These are extraordinary times by anyone’s standards. Residents are dealing with situations totally foreign to them. Going to the store only to find out the product you want is unavailable. Gatherings shifting to online or virtual, even churches. Other locations allowing 10 people or fewer in at a time. Working from home.
Extraordinary times, for certain.
There are a few silver linings to this giant cloud hanging over us.
Spending more time with family. Children who used to hurry off to school or childcare while parents rushed out the door to work can now eat breakfast together. They can read books together if those children are small or they can visit museums and parks online, seeing things they might never have otherwise seen because there was never enough time.
Even the smallest toddler can help sort laundry into dark and light. They don’t know it, but that kind of activity is a math building block.
If the children in question are teenagers, parents can spend time teaching them how to cook, balance a checkbook, perform maintenance on the car or house. Exercise together. Talk to them about their hopes, dreams, plans, fears.
This can be a frightening time for a child. A parent can alleviate much of that fear by simply talking to the child. When the television is turned to the news, help the child focus on first responders, doctors, nurses. Those are Mr. Rogers’ ‘helpers’ and it makes children feel less overwhelmed and alone.
Teach the dog tricks or obedience. Learn a new skill. Clean out the closet. Virtually shop for Christmas when there is no pressure to find the right thing in a hurry. Can’t afford it now? Leave the items in your cart and renew it regularly until you can afford it.
Landscape your yard. There are online resources for that.
Call or write your relatives and friends you haven’t had time to keep up with. Catch up with all that reading for business or pleasure you have been putting off.
Thinking of starting a business or wondering when you will be able to retire? Work out the details on paper now. A dream written down with a deadline becomes a plan.
This virus scenario is lousy. No one likes being held hostage even in their own home. We as a society are used to going where we want when we want.
But viewing the extra free time forced on us by shutdowns, closures and self-isolation as a gift rather than a punishment makes everything sound better. For the time being, this is the new normal. We should use it to our best advantage.
Connie Burcham can be reached at Editor@WatongaRepublican.com