Living in a Post-COVID World
Katie Taylor, CCLS Child Life On Call for SmileMakers Inc
As vaccinations increase and the world slowly, and I mean slowly, returns to our new normal, there are some things I will carry with me into this post-COVID world.
First order of business: Get outside. Ok, now that that's noted...
If I thought I washed my hands before, (and yes, I even wrote a book for young children about it), I am extremely aware of how often I wash my hands now. It's no longer something that I do with a thought… it has become completely involuntary like putting toothpaste on my tooth brush. I carry hand sanitizer everywhere. It's in my car, my purse and on a key chain connected to my kids' backpacks.
Side note: If you ever have trouble getting your young child to wash their hands, positive reinforcement can help. One sticker for every wash and you can buy some cute ones here.
The other thing I never really considered before Covid-19 was how many times something has been touched by someone else. Going to a restaurant, did I ever think about how many hands have been on a door knob? Nope. At the grocery store when my daughter touches every cart, I barely flinched. The stickers at the hospital that we let kids choose? Yeah, no problem.
And then Covid-19 changes that all for us. I'm a big fan of the One-Touch Sticker Dispenser for this exact reason. This will help in our emergency room and will be one less thing to worry about!
And probably the most truly valuable part I'll keep in mind during a post-COVID world will be not taking for granted get-togethers that involve my kids, family, and friends. Being able to walk up to my parents (they're both vaccinated and so am I) and giving them a huge hug will never be lost on me again.
Moving forward, my kids' parties and celebrations for children at the hospital will include all of the fun things from SmileMakers that promise to bring a smile. The following are giving me the most smiles as of late:
What are you taking with you into a Post-COVID world?
