Play dates? Playgrounds?

[Anonymous]

I think an only would be easier than my 3. They are going to fight and kill one another.

I have 2 kids with birthdays next week. I have not yet cancelled their birthday parties. We have 2 parties at venues and 1 home party with family friends planned. Each party has 15-20 kids. Home party would have been 20 kids plus 20 adults.

I MAY let each kid have 2-3 close friends over on their actual birthday. I'm not sure if we will do this or not. As of yesterday, DH did NOT want to cancel their venue parties. This is moving so rapidly.

[Anonymous]

DH has a coworker who just left work. She asked if kids could have a play date next week. It was so casual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are playing in the backyard only for now.

I discussed with a couple other moms and we said in a week if things seem not horrible we might meet at a playground.

But if this goes on for a long time, it will be because it was bad, in which case you will feel good about just staying home entirely. If it doesn't go on for a long time, then it won't have been that long that you're kid will have been without friends to play with. So for now I think the safest bet is to stay home and not interact with people outside your immediate family.

I mean, for heaven's sake, they're building mass graves in Iran and people are dying in hallways at hospitals in Italy (citation: Washington Post for the first and Newsweek for the second). This is real.

There's a sidewalk along my backyard. Yesterday, two people coughed into it as they walked by, while my kids were home "sick." One of which was with her whole family and carrying a kid on her back. The other, an hour later, then crossed the street and stood in front of my neighbor's house, unwell, coughing more, before she started walking again. It makes me feel sorry for everyone, and I also now wish we had a rooftop deck.

[Anonymous]

DC will soon need to be spraying disinfectants in public spaces.
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/03/photos-large-scale-disinfection-efforts-against-coronavirus/607810/

Maybe while they're at it they can spray something about those mosquitoes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are playing in the backyard only for now.

I discussed with a couple other moms and we said in a week if things seem not horrible we might meet at a playground.

But if this goes on for a long time, it will be because it was bad, in which case you will feel good about just staying home entirely. If it doesn't go on for a long time, then it won't have been that long that you're kid will have been without friends to play with. So for now I think the safest bet is to stay home and not interact with people outside your immediate family.

I mean, for heaven's sake, they're building mass graves in Iran and people are dying in hallways at hospitals in Italy (citation: Washington Post for the first and Newsweek for the second). This is real.

There's a sidewalk along my backyard. Yesterday, two people coughed into it as they walked by, while my kids were home "sick." One of which was with her whole family and carrying a kid on her back. The other, an hour later, then crossed the street and stood in front of my neighbor's house, unwell, coughing more, before she started walking again. It makes me feel sorry for everyone, and I also now wish we had a rooftop deck.

This is flu and cold season. My kids have had a cough and runny nose on/off since December.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We also have an only child. She's 3 and her preschool is open for now, but if/when it closes, we'll still take her to the playground behind our house.

We are likely still taking her to her gymnastics class because they only hold one class at a time, so it will be her and her 2 friends. For now, I'm comfortable with that level of contact.

The issue is less contact with a few individuals and more contact with surfaces that MANY individuals use. Unless they are spraying every surface with blea Co every hour, your child will come into contact with many more germs at a gymnastics place, even if only interacting with 2 other kids, than if she interacted with those two kids at your house or whatever. I'm not saying what you're doing is outrageous or anything, but just saying.

I'm involved with a play that was going to open at a theater with only 40 seats, of which only about 20 would have been filled. So not "too" bad. But we just cancelled in part because the people there would not just be interacting with each other's germs, but exponentially more (if perhaps slightly motivated by more frequent cleaning).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are playing in the backyard only for now.

I discussed with a couple other moms and we said in a week if things seem not horrible we might meet at a playground.

But if this goes on for a long time, it will be because it was bad, in which case you will feel good about just staying home entirely. If it doesn't go on for a long time, then it won't have been that long that you're kid will have been without friends to play with. So for now I think the safest bet is to stay home and not interact with people outside your immediate family.

I mean, for heaven's sake, they're building mass graves in Iran and people are dying in hallways at hospitals in Italy (citation: Washington Post for the first and Newsweek for the second). This is real.

There's a sidewalk along my backyard. Yesterday, two people coughed into it as they walked by, while my kids were home "sick." One of which was with her whole family and carrying a kid on her back. The other, an hour later, then crossed the street and stood in front of my neighbor's house, unwell, coughing more, before she started walking again. It makes me feel sorry for everyone, and I also now wish we had a rooftop deck.

This is flu and cold season. My kids have had a cough and runny nose on/off since December.

Yes it is.
We need a bot that automatically detects and deletes "who needs hand sanitizer when you have hand washing?", "it's cold and flu season" and "it's allergy season" posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the goal is to lengthen the curve of infection, not to stop it in its tracks, right?

If so, then what makes sense is cancelling all large gatherings.

We're planning on trying to make a mini community with a couple other families in the neighborhood, and just accepting that there's some risk associated with that.

As long as everyone understands the risks and they won't be coming into contact with outside people who may die because of this. So many people are downplaying it, but then you look at the mortality rate in those countries with effective testing and it's still alarming.

I know a bunch of people who were sick recently and are all convinced they had covid19. Um, no they didn't. It's amazing how people are trying so desperately to believe this "isn't that bad".

How do you know that they didn't have it? For 80% of people, esp younger people, it really isn't that bad. There are people who carry it and have NO symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Do you have an ipad or something similar? My DD used to have "playdates" with her cousins who live far away by facetime. They would get out their little figurines and make up little stories for them in front of the ipad. They would also do crafts together that way. You could do that if you can't get out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are playing in the backyard only for now.

I discussed with a couple other moms and we said in a week if things seem not horrible we might meet at a playground.

But if this goes on for a long time, it will be because it was bad, in which case you will feel good about just staying home entirely. If it doesn't go on for a long time, then it won't have been that long that you're kid will have been without friends to play with. So for now I think the safest bet is to stay home and not interact with people outside your immediate family.

I mean, for heaven's sake, they're building mass graves in Iran and people are dying in hallways at hospitals in Italy (citation: Washington Post for the first and Newsweek for the second). This is real.

There's a sidewalk along my backyard. Yesterday, two people coughed into it as they walked by, while my kids were home "sick." One of which was with her whole family and carrying a kid on her back. The other, an hour later, then crossed the street and stood in front of my neighbor's house, unwell, coughing more, before she started walking again. It makes me feel sorry for everyone, and I also now wish we had a rooftop deck.

Those things are true. It is also true that this is different, but denying that many people who cough don’t have the new virus won’t help.
This is flu and cold season. My kids have had a cough and runny nose on/off since December.

Yes it is.
We need a bot that automatically detects and deletes "who needs hand sanitizer when you have hand washing?", "it's cold and flu season" and "it's allergy season" posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the goal is to lengthen the curve of infection, not to stop it in its tracks, right?

If so, then what makes sense is cancelling all large gatherings.

We're planning on trying to make a mini community with a couple other families in the neighborhood, and just accepting that there's some risk associated with that.

As long as everyone understands the risks and they won't be coming into contact with outside people who may die because of this. So many people are downplaying it, but then you look at the mortality rate in those countries with effective testing and it's still alarming.

I know a bunch of people who were sick recently and are all convinced they had covid19. Um, no they didn't. It's amazing how people are trying so desperately to believe this "isn't that bad".

How do you know that they didn't have it? For 80% of people, esp younger people, it really isn't that bad. There are people who carry it and have NO symptoms.

The days of eyerolls and uproarious laughter after "Don't worry I don't have the coronavirus!" are still with us!! Except now instead of "there are no cases in the US, dummy!" it's "It's allergy season, moron!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We also have an only child. She's 3 and her preschool is open for now, but if/when it closes, we'll still take her to the playground behind our house.

We are likely still taking her to her gymnastics class because they only hold one class at a time, so it will be her and her 2 friends. For now, I'm comfortable with that level of contact.

It's also, essentially, contact with everyone who has been in the gym since the last time they disinfected the equipment, plus all the surfaces in the lobby and changing rooms.

If you must, I'd arrive right before class starts, ready to go straight in to class, and be sure they were taking extra precautions and cleaning the equipment thoroughly between classes and wiping down the lobby and restrooms throughout the day.

Close contact is the most efficient means of transmission, but scientists are starting to learn that it can live in air and on surfaces for much longer than other common viruses. Your daughter may not get very sick if she gets it, but she could easily pass it along to others at the gym or playground before she even felt a tickle in her throat.

[Anonymous]

Wow, you people really don't get why they closed schools and mass gatherings.
Thanks, you'll keep this virus alive and well in your little incubators at the park so they can go on and infect their grandparents and older relatives.

So insanely selfish. It is two weeks, if you cant stand Larla, maybe you shouldn't have had a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, you people really don't get why they closed schools and mass gatherings.
Thanks, you'll keep this virus alive and well in your little incubators at the park so they can go on and infect their grandparents and older relatives.

So insanely selfish. It is two weeks, if you cant stand Larla, maybe you shouldn't have had a kid.

Completely uncalled for, PP. It's tough right now for a lot of people, including parents. It's hard to keep kids stuck inside for an indefinite time period. And some of us parents are expected to work from home with our kids there. It's not ridiculous to wonder whether it's ok to let them go to a nearby park. It's unprecedented and there's little guidance being provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is an only child. Will lose her mind if she goes weeks without other kid contact. No school, activities, no library, no church, no indoor play spaces (despite cries for trampoline park), birthday parties are a given.

What level of seeing other kids (or people in general) are you going to do with your kid?

I.e. can I let her bike ride with neighbor kids? Do a play date with 1 other friend? Go to neighborhood playground?

Or should we be on (mostly) lock down mode?

I’m high risk as are her grandparents who she sees a few times a week. It’s more others than her that I’m worried about. But, kid mental health is important too...

OP, how will her mental health be if both her grandparents die? Or you and/or your husband end up in the hospital on a respirator.

She will be sad and bored at home without kids. No comparison. Be the adult and protect her by protecting your family.