IBJ Podcast: ‘When can we be with Grandma and Grandpa?’ and other COVID questions families are asking

Ben and Isaac talk to their grandparents Sue and Alan through a window, as they self-isolate at their home in Cheshire, England. (Martin Rickett/PA Wire via AP Images)

Conversations around the family dinner table during the coronavirus crisis have taken on incredibly high stakes. Deciding whether or not the kids can see Grandma and Grandpa over the weekend now requires research into the latest physical distancing guidelines and any chronic conditions they might have. Deciding whether or not to play baseball or basketball in youth summer leagues requires a serious calculation of the risks and rewards, as well as a working knowledge of all of the precautions that coaches and venues will take. Some families are agonizing over whether to let their young children go back to daycare. Some already are weighing what to do when—or if—schools open in the fall.

For this week’s edition of The IBJ Podcast, host Mason King asked local families to share the questions they’ve been wrestling with—and added a few of his own. The topics above are all covered, as well as best practices for wearing masks, eating at restaurants and taking safe vacations. Our experts this week are Heidi Hancher-Rauch, who is an associate professor and director of the public health program at the University of Indianapolis, and Kara Cecil, an assistant professor of public health at University of Indianapolis. Both have families with kids and are willing to share the thought processes that have led to their decisions on these vital questions.

Click here to find the IBJ Podcast each Monday. You can also subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, Tune In and Spotify. Here are some of our recent podcasts:

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