Dear Young Grandchildren,
Many things are changing in the United States and other countries all around the world. It’s a good idea to stay at home during a virus outbreak.
It’s hard when things change in our lives. You used to go to school or the daycare, but now you stay home.
There is a virus, called the Coronavirus or COVID-19. It’s kind of like when someone gets the flu and they are sick and throwing up. And kind of like when someone has a cold and coughs, and you try not to get sick from them.
Mom’s and dads take their children’s temperature or feel their forehead to see if they have a fever or if they are feeling too hot. If you are too hot, you might be sick. Moms and dads want their children to be well and safe.
This virus is a lot worse than a cold or the flu because when one person gets sick and coughs—they get everyone around them sick. The next person gets everyone around them sick and soon, there are so many sick people that it’s keeping all the hospitals, doctors and nurses too busy.
We all need to stay home a lot more now, so we won’t get sick. We also need to wash our hands more, so we won’t have germs on our hands. When we stay home during a virus outbreak, we can also help other people to stay well.
When children and their parents stay home and wash their hands, they can stay healthy. If children and their parents get sick, they can have a test to see if they have the Coronavirus and get help very quickly. https://coronavirus.utah.gov/stay-at-home/
You can’t get close to friends or strangers right now, but you can still hug and kiss your mom and dad unless you or your parents get sick. You can play with brothers or sisters and you can have school at home.
Springtime will still come. The grass and flowers will grow. The sun will come out and the sky will be blue, and on some days, it will rain. At night the stars and the moon will shine. When it’s time for your birthday, it will come, like always. You might miss celebrating with your friends from school, but you can still have a small party at home.
Mom’s and dads also miss their friends and their work, but some parents will be working from home.
When people stop getting sick and most people are well, then you will go back to school and mom and dad will go back to work. But for now, we need to stay home during a virus outbreak and stay safe.
Grandma and Grandpa are older and we live far away now. We won’t be able to visit you for a while. Because we are older, if we get sick it will be harder for us to get well again. We also need to stay home. We can’t go out to movies or the park. We can get takeout food and go to the store for groceries, but we try to stay home.
We can grow a garden, make cookies, call on the phone and watch TV.
You can send pictures to Grandma and Grandpa and let us know how you are doing. You can also sing us a song on Facetime. We are doing well, and we are happy. We hope you are well and happy too!
Love Grandma and Grandpa
