My family and I have been seriously quarantined during this time due to my high-risk status and my work with newborns. We haven’t had physical contact with anyone outside our household in SIX MONTHS. We’ve had only a handful of socially-distanced outdoor visits with grandparents. It’s been distressing.
As more time has passed, my 3-year-old has become listless and sad. She frequently asks when the virus will be gone and if she can play with friends again then. She tells me how much she misses different people and how she wishes the virus would go away. In short, she’s sad.
I finally decided to contact a friend whose daughter is the same age as mine to find out how much they have been quarantined. Since she has a new baby, I figured they have been pretty careful since March. We chatted for a bit and decided we both felt comfortable with a play date and set it up.
The instant they opened the door, our girls ran to each other and hugged so hard they fell onto the ground. They then ran off to play and we barely heard from them for hours. The happiness on their faces was proof we had made the right choice.
But it was also great for me. Being around another adult without worry (or masks) was so refreshing. We ate lunch together, drank some coffee, and just sat.
Since that first play date, we’ve had several more, and have another planned for this weekend. The difference it made for our family cannot be overstated.
We continue to be mostly quarantined from others, but knowing we have a friend that we can see has lifted our coronavirus spirits.
