We know that millions of kids fell behind academically during the pandemic. But, for younger kids, the lapse in in-person instruction took a toll on basic social and life skills as well. From WaPo (Gift Article): Tying shoes, opening bottles: Pandemic kids lack basic life skills. Teachers across the country noticed, and still notice, the change. “Children easily grew frustrated with one another in group settings. They struggled with the concept of taking turns, pushing each other out of the way to see a caterpillar she was holding in her palm. And, when Spears walked the children into the woods for her traditional ‘quiet minute challenge,’ they were unable to stay still and silent for even 30 seconds.” (Maybe they’re modeling the behavior they see in Congress?)

+ “In the first of the 20 episodes made available to Netflix subscribers, a two-year-old travels to the town convenience store to buy groceries for Mom. In the fourth, three-year-old Yuka crosses a five-lane road in Akashi, a city the size of Cincinnati, to get to the fish market. ‘Can you go all the way to Uonotana without getting hit by any cars?’ Mom asks. Needless to say, if the show were set in the United States, the parents would be under investigation by Child Protective Services.” How Japan Built Cities Where You Could Send Your Toddler On An Errand.