I don’t know about you all, I miss my friends and family. If there is one thing I have learned from this pandemic is that I’m not actually an introvert. I have been craving having friends over for a cookout, seeing my kids play with their friends and hugging my family members.
As the quarantine is ending and we are going through the phases of reopening we are starting to reevaluate our social situation this summer. What activities are safe? What activities should we avoid? Who are the people we could safely get together with? And who do we need to keep our distance from?
Here are some of the factors that are going into helping me make these decisions for my family. I want us to have a cautiously safe and fun summer.
Choose Our Friends Wisely
As I have slowly but surely allowed my kids to get together with a friend or two I have picked these friends very cautiously. I have reached out to friends who I have seen be just as cautious, if not more cautious than me during this quarantine. These friends basically have to meet the following criteria:
- Have been in quarantine since spring break.
- Only leave for necessities like groceries.
- Always wear a mask when out in public.
- Avoids taking their kids out in public.
- Follows social distancing while out in public.
- Has been taking this pandemic serious and still believes it could be a threat.
I hate to say it, but I will not hang out with anyone in a social situation who has not been taking this pandemic seriously. I just won’t take any chances.
Choose Outdoor Activities
We have not been together with any families socially yet outside of walks around the neighborhood with our neighbors. When we do get together for social gatherings we will only do things outdoors. If we invite friends over, it will be for a cookout or bonfire in our massive back yard. If we go out to a restaurant or bar it will only be if we can eat outside away from people on a patio. We are going to limit indoor activities until cases have drastically started to show a consistent decrease.
No Sleepovers
I can already tell this one is going to be a tough pill to swallow for our kids. But for the time being I’m not allowing sleepovers. The longer you spend with someone indoors, the higher the risk. Some parents may disagree with me on this one. It’s just a personal choice I am making right now. Playdate outside, yes. Sleepovers, not so much.
This is going to be a strange summer and we are going to make the best of this situation. I want to be social and I want my kids to be social, but I still want to be very careful since I don’t think we are anywhere near the end of this pandemic.
How are you all handling socializing this summer? Business as usual? Or are you taking extra precautions?
