Best Practices for Your Family During this Time of Social Distancing
We are in unprecedented times. With the COVID-19 virus making its way into the United States, the CDC, Government and many private doctors are recommending social distancing as a way to limit the spread of this virus. Social distancing is the practice of limiting contact with anyone outside of your immediate (people living in the same household) family. This includes attending any type of large scale event, such a party, concert or graduation, as well as small gatherings like a one on one child’s playdate. For many of us, the thought of cutting down social contact, is a completely foreign concept. Check out our best practices for helping your family thrive during this time of social distancing!
Create a Schedule:
The very first thing you can do is create a new normal for your family! Set up a daily schedule so everyone knows what to expect.
If you are working from home, this can be a hard transition. Plan to get up at your normal time, get yourself ready to “go” to work, and then set up a work area in your home. When you are in this space, you know it’s time to get work done. Adhere to the same break times you would take if you were in the office. This will help you jump right back into a normal work week.
If you are home with your kids for the next two weeks, create a schedule that mimics the type of schedule they may have at school. We love this one we found distributed by nesca-newton.com with built-in ideas for outdoor time, creative time and academic time. Feel free to adjust this schedule to work best for you and your family!
Take advantage of the many educational programs available:
Many companies are offering special programs and discounts to help families manage this process a little easier. Scholastic has a created a “Learn at Home” website designed for students PreK – Grades 6+ with fun creative projects for students to continue to learn and grow! Oriental Trading has great, affordable art projects to keep your kid’s creative minds working! For the next two days (expires 3/17/2020), get free shipping with code CE201325 at check out.
Has your child’s class field trips been cancelled for the remainder of the year? Take this week to go on a virtual field trip! Check out the many educational websites offering interactive videos and virtual tours. Your kids can explore the San Diego Zoo with videos and live animal cams, tour a farm or use this interactive tour to visit Europe and see the glorious sights of The Louvre.
Get outside as a family:
Cutting down on play dates, avoiding public playgrounds and group sporting activities is a good idea. BUT, that doesn’t mean you can’t get some fresh air as a family! Consider taking family hikes, creating an outdoor family scavenger hunt or play a friendly family soccer or basketball game. You can even create your own fun outdoor games!
Be Flexible:
This is new for everyone! We may have great plans to implement our new family schedule and then an important work project pops up sending you to your computer for hours at a time. There may be days with a little more screen-time than you would typically allow. But, be sure to give yourself some grace during this period of adjustment.
And remember, we are here for you! If you feel financial uncertainty, contact the credit union and we can help you review your options. Our offices remain open and we are here to serve you. If you have not currently taken advantage of our online banking options, we recommend signing up today! You can manage all of your accounts from the comfort of your own home including transferring funds, paying bills and even depositing checks with our Remote Deposit Capture program. Sign up online or contact our office today.