Get out of the house! Let’s go on a bear hunt!

By Kathy Thomson

Social distancing, team sports cancelled, and the reality of the “new norm” continuing for at least one more month has most parents trying to figure out how to keep their children from going stir crazy and looking for ways to make the best of a stressful situation.

One delightful activity for Albany children was Sunday’s “Bear Hunt.”

First Baptist member Sherry Viertel borrowed the idea and brought it to Albany.

Everyone was asked to place a stuffed Teddy Bear in a window, on the porch, in the yard, or anywhere it could be seen by someone in a car driving down the street.

Participating children were instructed to make binoculars from toilet paper rolls, and then try and see how many bears they could find while their family drove all around Albany.

Brandi Balliew’s family found 205.

“But we spent a long time, trying to outscore our friends,” Balliew said. “Afterwards we had ice cream from Dairy Queen as a reward for our two older kids.”

Balliew has a second, fifth, and a seventh grader, and since she works, their fun times have mostly been limited to the weekends.

“Weekdays I give them a list of stuff to do and hope that they have completed most of it before I get home,” she said. “They’ve built a hat rack and a TV stand with their dad, and we’ve played a lot of card games. They would love to be with their friends, but they are handling it pretty good.”

An added struggle for the kids has been that birthday celebrations, one last week and another next week, are limited to family members.

Beth Roysdon and her family have been doing a lot of fishing while trying to stay away from as many people as possible, since one of her two children has an immune disorder.

“We really have to be careful, and we are trying to keep him as isolated and safe as possible,” Roysdon said. “It makes him sad to not see his friends.”

Roysdon works at an Abilene hospital and says that home schooling is going about how one might expect since “neither me or my husband ever desired to be a teacher.” 

Shelia Shelton, who is a teacher in Breckenridge, says that hasn’t made teaching her son a simple task.

“It’s going terrible!” Shelton said. “It’s stressful and hard to accomplish home schooling while working from home. Teaching your own child is hard; they often do better with others.”

Shelton added that they do not like the quarantine and are “going stir crazy.”

“I love my child’s teachers and what they do during the day in school so I can enjoy him after school,” said Shelton. 

Various family members have helped corral the nine year old while Shelton is recovering from a surgical procedure.

“We are just not structured to be home schooling,” she said. “My son is a good kid, but he’s all boy. He wants to be outside riding his bike, not inside doing homework.”

Michaela Smith’s family has used some of their time of social isolation to come up with a wonderful way to reach out to other children.

“I’m excited to announce that the kids have opened a ‘Little Free Library’,” said Smith. 

The “Little Free Library” is located at 208 North Pecan Street, on the front porch of the little house next to the Smith family home.

Participants should use the hand sanitizer provided before touching any items. Then they are welcome to borrow one book or game, pick out one stuffed animal to keep, take one snack bag, and leave a note.

“Emma and Patton are excited to share and hope that it can brighten a day for kids in Albany,” said Smith.

Anthony and Jennifer Ceder’s family also involved others in one of their activities.

They invited folks to go online and vote on which of them has the best taste in candy. The post was complete with “portraits” of each family member with their candy choices and their personal reasoning for picking that particular flavor.

There has been a lot of “chalking” around town, including sidewalks, doors, and even “stained glass’’ windows painted on fences.

One family tried out their pool but decided that it was way too early. 

Many others have been doing more walking, running, and biking, most while maintaining social distance.

Others in the community with tales to share about the new adventure of raising kids during social distancing are encouraged to send their stories to The News.

Perhaps those tales will help brighten someone’s day or give them a chuckle and remind both parents and children that even during times of distancing, Albany is a strong community whose residents help each other, possibly even with a Lion Hunt at some point in the near future.