A New Normal

It was during a moment of hopefulness last week that I first sat down to think about writing this piece. The weather was finally turning a bit and the sun was out, and most of all, the end of our stay-athome order was a shining light of relief just a few days ahead. I decided to write about all of the things we have learned about parenting and time at home with our children while in quarantine. As a therapist, I was still seeing clients most days (virtually, of course) while my children were home with our childcare provider, so personally, I didn’t feel as if I could speak to the full quarantine experience of my parent peers. So, I reached out to my circle of parent friends to hear about their stay-at-home experiences, what they’ve learned about themselves as parents, and what lessons they plan to take with them as we return to a normal life.

The responses were overwhelming, and so beautiful. They were full of gratitude for health and also for the opportunity to better know our children. Almost all the responses included a desire to not return our families to the over-scheduled, “do your homework in the car,” “got to get to practice on time,” extra-curricular chaos that was our pre-pandemic lives. As one mom described about her family’s change in daily rhythm: “less doing, more being.”

Another theme that emerged was a more substantial sense of cohesiveness within the family unit. Parents wrote about their kids helping out more with chores and household responsibilities. Kids have been more involved in cooking and meal planning, creating their own ideas about how they’d like to spend their days, and turning to their siblings for companionship and play rather than relying on pre-planned playdates. It seems the pull of commitments outside of the immediate family might have been diluting the strength of our family’s internal bond.

There was certainly an overwhelming sentiment among parent’s responses that facilitating learning at home for their children has been the least enjoyed aspect. In spite of this, though, one parent shared about a benefit of quarantine and e-learning. She wrote about the opportunity to better understand each of her children’s learning style as well as their strengths and struggles in school. She shared that knowing how her children ingest and comprehend the information helps her know when to push a little more and when step back and redirect; clearly, an insight that will help her be a better parent in more areas of her children’s lives beyond just education.

Most likely, right now, this is the new normal. We cannot view this as a moment in time, full of lessons we casually hope to continue after quarantine ends. Rather, this is a wake-up call! An alarm that maybe our family connection had fallen off the rails a bit. So, as we continue to move forward, one day at a time, into this unknown new “normal,” remember to hold on tightly to this precious information, for our “normal” will never be as predictable as the love we have for our family.

THE DOCTOR IS (VIRTUALLY) I N

When should you use a virtual doctor’s visit for your child?

WORDS BY NICOLE SIPE

irtual doctor visits have grown in popularity, spurred mostly by the stay-at-home orders that were issued to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Even during a pandemic, people still need access to basic medical care, and online doctor visits allow patients to receive medical care and advice from the comfort and safety of their home, without having to visit a doctor’s office.

V

“During this global COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth is a safe and convenient way to bridge the gap between patients and healthcare providers,” says Dr. Suzanne Grannan, a pediatrician and physician executive with Community Health Network. “This valuable tool enables patients to stay at home and receive the care that they need without entering medical facilities, minimizing their risk of either spreading or contracting the virus.”

But how does virtual care work for children, and how do you know when a telehealth visit is right for your child’s particular situation? We asked the experts.

WHEN TO USE VIRTUAL VISITS

Grannan says that virtual doctor visits can be an appropriate option to assess a child's symptoms caused by many common illnesses, including allergies, cold symptoms, fever, pink eye, digestive problems, insect bites and rashes, as well as chronic conditions, such as asthma, ADHD and seizures. To find out whether a virtual visit is the right choice for your child’s condition, start by calling your child’s doctor’s office with your concerns.

“Once the problem has been identified and discussed, the appropriate type of care can be given,” says Dr. Paul Halter, a pediatrician with Hancock Regional Hospital. “In many cases, a nurse may be able to address a parents’ questions without the need to speak directly to the physician. However, office staff is very adept at identifying when a problem needs to be addressed more thoroughly. At that point, the parent will be advised on whether a virtual visit is appropriate or whether an in-office visit is the right way to go.”

WHEN TO V IS IT THE OFF IC E

As convenient as virtual visits are, there are times when an in-person doctor visit is necessary.

“Based on the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, all well-child visits should occur in-person whenever possible,” says Dr. Aileen Puno, a pediatrician with Franciscan Physician Network. “In-person well-child visits are important to keep children and teens up-to-date with their immunizations and avert the outbreak of vaccine-preventable illnesses. If an in-person visit is not possible for the child, the visit may be initiated virtually, with the recognition that some elements of the well exam must be completed in-person at a later time.”

And obviously, not every illness or condition can be evaluated over video. “Sometimes, we will ask a patient to be brought to the office so that an ear can be looked at or lungs can be listened to,” Halter says. “Even more valuable is simply the opportunity to have a face-to-face conversation in an examination room. It is incredible how much

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A VIRTUAL DOCTOR’S VISIT

Just like with an in-person visit, it’s good to be prepared for your video visit. Grannan offers these tips:

+ Know how to log in or initiate the telehealth visit before your appointment time.

+ Enable the microphone, speaker and camera on your device ahead of time to make sure they work.

+ Have your child with you in a well-lit room that is quiet and free from distractions, if possible.

+ Make a list of your child's symptoms, including how long they have occurred, how severe they are, and whether they are getting better, worse or staying the same.

+ Make a list of all medications your child takes, the doses and how often.

+ Note any changes in your child's behavior, mood or activity level.

+ Write down any questions that you want to ask so you don't forget them.

+ Have some key tools available, including a thermometer, flashlight (to look at your child's throat) and your child's weight.

In general, an in-person pediatrician visit will almost always be better than a virtual visit for children, because doctors are able to do a complete physical exam in person, Puno says. But virtual visits do have their place. “The goal of telehealth is to improve access for patients, increase convenience for patients, and to continue to manage acute and chronic conditions while complying with stay-at-home orders,” Puno says.

small businesses taking BIGSTEPS

COVID-19 may have forced things to shut down, but the Hoosier spirit is still very high.

THE WORLD AS WE’VE KNOWN IT CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. PARENTS SUDDENLY BECAME HOMESCHOOL TEACHERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WERE FORCED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON WITHOUT CUSTOMERS IN THEIR STORES.

But if tough times teach us anything, it’s that Hoosiers are a crafty and resilient bunch.

We reached out to Indianapolis-area businesses to learn how they pivoted their business and remained connected to the community during this difficult time. Below are excerpts from our coversations. Read the complete story here:

indyschild.com/small

business-quotes/.

Gymboree Mike Shultz

We have been serving children and their parents for 25 years. We have been through a lot over the years and through good times and bad, we have always found special ways to keep in touch with our families. During this trial, we have been posting simple 10-minute segments for the children. Yesterday we had a drive through "Smile and Wave." We even had a "Gymbo Drive By" contest. I think a client said it best yesterday. “One thing this has taught us is to understand what is important in life and to let go of what is not.”

Meridian Music Hillary Blake

To me community means using your personal gifts and strengths to help others. I have seen the power of community more than ever in the past two months. In our own studio I’ve seen teachers go out of their way to help others who are not as comfortable with technology so that students can continue to receive quality music instruction [online].

The Indianapolis Art Center Shannon Bennett

At the Art Center, community means a limitless source of inspiration. Outside of hosting artistic resources on our website and showcasing creativity across social media platforms, we are excited to be transitioning into offering interactive online camps and classes. This will allow us to deliver high-quality art education right to your homes while continuing to connect with our community, and beyond.

Northside Mental Health Kate Fisch, LCSW

At Northside Mental Health, we look forward to helping our clients navigate their lives as we all discover what the "new normal" looks like. Our commitment to our clients has grown even deeper roots through this crisis and we welcome the opportunity to provide ongoing support.

DeVeau’s School of Gymnastics Taryn DeVeau Lautzenheiser

At DeVeau’s, community means family. Our families’ safety and wellbeing are always are first priority, and that philosophy is unwavering. We have transported our facility into an online community. We are more connected to our DeVeau’s families than ever before and are committed to maintaining structure and normalcy for our students, which is something children need more than ever before. We cannot wait to see all of our DeVeau’s families back in the gym!

Indianapolis Colts Steve Campbell

The mission of the Indianapolis Colts is to entertain, inspire and unite and we are drawn to it even more during challenging times like these. We all look forward to the day when we beat this virus, and people and communities across Indiana can get back to normal life and activities. We also can’t wait to welcome fans back into

Lucas Oil Stadium for many safe, fun and entertaining afternoons of Colts football!"

Puccini's Pizza & Pasta Don Main

Puccini's Pizza & Pasta has been part of the Indy community for three decades. We've always considered it important to serve the community in a holistic sense. And we treat our employees with respect, because we need people to feel good when they're working. Obviously, this crisis has put pressure on us. We had different options in terms of how to handle it. And we decided to keep our locations open, because people need to eat and our employees wanted to keep working. So, we enhanced our safety procedures for carryout, added curbside pickup and expanded our delivery options. We kept feeding people, and that's what makes us feel good!

NinjaZone Megan Noel

As a gymnastics and ninja facility, we had to pivot quickly and get all of our programming online. Our coaches and parents were amazingly flexible during this transition to virtual classes. We were also able to collaborate with

some community members to create on-demand video content on AmazingKids360.com. We are immensely grateful for our wonderful local community. You rock, Indy!

Goldfish Swim School Andrew Joseph

Community to me is everyone we interact with on a personal basis. What makes a community to me are all the essential workers out there that not only make our way of lives possible but do it with a smile on their faces. We are SUPER excited to get kids back in the pool learning to swim and making them safe in water… On a personal level my family is excited for the pools to open up for the summer as well.

The Lavengood Team at Plat Collective Kelly Lavengood

Since becoming an agent in 2007, I have proudly donated a portion of my paycheck from each closing to my clients’ local charity of choice. With the COVID-19 crisis impacting our community at every level, I’ve decided to direct all giving at this time to organizations that are providing direct and immediate support to keep our most vulnerable community members safe, fed, and housed. I provide my clients with a list of organizations to choose from. A great deal of consideration went into making the list and I look forward to continuing to support the Indianapolis community.

Huntington Learning Center Lisa Fraser

Our concern is that children have missed a lot of education during the school closures and we hope to be able to help them during the summer with our Reading Adventure program. This free program is open to all children and encourages them to read through the summer. In the future, we also hope to take the best lessons we learned from remote tutoring and combine it with our in-person tutoring to help students avoid starting the school year academically behind once the school year starts in the fall.

Once Upon a Child Ryan Burtner

We had to close our doors on March 16 and decided to do some curbside selling in order to continue serving our community with affordable clothing. We also partnered with a local organization, the Grassroot Projects (grassrootprojects. org), to provide clothes and shoes for 14 kids in the Indianapolis area. We look forward to reopening our doors and providing a safe and affordable shopping experience for our customers.

Kits & Kaboodle Teneen Dobbs

At Kits & Kaboodle, we've been staying positive during these uncertain times with two modes of thought every day: Appreciating each and every customer that supported us while our business was closed and looking to our future re-branding of Kits & Kaboodle. We are very excited about moving to City Center this summer!

Providing Food to the People: Sahm’s Family of Restaurants

The folks behind the Sahm’s family of restaurants — Big Lug Canteen, Half Liter BBQ and others throughout Indianapolis — have done some creative things to reinvent themselves and help their neighbors during this time, including turning some of their restaurants into marketplaces, where customers can order groceries along with a hot meal. Indy’s Child talked to Carl Krockenberger, the director of marketing for Sahm’s, about the innovative ways that they have pivoted to connect with the community.

Your restaurants were some of the first to react after the stay-athome orders went in place in Indy. Have you been planning something like this for a while?

We did not consider any sort of marketplace concept prior to COVID-19. We're certainly not in the grocery store business. Thankfully, Ed Sahm [co-owner, CEO] and his son Eddie Sahm [co-owner, COO] were anticipating the community's need for essential items provided in a safe environment prior to COVID taking us into a quarantine.

What has been the reaction to your marketplace strategy?

Without a doubt, the response was overwhelmingly positive, even while working out the kinks in the first week of launching something we've never done before. We received emails and phone calls from neighbors thanking us for being able to offer essentials in a safe environment. Other businesses in different industries are eager to lend their services in our efforts.

Internally, our staff has embraced the new concept as a meaningful way to stay employed and serve the community as a true labor of love. I hate to sound cliché, but the reaction is a clear definition of what unity means between neighbors. It's amazing to see that people are acknowledging the bigger picture of the marketplace concept, and that is to continue to serve our community no matter what the method.

You make helping the community a big part of your business. Can you tell us about your work with Second Helpings?

Sahm's Catering, Big Lug Canteen and Half Liter BBQ employees have been working to provide food at near cost to the food insecure in our neighborhoods. This would include food pantries, shelters and assisted living communities. We are currently producing 30,000+ meals per week at-cost as part of the campaign. Meals are distributed with the assistance of Second Helpings. We are able to continue to offer this service with the contributions from community members. Currently, Second Helpings is seeking additional assistance to maintain operations and meet the growing demands from the food insecure in our greater Indianapolis communities.

Can you tell us about your Health Care Sponsorship Program?

We are all in this together. Lots of people have reached out wanting to help us help others. Here’s what you can do. We have a menu for individual meals to help feed the brave men and women who are doing life-saving and critical work in this pandemic. We will make these meals for 10 to 100+ healthcare professionals per delivery. These meals can be delivered ready to eat hot, cold or ready to warm up for when they are ready to eat. They are all individually packaged. The menus are priced to just cover our food and payroll costs to get us through these times. We will keep doing all we can to provide meals to our community for as long as we can.

You can sponsor some shift meals by:

• Sending us a contribution to do a shift in the future

• Coordinating a shift meal, setting up the details with us and paying for it at that time

• Having anyone you know that would like to be on the receiving end of this to reach out to us

Visit sahms.com to learn more about Sahm’s Health Care Sponsorship Program, and to find a Sahm’s Food and Provision Marketplace near you.

Uniting Indiana, One T-Shirt at a Time

How local apparel company United State of Indiana is giving back while staying afloat

Created by two born-and-raised Hoosiers, Graham Brown and Grant Gilman, United State of Indiana locally designs and produces apparel to celebrate our beloved state. Like many small businesses, USI had to make quick changes in order to keep the company afloat, all while doing what they do best: supporting and loving on their community. We spoke with Brown to learn more about how things look for them these days.

For people who may not know, what does United State of Indiana do?

The company started out as a simple clothing brand. Our designs were all focused on Indiana, taking-pride-in-where-you’re-from type designs. That was about 10 years ago, right after I got out of college. The biggest change since then is we now also screen print everything in-house, doing custom screen printing for other organizations in the area, as well. Over the years we’ve stuck to a simple thing of making shirts and products for people who love Indiana and want to show it off, whether they live around here or have moved away and want a piece of home.

What effects on your business have you seen as a result of COVID-19?

Right as it all started, we had the same moment that all small businesses had, that everythingis-about-to-change moment. A decent amount of our business is wholesaling, so we knew that was done because those places were shutting down. The biggest question mark at this point is events. Another part of our business is setting up booths at local events like Indy Pride and the Indiana State Fair, so there’s some anxiety around that.

The day after everyone got locked down and there was this shroud of fear around the whole world, I didn’t want to just be like, “Hey, remember us? Buy some t-shirts!” So we created some new designs and repurposed old designs to support nonprofits that are doing work related to the pandemic. We made a shirt that says, “We’re all in this together,” and the “in” is the shape of Indiana. That shirt supports a food bank where I’m from in Fort Wayne and one where Grant is from in Terre Haute. We knew Indy would have a lot of support because it’s such a strong community, so we wanted to give back to the smaller communities where we grew up. We’ve since rolled out collections that support other local organizations, like the United Way of Central Indiana and the Brewers of Indiana Guild. We’ve given over $3000 so far, which is awesome. It’s also kept us busy. We could’ve tried to just make it through, but it's nice to feel like we have new stuff to work on and shirts to print every day.

What are you looking forward to in the future?

I’m looking forward to restaurants being open again, for the sake of the community and also so I can get out of my house. We have friends who own retail shops, so we’re excited for them to open their doors again. I’m also looking forward to having more places to go. I’ve worked from home for a lot of my life, but when I say that, I mean from a library or coffee shop. I’m eager to get back into the community.

Business-wise, we’re just trying to make enough to keep going to the next day. Because so many of our sources of income have disappeared, we’re trying to get new stuff up on the site every week to keep people interested. We have more local organizations that we’re working with and more designs in the queue. I have no idea how many times we’ll have to reinvent something or take a new approach to get through this, so right now we’re taking it a day at a time.

Learn more about United States of Indiana at unitedstatesofindiana.com.