Q: Can my kids have their friends over while the schools are closed?
A: Yes, but only within established guidelines to keep both your children and their friends safe from exposure to coronavirus. The best way to keep your children safe while schools are closed is to hold fast to the principles of social distancing while they are at home. Don’t allow a play date unless the children are all old enough to understand why they’re distancing themselves from one another and mature enough to comply at all times.
Once all applicable state and local stay-at-home orders are lifted, follow these simple rules when planning your child’s get-together to ensure their safety:
* Maintain a minimum 6 feet of distance from other kids at all times.
* Keep it outdoors only for ventilation conditions that keep kids out of each other’s “breathing zones.”
* Keep it small. Allow no more than two guests over.
* Keep it short. Limit visits to a couple of hours only.
* Parents and children should all wear cloth face coverings at all times for protection.
* No automobile trips together – no exceptions. Make sure teenagers know and understand why.
* Allow frequent individual bathroom breaks to wash hands, sanitizing all surfaces afterward.
* Observe all other everyday preventive behaviors for COVID-19 protection.
Studies of COVID-19 so far suggest that children who are infected will likely only show mild symptoms, but can still pass the virus along to others. Many never show any symptoms at all. Err on the side of caution when planning outdoor meetups for your children if you feel there is a risk of exposure. Doing so not only keeps your family safe, but also those around you who are at highest risk for serious illness from COVID-19.
Have fun with this! Spending time outside with others is an important contributor to the health and well-being of growing children and young adults – take advantage of the opportunities to get them away from the video games. Plan some no-touch, safe-distance games and activities for the play date/hangout, and prepare a healthy meal and some snacks.
Your kids are under a lot of pressure to adapt and perform under most unusual circumstances. They need the familiarity and reassurance of their social peers in order to cope and make sense of the very strange world in which we live. Give them what they need. And if you don’t think your kids will be able to follow the rules you establish for a short, safe play date, arrange for online Zoom hangouts instead. It’s not an ideal alternative to personal contact, but it will keep your kids safe from infection.
– Dr. Nita Shumaker is a pediatrician with Galen North Pediatrics and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Dr. Nita Shumaker / Contributed photo