hen my granddaughter, Winnie, turned one in early 2020, she celebrated with a house full of family, friends, kids running around, cake, and balloons. That was the last large gathering she would experience until Christmas. When the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the United States in March, Winnie, along with millions of young children became what some have dubbed “bunker babies.” Learning to talk during this extraordinary time, one of her first words was “mask.”

Across the nation, daycare centers and schools were shuttered, some until fall 2021. Parents worked from home or lost jobs, and families hunkered down, sequestered at home. Some formed “pods” with those who shared similar safety rules. Many kids were taught to keep a safe distance from