10 Ways to Survive Social Distancing When You Have a Social Child
As the social distancing rules start to get more strict, you may now be finding yourself with further limitations as time goes on. With many cities implementing Stay at Home orders all around the world, your children may be starting to feel the impact of these new limitations. Here are ten ways to survive social distancing when you have a social child.
10 Ways to Survive Social Distancing When You Have a Social Child
Listen to Audiobooks
Just because your child can’t be around others, doesn’t mean they can’t listen to them! Let your children listen to audiobooks or even celebrities who are doing storytime. Just the act of letting them hear another person can help.
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Audible has made many of their children’s titles free to help during this difficult time.
Write Letters to Loved Ones Over Email
If your child is missing someone a little extra today, have them text or email a loved one instead of going to see them. This is also a small way to encourage social time (and literacy!) each day.
Connect With Friends and Family Remotely
Pick up the phone and call your family or have your kids talk on the phone with their friends. Other great options are Skype or FaceTime for keeping connected to loved one.
Create Virtual Playdates for Your Children
Set up a video call and let your friends play with each other over video chat. They can still play games or do some pretend play from different houses. My children’s friends have been using Zoom to chat with each other, and even play board games remotely.
Play with Your Kids
You are home all day with your kids, and you are going to be the only option for them to have real in-person playtime! Play with your kids each day, even if it’s only a few minutes.
Pretend play isn’t my thing, but I’m trying to spend time each day playing a board game with my children. When we can get outside we are playing games, throwing balls or frisbees together. We are also talking walks together, which is a great way to connect.
Another great idea for quality time in lieu of pretend play is doing crafts or baking together.
Wave to Others From a Safe Distance
If they see a neighbor while on a walk, let them know that it’s okay to wave to them from far away, but not to go up to them. This allows them to still be social but without risking their health or others.
Try to get your neighborhood to have a virtual bear hunt. Each participating home simply places a stuffed bear in a window, or on the porch. Then families can take walks to try to find the bears. Its fun for the kids, and a great way to keep the neighborhood feeling connected.
Encourage Family Nights and Activities
Family movie nights, game nights, or other family activities can be a great way to fill your social need. However, this is extremely important for social children stuck at home! This gives them the opportunity for group fun without leaving the house!
Here are 10 screen free family nights we are enjoying right now.
Enjoy a Real Pen Pal
This is the perfect time for a good old fashioned pen pal! Have your children write real letters to their loved ones and friends. There is something special about receiving real artwork in the mail.
Encourage your kids to make a small craft, such as an adorable unicorn bookmark, to include in their card to special friends.
Let Your Kids Watch TV
Seeing other people can be a huge help during this challenging time for them. Sometimes just seeing another person can be a big help.
Watching a kids YouTube channel can be another way to feel a little connected to the world and people their own age.
Find Creative Ways to Show Affection
Instead of giving them a bunch of kisses and hugs, come up with your unique ways to show affection! You can make up your signs and ways of showing each other love that doesn’t involve a lot of contact.
Incorporate Social Time Into Your Schedule
It’s easy to forget about the outside world when you’re stuck inside. However, it’s essential for both you and your social child to make social time a part of your regular schedule. Carve out a few minutes or hours to catch up with the outside world.
Just because your children can’t be in direct contact with their friends and family doesn’t mean they can’t be social! Hopefully, these ten ways have inspired you to keep your social child connected to their favorite people.
