Thanking Teachers During COVID-19

Whether you’re in Ontario where we know kids won’t be going back to the classroom this year, or in Quebec where you may have had to choose whether or not to send your kids back to class, the teachers have had a year unlike any other this year, just as we all have. Despite not getting to see them very much (or maybe even more so because of that), you may want to take a bit of time to acknowledge the incredible learning curve that came with switching gears and attempting to connect with students and help support their education in a totally new way with no notice (during a crisis!).

We talked to a few teachers and parents to get some ideas on how you can thank the teachers during COVID-19::

Have your child make a card or write a note

Have your child say thank you by creating a piece of art or writing them a note. You can then either digitalize it and email it to the teacher, ask the teacher if they feel comfortable sharing their mailing address or send it to the school (though they might not get it for a while that way).

Have your child create a video

Kids are getting more and more comfortable with technology and creating a fun video for their teacher might be a great learning opportunity on top of a lovely gesture to thank the teachers that have been meaningful to your child/children. It could be a video from one child to one teacher, a video from one child to all their teachers or even a family video that is for all the teachers that impact the family. Send them the file or upload it to an unlisted YouTube page and send them the link.

Write the teacher an email

One of my friends who is a teacher has told me that one of the best gifts she ever got as a teacher was having a parent tell her how she impacted their child positively. Take a few moments and let teachers know how you believe they made a difference to your child and you’ll fill their hearts - that’s honestly why so many of them are in this profession to begin with!

Send them a gift card that supports their teaching

So many teachers spend money out of pocket for extra resources for their teaching (so much more than I ever realized!).

Send them a gift card that will help them pay for some of those resources.

There is a site called teachers pay teachers where teachers upload the resources they’ve created and other teachers pay them to use those resources (I love this idea, that could be the business coach side of me). :)

You can also buy a gift card from Staples, a local bookstore or even Indigo.

Send them a gift from a local business

There are so many great small businesses that are having to work harder than usual to keep their doors open right now and a gift card to a local restaurant, cafe, flower shop, etc would not only be a nice token for the teachers but also be a way to acknowledge the teachers in your life.

Whether you spend money or go with one of the free options, the idea is that if you have seen and noticed how much the teachers in your children’s lives really care and want to do something for them, they will appreciate the gesture, and I believe they really deserve it after the curve balls they’ve been thrown this year.

Move over breast vs. bottle: a new pandemic parenting battle emerges

Disclaimer: this post contains….opinions

If this pandemic has revealed anything to us (there’s a long list, but let’s stick with two right now) it’s that:

1) For the most part, human beings are a kind and compassionate species willing to put themselves at risk to care for others; and

2) Everyone has an opinion

In the past two months I’ve seen Facebook posts, videos, tweets and IG rants from nurses, doctors, actors, religious leaders, researchers, scientists, epidemiologists, politicians, and the catch-all for us regular folks - “lay people.” All the posts are opinion pieces, and usually start with something along the lines of “I’m a frontline nurse on the ICU unit at such-and-such a hospital, and here’s what I know about coronavirus” OR “I want to preface this by saying I have a PhD from BigDeal University and this is what I think.”

The posts are shared thousands of times, everyone exhausts the “love” or “angry” buttons and epic battles ensue in the comments section. On a much smaller scale, the same thing is occurring on our personal Facebook accounts, should we dare to share something that doesn’t jive well with other folk’s interpretation of this pandemic.

Here in Ottawa where we share close connections with our Quebec neighbours, the recent deviation in our respective governments’ response to the crisis has laid bare our incessant desire to not only voice our opinions, but disguise them as facts and launch them like flaming balls of doggy doo-doo towards the “other side.” As Quebec parents have had to make a tough choice about keeping their kids home or sending them back to school, it appears no one is more equipped to deal with this difficult situation than the parents who don’t actually have to make the decision.

A wise friend recently posted (and read carefully, because this is brilliant): “Having an opinion is the participation trophy of thought. Everyone gets one – that’s about it.” It’s not that your opinion is good or bad, right or wrong. But it’s nothing more than an opinion - so here’s your shiny blue ribbon for participating thank-you-very-much.

Parents have likened the judgment they have received for sending their kids back to school to the tired debate of breast versus bottle feeding, or bed sharing versus crib sleeping. Just when you’ve arrived at the school-aged phase and think you’ve finally moved past the parental righteousness hullabaloo, BAM a pandemic arrives and you’re right back at square one.

Sending our kids back to school amidst a pandemic is a choice, but for many parents the choice is between: send my kids back or lose my job and my income; send my kids back or continue to face poverty; send my kids back or deal with the terrifying reality of a quarantined child with mental health issues or learning difficulties; send my kids back or allow myself to fall into my own pit of hellish despair. For the parents NOT making this choice right now, it’s time to acknowledge your position of privilege (stable jobs that you can do at home, food on the table, healthy and happy kids, good mental health,) and move on.

To all the parents in Quebec: I salute you. I honour your choices, even if they may not fit perfectly with my limited capacity for reasoned judgment; limited, because this situation is so new that even science doesn’t have all the answers. What we do know rests on shaky ground, shifting every day as more is revealed in this new world we find ourselves living in. To admit to a degree of uncertainty is both humble and human. We don’t have all the answers, and we may not for a long time.

Instead of loudly tooting my own horn or proclaiming the answers I think I have, I instead want to recognize what I’m not. I’m not a medical officer of health. I’m not a COVID-studying scientist. I’m not an epidemiologist tracking this new and emerging data. I’m not any kind of “expert,” despite a master’s degree and ten years working in the field of epidemiology. I’m just another person with an opinion.

Misty Pratt is a writer, former health researcher and one of the community managers for Kids in the Capital.

Pandemic Birthday Party Ideas for Kids

We all know how important birthday parties can be for little (and big!) kids. Whether you normally do a small get together with a few friends or giant blowouts with the whole class, everyone will have to rethink how to do birthday parties for the foreseeable future.

We came up with the following ideas by polling friends and our readers. Even if you want to keep things super simple you can still make it a special day for your wee one (or for your wife…who is turning 40 this year…hint hint to my husband.)

Parades

This one will obviously involve a little bit of planning and coordination. You will need to reach out to family and friends and ask them to decorate their cars, and then organize in a procession at a specified time. We’ve seen a few of these go by in our neighbourhood and they look SO FUN!

Special Deliveries

Arrange a delivery (or pick-up) of a tasty cake or cupcakes, or maybe takeout from their favourite restaurant. Veronique Chiasson, owner of Emerging Minds in Ottawa, found an edible cookie dough cake for her 12 year-old which was a huge hit!

Social distance visits

Physical distancing doesn’t mean you can’t invite friends over to hang out on the driveway for a while. Or grandparents, who can sing Happy Birthday and drop off presents!

Video compilations from friends

Ask your child’s friends to send in short video clips of them saying Happy Birthday (or ask them to get creative depending on what your child loves - one of my daughter’s friends ADORES animals, so every video sent in featured the family pet!) You can throw these into a compilation or just show each clip separately if you don’t have the time.

Decorations

Cover the driveway in a giant chalk masterpiece, place balloons and signs all over the house, or decorate their bedroom door. Let the whole neighbourhood know it’s your child’s birthday!

Zoom birthday parties

Virtual parties are all the rage now. You don’t have to make it super long - just invite their friends on for the singing of Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles, and then let them chat for a while!

Performers

Many businesses are still offering princess or clown services (at a distance of course!) OR, ask a talented family member to dress up and come for a visit. They could do a unicorn or T-Rex, princess, or any other character your child loves.

Favourite meals all day

Cake for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch and pizza for dinner? Whatever they love, let them choose (there may not be a lot of vegetables in there, but you never know…some kids can surprise us!)

First Responder Visits

Depending on where you live in Canada, a visit from a fire truck may be an option (my brother was able to request this for my nephew in Calgary) However, I reached out to Ottawa Fire Services and they responded to say while they’d LOVE to offer this service, there are challenges and concerns as firefighters will not be able to practice social distancing in the truck for a non-emergency response.

But there’s good news! They will be offering some school aged education programs virtually – stay tuned to @ottFirePrevent for more details.

Plan the “After” Party

Make sure your child knows that you can still do a party with friends at some point down the road. Of course we can’t make a date right now, but they may have fun dreaming up the things they’d like to do. Or perhaps your pandemic birthday party was so epic they won’t need anything else ;)

Celebrating Mother's Day During a Pandemic

Mother’s Day this year may look a little different for many people. The ability to browse for the perfect gift at your favourite local shop or go out for brunch at your favourite breakfast spot may not be possible, but the good news is, there are still many ways we can celebrate Mother’s Day during a pandemic, including a good old fashioned homemade craft, made with love!

Breakfast in Bed

What is your mom’s ideal breakfast? It could be as simple as a coffee or tea with toast or as elaborate as a soufflé with maple bacon. Why not add a homemade piece of art or a little note expressing your appreciation for everything mom does?

If you usually go out for a Mother’s Day brunch, see if that restaurant is offering home delivery for Mother’s Day this year. Many are!

Whatever you decide to do, make sure kids can help and make sure to have fun! It’s the thought (and mom not having to do any work) that counts!  

PowerPoint of Favourite People or Places

If mom is an avid traveller, why not put together a slide show of her favourite places travelled and set it to music? You can even add some of the places she is looking forward to visiting in the future.

If your mom lives in a different city, you could ask other family members to get involved and help put together a PowerPoint presentation of everyone holding up signs individually with their favourite memories, messages or jokes.

Take an online class together 

There are so many online classes available right now – from art classes to yoga or cooking classes, why not book an online class for you and your mom to take together! There is something for all age groups, and for moms with young children as well as moms with adult children - a great way to get grandma involved too!

Watch a movie online together

If you have Netflix of another streaming service, book a day and time, grab a bowl of popcorn and watch an old favourite or a new movie together! If mom or grandmother is in another city and they have Netflix, you could do the same activity together - virtually!

Host a Virtual Happy Hour

A virtual happy hour is perfect for adult children looking to celebrate their mom, but don’t live at home. Whether it’s wine or tea time, book a time where you can have a drink and chat together with mom or grandmother and any other siblings. You could even play a game virtually, such as Battle Ship or cards, or make it fun by choosing a theme, such as Wild West, fancy hats, or the 1980s.

Book a Virtual Wine Tasting

If mom or grandma is a wine lover, send her and yourself some new wines and, if you’re an adult, schedule a time to have a virtual wine tasting together. Wine Country Ontario has a great list of wines you can order online.

How do you plan on celebrating Mother’s Day during the pandemic?

Pandemic Silver Linings

Everyone is experiencing this pandemic in different ways. There are those of us who have lost our jobs or lost significant income, those of us who are trying to work “full-time” while parenting and homeschooling, and those of us who are experiencing other hardships.

Recently I’ve taken time to observe the ways in which my children are handling this crisis. I’ve seen an increased neediness (wanting to sleep with me again at night, needing more hugs, and being clingy) as well as some emotional outbursts. Maybe you relate?

Since the dust has settled and we have come to the realization that this will be a longer-term situation, I’ve noticed other changes in my kids that I find fascinating.

They take Naps

To understand what a big deal this is, you must know that my kids have always fought naps. From the time they were babes in arms they have pushed back against sleep like it was the worst possible thing to do. So imagine my shock to see my nap-phobic kids heading off to bed in the afternoon when they feel tired.

They have found coping skills

At times when emotions are high, my kids are falling back on positive coping skills to deal with their fear, anger and stress. A common sight these days is one of my kids in the bath, quietly playing with toys or reading a book. They’ll soak in there for a while taking much needed alone time (truth be told - so do I!!)

They want jobs to do

In our “regular life” my kids don’t have a lot of time for chores, except on weekends when we get them to clean their rooms or help outside (gardening in the summer and shoveling in the winter). Now that they’re following a much quieter schedule there has been time for daily chores. My daughter is the “tea maker” in the morning, and brings us tea in bed. My youngest has enjoyed learning how to vacuum and do a full load of laundry. They both LOVE helping in the kitchen, even if it’s hard for my control-freak self to allow flour all over the floor.

We have time

Our family has a lot of time right now. This has come at a financial cost, as as my husband and I are both unemployed. But the “silver lining” is an unlimited amount of time to live life in a way I’d never imagined possible.

My kids creep into our room in the morning and open the blinds for me (who needs alarm clocks when you don’t have a job?) We then spend up to an hour in bed watching what we call “The Wildlife Show” out our bedroom window. This show stars three bunnies who war over the food dropped from the bird feeder, an injured squirrel who is surviving despite all the odds, the many different species of birds that land in our ancient crab apple tree, and the neighbourhood evil villain - a white cat that tries to hunt all these creatures.

This is just one example of an activity that we couldn’t have found time for in our past life. Other activities include reading aloud, nature walks in our ravine, lots of biking and scootering and ample time to grow the best vegetable garden we’ll probably ever have!

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Recently we watched the documentary “All the Time in the World” (a must-see if you are Canadian and a lover of the outdoors.) It’s about a Yukon family of five who make the decision to head out into the bush and live in a small cabin for nine months - no electricity, no running water, no watches and certainly no phones.

My kids were totally fascinated by the things the family accomplished in the bush, and we talked about how different their situation was from what we’re experiencing - yes, we are isolated, but still very much connected to the outside world through TV and internet.

There are marked similarities, though. The kids in the documentary are naturally creative and very resilient, and tended to learn and develop through play. I have seen this first-hand as my 10 and 7 year-old have spent hours in make believe games (many involving babies it seems).

This is not to say that we are in living in a fantasy land of familial harmony. The kids still fight, we each take turns having meltdowns, and like the family in “All the Time in the World” we get cabin fever when the weather is rotten. However, when I force myself to take time to observe, I can see the incredible silver linings this pandemic is having for our family. And that makes my heart happy.