Community Magazine January 2021

28 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE As with any pre-pandemic vacation, perform your due diligence and homework before booking a trip. Keep your plans fluid, based on how the public health landscape continues to evolve. Venues can close at a day’s notice or stay-at-home orders can be implemented based on the COVID-19 positivity rates, hospitalization rates, and rates of ICU bed availability. Before winter break, sit downwith your children at a familymeeting and explain the current pandemic environment. Clarify why this year’s intercession will look different than others. Encourage your kids to talk about their emotions, expectations, and ideas for winter break. Validate their concerns. Be patient and honest and help them feel safe. Look for the silver linings in this year’s winter break that does not include an exotic destination (more privacy and bonding, cheaper). Reinforce the practice of the three W’s of COVID-19, Wear, Wait, and Wash - wear a mask, stay six feet apart, and wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer. Consider a Staycation A staycation is a stay-at-home vacation that is spent visiting local attractions. Intercession often creates financial and work-related pressures for parents. With the additional pandemic stressors of job furloughs, virtual learning for children, work from home parents, and potential COVID-19 exposure, staycations are a safer and more economic vacation alternative. Staycations sidestep long airport lines and the anxiety associated with air travel (such as security concerns and delayed flights). The need to make every minute count on a pricey and faraway vacation sometimes detracts from the relaxation and bonding we want to experience. Present a staycation as a win-win and model a positive outlook. If you have teenagers put them in charge of finding appealing activities for the whole family. Enjoy the Outdoors! If it snows, play in your own backyard or inspire your children to shovel the driveway and walkway for the family and neighbors in need. Reward your kids with a tip and, of course, a cup of hot chocolate. Who doesn’t enjoy building a snowman and decorating it or creating a snow fort? Socially distanced outdoor fun: Try snowshoeing, sledding, having a classic snowball fight, ice skating, or bundling up for a hike. Play Tourist and Enjoy Nature You can play tourist in NY and NJ depending on the COVID-19 environment. If the weather is mild, walk across the Brooklyn Bridge or ride on the Staten Island Ferry. Enjoy Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Prospect Park, or the New York Botanical Gardens. It’s easier to stay socially distant at these large grounds. Like wildlife and nature? Visit the Bronx Zoo’s 265 acres and 8,000 animals. Guests must reserve a date-specific ticket. Or walk on the Coney Island Boardwalk and reserve tickets for the New York Aquarium. Monmouth County Parks in New Jersey have exciting winter activities for the entire family. Check out the Parks and Program Guide at: https://reg.monmouthcountyparks.com/Documents/ Winter-PPG-2020-web.pdf . The perks of winter break for kids are sleeping in, not running to catch the bus or a ride to school, and having pure leisure time. Suggest that they unplug from technology and allow their minds and bodies to refuel, recharge, and get positive. Wishing you a safe and healthy winter break! Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach.  Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching.   Ellen works part-time as an entitlement specialist at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services. She can be contacted at ellen@ lifecoachellen.com (www.lifecoachellen.com) . Family Indoor Fun Ideas • Take a family vote and try a new recipe. How about coming up with different themes for dinner and dress up according to the theme? Hawaiian luau anyone? • Have your kids make a wish list of yummy healthy winter foods. Expand your eating horizons with pomegranate hot chocolate, banana pancakes, oatmeal muffins, or a new kind of mac and cheese. • Do winter arts and crafts - snow globes, melted snowman in a mason jar, or winter tree painting. • Try something new - learn how to crochet or knit a scarf. • Have an indoor picnic. • Bake cookies or cook soup for a neighbor. • Work on a family puzzle. • Reconnect with friends and family on Zoom. • Have a trivia contest. NJ Outdoor Ideas • Monmouth County: http://www.victorystables.com/ • Monmouth County Parks: https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/ • Activities include Nature Walks, Hiking, Birding. Check the Calendar of Events. • Skateplex Park - located at Seven Presidents Park in North Long Branch. • Hiking the Trails - in the Monmouth County Parks. • Sledding Down the Monmouth County Hills. • Visit Sandy Hook Gateway National Recreation Area: Check out the website for outdoor activities: https:// www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/outdooractivities.htm Ideas suggested by Joy Betesh (Download Valuable Coupons @ www. couponconnectionnj.com) .