DEAR HARRIETTE: With so many children doing distance learning, I feel like it’s harder for them to grasp the work without being in school. Technology is taking over the lives of my stepchildren and other family members. Kids should be learning how to make friends, run around and use their imaginations to play games and learn social interactions. Watching them not have the same experiences I had growing up with little technology, I am not sure how they will turn out. Will they be smarter from using technology at an early age, or will they face difficulties connecting to others? How can I teach them without using so much technology while making sure they learn the same morals and values? -- Schooling My Kids

DEAR SCHOOLING MY KIDS: This is one of the great dilemmas facing our world at this moment. Because we are all cut off from each other, at least for the most part, we are having to learn how to engage and live from a distance. In order for education to continue, many students are having to rely on technology. This will not last forever. For now, do your best to talk to your children and spend time face-to-face with them. Encourage them to use video technology to be able to interact with fellow classmates and friends. At least in that way they can see one another. When safe, allow them to have interactions with one or two friends while still socially distancing.

Beyond this crisis, yes, technology has already become a fact of life for many young people. You must continue to teach your family values. Just apply them to the type of interactions your children are participating in today: using respectful language when communicating, especially in writing; refraining from gossip, especially on social media; choosing to be positive; and looking out for each other. Basic morals apply in ALL situations. Keep teaching.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My biggest goal this year is to stop ignoring my own potential. With my busy schedule and starting a new job, I feel like God is finally opening doors for me and wants me to use my talents. There are so many opportunities coming my way, and I don’t want to miss out on anything that can get me closer to where I want to be. But the reality is that I can’t do it all. If I try to take on everything, I know that my effort and energy toward each opportunity won’t be as strong and focused. How can I make the decision as to what opportunities I am going to take, and how do I decide which ones to turn down? -- I Want It All

DEAR I WANT IT ALL: Step back and get quiet. You have to figure out what you want to do now. I recommend a daily meditation in the morning. Sit quietly, take three deep cleansing breaths and be still. Give yourself permission to listen for the wisdom within. Set the intention that you want guidance for your future. Usually, when we slow down enough to listen, we get messages that help to guide our steps. Write down whatever comes up.

Follow your instincts, knowing that you must choose one idea at a time to develop. What seems the most promising? Claim that and work on cultivating it every day. Give yourself a deadline -- maybe 90 days -- to see what manifests. Then evaluate next steps from there. Remember: One idea at a time.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I suffer from extreme allergies all year long, and I work at a factory. When I get into one of my sneezing or coughing spells, I can feel my co-workers cringe. I get it. Coughing and sneezing spread germs, and nobody wants to catch COVID-19. But we all take COVID tests once a week. I have never tested positive. I have allergies. Trust me -- it’s not easy to have them and have to wear a mask, which only makes it harder to breathe. But I wear it anyway, just like everybody else. How can I get my co-workers to stop glaring at me? It’s hard enough to be there when I’m not feeling well. I don’t appreciate the hostility. -- Stop Glaring

DEAR STOP GLARING: Make a sign to wear saying, “I HAVE ALLERGIES, NOT COVID.” Seriously, if allowed, you may want to do that. It indicates to people that you are not a source of germs that they need to worry about.

I can only imagine how challenging it is for you to have to deal with the daily glares. Continue to take your allergy medication. Get the vaccine whenever it comes your way -- with your doctor’s approval, since you have allergies -- and wear a sign if your supervisor allows it. It may cut back on the hostility.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I want to be better at keeping in touch with people. I used to pop by and visit folks in pre-COVID-19 days. That included people in my hometown when I went home to visit during the holidays, and people in my neighborhood or from previous jobs whenever I had some downtime. Now I’m at home all the time. When people pop into my mind, I realize that it has been a long time since we have caught up. Do you think it’s weird if I start randomly calling people I may not have talked to in a year? I don’t want to be annoying; I just want to check in. Being alone for months and months is taking a toll on me. I can only imagine that this is true for some of the people I know. -- Checking In

DEAR CHECKING IN: It is very kind and thoughtful for you to want to reconnect with people you haven’t seen or talked to in a long time. It is natural, given the limitations that we have had on personal engagement since March of last year. I would imagine that people you know and care about would appreciate you reaching out.

What I do to stay organized is to make a list of the people I care about and want to contact. By writing down the names, I commit to following through. By checking off the names, I know who I have called and who is left to reach. Get creative with your list. Think of elders, community leaders, family friends, high school friends, college buddies, former co-workers, etc. When you can, use technology to create an intimate connection by videoconferencing and even scheduling group chats. Make it fun and engaging. Your loved ones will appreciate it!

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a group of friends who have been my close buddies for years. They recently decided that they have had enough of COVID-19 and they are going to throw a party. They want to get together after months of isolation, and they decided to go for it. I’m usually the one to throw the biggest parties; I have never let a birthday or holiday or just-because event go by without gathering a huge group of people to eat, drink and dance. But I think this idea is crazy. Too many people have died from COVID-19, including my grandfather. I just can’t agree to this.

When I said no, my friends got so mad that they aren’t speaking to me now. That seems crazy to me. Do you think I’m being too strict? They have an invite list of like 100 people. I don’t want to be the bad guy, but I don’t want to risk it. -- Odd Man Out

DEAR ODD MAN OUT: I like to throw parties, just like you. But you are absolutely right to put on the brakes now. It simply is not party time -- certainly not for a crowd as big as 100 guests. If you listen to any of the medical experts, they are recommending that you limit your exposure to a handful of people who are part of your daily inner circle. Period. Because there is an upsurge in new cases of COVID-19 across the United States, which will result in a subsequent spike in deaths, hovering around 3,000 daily as I write this, this is no joke.

You are right to be cautious, and you should encourage your friends to be the same. Be patient. This period of some measure of quarantine has lasted far too long for anyone’s comfort, but we must continue to follow the rules if we hope to survive this pandemic.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been cleaning house, and I came across a bunch of old photos of me and my friends over the past 10 years or so. I have enjoyed recalling the different experiences, but I am also mortified looking at myself. I have been working like mad and doing little else, and now I look like I’ve been sitting on my butt for 10 years. I must have gained 50 pounds. How could I not have noticed that? I recall friends inviting me to go on walks with them or to join them on some weight-loss program or another, but honestly, it never occurred to me that the invitation was more for me than for them. I am so embarrassed that I have gotten to be this big. I need to turn my life around, but I’m worried that it’s too late. I’m already in my 50s. Can a middle-aged person shed 50 pounds in real life? -- No TV Movie

DEAR NO TV MOVIE: It is not just in the world of TV or fantasy that people shed significant weight. It is possible with exercise, healthy eating habits and discipline. Nobody said it would be easy, by the way, but many before you have successfully shed unwanted pounds -- and kept them off.

Go to your internist. Get a complete physical and guidance on how to start your weight-loss program. Enlist your friends to be cheerleaders, and follow a daily plan that will set you on your course. Two popular programs to consider are WW (formerly Weight Watchers), ww.com, and Whole30, whole30.com. Good luck!

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)