Staying Occupied: Acknowledge the Effort

I haven’t been out of the condo for five days. For someone who is used to never being home, this is hard. I’m used to being in my car and driving circles around Scarborough. I have six different work sites, take my daughter to/from school each day, and drive her to various activities. I’m used to doing mini grocery shops to get bakery goods or fresh fruits and vegetables.

So yesterday, I made two pre-orders – Montmartre Bakery and Bulk Barn – so I could leave the house today while still having the least amount of exposure. I shopped for our family of three and for my parents.

Both of these stores have gone the distance … to keep the physical distance.

Montmartre Bakery has painted box markings outside their door for people to stand inside. They have various signs to remind people of the necessary spacing. A maximum of four patrons can be in the store at one time – two paying at the cash and two being served. You stand inside a taped box to ensure the minimum distance. They have plexiglass partitions to separate staff and patrons. It was all very efficient and I was done in 20 minutes. I only wish they gave priority to those that took the opportunity to pre-order. Sadly, patrons behaved badly when they initially started with this method. Always a few that ruin it for everyone else.

Bulk Barn has adapted extremely well to this crisis. Their business by nature involves multiple people touching common utensils. The manager limits entry into the store and prompts each person to use sanitizer and gloves. They assign a staff member to one patron and they move around the store together while six feet apart. Each item is scooped out with a freshly cleaned scoop. I could see two grocery carts full of scoops. If you pre-ordered like I did, you are able to come to the front of the line and knock to enter. You are placed in a separate line just for pre-orders and a staff member cashes out your items. I was done in about 6 minutes.

Why is this worth mentioning? These individuals have to work harder so you can get your items. Their pay has not changed and the medical risks have increased.

SAY THANK YOU.

BE POLITE.

SMILE.

They will appreciate the niceties and it will boost their morale. It also helps to write reviews and post on social media.

Please share how you are staying occupied and/or stores you are grateful to be visiting. You can respond to this post or reach out through Social Media.

There are now three summary posts with helpful links: Staying Occupied posts, Helpful Links for Families, and Fitness links to keep you healthy.

Note: This series was created due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement to practice social distancing and stay home as much as possible. I hope that despite all the closures and the crazy grocery store lines, you can still find opportunities to stay calm, enjoy the extra time with your loved ones, organize the areas that need to be addressed, and find something (book, movie, craft) to bring you enthusiasm. Choose to be as balanced as possible and stay healthy.