Quarantine has been pretty tough on everyone, but a lot of adults have been coping just fine with the lack of social contact. Itโs harder on the little kids who still really like people!
Arlo and Arabella Devonport were missing their next door neighbor who they were used to seeing everyday!
With social distancing in place, Arlo and Arabella, who are 3 and 2 years old respectively, werenโt able to spend time with their neighbor, Leo Adlington, who they normally played with all the time. So close but so far!
Rather than letting quarantine have itโs way without a fight, Amy Vickers, Arlo and Arabellaโs mom, came up with a clever way to let the kids play while maintaining social distancing and keeping them safe!
โArlo and Arabella have been finding it hard not seeing anyone during lockdown. It got to the point where they were climbing on top of the rabbit cage that we have next to the fence so they could see over it into the neighborโs gardenโwhich is clearly dangerous.โ
She had the bright idea of building a window in their fence!
After clearing it with Leoโs mom, Becca, Amy and her partner Danny got to work!
And the result is fantastic!
They ordered a plate of plexiglass off of the internet after making the necessary measurements of the fence and made a cutout where they could then screw each corner into the fence and secure it.
โAt least the children can see each other now and chat through the window. We also bought wipe board markers so they can now draw pictures on them, and we taught them to play naughts and crosses on them too.โ
Thatโs honestly incredibly smart! Good thinking, mum!
Thatโs a clever mum looking out for her kids right there! Socialisation is a really important of childhood and interacting with other kids is key in developing that socialisation! Not to mention, it keeps kids from getting bored and keeps them happy, what more could you ask for?
โThe kids are at the window all day every day when we are home, so I think they love it!โ
Even little Arabella is benefitting from this window, despite her age! She is beginning to do something called โparallel play.โ Itโs what a lot of parents have probably noticed before, where a child will like to spend time with someone but they donโt really play together so much as beside each other!
โThere isnโt a lot of interaction with kids at this stage but itโs still important to give your child time with other kids.โ -Dr. Heather Wittenberg
Ainโt growing up weird? The older kids meanwhile are clearly loving the window by the look of things!
Look at those big thumbs up!
Good thinking, Amy! I think a little creativity would do everyone some good in times as strange as these. Weโre going to need it to stay sane, even with the new normal right around the corner!
What havew you been doing to make social distancing and isolation easier on you? Personally, Iโve just been watching a lot of Netflix and telling myself Iโm definitely going to start working out tomorrow.
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