This year, the top question is how to celebrate Thanksgiving safely together. It’s been such a long year apart, but should we even gather at all? What if we all get tested? I have so many questions, and I know I can’t be the only one.
With coronavirus rates rising in some parts of the country and social distancing measures still in place, many people are thinking about their health and that of others while considering how to celebrate. Here are some Halloween ideas from families across the country to keep the holiday spooky while staying safe, complete with wearing masks, sanitizing often and practicing social distancing.
Thanksgiving has long been one of the busiest times of the year to travel. In fact, more than 55 million people made plans to travel 50 miles or more by road or plane in 2019, according to a report by AAA. But of course, travel in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t come without risks, and that’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises those celebrating to avoid it.
To be graceful is to move smoothly, both physically and emotionally, as well as to be gentle and kind. Parenting gracefully through this quarantine is no small feat, but I believe there are a couple of simple steps parents can take with their elementary-age kiddos.
With so much about school reopenings around the nation still unknown, one thing seems certain: If schools do reopen for in-person learning, many of those same schools will require children to wear masks. Even if your child has become accustomed to wearing a mask to enter a store or play on the playground, chances are even the most compliant best mask-wearers have yet to wear one for seven hours a day, as they may be expected to in school.
When this is over, we’ll go to your favorite playground, my baby. We’ll stay until the sun sets and I’ll push you on your favorite swing. Or I’ll teach you how to pump your legs like you were learning before this pandemic started and I’ll watch as your face lights up with joy and excitement as you swing yourself through the air. Delighted at how high you’re flying.
To be honest, it was the first time I had allowed myself to yield to the emotions bubbling beneath the surface these past few months as the world came to a screeching halt due to the coronavirus. I never cried when my daughter’s high school prom or graduation was canceled; I didn’t weep when all of our family vacation plans for the summer evaporated. I never shed a tear when I couldn’t celebrate with my 83-year-old mom on Mother’s Day for fear of making her ill. Nothing got to me—it was as if I had somehow hit the pause button on my heart, keeping it on hold from any harm. I would weather this global health crisis stoically; I wouldn’t crumble or cave or show a single sign of weakness. After all, I’m a mom—wasn’t it my job to be strong?
Parents across the United States are wondering whether it is safe to travel with kids right now and if they should move forward with a well-deserved summer family vacation—or plan a staycation at home. Unfortunately, the answer to that question isn’t clear cut.
This year, though, as celebrations are postponed, moved online or canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, my heart sinks as I wonder: Who will hug the queer kids in the absence of physical Pride events?
One of the best things, to my way of thinking, about becoming a senior citizen is being a grandparent. We get to see Anthony several times a week in the summer, and pre-pandemic, we would take him on vacations, and to local museums, the aquarium, the bounce house and playgrounds. Our enjoyment was always enhanced by watching him having so much fun.