Is This Normal?

We need to be careful you guys! We need to be watchful at what is happening to our kids through all that is going on. What is becoming normal to their precious little eyes? With all that has been finally coming out in the media about human trafficking, we need to be aware of how these things happen. It is a HUGE problem. 

Everyone keeps talking about the "new normal". I get it. Things have changed. Although I desperately do not want what life is like now to be the norm, I understand that, for now, this is the way things are. Since the middle of March, we've been dealing with Covid and it has come to be seen as normal for people to be wearing masks. Pretty much everything, at least here in New York State, was shut down so there was really nowhere to go besides the grocery store, and we all did that as minimally as possible. 

Then the 14 days to flatten the curve (which has been flattened BTW for several months now) dragged on. Businesses, at least the ones that weren't basically forced to close their doors permanently, started to find ways to open. So now, we start emerging again, with our faces covered, and our children's faces covered. Now, this post is not about how much I hate masks and think they are useless so I won't go there. However, we've semi gotten used to seeing people with masks without thinking anything of it. 

Then, some activities started up. Some churches started re-opening...THANK GOD! And now, it is considered normal to get your temperature taken before entering certain places. Everyone seems to have gotten a touchless thermometer. I have one that works great. When my kids are sick, I like to check their temp while they sleep and not worry about spreading germs from kid to kid. If you want one, I highly recommend this one:

Now, I do struggle with this a bit, but I know that at least in our area, if you aren't doing this, the state will shut you down, so I get why people are doing it and I am thankful in many ways that some of my kids activities have found a way to be open so our children can do something semi-normal and see their friends. I just want to be very clear about that. 

But this....THIS...WHY? I was scrolling through Facebook yesterday and something just struck me. I saw an advertisement for little girl going into school. She was wearing a mask and her teacher/administrator was taking her temperature in the middle of her forehead with a thermometer that is shaped like a GUN! How many of our kids are getting used to this scene? Face covered, being obedient, standing still and letting someone point something straight at their head. This is not the picture that I saw but you get the point.

This is not normal and it should never be. If you are working with children and are using a thermometer on them that is shaped like a gun (and maybe you didn't realize it), please please please, find something else to use. 

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