Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
Moms are facing some high stress situations with all these shut-downs, social distancing and quarantine issues. Whether you’re facing childcare problems, loss of income or homeschool frustrations, mothers are experiencing a higher anxiety level than normal.
But, there’s another group who are suffering as well and that’s our senior citizens. I will be the first to admit that my stress level does not compare to moms who are trying to keep kids occupied full-time. But, loneliness? That’s a whole other story.
Because I meet all the requirements to be in danger from this virus, my kids talked it over and decided that they are staying away from me until they are sure they and their kids are not carriers. It’s a very weird feeling to have your kids turn the tables and make decisions for you!
But, the fact of the matter is that I am going days without seeing another living soul (besides my sweet hubby who works). And, that is lonely.
My kids have been great and very creative about staying in touch and I thought I’d share a few ideas with you in case you have parents in the same situation.
- Send pictures. One of my daughters sends pictures to me throughout the day. They’re just pictures of the little moments of the day, but they make me feel like I’m a part of her life.
- Send videos. My kids send videos of their kids playing, their pets being silly or even napping babies. I watch them over and over again. Hearing their voices and laughter brings me so much joy.
- Face time. What an awesome invention! I have a son who lives clear across the US and seeing his face and hearing his voice means the world to me. Today, my daughter face-timed me with her kids. I got to see craft projects, watch their cats play, and even hear the kids argue over who got the most space on the screen. It changed my mood for the whole day and I loved it.
- Picnic on lawn. A friend took her kids up to “see” her mom. She and the kids had a picnic on grandma’s front lawn while grandma stayed on her porch a safe distance away. She got to see her daughter and grandkids in person and hear their laughter. What a perfect thing to do.
- Stand outside with signs. You’ve probably seen news stories of children visiting older relatives and holding up signs to communicate. You can see the joy in the elder ones’ faces.
- Visit through the window. Examples of this are all over the internet: sons sitting outside in chairs talking on the phone to their parents, a newly engaged girl showing her ring to grandpa through the window, or wives “holding hands” with their husbands by placing their hands on the glass.
- Ding-dong dash. My son-in-law did this tonight. He brought food over, put it on the porch,rang our bell and then backed away. We got to visit a little (from a distance) while receiving a loving care package.
- Make and send cards. My daughter is having her kids write a card every day of this break. They are learning letter-writing, how to address an envelope and empathy all at the same time. They then send their creations to older people who are stuck at home. I love it!
- Christmas lights. Neighbors are putting up Christmas lights to cheer their neighbors. What a sweet idea. It’s a great way to spread a little love and beauty.
- Send care packages. Companies make it so easy to send care packages. Amazon has them for every occasion and all price ranges. They take care of the contents, the packaging and the sending. With a few clicks you can brighten lives.
- Concert on porch. I saw a news story about a young brother and sister who visited the porch of an elderly neighbor and put on an impromptu concert for her with their band instruments. Music is so healing, especially the music of a child.
There are so many simple ways to cheer up the senior citizens in your life. In this time of uncertainty, loneliness and depression can be a big problem. Reaching out can become a habit that changes lives.
