Socially distanced

Parents, we need to talk. 

We need to talk about what we are teaching our kids about the current Covid reality. 

I can agree that we need to take common sense precautions during this time. I understand that some people have compromised immune systems and might not fare as well as others if they were to contract this current strain of coronavirus.  My own family just completed the recommended “protocol”, and just ended a very challenging quarantine, separated between two different homes. We canceled our church for two weeks (which is kind of a big deal given that my husband is the pastor), missed the last week of my daughter’s drivers ed classes, the list goes on. I know that Covid has taken even more from other families. So, I will just say that it hasn’t been easy. Nevertheless, we did what we needed to do as responsible members of society. 

Still, we need to talk about how this is affecting our children and teenagers. 

Until last March, most people took a certain amount of risk with their health (without even thinking much if at all about those risks) every time they went to a park, went shopping, sent kids to school, attended church services, etc. They took risks. We all did. We all still do to some degree. 

However, things seem to have changed drastically when it comes to risk taking, especially when it comes to how people treat others who may have calculated their risk levels differently. There seems to have been a point in time that being cautious became harmful in other ways. I’ve watched adults and children react in very unkind ways toward others, simply because they were “exposed”, at no fault of their own. 

In all sincerity, I ask of you, please don’t teach your children to be fearful - so fearful that they reject other kids as if they are lepers. Kids shouldn’t be yelling at other kids or threatening to “report them” for simply getting “too close” to another person. 

What are we doing to our children? Even if contracting Covid was no longer a risk, there are numerous other viruses/diseases kids could bring home, just by simply playing and being kids! Are we going to teach them that interacting with others is just “too risky” these days? Have you heard of the kids who have taken their own life because they can’t cope with the amount of isolation and rejection this has put them through?

We must do better! Even rules have exceptions. At some point, for the mental health of our children, we have to decide when risks are worth taking. Being physically isolated because you are truly contagious is one thing, being socially isolated simply because others are afraid of what you might be carrying is another. 

Instead of teaching kids to live in fear for their life or the life of a loved one, teach them how and when it is appropriate to be cautious, while at the same time, teaching them to be kind! Teach them about the risks we take every day, how to weigh them, calculate them, and make good decisions based on that information. We should be a support to our friends and family during this time. Kids should be able to play with friends who aren’t ill. Instead, I see kids being rejected, argued down, judged, and isolated for reasons they simply have no control over. 

This has been a hard year for everyone. Some have had it harder than others. Please don’t allow the current challenges of a virus to turn you or your family against others. 

We NEED each other. 

There must be a better way.....

If we claim to really care about people, and that is the reason we give for taking precautions; then we should also show we care about others by treating them well. At the end of the day, we are all still human, and humans need to feel included, accepted, and loved.