7 Lessons Learned During Social Distancing

It seems as though we’ve been force to learn a few things during this quarantine quandary! Some things may be completely obvious but some may not be. So here, I’m going to give you my take on what lessons the general public seems to have learned during social distancing.

1. Wash your hands

Okay, seriously. Now they’re coming out with commercials on how to “stay healthy” by washing your hands? Didn’t we all learn this when we were babies? Our moms are teaching this to their little ones every day. Our teachers teach handwashing in school! Is this something new? I didn’t think so, but please, don’t forget to wash your hands!

2. Cover your cough

I also thought this was taught at home and at school, but I see commercials reminding people of this as well. Maybe I’m in some warped world or my own little bubble over here in my corner of the earth, but didn’t we already know this is one way to protect others from getting our germs? Sneeze into your arm! Cover your cough with a napkin or your arm and wash your hands if you cough into them. I thought this was general knowledge, but I guess these commercials were needed and these are new lessons some people are learning!

3. Cook dinner

I find it absurd that we had to be reminded to wash our hands and cover our coughs but now I’m going to get a bit more serious. Here’s a lesson I think is important during social distancing. We’ve been told to stay home. Buy your essential grocery items and stay home. Sure, many restaurants are still open, but actually many of them do not have their full menu available. This makes it difficult to order your favorite meals. I want you to know that you can get many really good and very achievable recipes on the internet! Search your favorite menu item. My mom always said that if you can read, you can cook/bake. Read that recipe and follow the directions and cook a delicious dinner for you or your family. Gather around the table and be proud of your creation. Enjoy food together. You’ll be so proud of yourself for preparing it on your own. It’s generally much cheaper to make your own meals than it is to order ‘to-go’.

4. Eat leftovers

Eating leftovers is a great way to save money. This is an important lesson we learned in our quarantine during social distancing. It’s something we’re all very aware of, though, right? We should eat leftovers. But in our spoiled nation (generally speaking) we tend to eat what we want and if we don’t want leftovers, we fix something else to eat or order take-out, right? Having my family at home all day, every day, my husband and I discussed how meals should work. We have found a really good routine of cooking a really nice meal for dinner, and having leftovers for lunch.

Having the kids home, they eat more, groceries don’t last as long.We’ve actually been asked by friends, also with larger families, how we’re getting by with food and groceries. To us, this is a must! If you cook a new meal for each meal time, you’re bound to have leftovers. When would you eat those leftovers? Much of the food is bound to go to waste! Eat the leftovers… and remember you don’t have to eat until you’re stuffed so full you can’t move.

5. Interact with your kids

Now that your kids are home, spend time with them! Here’s another lesson we can learn in quarantine during social distancing! Your kids are displaced. They are limited on their usual social interaction. If they don’t have siblings or neighbors to connect with, most likely they are experiencing social cravings!

We have kids to take care of! We should not shelve them during this time! I understand if you’re a working parent, it’s obviously harder to spend the time with them, but when you do, give them quality time. Sometimes the quantity of time is not available, but the quality should be! Put your phone down and look them in the eyes. Talk with them. Laugh with them. Interact with them. They need this social interaction from you! They’re looking to you for guidance and strength through all of the unknown going on around them!

6. Don’t complain

We were all thrust into this crazy situation. None of us have lived this life and have only read or heard about it in history class! As adults, although we may not fully understand what’s going on, we should have the best attitude about it. Do it for your children. Your kids need to know that you’re going to continue to do everything to keep them safe and happy and most importantly, loved! When they hear you complain, I guarantee that does not help them feel safe or happy or loved.

Like washing hands and covering a cough, this is something we should have known before a major pandemic! This lesson learned in quarantine during social distancing is very important for family morale! Our kids should not hear us complain about having them home from school. Our kids are gifts from God! If they hear you complain about having them around, they will develop an attitude against you. They will feel unwanted and as I mentioned in a previous point, they are displaced and already feel uneasy about this new routine they are force to learn. They are very able to pick up on your frustration of having them at home.

All the memes about homeschooling and wanting to kick your student out of school or send them to detention, I know are well-meaning fun, but if your kids are old enough to read and happen to see you sharing those posts, imagine what it does to them deep down to their core. Don’t fall into complaining bout your kids.

7. Check on your family/friends

Here’s something that’s very important to me and something that’s only become more and more clear to me since this extended time in quarantine. This is a lesson everyone should have been doing before all of this and needs to remember well beyond our time in quarantine during social distancing.

People! Check on your family and friends!! This is something I don’t think happens enough! I have spent a full month in quarantine with my family. I’ve been out twice for a few groceries and that’s it. I have been in contact with several friends and family members, checking in on them. But you know what? I could count on ONE hand how many people have checked in on me. And you know what? It’s fine because I’m fine! I love having my kids home and we’re getting along great and learning a lot about each other and school is going very well for them. (Thanks for asking.) But what if I wasn’t fine? What if there’s family out there or friends you haven’t been able to see in a while. Do you know how they are doing? Have you asked them? Most likely you can’t really do anything for them anyway, but have you asked? Sometimes just being asked, having someone check in on them is all they need to keep them going!

I know how it feels to not be checked in on. I’m always the one checking in with others, rarely do I hear from anyone asking about me. So, I know the feeling of neglect, wondering if someone is thinking about me. Insecurities flood into the mind and take over and make me think I’m not important. No one has invested in me.

And, guys, I’m doing fine! Imagine the people who are not fine! Imagine those friends or family members who haven’t been checked on, who need a little extra love and encouragement. I feel like people are doing more of this during social distancing. Zoom meetings are happening when otherwise they wouldn’t be, more social apps are being used on mobile devices. This is great!

Can we keep this going? Long after quarantine and social distancing, can we keep checking in on those we love? Please?

I recently realized that I’ve been training for this quarantine for a while. God just so totally has the best plans. Over a year ago we moved from a place we knew very well. We were there for 14 years. Everything I knew was there. Then we moved. I rarely heard from friends as time went on. I didn’t have new friends yet since I was busy settling in my kids in their new school and unpacking all our boxes by myself. I was alone.

Again I could count on one hand in the first year how many people, friends and family alike, checked in on me. What they don’t know is that during that time, I wasn’t okay. I was sad. I was depressed. I was overwhelmed. I was alone. So I know what it’s like to be forgotten.

I’ve learned from this feeling. I’ve turned that sadness into helping others. I have dedicated one day a week to checking in on people I haven’t heard from in a while. I take initiative. Don’t be the victim anymore! Be the help! Be the positive vibe so many others need and crave!

Friends, these are really not mind blowing lessons we’ve learned from quarantine during social distancing. These are really things we should have been doing well prior to our current situation. They are just heightened now that we have time to think and reflect. I’m so grateful for this slower paced lifestyle and thankful to God for his love in my life that I am able to share my thoughts with you.

Prayer

Dear LORD,
You are an amazing God. Thank you for your love and your strength during our time of quarantine. Please help us realize the blessings in our lives. Be with us as we navigate new situations, keep us healthy and guide us to act with peace in our hearts. In Your name, Amen.