Locals Talk Parenting Amid Stay-At-Home Order

In a concerted effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, more and more businesses in Bucks County and the surrounding areas are asking for their employees to stay home. With many people either working from home or temporarily out of a job, this has left many local wondering: What will we do for our kids? 

Schools in Bucks County have closed for the next few weeks, leaving local children to stay home with their families. 

Many parents have used this opportunity to spend a little more time with their children and loved ones. One of those parents is David Civello of Levittown, who has been “watching lots of movies, painting everything from canvases to rocks, baking, playing chess, walking our dogs and even building a model rocket” with his wife Ellie and their daughter Sierra. 

Like many families around the country, the Civello family shares many of the same fears families all over Bucks County are feeling.

“Our family has been doing our best to keep busy and informed during this crisis,” he said. 

Civello mentioned the worries of his young daughter, who has been asking her parents many questions on what is happening.

“We’ve done our best to comfort her with honest answers while limiting her exposure to the news due to the heavy coverage,” he said. 

Despite this, Civello is staying positive and looking at the good in this situation.

“I must say that one major positive is that it’s been so nice putting a pause on the usual day-to-day craziness and getting to spend quality time with my wife and daughter.” 

Christina Haas of Levittown is also keeping her family busy during this time.

Along with her husband and 3 young children, they have participated in a neighborhood clean up, family bike rides, and making sure her children are getting in some type of education. Her goal is “to keep us all from going crazy; we are trying to keep a schedule during the week with a balance of school type work, and as much outside play time as we can get for the kiddos.” 

While the family is making sure they are having fun, there is a real worry coming from the virus outbreak. Haas’ stepson suffers from sickle cell anemia and “even a normal fever is dangerous, and usually results in a hospital visit, so we decided we could spend some extra time home and lower our chances of him being hospitalized.” 

Carrie Mason of Levittown is making sure her and her family are staying busy during their time at hoem. She is looking for ways to keep her 7-year-old son occupied.

“We have been doing a lot of cooking and baking, working through his assignments from school and there has definitely been a relaxing of screen time. He discovered YouTube which doesn’t thrill me, but then I hear him giggling so hard and it makes me laugh too,” she said.  

Mason is also coming to terms with how her son is taking the situation.

“If he wants to stay in his jammies all day, I don’t fight it … he stays in his jammies.” 

As COVID-19 related impacts ripple through the county and Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home order is still in effect, more stories like this can be found around home in the area.

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