Earlier this week, I shared some posts on the topic of social distancing. That’s one good thing about the Internet and blogging; we can still connect with one another, even if we don’t do it in person. But, everyone’s situation is different and everyone is coping with the current circumstances a little differently too. To that, I thought I’d offer you a glimpse into how our family has been handling self-isolation during this pandemic.

Making It Work at Work

As you know, I’ve been working from home for years. For the entirety of my 14-year professional writing and editing career, in fact. So, in that respect, nothing has changed. I continue to work from home, and the amount of work that I’m doing is largely unaffected as well. My wife Susanne works in health care, so as an essential service, her job — at least in terms of job security — has not been affected either. We’re very fortunate that our income has not taken a hit.

This would normally be spring break, so we expected kiddo to be home for these couple weeks too. That being said, adjusting to having her around all day, every day again has been a bit of an adjustment for me. I got used to having the middle part of my day with a quiet home for work. With everyone staying home, that hasn’t been the case. For example, I’ve been engaging in more Zoom video conferences and Addie has crashed at least a couple of those. (See above.)

My colleagues understand — their kids and fur babies have barged in on their feeds too — so it’s not a huge deal either way. Staying home to work is normal for me, so there’s been no adjustment on that end. As far as work goes, we’re doing fine.

Shop Local, Shop Small Business

It’s not really a conscious choice, per se, but our family is always reasonably stocked to last at least a few days without needing anything. So, we were able to avoid that initial rush of hoarders and empty shelves completely. Since then, we’ve been trying to shop less at larger stores (like Costco) and shopping more (though less frequently overall) at smaller shops, during off-peak hours if we can.

For many things, we’re avoiding the supermarkets and going to smaller grocery stores and butchers, for instance. We’ve only made one supermarket run so far, if you can believe it, so we’ve largely been able to avoid more crowded areas overall. This also means, though, that we haven’t been to the mall. Or out in general, for that matter. And that hasn’t been easy for the little one, as she’s got all that extra energy to burn and no playgrounds or malls and such to burn it.

What Screen Time Limits?

Ever since Addie started kindergarten last September, enforcing screen time limits has been a bit easier. She’s very engaged and active at school for several hours, so there are just fewer hours to fill for the rest of her day. And there’s no TV before school. Now that she’s home all day AND the playgrounds and library are closed, limiting screen time has been a lot more challenging.

I know that we can feel like bad parents for letting our kids watch so much TV. Given all this self-isolation, though, we’ve been a lot more lenient (and forgiving). She’s been enjoying the daily Instagram live videos with James Dean of Pete the Cat fame, for example. Thank goodness for YouTube and Netflix and Disney+ during these difficult times!

Escaping to a Deserted Island

Speaking of screen time and self-isolation, we’ve been finding some respite in the form of visiting a deserted island. Virtually, of course. I’ve never been more thankful for the option of digital delivery. That’s what made it possible for us to get Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch without having to visit a physical store. And so, we’ve been exploring an “island paradise” of sorts, collecting fruit, catching fish, and paying off our loans to Tom Nook.

Initially, I didn’t think I’d have the time to dedicate to a game like Animal Crossing, but here we are. If we’ve got nowhere to go, we may as well go somewhere digitally. It even inspired the theme behind our family’s little announcement. Yes, our village will be gaining a new resident this fall.

Here We Are Now, Entertain Us

We like to eat out, and we haven’t been able to do that. Addie loves going to the playground, and we haven’t been able to do that. It’s easy to go a little stir-crazy when you’re staring at the same four walls all day, even though I’ve been accustomed to working from home for so many years. That said, maybe that’s why we’re a little more prepared in terms of entertaining ourselves in this situation.

Speaking for myself, since I can’t get physical books from the library, I can still enjoy Kindle ebooks, as well as free audiobooks via the Libby mobile app. Addie has lots of books of her own too, and I’ve also got a backlog of physical books to read. And yes, there’s all that screen time too, which given the circumstances, I think is okay.

Self-Isolation Is Not House Arrest

Years ago, I discussed the concept of urban cabin fever. For many people who lead more conventional lives, being holed up at home for days at a time can be maddening. I get it. All work and no play make Homer go something something. But, at least here in BC, we also need to recognize that self-isolation and social distancing are not the same thing as house arrest.

You can still go outside. Just avoid people and public gatherings. For my part, that means that I try to get in an evening stroll along quiet residential streets where I am unlikely to encounter any other people. If you’ve got a backyard or balcony, get in some fresh air. Even just opening a window can help. And connect with loved ones over video chat. We can stay emotionally close even if we’re physically distant. Let’s be alone together and we’ll get through this.

How is your family coping?