Social Distancing Will Saves Lives, Here’s How to Keep Your Kids Social

Some innovative moms in my hometown came up with the idea of starting a pen-pal mailbox for kids… and it’s genius.

When you remove school, playdates, and social interaction, children usually do not respond very well. When that time period is extended beyond a week, it can be frustrating for parents.

Here’s the perfect ‘life hack’ to solve the problem. It not only promotes social distancing; it can address your children’s need to stay connected with friends and classmates.

Create a pen-pal mailbox for your kids so they can receive letters and share the idea with local parents so all the kids can reciprocate.

Someone once said it takes a village to raise a child, but truth be told, it takes a village to absorb a kid’s energy, satiate his or her curiosity, and a swarm of other kids to make them happy. Collectively, today’s generation of parents is managing a challenge no one, outside of natural disasters, has ever faced. So, when you find a good idea, share it!

Creating a kid’s pen-pal network represents a great way to let your kids to stay in touch. Start by sharing this post with other parents, post it on Facebook/Instagram and spread the word.

Then, create your mailbox. Carve out a slot for the letters with a cardboard box and wrap it in whatever you have around the house: tinfoil, wrapping paper, etc. For God’s sake, skip the trip to Target! On the backside, figure out a clever way to retrieve the mail with a pair of scissors, some string, or maybe some tape.

Faces have been covered in respect to privacy.

If nothing else, post a picture of your mailbox on Facebook and see if other parents pick up on it.

You can also pass along an important value to your kids, in an era when community health trumps everything else: responsibility. You can note that you and your child (and their friends) are choosing to communicate with each other in a manner that ensures everyone remains healthy and safe.

At this moment, right now, what could be more important than that?

Here’s video you may find useful for this project.