The first time I approached a friend about socializing during the pandemic I was nervous. It felt like initiating a safe sex conversation. I discussed how my family protects ourselves – such as what situations we mask up for, and when our last test was. I also spoke to our potential risk factors, outlining if we were seeing anyone else (masked or unmasked). When my son started attending daycare in person, I gave our bubble notice. I wanted them to have time to think about how this would affect their interactions with my family moving forward.
Here are some tips on what is important to discuss to with your bubble:
- Your family’s stance on socializing during the pandemic: WHERE (indoor, outdoor, virtual) and HOW you are comfortable socializing (masked, unmasked given certain parameters).
- Who you are interacting with: Do you have a bubble? Are you attending work in person? Do your children attend school in person? Are you seeing anyone that is vulnerable, such as grandparents or someone with medical issues? And when you interact, are you doing so indoor, outdoor, masked, or unmasked?
- Testing: How often are you getting tested? Are you planning to, or willing to, get tested and isolate before you seeing them?
- What are you planning on doing/offering? If anything will involve an activity that involves mask removal (such as drinking or eating), or close proximity it’s best to discuss in advance what everyone’s comfort level is. Be very clear with one another. Here are some example statements:
- I’d love to see you, but only outdoors and six feet apart. I have a great patio set up that allows this. It can get cold, so bring a jacket!
- I look forward to sharing a meal with you, but ask that we only remove masks while eating, and eat six feet apart outdoors.
- I’m not hugging right now, but love getting elbow bumps.
Always remember to respect your friend’s and family’s comfort levels. And if you can’t align on comfort levels, you can always virtually meet.
Does this cover everything? What else have you had to discuss during the pandemic?