Keeping Busy During Coronavirus 2020

We took the kids for a bike ride today. It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air. The kids and I have been home over three weeks now, and they are starting to show signs of boredom. It's hard to answer their questions about this virus outbreak. A five-year-old and a seven-year-old don't understand why they can't leave the house, go to school, or have playdates with friends. 

Ollie's behavior has been excellent up until recently. I can tell she's starting to become frustrated. Usually, the kids and I are very social and active. We visit with friends and have play dates all of the time. She's even admitted she misses school because she's so bored.  

I can't say this to them, but boy, do I wish I could experience their boredom. Keeping them occupied and from losing their cool is a full-time gig, on top of my full-time gig as a writer! We are just now finally getting some decent weather. Hopefully, the warmer weather can help cure some of our stress and loneliness. There is always more to do outside. 

Homeschooling During the Coronavirus Outbreak:

Homeschool life. 

I am becoming overwhelmed with homeschooling my two kids, and I have a teaching degree. I can only imagine how stressful this is for other families. Both of our kids now have online lessons that they must complete every day on a computer. Doing schoolwork at home is something they are not used to, so it's been a challenging routine to establish.  

Our superintendent indicated that he doesn't seem to think we will be returning to school this school year. As a kid, I would have loved an extra-long summer break. As a parent...not so much.

I think we are taking a few weeks off from writing for the blog for a few weeks while everyone gets their bearings and tries to stay healthy. I hope you all stay safe out there and stay home if you can! We will talk again soon. 

-Abby, guest blogger

What if My Child with Epilepsy gets COVID-19

In the broad scheme of things, we know VERY little about this Novel Coronavirus. Rumors are circulating regarding the virus's ability to evolve quickly, leaving parents and caretakers of people with epilepsy very nervous. The truth is the CDC and the W.H.O. know very little about this virus, and there hasn't been enough time for scientists and the medical community to research this outbreak. 

What we know is based on what is happening in other world communities, and so far, the virus seems to be less severe in our younger populations. COVID-19 being less severe for children is welcome news for parents of school-aged children, especially those of us with illness triggers for their epilepsy. 

What if my child catches COVID-19:

The CDC and W.H.O. tells us that epilepsy alone does not increase your chances of getting a more severe case of COVID-19. Other mitigating factors, such as immuno-suppressing medications, other underlying health conditions, or other neurological factors, can impact your health should you become ill with COVID-19. 

For many people with epilepsy, fevers are a trigger for more frequent seizures. For my daughter, fevers and illnesses are one of her primary triggers for seizures. Febrile seizures are the primary reason she went undiagnosed for so many years. 

High fevers are one of the symptoms of this new coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the globe. So, while epilepsy alone doesn't increase your risk of severe disease, getting sick with COVID-19 can increase your chances of more frequent seizures. 

Taking as many precautions as possible to avoid spreading COVID-19 and getting sick with COVID-19 will help you to prevent an increase in the frequency of seizures. 

As this pandemic was starting to take hold in the United States, we filled our daughter's prescription for seizure medication. We also made sure we had Ibuprofen and Tylenol on hand should she get sick. My husband still has to work, but the kids and have stayed home for the last week, and we will continue to stay home. 

We live in Illinois, and we are currently under a shelter-in-place order from our governor. I've had friends ask for play-dates, and people want to visit, but knowing I have a child with an underlying medical condition, I've had to say no to these requests. 

What We're Doing to Stay Busy: 

I work from home as a writer. Writing has become increasingly difficult with my kids home with me full time. While I am thankful I still have the means to earn money while home with my children, I did not account for the decrease in productivity. My husband is home on the weekends, so I find myself using the weekend time to get my writing projects done while my husband preoccupies the kids. During the week, I am responsible for meeting my deadlines, schooling with the children, and spending time with my children. 

We've been: 

• Baking (I am almost out of flour and stores are low on supplies)
• Crafting (This morning we made bird feeders with birdseed and honey)
• Snuggling and watching movies (I don't want to admit how many times we watched Frozen II this week)
• Schooling
• Playing outside and cleaning up the yard (We still have cold temperatures, so our outside time is somewhat limited) 
• Reading books
• Video Chatting with friends
• Coloring (So much coloring) 

This week, I think we will focus on tidying up our bedrooms, and my daughter is itching to get out the paints and do some painting. We are looking at the possibility of schools being closed for the remainder of the school year. My Amazon cart is ready with planting supplies to start some seeds indoors. 

If you have any ideas, share with me what you're doing to keep your kids busy and engaged during this crazy time! 

-Abby, Guest Blogger

CoVid-19 and Epilepsy

According to the CDC, people with neurological conditions, including seizure disorders and epilepsy, may be at higher risk for developing more severe symptoms from the novel coronavirus that has become a global pandemic in the last several weeks. 

The CDC recommends that people practice several precautions to mitigate the spread of CoVid-19 and keep ourselves safe:

• Frequent hand washing
• Covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
• Social distancing or voluntary self-quarantine. 

We don't know if this virus is going to get worse or not, but immunologists think that it could unless we take these sorts of precautions. 

Memes and Facebook banter are going around about the hoarding behavior Americans are displaying in overstocking on needed supplies and stealing supplies from hospitals etc. 

Schools all over the United States are closing down to help prevent the spread of the virus. Parents are finding themselves short on daycare or out of work, and people are scared. We are all going to have to endure being uncomfortable as we wait and see what this virus is going to do. 

If your school hasn't closed yet, you may be next. For many of us, homeschool or e-learning is a reality. The community and business leaders are coming together to come up with innovative solutions to help offset the negative consequences of school closures, such as free meals and internet access. 

Several companies are offering free internet services to students and low-income families: 

• Verizon is offering new customers its Internet Essentials bundle free for two months due to the coronavirus outbreak. 
• Spectrum Broadband is offering free internet for 60 days to new customers with K-12 students or college students. 
• AT&T and Verizon are waiving fees for their customers during the outbreak. 
• AT&T is also waiving data overage fees. 

School districts and families are scrambling to gather resources for e-learning and homeschooling, as many districts have indicated they don't know when classes will resume. 

Many Educational Companies are offering free services during this CoVid-19 outbreak: 

• Storylineonline.net is offering free literacy programs where actors read to children. 
• Fluency and Fitness is offering parents free access to their library of educational fitness videos. 
• Neuropsychology and Education for Children and Adolescents shared a daily schedule that is great to help families get through the next few weeks. 
• This google doc is floating around detailing more educational companies offering free programs for parents and schools during the coronavirus outbreak. 

It's going to be tough, and we would rather overreact than underreact. Some of our epileptic friends and family may be a higher risk for more severe cases of CoVid-19. Let's play our part to keep them safe and stay home if we can. 

-Abby, Guest Blogger