The saying “it takes a village” has never resonated deeper with me than it has over the past five months into this pandemic. But because of the ease with which this virus spreads, my village is pared down to a small pod of families we’ve affectionately come to call our “extended germ circle.” Our little pod consists of a few families taking social distancing and mask wearing as seriously as we are. And it’s not become my kids’ lifeline this summer — it’s become mine.
Choosing how and whom to pod with is literally a life-or-death decision with serious potential health implications. There are social implications as well. Who you decide to pod with is also a statement on who you’re not going to see. So after two months of seeing nearly no other families outside of a Zoom cocktail hour, we decided to open up our germ circle so the kids — and adults — could see a few friends. I realize this isn't an option for many families, but if you're considering it, here's how we went about it…
