Time capsules provide daily activity for kids, way of remembering pandemic period
Natalie Braun has come up with an activity that keeps her kids busy while providing the family with something to look back at and remember this surreal period in their lives.
Braun, who lives in Beechy, Sask., and her two children, five-year-old Isla and two-year-old William, are making 2020 COVID-19 time capsules.
She had already started a journal for herself when she saw Facebook posts from Long Creations about free templates for children's time capsules.
"I thought, 'Well perfect, this is a great way to engage the kids into how we're dealing with COVID-19 and what we're doing at home,'" she said.
Braun, who owns a hair salon and whose husband is a farmer, says her journal writing is largely about how they're spending they're days.
"I want to remember these waves of emotions and challenges that we're faced with," she said. "Also just how we're spending it with the kids and what we're doing so that we can look back on and remember the good things about that."
She said the kids' time capsules are focused on their interests and describing their feelings.
She said two-year-old William is unaware of the situation but is loving having everyone at home.
"My daughter Isla goes through all the feelings," she said.
"When we talk to somebody on the phone or on FaceTime she asks them all the time, 'Is the sickness there too? … You know I can't wait to see grandma and grandpa and I cannot wait to see my friends.'"
She said it's been hard to stay separated from everyone.
"We love being connected. We're a very affectionate family. We're affectionate people and this is hard for us. But I remind her that we're safe at home and we're healthy and we just have to count our blessings and make the best of this time that we are at home."
