Dear Etiquetteer:
During this time of social disconnection, what do you think of a new take on an old tradition: Corona Cards from Kids?
If you can, hire an out-of-work photographer, who can stay at least six feet away (or take a good DIY shot). Then print and mail to family and friends. Sadly, there are family members who may not see grandchildren, cousins, etc. for many months. Maybe a nice photo on the shelf would keep spirits up and boast immunity a bit.
Thoughts?
Dear Camp Corona Counselor:
So many thoughts!
Keeping children engaged during house confinement is challenging at the best of times. Etiquetteer can only imagine the added stress of quarantine during this Time of the Coronavirus. Etiquetteer salutes you for thinking creatively about this now.
It is a beautiful and noble thing to consider hiring freelancers during this unique moment in our economy. If this is a possibility for your family, and you can engage a photographer who is able and willing to travel (which may not be possible), by all means do so.
What Etiquetteer likes even more about this idea is that it is something the children can be actively engaged in. And you already know how valuable Etiquetteer believes handwritten correspondence is! Even if you can’t manage notecards with portrait photographs, we all know that grandparents love limited edition artwork from their favorite artists. If you don’t have blank notecards suitable for drawing, just fold ordinary paper into a square.
And why limit yourself to the visual? What about poetry? Couplets, limericks, haikus - all are possible, and all will be welcomed happily by recipients.
Etiquetteer knows of one self-isolated household with teenagers who have decided to form a Quarantine Choir. In-person audiences are not possible, of course, but even if they’re just doing it for their own pleasure, that is sufficient.
Long story short, you’ve hit on a wonderful way to engage children creatively that also helps them think about family and friends they can’t be with for awhile. What could be more Perfectly Proper? Etiquetteer wishes you joy as you proceed, and lots of return mail from recipients.
Let’s also take a moment to salute the workers of the United States Postal Service and other delivery services who are continuing to work during this crisis. They are doing a splendid job keeping us connected!
Finally, Etiquetteer would love to see you and your family get involved in the Saturday Night Dress Dinner Challenge. From setting the table to making decorations - or even helping cook the dinner - there are alots of ways for children of all ages to be involved.
