Tips on Surviving a Pandemic with a Toddler - Paula West

Here are a few tips from the Savages on how to endure a pandemic with a toddler.

1. Stock up on supplies—construction paper, glue sticks, markers (washable), crayons.
2. Set up new weekly routine, now that the usual weekly story times are cancelled.
3. Teach family members about Zoom, Portal, and Facebook video chats.
4. Learn how to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays on video chats.
5. Make sure you have good walking shoes—you will need them as you are pulling a wagon all day around the neighborhood, chasing the tricycle, walking and stopping every few steps to look at the flowers in the neighbors’ yards.
6. Let toddler do tech support/troubleshoot as he has heard you explain it way too many times.
7. Enjoy driveway to driveway chats with the neighbors—keeping with the 6-feet distancing.
8. Figure out you have too many cookbooks you have not looked at in a while and let the toddler pick out recipes to try and help you prepare.
9. Have fun teaching your toddler how to mix ingredients in the “big bowl”.
10. Find safe place in kitchen to set up laptop/portal/phone to video chat with family/friends while cooking during the holidays because they live too far to safely travel during the pandemic.
11. Continue to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays on video chats—trying not to get cake icing on the laptop as your toddler is “sharing with grandma and grandpa.”
12. Prepare yourself for visits from the grandparents once they are vaccinated and able to come visit and bring “things that were too big to put in the mail.”
13. Look forward to reconnecting with friends and family that you have not physically seen in over a year.
14. Plan for holidays, birthday and anniversaries, with the hope that we will all be able to be together in person once more!