5 Alternatives To Family Gatherings During COVID-19 Lockdown

Of the many sacrifices we’re all having to make during the new normal of social distancing, one of the most difficult is missing family gatherings. Having to skip birthday parties, grandparent visits, and even funerals definitely adds to the emotional burden of this challenging time even though we know it’s for the greater good. When a family reunion or Sunday dinner isn’t in the cards, maybe there’s room for us to reframe these circumstances more positively. Perhaps this time could be an opportunity to connect with family in novel ways.

* Plan a Virtual Hangout

Thank goodness for the Internet! Though we may be physically distanced from relatives, at least we have the blessing of virtual connection. Use online platforms to your family’s advantage by jumping in on any of the many video chatting tools currently available. Facetime, Google Hangouts, and Zoom all offer the chance to hear friendly voices and see friendly faces.

* Create a Family Social Media Group

Online connection triumphs again. If your family members do social media, choose a platform most people are on and create a landing page for your clan, such as a family Facebook group. In this online space, you can connect through photos, videos, and comment threads.

Need some ideas to get you started? Try sharing favorite photos of get-togethers from years past (or even, perhaps, have a funny photo challenge). Post a thought-provoking question of the day. Start a thread of everyone’s opinions about the best vacations you’ve taken together, or the most embarrassing thing Dad ever did when you were kids.

* Use the Old-Fashioned Mail

Difficult times can also make us turn to simpler modes of communication. Why not break out your best ballpoint and sit down to write a letter? No one doesn’t like to receive something special in the mail, whether a hand-written card, letter, or hand-drawn pictures from the kids. And, unlike images on a screen, these treasures can be taped up in a visible place to provide ongoing encouragement and sense of connection.

* Eat Together (But Separately)

Don’t family gatherings always seem to center around food? Though you may not be able to enjoy a slice of cherry pie at Grandma’s or dig into your brother’s famous guac right now, there are options for eating “together” as a family.

Consider planning a menu (with easily available ingredients) that everyone in the family can make on the same evening. Each individual or nuclear family can contribute a recipe for one course of the meal. There’s comfort and unity to be found in knowing that mom, dad, or your favorite cousins are eating the same meal at the same time as you.

* Get Charitable Together

For the foreseeable future, most travel plans have to be nixed. If you and other family members were planning to travel to see each other, perhaps there’s an altruistic use for a portion of the funds you would have spent on flights or car rental.

Ask loved ones if they might be willing to go in on donating to a cause that’s meaningful to you as a family. If a relative has a particular health problem, for example, make a group donation to a foundation that supports research for their condition. Or if you all share a religious belief, donate to a faith-based organization whose work you’d like to support.