Coping with cancer is a challenge, even if you have a primary caregiver. If you have a family member or friend going through cancer, it can be difficult to support them during this tough time, especially due to the advent of COVID-19 and strict social distancing measures.
Although I live just a few blocks away from my sister and her family, meeting them has just not been possible. After a stem cell surgery following a leukemia diagnosis, my five-year-old niece is highly susceptible to falling ill, and we’re being especially careful during this time.
Fortunately, with technology available at our fingertips, we found that there were several unique ways to provide support. Here are some ideas that helped our family stay connected and offer support during this time.
1. Dinner Party
As most of us have realized during quarantine, eating alone can be a bit of a bummer for anyone. Host a virtual dinner party with all your friends and family members because there’s no better way to connect than over food.
With a little bit of preparation, you can enjoy a delicious dinner with great company. I decided to prepare my meals at home and got it delivered to them. That way, my sister didn’t have to worry about planning and preparing the meal either.
Need help planning a virtual get together, checkout the Family Dinner Project virtual party guide.
2. Bedtime Stories
For younger audiences, a bedtime story can be the perfect end to the day. The grandparents looking also joined in on this one and kept the little one occupied after dinner and helped her wind down. This gave my sister and her husband a little time after dinner to catch up and get some house chores done. Check out this list of 90 great bedtime stories by Red Tricycle.
3. Virtual Tabletop Games
Whether you prefer card games, trivia, word games, or Bingo, there’s something for everyone. Although we ended up mostly playing Uno on Bunch, it was a fun way to spend the time. Sometimes, we had other family members join in during our virtual game nights. Here is a great list of virtual game ideas!
4. Watch a Movie
Don’t have the energy for competitive games? Not a problem. We burned through this list of fun family movies over the last few months. After a long day, this was a great way to spend time with my niece and catch up on the latest that Pixar has to offer. Not only is it fun to view things from a kid’s perspective, but as I found out later, there are also some incredible merits to co-viewing shows and movies with kids.
Looking for a way to support someone with cancer in your life? My CareCrew is one of the best apps for cancer patients and can make it easier to navigate the cancer journey. This useful app for cancer patients keeps caregivers, friends, and family members connected and allows patients and caregivers to coordinate help with ease.
Sign up to receive details about the mobile app release today or reach out to the My CareCrew team at [email protected].
