Pandemic Summers: Routine or Free-for-All?

Just when you think you’ve got this homeschooling thing under control, summer arrives! With overnight camps being canceled, and day camps up in the air, parents continue to live under a cloud of uncertainty as we juggle work-from-home and childcare.

Going solo or getting help

Before we talk about routine, one consideration for summer is whether you need some help. We could fill this post with Pinterest-worthy activities to do with the kids, but that takes major planning and coordination by parents. If you aren’t working, maybe this is your jam. But if you’re still trying to work from home throughout the summer, a post with a million activity ideas might be overwhelming (although if you’re keen on activity lists, keep reading for a few ideas below, and stay tuned for our Summer Pandemic Bucket List post!)

One option depending on the situation in your own province would be to get some help with childcare. At this point it’s possible that day camps in Ottawa will go ahead, although they will look very different from past summer camps. Some facilities may take things outdoors, where there’s a better chance for kids to practice physical distancing. However, children will still need shelter during thunderstorms, to cool off in heat waves or to use the bathroom.

If a day camp isn’t something you want to risk, hiring a teenager may be the next best option. Having one person coming into your home, instead of having your children encounter multiple different people every day, may be preferable for you. A few things to consider would be:

• Where do the parents or siblings of the teenager work (outside of home? Front line?)

• Is the teenager fully aware of the risks, and willing to communicate openly about their own exposures (e.g. a boyfriend/girlfriend, other friends they are coming into contact with)

• How will babysitting work if you’re working from home? Will the babysitter be expected to take your children outside? Will you consider allowing them to go to museums or libraries if they are open?

Alternatively, some parents will rely on grandparents or an aunt/uncle to help out. Of course there are risks associated with that option as well, but that’s a personal decision you can make together as a family. It may also be easier to manage the number of people your family members come into contact with in your “bubble.”

New businesses are being launched as we speak, such as online babysitting and Rent-a-Counsellor, where you can hire a camp counsellor to come to your home and do activities with your kids (at a distance of course!) These are really cool alternatives, and we’d love to hear from you if you’re aware of these services being offered here in Ottawa.

Routine vs. Free Time

Whether you’re going it alone or asking for outside help, you will need to consider how to approach this unique summer situation. As a parent, you know your kids best. Some children thrive with a lot of structure, while others will balk at the idea of keeping a “schedule” over the summer months. The choice of how to pass these looong 10 weeks will depend on what works best for your family.

The case for routine

Many parents find that routine provides structure and sanity. Kids know what to expect, and screen time can be scheduled. Routines can include an educational component (but shhhhh, we won’t tell your kids they’re learning) - but they don’t have to. Check out the links for some fun ideas below. The first is from the blog A Little Bit of Momsense, and is a free printable for weekly themed “mom and dad” camp. The second is our Pinterest board for daily schedules, which we’ll be adding to as the weeks go by:

Weekly “themes”

Daily schedules

Some kids will push back against schedules, as it can feel too much like school or camp. TOO strict of a schedule and you risk stifling some of your child’s creativity. Try to include your children in writing up the schedule so that they have a say in what they’d like to focus on. Adjusting the schedule as you go may be helpful and necessary.

The case for Free Time

You may choose to do away with schedules and routines and just let your children roam. OR perhaps you do a bit of both!

Many children thrive when given the opportunity to focus on what they want. A surprising amount of learning takes place even when you think your child isn’t doing anything “productive,” and summer is the ideal time to reframe learning as fun. Also, mounting evidence shows that letting kids be bored leads to some awesome brain growth and creativity!

Of course, the downside is that they choose to do something that you don’t want them doing - like video games or other screen activities. It’s good to head into the summer with a realistic idea of how much screen time you’re willing to let your kids have - are you fine with unlimited time? One or two hours? None? It’s a personal choice and depends on your family situation. If you’re still working from home without any help, screen time will probably be essential for your sanity.

Another potential issue with free time is that kids will want to explore the neighbourhood, and will inevitably come into contact with friends. Maybe your street is already teeming with kids! Depending on how the situation unfolds, it may be possible to “bubble” with one other family that you’re close with so that your kids can play together. Or, maybe your kids are old enough that they will respect social distancing rules while still spending time with friends. Most research is showing that small group outdoor activities carry a low risk of the virus spreading (based on what we know so far) - check out this handy article for a risk assessment of common summer activities.

Regardless of how you approach this summer, remember to be gentle with yourself. Parenting in a pandemic is not regular parenting, and we’re in this for the long haul. Taking things one day at a time is our only way through.

How to Stay Cool in your Backyard this Summer

The COVID-19 pandemic means many of us are sticking close to home this summer, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun and stay cool in our own backyards! With a little creativity your backyard can be a fun, outdoor paradise that is functional and keeps you cool.

Have fun getting wet 

Sprinkler Games

I don’t know about you, but as a child in the 80s, the sprinkler was my main source of coolness on a hot summer’s day. Nowadays, sprinklers come in different colours and shapes and are so much fun to run through to cool off!

Add to sprinkler fun with games such as Sprinkler Freeze Tag where the players run and dance around the turned-off sprinkler while someone stands by the tap. Turn the water  back on, and players must freeze (in the sprinkler spray!) until the water is turned off again. Any player that moves while the water is on is out!

Or turn Simon Says into a sprinkler game! Players can circle the sprinkler and each of Simon’s directions have something to do with the sprinkler, such as “Simon Says, put your right hand in the water.”

Water Table 

A good water table can provide hours of entertainment as kids use their imagination and find plastic toys to slide, float, and sink in the water table.

You can add even more fun to water tables by having kids create their own boats out of LEGO, sticks or leaves and having them race them around the water table.

Tag Along Toys at 1500 Bank Street (check them out on Facebook as they’re constantly getting in fun summer toys!) sells Sublife toys that are fun for kids to play with in a bathtub, water table or a swimming pool! These submarine-like toys go underwater like real submarines. They can dive to over 6 feet deep and re-surface by themselves again and again!

Water Balloons

I am not a fan of the waste created by water balloons, but the good news is you can find reusable, more environmentally friendly water balloons that can be found locally.

The water balloon version of 'Hot Potato' is a fun twist on the original. Participants sit in a circle and start passing around a water balloon. Play music and then, at random intervals, turn off the music.  Whoever is left holding the water balloon or whoever makes it burst it is out. The last participant is the winner.

Find creative ways to make shade 

If you’re lucky and have shade trees in your backyard, this is a perfect place for a hammock or for a backyard picnic, but if you don’t have any shade trees get creative and make outdoor forts out of old light-coloured cotton blankets or invest in a big umbrella that will cast enough shade for kids to play or to create an ideal backyard picnic spot. For more permanent shade, consider investing in a pergola, awning or gazebo.

Make a splash! 

Not everyone has a permanent above ground or in-ground pool, but luckily there are many different types of pools available that fit every space and budget. From pop-up pools from Canadian Tire to kiddie pools that are just deep enough to sit in and splash around the important thing is getting wet and having fun! Just make sure to cover the pool with a tarp or pool cover when not in use to keep the bugs out and to keep the water just cool enough without getting too hot from the sun.

Fun Pool Toys

If you’re looking for fun pool toys, support local and shop at Tag Along Toys, at 1500 Bank Street. From fun floats to toys that make a big splash, they have pool toys for all ages. Including these Tropical Kahuna Balls that are not only durable but also bounce on water! They make for a fun came of catch in the pool!

Or if you’re a fan of fun floats, like I am, check out the melting ice cream pool float also available at Tag Along Toys.

I bought a pink flamingo float, similar to the white swan below, from Tag Along Toys three summers ago and it’s still going strong! They are built to last (and believe me, I use mine A LOT!)

Stay hydrated

Stay cool by drinking plenty of water, especially on hot days. You can also stay hydrated by eating fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, watermelon and celery that will help keep your body hydrated and cool. Kid-approved smoothies work too!

Of course, frozen treats such as popsicles are always a welcome treat, even if they are healthy ice pops.

If you have any creative ideas on how to stay cool in your backyard this summer, leave a comment and let us know! Have fun this summer and don’t forget to apply sunscreen!

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 ;)