Parenting During A Pandemic
By: Melissa Lopez
CEO, Positive Adventures
The past several months have been challenging, frustrating, scary, overwhelming, among many other emotions. Picking up my kids from school in mid-March not knowing it would be their last day that they would physically be in their classroom spending time with their teacher and classmates is now a far-distant memory. What transpired after that was the realization of our world being impacted by a pandemic that would change the way every one of us would behave in the months moving forward, something once thought unimaginable to anyone.
As I reflect back on the experiences and decisions that I was facing both personally and professionally, I recall my feelings of isolation, fear of the unknown, and this immense focus of protecting my children first and foremost. Homeschooling became the norm, with the support of the teachers, the schools, and my family, alongside millions of other families nationwide, we persevered and radically adjusted our work/school/social schedules and used these challenging times as a way to reconnect with our children and our spouses.
I witnessed myself and my children in front of the computer for hours on end, “Zoom-ing” through the virtual space. When not in meetings or in class, we were shopping online, reading, researching, playing games with others, and let’s not forget the over-indulgences of video games. Although frustrating for me to witness and monitor, it was one of the only ways my two sons (ages 8 and 11) were able to stay connected to some of their classmates and friends, so although I did set max time periods and restrictions, I also had to bite my lip and allow them to have some virtual interaction with their peers.
Fast forward three months, and we are now re-opening our economy, our lives, but with continued safety and precautionary measures in place. After sheltering in home for the past few months, I was left with a feeling of fear (of the unknown), hesitance to head to any public places, and trying to teach myself how to make cloth masks (or find some online) that my kids would actually embrace wearing.
What now though? How can I continue to protect my children during this pandemic, but also begin returning to “the new normal” of extra precautionary activities outside of the home? This is where my parental concerns provided me with a viewpoint of what I could personally and professionally contribute to aid in the same apprehensions all parents like me are feeling. Through my role as CEO of Positive Adventures, I knew we needed to put our primary and core focus towards our Youth Summer Camp programs.
After reaching out to medical professionals, City of San Diego officers, and thorough research and communication with CDC and ACA guidelines, we were able to structure our summer camps in a manner that allows for outdoor youth activities in a healthy, fun and educational-filled manner. Positive Adventures has aligned with best practices of health-related plans and procedures. All campers will be pre-screened prior to attending camp via parent monitoring for 14 days prior to start of camp. (See pre-screening and ongoing CDC and ACA guidelines further here). Campers will be provided a safety kit that includes personalized hand sanitizers, individual sunscreen, new daily masks to wear during times where counselor instruction is taking place, and hats to protect them from the sun. All children and counselors will have daily temperature checks prior to starting camp each day, and continued communication regarding the activities of participants will be shared with parents.
As all parents do, I hold my children and their safety, health, and well-being as my first priority, and I am proud and excited to be able to share Positive Adventures summer camp experience with them and with our community. For me, it’s one step closer to gaining back fun, adventure and excitement for our kids as we begin summer break, a break we all earned and are looking forward to new experiences, outdoor recreation and safely interacting within our community.
I welcome you to learn more about PA summer camps by visiting https://positiveadventures.com/summer-camps, or sign up today to attend one of our informational webinars being held on Thursday, June 11th at 5 pm and Monday, June 15th at 5 pm. I know parents have many questions about programming, safety measures, even logistical information, and we are committed to the community and to every parent out there who has the same intentions as mine, to find the best activities for their kids to participate in this summer.
Welcome to summer, parents! Let’s work together to continue to protect our children, research the decisions we make on their summer activities, and prepare them for a summer of fun, new experiences and memories!
