15 minute read
Safely Social
Safely Social 7 Ways to Play and Keep COVID-19 at Bay
By Kerrie McLoughlin
The pandemic has delivered us a new normal. Bye-bye haircuts, dinner parties, and plane trips. Hello masks, temperature checks, and Wal-Mart battles over the last bottle of hand sanitizer. The dramatic change has been disorienting and frustrating—especially for kids, who have found themselves spending lots of lonely time at home. But there are ways for children to safely socialize.
1. Hold a drive-by birthday
party. Is your child’s special day around the corner? Ask a group of her or his friends to secretly meet at a close-by location (like a mall parking lot), and then collectively cruise by your house. Let rowdiness rule as everyone honks, waves balloons and streamers, and yells out birthday greetings. To add to the festive mood, decorate your cars with crepe paper and signs. Friends and family can drop off presents or cards, too. But if you are hardcore about avoiding germs, ask them to give nonperishable gifts that can be set aside for up to 72 hours. 2. Stay together—apart. Unfold comfy camping chairs on the driveway or in the yard for some masked, six-feet-apart chat sessions. Need an occasion to gather? Consider a kid-friendly book club or sewing/ knitting circle. Melissa R. says her family does meet-ups at nature spots. The kids use FaceTime so they don’t have to yell at each other while social distancing. 3. Get (video) chatty. Kids can still meet “face to face” thanks to video conferencing platforms, such as Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, and Facebook Messenger. Katie D.’s four kids craft, watch a show, or exercise, all via video chats.
4. Rediscover snail mail. Older folks, especially, love to receive packages and handwritten letters. Not sure what to do with that pillowcase made in a socially distanced sewing circle or the picture frame constructed
during a video chat? Send them off to a relative. What Grandma doesn’t like a kid-creation in her mailbox?
5. Play with words. Texting, emailing, blogging, oh my! There are so many ways to stay in touch. And emailing and blogging hone kids’ reading, writing, and typing skills, too. 6. Visit Marco Polo. Check out the Marco Polo app for a FaceTime-meetsvoicemail experience. Leave, receive, forward, and—here’s the cool part— save video messages. 7. Online activities. If there is a silver lining to the COIVD-19 madness, it’s that families have access to newly online activities across the country. Google “online activities for kids” and “virtual tours” for access to museums and performances you otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to see. I also know families who are continuing activities such as ballet, Irish dance, and karate online—and loving it. ¶
Kerrie McLoughlin’s special kind of chaos can be observed at thekerrieshow.com.
August Calendar of Events
Free Online Coding Instruction for Kids
Got a budding computer scientist in the family? Take advantage of the variety of free online coding classes for kids offered by code.org, Khan Academy, and Swift Playgrounds. And then there’s Code Monster, which isn’t even a class but more like a game. It features a little, one-eyed blue cartoon monster that offers simple prompts to demonstrate how numbers can translate into geometrical figures. Check it out at crunchzilla.com/code-monster. ¶
Our calendar is back! Note that most events are virtual and, on the upside, free.
Monday 3
FREE Transition to Co-Parenting.
Four-session online workshop. Helps parents adjust & manage the transition of separation & divorce. Presented by Child Parent Institute. Aug. 3, 5, 10 & 12. 5:30–7 p.m. Registration required: tinyurl.com/y5g7sxqu. Also see: calparents.org.
Tuesday 4
FREE Virtual Jazz Village Campus.
Online music classes for grades K–5, taught by world-class teachers. Donations accepted. See website for schedule of classes. Registration required: healdsburgjazz.org/ virtual-jazz-village-campus.
FREE Sesame Street in
Communities. Online activities for ages 0–6. sesamestreet incommunities.org.
Noyo Headlands Virtual Race.
Run/walk whenever & wherever you want, even on the elliptical or treadmill. Submit your best time. $20–$40 marathon packages. Winners determined Sept. 5. Register: runsignup.com/race/ca/fortbragg/ noyoheadlandsrace.
Lakeport Auto Movies Drive-In.
$15 (one ticket per car) plus $10 food permit (if you bring own food/drinks). 8:45 p.m.: The Purge. 10:15 p.m.: Army of Darkness. 52 Soda Bay Rd., Lakeport (behind Lakeport Cinema 5). Tickets may only be purchased online: lakeportautomovies.com.
FREE Parenting Your Teenager.
Three-session online workshop. Explores normal teenage behavior, communicating with teens & strategies for managing behavior. Presented by California Parent Institute. Aug. 4, 11 & 18. 6–7:30 p.m. Registration required: tinyurl.com/ yxdbdv75. Also see: calparents.org.
FREE Mother-Wise Online
Workshops. Aug 4: Routines. Aug. 11: Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month. Aug. 18: Breastfeeding Benefits, Barriers & Solutions. Aug. 25: Pumping & Returning to Work. Online Tuesdays. 1–3 p.m. facebook. com/pg/motherwiselakecounty/ events/?ref=page_internal.
FREE Virtual Job Fair. Mendocino & Lake Counties. Find out about current opportunities, get tips on getting hired & learn how to apply. Via Zoom: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Register: zoom. us/webinar/register/1115952886804/ wn_lhtau1pprh62apf09qxsna. Wednesday 5
FREE Ukiah Hazardous Waste
Collection. Daily load limit of 15 gallons (measured by container size) per vehicle per day. For detailed list of items, go to mendorecycle.org. Aug. 5, 8, 12, 19 & 26: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. at: MendoRecycle. 3200 Taylor Dr., Ukiah.
FREE Storytime in the Park.
Participants must register & receive a confirmation before being allowed to attend storytime. Only 10 families are allowed at each program. Everyone older than 2 must wear masks. Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays. 10:15 a.m. Library Park. 200 Park St., Lakeport. Registration required: lakecountyca.gov/government/ directory/lake_county_ca__library/ events/storytime/storytimerequest.htm.
Mendocino Coast Botanical
Gardens. Visits by reservation only. $10–$15. Facemasks & physical distancing is required. Wednesdays–Sundays. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. 18220 Hwy. 1, Fort Bragg. Purchase timed tickets at gardenbythesea.ticketspice. com/mcbg-admissions.com/ events/196640334992288 /?event_time_id=296240185032302. Thursday 6
FREE Discover Nature Webinar: Emerging from the Ashes.
How fire-shaped communities are responding to the Tubbs & Kincade fires. Ages 13 & up (youth younger than 13 welcome with adult supervision). Via Zoom. 10–11:30 a.m. Registration required: tinyurl.com/ y2hcxbzk.
FREE Need Diapers? Curbside pick up or contactless delivery of diapers. Limited to 30 diapers per child in need. Thursdays. 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Action Network. 39144 Ocean Dr., Ste. 3 & 4, Gualala. tinyurl.com/yx9otn6l.
FREE Children’s Museum of Sonoma County Virtual Storytime.
Sharing live & filmed videos. If any special app is needed, guests will be notified ahead of time. Facebook Live: Thursdays, 11–11:30 a.m. Must RSVP to event: tinyurl.com/yyb4y5vr. Friday 7
FREE Positive Parenting in the
Midst of a Pandemic. Webinar with child & adolescent psychiatrist Sara Heron, M.D. Learn the signs of childhood mental health issues. 11 a.m. Register: tinyurl.com/y5jp4dht.
FREE Middletown Makers Faire.
Facemasks & physical distancing are required. Fridays (except Aug. 21). 5–8 p.m. Middletown Art Center. 21456 Hwy. 175, Middletown. middletownartcenter.org.
Monday 10
How to Draw Snoopy. In this online class, artist Mary Shyne will teach kids how to draw Snoopy. For ages 8 & older. $10–$15. Presented by the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Via Zoom. 1–2 p.m. Register at tinyurl. com/yy4nr82f or call 284-1272. Tuesday 11
Under the Sea. Use a variety of media to draw, paint & color underwater environments & animals. Three-day online session for ages 8 & up. $60–$75. Presented by the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Via Zoom. Aug. 11–13. 10 a.m.–noon. Register at tinyurl.com/y4p9a7k5 or call 284-1272. Friday 14
FREE I Hope You Dance.
Transcendence Theatre Company. Featuring dance numbers from some of Broadway’s greatest musicals. Aug. 14–16 & 21–23. Fridays: 7:30 p.m. Saturdays & Sundays: 7:30 p.m. & 2 p.m. Register & receive an email link 24 hours before the event. transcendencetheatre.org.
Wednesday 19
FREE Minds Behind the MIND
Webinar. Psychologists will review the symptoms of anxiety in autism & offer practical back-to-school strategies. Presented by UC Davis MIND Institute. Via Zoom. 5:30 p.m. Registration required: tinyurl. com/y2xccb47. Thursday 20
FREE Lake County Community
Blood Drive. 10 a.m.–3:15 p.m. Community Center. 500 Main St., Lakeport. To schedule a donation: 877-258-4825 or visit vitalant.org. Friday 21
FREE Household Hazardous Waste
Drop-Off. Household hazardous waste is collected from Lake County residents the third Friday & Saturday of each month. Most items accepted are free. Aug. 21 & 22. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Lake County Waste Solutions Transfer Station & Recycling Yard. 230 Soda Bay Rd., Lakeport. facebook.com/ events/1005670486470192. Wednesday 26
FREE Zoom with the Lake County
Library Director. Learn about library services, ask questions & share suggestions with Library Director Christopher Veach. 12:30 p.m. Register: 263-8816 or email christopher.veach@lakecountyca.gov.
FREE Positive Parenting All
Ages. Intro to the Triple P Positive Parenting Program. This online group class provides a toolbox of ideas to support families who are sheltering-in-place. 10–11:30 a.m. Registration required: tinyurl.com/ yygmu3au or see calparents.org.
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Free to Grow
Sleepover camps
Easter Fun
Local egg hunts
Tidy Up
Get inspired
Cyber Bullies
Protect kids
Back to School
Districts’ calendars
Lactation 101
A breastfeeding primer
Protein Power
Fast breakie
Morning Madness
Winning strategies
Success in Sight
Beat learning probs
Disaster Prep
Help for special needs
Brains for Hire
Find a tutor
Less Whine, More Shine
After-school strategies
Private Schools
Local guide
Fire Heroes
Nominate a neighbor
DIY Foosball
Build a game
SAT vs. ACT
How to choose
To Our Readers
We are grateful to be able to provide trusted resources for parents in Mendocino and Lake Counties during this unprecedented time. Now, more than ever, we understand how important it is to come together as a community, which is why we would like to offer you a copy of our upcoming July issue, delivered directly to your email inbox. Please sign up today for your copy by clicking the link below. We truly value each and every one of you! —The staff at Family Life
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Mr. Innes’ French Connection
When the pandemic forced the shutdown of Dalmarnock Primary School in Scotland, its French teacher, James Innes, fought back and started a YouTube channel, French with Mr. Innes. The aim was to offer videos that, with humor and engaging graphics, made learning French easy and entertaining for kids. Apparently, Innes’ approach works: He earned 1,100 subscribers in just 11 weeks and now has more than 1,300. Check him out on youtube.com/frenchwithmrinnes. For kids who want to learn Spanish, check out the wacky Spanish with Mr. Vega on YouTube at tinyurl.com/yxfv25cf. ¶
Curiosity rover
Take a Cyber Trip to Mars
Staring up at the stars, one might see Mars twinkling the faintest of reds. Ever wondered what its surface actually looks like? Those who are curious can log on to Access Mars (accessmars.withgoogle.com). Thanks to photos taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover’s seven cameras, visitors to the site can click through a 3-D digital representation of the surface of the red planet. In addition to the graphics, there’s also information about Curiosity, various landmarks on Mars’ surface, and how the 3-D image was created. ¶ Preschools Schools
Give Your Child a Head Start! Give
Free & Low-Cost Quality Preschool! Your Located on north end of Fairgrounds PO Box 966 Tuition-free Montessori elementary for ages 5-13 Hands-on, arts and music integrated with academics National Green Campus Promotes responsibility, respect, and peace ✓ 1/2-day & full-day classrooms for ages 18 months to 5 years ✓ Potty-trained not necessary ✓ Children with disabilities welcome ✓ Referrals for transportation available Also providing FREE in-home services for infants, toddlers & pregnant women! CENTERS Head Start Child Development Program Applications online: www.ncoinc.org • (707) 462-2582 License #230111843 • Ukiah North Ukiah - Bush St. Nokomis - Washington Ave. South Ukiah - S. State St. Peach Tree - S. Orchard Ave. • Willits Near Brookside School at Spruce St. & Lincoln Way • Lake County Upper Lake - 2nd Street Upper Lake - Clover Valley Lakeport - Howard Ave. Clearlake - Pearl Ave. Clearlake - Meadowbrook Dr. • Coast Fort Bragg - Lincoln St. www.ncoinc.org (707) 462-2582 Head Start Child Development Program Child a Head Start! Free & Low-Cost Quality Preschool! Ukiah 95482
707-462-0913
treeoflifeschool@pacific.net www.treeoflifeschool.net
Find a School or After-School Activity in our Online Directories MendoLakeFamilyLife.com
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The author’s daughters fishing during their RV vacation
Goodbye Comfort Zone Lessons Learned in an RV with Kids
By Jessica Guerrieri
In an attempt to travel safely during the pandemic, we rented an RV. I picked a campsite an hour away, where my husband and I could take our daughters—a school-aged child, a preschooler, and a toddler—to experience the great outdoors. The kids loved the RV right away. Seventy percent of childhood pleasures seems to consist of elevated or confined spaces. So it’s no surprise that the older girls adored the rig’s bunk beds, and the storage containers, which they used as secret hideouts. There was even an indication that toddler Josephine’s older sisters were including her in their girl gang: “This is Josephine’s first vacation in our family,” my four-year-old said to me before we left. Wow, you finally accept your little sister, I thought, letting her words trickle through me like a hug. But warm, fuzzy mom-feelings aside, my “fun” barometer definitely had to be auto-tuned. It’s just a fact that everything about traveling with young children requires lowering expectations. Moms always spend more time prepping and unpacking than enjoying themselves. The sheer volume of stuff required for a family trip of any kind is ridiculous. If you’re like me, the laundry machine runs for 48 hours nonstop before and after any venture. And then there are the inevitable obstacles—in our case, four items we forgot to pack, three major inconveniences, two meltdowns per child, and one unexpected detour. When it became clear that I was going to be lucky to get five hours of sleep, it was only natural that I asked myself what I was trying to get out of this “vacation.” It wasn’t R&R. The chance for that was lost when I, screaming kids in tow, had to help my husband back the RV up a hill into a camp spot situated between two huge trees. (I’ve officially unfriended RVs.) It wasn’t to sleep well. That became clear at midnight when we were playing a losing game of musical beds during which I was trying to co-sleep with a 16-month-old who had never co-slept before. It wasn’t to increase my squat and hover strength or brush up on entomology. Though those skills were surely challenged when we tried to hook up the RV to a water line and were treated to liquid running all over the floor. Off to the open-air bathrooms we went, and there, mid-hover, I happened upon a bug that was the size of my foot (please keep in mind I wear a size 12). Then around 16 hours in, it hit me. I was sitting on the beach letting Josephine cover my legs with rocks (the closest thing I’ve had to a pedicure in 120 days) and watching my husband and two older girls gleefully splash in the reservoir when I became aware that it all felt exactly right. The effort, coordination, worry, money, and sleeplessness had absolutely nothing on that feeling. It’s those kinds of moments—the ones that become memories that we can call up in the darkness—that we are here for. Experiencing them is just a matter of traveling out of our comfort zones and letting the meaningful minutes speak louder than the challenging ones.
Find Jessica Guerrieri at witandspitup. com and on Instagram @witandspitup.
HONOR A LOCAL PARENT IN THE MEDICAL FIELD
Do you know parents who are also medical professionals working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic? We’d like to honor them. Click on this ad to nominate them to get special attention in our magazine and e-blasts, and on our website and Facebook page.
To Submit Your Nomination Click Here
Made for more family time
You were made for more. More family time. More adventures. More memories. Our team of family medicine providers is here to make sure you get more of those moments together by caring for your entire family. Be it the miracle of welcoming new life, helping your little one meet their next milestone or guiding you through a difficult diagnosis, we are here to take care of our community.
WELCOMING OUR NEW FAMILY MEDICINE PROVIDERS
Jeffrey Baitis, MD Maurine Blomquist, NP Paul Carty-Soriano, MD Daniel Coates, DO Cara Eberhardt, MD Jonathan Goorhuis, MD Moudi Hubeishy, MD John Lee, MD Joshua Levy, MD Scott Loeliger, MD Angela Mapanao, DO Sara Martin, MD Caitlin Raymond, MD, PhD Haley Rousek, MD Shamsher Singh, MD
JOINING AN EXPERT TEAM
Theron Chan, MD Peter Cho, MD Howard Coren, MD Chris Deuel, MD Ann Ebiner, NP Kimberly Hanneken, MD Lindsay Helvey, NP Frances Laughton, FNP Jodi Parungao, MD Jan Woesner, FNP Monita Yuen-Green, MD
You were made for more, so learn more
833-AH-Wellness (833-249-3556) 260 Hospital Drive, Suite 103 & 209 | Ukiah
