Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we can’t go right now, due to COVID-19 and social distancing orders. This is hard on kids and on us that have parents and grandparents still living.
I was supposed to see my Mom and Grandma in March down in Florida, and that had to be canceled.
My stepmom lives here in Cincy, but all we can do is say hi from 6 feet away when we have gone to check on her. My MIL had her 81st birthday, and we couldn’t even give her a hug for it; we had to sing from her doorway and FaceTime some family in on it. Now, her whole building is quarantined, and we have to rely on kind strangers in medical and senior assistance fields to make sure she has basics like food and toothpaste.
Our daughter has a grandmother in Indy that she can’t see at the moment either. Both my mothers have FaceTime, but the rest of Ady’s grandmothers do not. She is used to going over to Grammie Sue’s here in town, spending a weekend night, having breakfast together, and doing a grocery run. That is all on hold for her right now.
Our daughter is 10, and she understands the basics that we have to shelter-in-place in order to try not to get this virus and to stay healthy and alive – and that staying away from the grandmas will help keep them healthy and alive as well. It’s hard on her, I know, but there are you moms out there with younger ones that really don’t understand what’s going on. It’s so confusing for them, and it’s so hard for you to explain it in a way that might understand, all while trying to be brave and resilient like we do as moms.
What are some ways you’ve tried to explain it to your kids, and what are the ways you’re trying to keep them connected to grandparents right now?
Some ways we’ve found include –
- Phone calls
- FaceTime calls
- Emails
- Letters or cards with drawings
- Sending pictures via phone, email, or social media
- Saying “Hi” from > 6 feet away (when it’s been safe and allowed to do so)
It doesn’t replace seeing parents or grandparents in person, but they are the ways we have right now to keep both our kids’ and their grandmas’ spirits up as much as possible. And, that’s what’s most important right now – staying connected, feeling a sense of togetherness, fiercely chasing positivity, and putting as much love out into the universe as we can. 💗
