Why Are Things in Italy Almost Normal?

It’s rare that I share someone else’s writing in my parenting blog, but in this case, I deemed it essential. This letter from a mom in Italy gave me hope, so I am sharing it here (edited just a tad for brevity):

American Parents: Why Things in Italy are Almost Back to Normal

by Katherine Wilson | August 8, 2020

In late March, Italy was then the Covid-19 hotspot of the world, with cases increasing exponentially every day. In the US, I saw my American friends doing exactly what I had done just a few weeks before: letting their teens socialize, expounding on how Covid was “just the flu,” acting as if the virus was far removed from their daily lives and probably innocuous.

Now the tables have turned. New infections in Italy have been close to zero for months, and we are living a summer that feels almost normal. There are no sleep-away camps, but there are sports, and vacations, and socializing. We check the numbers each day, and act accordingly.

Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts for American parents, who are having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel:

1. DO: Know that this is a temporary situation. This pandemic will end, even if you don’t know when. Patience is something that we need to model for each other and for our kids.
2. DON’T: Focus on the possibility of another wave. Live each day in the present. If the numbers in your area are good, take advantage of that and get your family outdoors into the fresh air.
3. DO: Seek out positive news about vaccines. Research is progressing at the speed of light. I have friends who are signed up to try one of the vaccines in September. The scientific world is collaborating in a way that it has never done in history, and is making unprecedented progress.
4. DON’T: Make any major life decisions. A pandemic is not the time to reevaluate your spouse or career.
5. DO: Plan a trip for post-Covid. Why not plan a family trip somewhere you’ve always wanted to go for next summer? There are good insurance policies, and the planning will do good things to your psyche.
6. DON’T: Feel so bad about what your kids have gone through that you let them off the hook. Our teens had very few boundaries during lockdown, but now that they are freer in the world, it’s tough to reestablish their responsibilities at home.
7. DO: Learn some lessons from the way Italy handled this. Governments can’t be afraid to tell citizens: “No, you can’t do that.” Like in families, communication needs to be coherent, clear, and well-enforced.
8. DON’T: Consider mask wearing an all-or-nothing deal. Wear them when you need to, which is anytime you are near people who are not in your pod. Italians carry masks with them everywhere, and put them on and take them off many times a day. Either the mask goes on, or they’re an upper arm bracelet.
9. DO: Know that hugging and hand-shaking isn’t a great idea yet. Some friends will forget about Covid very quickly, and it’s fine to remind them that as long as the virus is still circulating, we need to be diligent.
10. DON’T: Pay attention to your kids when they say that you are “the only parent” who is still thinking about Covid. Even when the infection rate is close to zero, it will exist until there is a vaccine. We can live quasi-normal lives without throwing all caution to the wind. This summer in Italy isn’t completely carefree, but it’s a whole lot better than it’s been.