Being asked on a playdate? JUST SAY NO.

Schools are closed down. Sports are closed down. Churches and Broadway and Disney are closed down.

For a reason.

We are all supposed to be at home, with our families, or in nature/taking a walk, unless we absolutely need to get an essential supply, or are required to physically be at work right now.

That’s it.

Otherwise, we are supposed to be at home, away from our friends and neighbors. The experts are telling us what we need to do.

But that’s not what a lot of us are doing.

I believe a big part of the reason why not everyone is staying put is because we’re lacking clear leadership from the top down. We do not have clear instructions. We have suggestions and a lot of questions.

I hope that changes immediately.

But if it doesn’t, it is incumbent on all of is to get this message out within our own local circles. THIS HAS TO BE A TEAM EFFORT OR IT WILL NOT WORK.

I’m getting increasingly concerned by the amount of people who are scheduling “play dates” or socializing with friends while the rest of us are on lockdown.

I have family members who are getting asked left and right to come on over and socialize! Can their son come out and play? Or is it ok to have a sleepover with just a few kids?

NO NO NO NO NO.

It’s not ok!

I hardly ever get this worked up on the blog, because I’m a people pleaser. And I like play dates. I love them! I’m an extrovert who loves to be around people.

But this is the time to STAY PUT.

We need to start making the link that our choice today – to go to the playground or not – will force MUCH harder decisions in a few weeks – to save Patient A or Patient B when there is not a ventilator for them both.

So please, for the love of everyone’s parents and grandparents, just stay home.

I’ll admit it – I don’t like to be at home with no plans. AT ALL. I am the opposite of a homebody.

I love play dates. I love parties. I love going to dinner with my friends, and grabbing a beer, and going to the movies.

Being cooped up in my house does not come naturally to me.

BUT – I will not be going out anytime soon. My kids are not going to go play at their friends’ houses. I am not going to go out for drinks.

Some of you think this is an overreaction.

I DO NOT THINK THIS IS AN OVERREACTION. That’s why I used the all caps there, to yell it.

I’ve seen the graphs. I’ve read the projections. I’m watching what’s going on in Italy. I fully believe we are steps behind that if we don’t ALL modify our behavior immediately.

We are not inching toward a catastrophe. We are barreling headfirst at full speed into a catastrophe.

The more lax we are about this – and the less we take heed of the repeated warnings from the experts – the faster we are going to be in the center of a calamity that none of us can opt out of.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be a part of the solution here.

If you are letting your child play at his friends house, or inviting kids into your house – that makes it harder and harder for other parents to tell their own kid they have to stay home. And soon everyone is playing, “but only with a few kids,” and we are not social distancing enough to stop this rapidly approaching train from hitting us all in the face.

I watched my own mother die of complications from lung disease. Believe me when I tell you, from the very bottom of my heart – you do not want to watch that happen to one of your parents.

I know you all love your parents. And if you haven’t lost one, you are lucky and honestly you have no idea the devastation that it will bring to your life. I’m telling you this without exaggeration and from experience.

And if you’re a parent yourself now, then your own parents are in the high risk group. And if your kid is playing with her friends, and picks up the virus, and gives it to your parents – or anyone else’s parents – that is unacceptable. You will never forgive yourself for that.

So cancel the play dates. Stay out of the busy playgrounds. Just. Stay. Put.

I fully expect this to suck. I don’t like to be cooped up one bit.

And I don’t like to write things that I think might alienate anyone, or make them mad at me.

But this is way too important, and I don’t care this time. Please spread this message far and wide and loud and clear. Make it your public stance that this is not acceptable behavior and that we will ALL be paying the price for foolishness.

I am hoping upon hope here that enough of our community members will decide to be a part of the solution. It’s the only solution we have right now.

There is no hero about to swoop in to save us all.

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