How to Safely Host a Family Reunion Amid COVID Concerns
How to Safely Host a Family Reunion Amid COVID Concerns
If families want attendees or wear masks, they should request that from the start in a nonauthoritative way, and then people can choose to attend or not, says Sandra Calzadilla, a licensed mental health counselor who works for the online therapy platform Choosing Therapy. She suggests some sample language: “This may not fall into line with your beliefs, but we want to make sure this is a safe event for everyone. If you’re not able to attend due to our requirements, we will be streaming the event.” If people balk at attendance requirements or accuse planners of promoting government conspiracies, reiterate your reasons for concern, Calzadilla says. “Say, ‘We love you all and we want to see you, but we want to make sure 50 people don’t get sick. It’s for the safety of the babies, the grandmas and grandpas. This is not political; this is about health.’ ” This summer, about 30 female cousins in the Groshek family will gather for an in-person reunion — dubbed Chickfest 2022 — on the ancestral farm in central Wisconsin. “It’s fairly informal,” says June Groshek Czarnezki, 59, of Milwaukee, who helped plan the event. “We pretty much get together and bring food. If it’s nice, we sit in the yard and we just talk.” They didn’t discuss it much, but they’re not , proof of vaccination or negative COVID test results to attend, she says. “We’re not really rigid,” Czarnezki says. “Offhand we kind of know who’s vaccinated — most of them are. If people are really concerned, they just don’t come. If someone wants to wear a mask, no one is going to say no. It’s courtesy.” Experts say it helps to be as transparent as possible in the planning stages. Before the event, send a poll to family members to get a feel for what people want. “People don’t want to RSVP to an event and then find out they have to take these other steps,” Calzadilla says. “List your expectations at the beginning, and people can decide what they are willing and not willing to do.” Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life.
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Prevent COVID-19 From Crashing Your Family Reunion
Expert tips to help you discuss virus safeguards without a fight
ProfessionalStudioImages/Getty Images For many families, this year will be the first time relatives meet in person for a reunion since the triggered lockdowns and travel restrictions. Anticipation is high. Although some families went virtual with their reunions, and other online platforms that emerged during the pandemic, there’s no substitute for being able to give your grandmother a real hug. Still, the pandemic is far from over, and highly contagious have caused a recent surge in virus cases and hospitalizations across the country. So how should people surrounding in-person reunions, whether small or large — such as whether to require vaccinations, masks and negative test results — without causing a family feud?Talking about masking and vaccinations
Getty ImagesIf families want attendees or wear masks, they should request that from the start in a nonauthoritative way, and then people can choose to attend or not, says Sandra Calzadilla, a licensed mental health counselor who works for the online therapy platform Choosing Therapy. She suggests some sample language: “This may not fall into line with your beliefs, but we want to make sure this is a safe event for everyone. If you’re not able to attend due to our requirements, we will be streaming the event.” If people balk at attendance requirements or accuse planners of promoting government conspiracies, reiterate your reasons for concern, Calzadilla says. “Say, ‘We love you all and we want to see you, but we want to make sure 50 people don’t get sick. It’s for the safety of the babies, the grandmas and grandpas. This is not political; this is about health.’ ” This summer, about 30 female cousins in the Groshek family will gather for an in-person reunion — dubbed Chickfest 2022 — on the ancestral farm in central Wisconsin. “It’s fairly informal,” says June Groshek Czarnezki, 59, of Milwaukee, who helped plan the event. “We pretty much get together and bring food. If it’s nice, we sit in the yard and we just talk.” They didn’t discuss it much, but they’re not , proof of vaccination or negative COVID test results to attend, she says. “We’re not really rigid,” Czarnezki says. “Offhand we kind of know who’s vaccinated — most of them are. If people are really concerned, they just don’t come. If someone wants to wear a mask, no one is going to say no. It’s courtesy.” Experts say it helps to be as transparent as possible in the planning stages. Before the event, send a poll to family members to get a feel for what people want. “People don’t want to RSVP to an event and then find out they have to take these other steps,” Calzadilla says. “List your expectations at the beginning, and people can decide what they are willing and not willing to do.” Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life.