Many families in our community are facing unique challenges with child care as we navigate our new routines during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to US Census data, one in four children under the age of five are with grandparents during the day for child care. As our elderly population is especially vulnerable to the virus, we must work together to keep our loved ones safe.
To limit the spread of coronavirus between children and grandparents, we have put together a list of activities to keep our family members safe as we navigate this challenging time. These are all great activities which will allow you to practice social distancing from vulnerable loved ones, while still feeling connected to your family.
FaceTime: Consider scheduling a time and place every day for your children to video chat or FaceTime over the phone with their grandparents. If they are used to seeing them daily, this will help the routine feel more normal until they are together again!
Snail Mail: Have your children color a picture or write a letter to their grandparents and send it through the mail. This is a great way to practice language and literacy skills, and your children will love receiving their responses!
Video Bed Time Story: Ask grandparents to record themselves reading a bedtime story and send it to their grandchildren to watch or listen to before nap or bed time.
Family Recipes: Have grandparents share an easy family recipe for you to cook with your children. Cooking can teach early literacy and basic math concepts, and they will take pride in helping with the creation of a family recipe. Check out these delicious kid-friendly recipes.
Virtual Hugs: Send a virtual hug like this one to your loved ones, and remember this is only temporary.
For more information about the safety of grandparents, click here, and be sure to regularly visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for updated guidelines regarding COVID-19.
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