So if we’re supposed to self-isolate and just hang with our families, what do people whose children spend time in TWO households do?

My son spends a quarter or so of his time at his dad’s house. There is another child at his dad’s house who spends time at her dad’s house. I have daughter who lives in an apartment near her university, and she comes to my house once or twice a week. My partner’s son lives with his mom and sees us once or twice a month.

So in my son’s life, there are actually FIVE households with members he comes in direct contact with weekly or monthly. I don’t know how many other households the other families are regularly in contact with or if they’re taking the self-isolation recommendations seriously.

So do I keep him home? Do I send him to his dad’s, and we continue to shuttle him back and forth as usual?

Honestly, I’ve been operating under the assumption for about two weeks that everyone in my area has been exposed to COVID-19. I feel like we’re just in a holding pattern, waiting to see who’s going to get sick and how sick they’re going to get. Hopefully, these measures have been enacted quickly enough not to overwhelm our healthcare system, although I’ve read that the two hospitals closest to my home are already at capacity.

This is what I wake up thinking about – as I’m sure most everyone does these days. As my son’s Wednesday time with his dad approaches, though, I worry about what effect honoring our parenting plan will have on several households. Do you do that during a pandemic?

One more reason not to fuck up your marriages, kids.