>>> AS THE COUNTRY OPENS UP
SOCIALIZING WITH FRIENDS AND
FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN BE
A BIT AWKWARD.
>> IT SURE CAN.
WITH CDC GUIDELINES AND STATES
IMPLEMENTING THEIR OWN MANDATES,
NAVIGATING THE SOCIAL GATHERING
CAN DEFINITELY BE A CHALLENGE.
>> WE ENLISTED HELP FROM OUR
RESIDENT ETIQUETTE EXPERT, THE
AUTHOR OF "WE NEED TO TALK,"
LETS START WITH THE BASICS,
LIKE THE TIKTOK VIDEO, TO HUG OR
NOT TO HUG.
THATS A TOUGH ONE.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMEONES
ARMS ARE OUTSTRETCHED?
>> SO ALWAYS SAY WHAT YOU MIGHT
THINK IS GOING TO BE THE UNSAID.
IF I WERE IN THAT SITUATION, AND
I HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES RIGHT
NOW, ID SAY IM INOCULATED AND
READY TO HUG, ITS OKAY IF
YOURE NOT.
SO I JUST TAKE THAT PAUSE AND I
ASK IS THIS OKAY?
ITS SORT OF LIKE MAKING CONSENT
UNIVERSAL.
>> I FEEL LIKE I RAN SBON A
FRIEND AND I WAS LIKE, ARE WE
HUGGING?
THATS A WAY TO MAKE IT CASUAL.
YEW ABOUT TO THROW YOUR FIRST
PARTY IN MORE THAN A YEAR, WHAT
ARE YOUR GUIDELINES THAT CAN
HELP ANY OF US WHO MAY THINK
ABOUT GROWING A GATHERING THIS
SUMMER?
>> SO THE FIRST THING IM TRYING
TO GIVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS
POSSIBLE.
THE INVITATION SAID NO PLUS
ONES, INOCULATED PEOPLE ONLY AND
THEN I PUT IN PARENTHESES TWO
WEEKS PAST YOUR SECOND SHOT TO
BE TOTALLY CLEAR.
AND THE OTHER THING IS MAKING
SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE OPTIONS
ONCE THEY GET THERE.
SO IM OPENING UP AN OUTDOOR
AREA, IM HAVING MASKS AVAILABLE
IF THATS GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE
FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
IM TRYING TO MAKE IT SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN ADJUST TO THEIR OWN
COMFORT LEVELS.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU COVERED
YOUR BASES BUT I BET YOU A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTIES
ARENT DOING THAT.
HOW DO YOU TACTFULLY ASK A HOST,
HEY, IS EVERYBODY HERE
VACCINATED?
>> THE BEST WAY TO DO IS TO PUT
IT ON YOURSELF.
AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IM STILL
NERVOUS, IM STILL A LITTLE
CAUTIOUS.
SO, YOU KNOW, PARDON ME IF I ASK
A FEW QUESTIONS, THIS IS ME,
THIS IS ME FEELING WEIRD ABOUT
THIS.
AND THEN YOU CAN SAY, IS
EVERYONE VACCINATED?
IS IT OKAY IF I WEAR A MASK?
IF NOT, CAN I STAND OUTSIDE AND
WAVE THROUGH THE WINDOW.
>> ITS SO TRUE, I THINK LIKE
EVERYBODYS FEELING A LITTLE
AWKWARD AND TO PUT IT ON
YOURSELF IS TOTALLY --
>> MAKES IT EASY.
>> WHAT ABOUT YOU GET TO A PARTY
AND ITS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED.
>> RATHER THAN TRY TO TOUGH IT
OUT BECAUSE YOUR DISCOMFORT IS
GOING TO BE PALPABLE.
VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT
PROFESSIONAL ACTORS CAN DISGUISE
THE FACT THAT THEYRE
UNCOMFORTABLE.
ITS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOST OR
HOSTESS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I AM
SO GLAD THAT I WAS INVITED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
OPPORTUNITY.
HOW EXCITING TO HAVE A SOCIAL
EVENT ON MY CALENDAR.
THIS IS BACKING UP ON ME A
LITTLE.
I WASNT AS READY FOR THIS AS I
THOUGHT.
HERES YOUR GIFT.
IM HEADING HOME.
>> MY BABY-SITTER -- BYE-BYE.
>> HODA WOULD JUST LEAVE, AND
TEXT THANK YOU.
>> DONT MOVE, WEVE GOT MORE
ADVICE COMING UP AFTER THIS
>>> WERE BACK WITH OUR RESIDENT
ETIQUETTE EXPERT, AND TALKING
ABOUT SOCIAL SITUATIONS, WHAT IF
SOMEONE COMES OVER TO YOUR
HOUSE, CELESTE, AND YOURE NOT
SURE IF THEYRE VACCINATED.
MAYBE THEYRE NOT.
WHATS THE BEST WAY AND MOST
TAXFUL WAYTAX
TACTFUL WAY TO APPROACH THAT?
>> THE BEST THING IS TO MAKE IT
ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE NO AMOUNT OF
ARGUING ABOUT CDC GUIDELINES OR
VACCINES OR WHATEVER IS GOING TO
CHANGE ANYBODYS MIND.
BUT THERES NO ARGUING WITH YOUR
OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS, RIGHT, SO
IF YOU SAY IM UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH THIS, ITS SO GREAT TO SEE
YOU FROM SIX FEET AWAY, BUT THIS
IS MAKING ME FEEL ANXIOUS,
THATS NOT A DEBATE.
THATS HOW YOURE FEELING.
THATS YOUR TRUTH.
AND AS LONG AS YOU DO IT IN A
KIND WAY, YOURE GOING TO BE
OKAY.
>> LETS TALK KIDS AND SOCIAL
GATHERINGS BECAUSE THERES
PROBABLY -- BIRTHDAY PARTIES ARE
COMING BACK, IS THERE A WAY TO
NAVIGATE THOSE?
>> YEAH, I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT
THIS WAY, I LIKE TO IMAGINE THAT
YOU HAVE A KID THAT HAS A PEANUT
ALLERGY, RIGHT, HOW CAREFUL
WOULD YOU BE BEFORE A BIRTHDAY
PARTY TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE NO
PEANUTS AROUND?
YOU WOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT FEEL
ANY COMPUNCTION ABOUT GOING TO A
PARENT AND SAYING MY KID HAS A
PEANUT ALLERGY, ET CETERA, ET
CETERA.
YOU SHOULD APPROACH THIS THE
SAME WAY.
THERE DOESNT NEED TO BE ANY
SHAME ASSOCIATED WITH IT, ITS A
HEALTH ISSUE AND YOURE
PROTECTING YOUR KID.
YOU CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS IN A
KIND AND PATIENT WAY, AND YOU
CAN MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT
THE SITUATION IS THE WAY YOU
WANT IT TO BE TO HAVE THE BEST
CARE FOR YOUR KID.
>> THERE CAN BE WEIRD SITUATIONS
TOO, WHERE YOUR CHILD AND
ANOTHER CHILD PLAY TOGETHER, YOU
TAKE YOUR CHILD OVER THERE AND
THERES ANOTHER ADULT THAT
YOURE NOT USED TO SEEING,
YOURE NOT SURE IF THAT PERSONS
VACCINATED BUT THEY ALWAYS PLAY
TOGETHER AND YOURE KIND OF
STUCK.
DO YOU THINK IN THAT SETTING YOU
SHOULD JUST SAY, REAL QUICK, I
WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONES
VACCINATED BEFORE I DROP MY KID
OFF?
>> IF IT HELPS YOU TO USE THE
PEANUT ALLERGY, IMAGINE THEIR
HAND SMEARED WITH PEANUT BUTTER,
PUT A STOP TO IT IMMEDIATELY.
>> ITS ALSO OKAY TO SAY NO AND