by Meg Benjamin
School in COVID-19 times is difficult no matter what age you are. I have three kids - one in college, one in high school, and one in elementary school. The schedules are crazy - one is 2 days in person, 3 days remote; another is 3 days in person, 2 days remote. It’s almost impossible to keep track of who’s going where or what Zoom they’re supposed to be on. Each child responds differently to all these challenges; however, one thing seems to be the same for all: they all miss their friends and classmates.
Sure, they see some of their masked faces at school, but they can’t hug each other. They can’t go to the movies together or have sleepovers. Any activities involving friends are socially distant with smaller numbers. So the question is: How do we help our kids navigate these relationships & keep them going? I wish I had all the answers. We’ve had FaceTime calls with friends, birthday car parades and small outdoor gatherings. There have been Tik Tok challenges (did I really just say that?), movie watch parties, virtual escape rooms and bingo.
"The most important thing is to do what works for your child to keep up these friendships and connections."
I guess what it comes down to is whatever works for your child to keep him or her connected to their peers. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate - I’ve seen some of the biggest smiles from a friend driving by and waving. The most important thing is to do what works for your child to keep up these friendships and connections. We're all being pushed and tested in more ways than one- remember that the circumstances are temporary, but what we learn and how we grow will stay with us and our children for a lifetime.