Virtual playdates for kids suggested
Doctor: Keep kids on board with social distancing
Social distancing and routine will be key for kids as they stay home for at least the next three weeks during the coronavirus school closure in Massachusetts, a leading medical expert tells the Herald.
Instead of normal get-togethers in the neighborhood, children should have virtual playdates, said Maryanne Bombaugh, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
“You can have playdates via FaceTime and Zoom,” she said. “We fortunately have this technology to maintain these connections during a time when children can’t be together.”
Officials are urging people to social distance as a way to slow the spread of the highly contagious disease.
“With adults, it’s easier to maintain a six-foot distance. It’s hard to do that with children. It’s almost unnatural for them,” Bombaugh said. “It’s a good idea for them to maintain as much separation as possible until we better understand the transmission of this virus.
“Although children aren’t affected so severely, they can be a vector to transmit it,” she said. “We need to be very, very cautious.”
Schools in Massachusetts will be shut down for three weeks, Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Sunday.
During this time, it’s important for children to have a routine schedule as much as possible, Bombaugh said.
“They’re used to a routine going to school each day. Now at home, they should have a routine of doing school work and reading, and activities such as jumping rope and exercise around the house,” she said. “They need time to play.”
While it can be stressful for children to not be around their friends, parents should reassure them that they’re keeping the community safer by preventing the spread of the virus, she said.
“You don’t want to create fear, but let them know they have control over this,” Bombaugh said. “They’re doing their part to address this public health emergency.”
Parents also need to explain to their children that they won’t see their grandmother or grandfather for a little while, or maybe their elderly neighbor, said William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University.
“We all need to talk to our kids about how there’s a virus that’s making people sick,” Schaffner said. “You need to tell them how we’re all staying home to protect ourselves, and so it doesn’t spread to anyone else.”