It鈥檚 hard enough for parents trying to figure out how to keep working while the kids are at home for the next few weeks, and perhaps even longer. But, during a serious pandemic, a local pediatrician said now is not the time to schedule play dates to pass the time.
“The most ideal thing really is to spend time with only your family鈥檚 own germs,” said Dr. Steve Silvestro of in North Bethesda. 鈥淚deally, you don鈥檛 want to be hanging out with other people, especially in enclosed, indoor spaces.鈥�
That鈥檚 a tough pill to swallow for many families around here, especially for those with younger kids.
But Silvestro, who over the weekend, said that doesn鈥檛 mean your family needs to be cooped up inside the house together. You just have to be smart.
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Kids can engage in outdoor activities together, with Silvestro mentioning hikes and bike rides as the kind of social activities that allow people to maintain adequate social distances.
鈥淚f you have toddlers or super active kids who are dog-piling, and wrestling, and climbing on playground equipment together, then that鈥檚 not ideal right now,鈥� Silvestro said.
There is some concern about how long the new coronavirus might stay alive on various outdoor surfaces and playground equipment, but generally, being outside makes you much less likely to catch the virus compared to being inside a room where it can linger for a few hours, even in the air.
But, Silvestro also acknowledged just how difficult, and perhaps even impossible, it鈥檒l be to keep your kids from playing with others.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e really feeling the crunch of this, and that鈥檚 understandable,鈥� Silvestro said, 鈥渋f you can pick a 鈥榖est friend family,鈥� and you can trust that family, and they can trust you, and you can both agree that you guys will be the only two families that hang out together over the next few weeks,鈥� then that at least minimizes the possible exposure and keeps it contained within that group.
