this summer.

By Christina Caron

Daniel Salmieri

How I Time Travel to Parent My Adult Son

Once a year I record a brutally honest conversation for my little boy. Here's why that's psychologically healthy for both of us.

By Erik Vance

Maria Medem

My 3-Year-Old Can Tell I'm Depressed

Experts say that, instead of avoiding the topic, parents like me should shoot for 'age-appropriate honesty.'

By Stephanie H. Murray

Karolin Schnoor

After Genetic Testing, I Took a Chance on an 'Imperfect' Pregnancy

"It was like rolling the dice, except for someone you've never met."

By Jacquelynn Kerubo

James Estrin/The New York Times

Vaccinated Mothers Are Trying to Give Babies Antibodies via Breast Milk

Multiple studies show that there are antibodies in a vaccinated mother's milk. This has led some women to try to restart breastfeeding and others to share milk with friends' children.

By Heather Murphy

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