Dating in the era of coronavirus: How lockdown, tiers and social distancing have changed dating:

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing has become the new normal. Not to mention months of lockdown, the impact of a new tier system and now the second wave of coronavirus resulting in a new national lockdown (or circuit breaker / fire-break for some). But what does this mean for love? How does social distancing, tiers and lockdown affect online dating? What are the pros and cons of online dating during coronavirus?

Social distancing forces people to invent new ways to search for and maintain relationships. While some lovers are finding it difficult to meet due to restrictions in their tiers or lockdown, some couples are having to get married with their family and friends watching online. How can singles looking for love, or lovers living apart, meet and date? And how does the coronavirus crisis affect single mums and single dads dating?

Protective COVID-19 measures may physically separate us, but this doesn’t mean that we should give up on love. The pandemic may have forced us to find new ways to meet and date, so why not embrace change, and make the most of the new normal whilst staying safe?

The benefits of online dating during COVID-19

Technology has opened up a lot of new opportunities for us all. With the Internet’s help, you can find dates quickly and easily, or just communicate and have fun with new people from anywhere around the world. And there are so many advantages to online dating:

• It’s convenient: Users can set selection criteria in order to find a match, so you don’t have to sort through countless potentially unsuitable dates, let alone meet a stranger just to find out he or she is not at all what you were looking for. This is particularly important when you are a single mum or dad dating and you do not want to waste time and money on babysitters.
• It’s safe: Meeting other singles, even when it’s in a public place and social distancing, bears some risks during a pandemic. Online dating is safe: You can meet singles from the convenience of your own home which at present is the safest way to meet and find out if a person is right for you. With instant messaging technology, your potential soulmate is only ever a click away, if you want to wait and find out more.
• It’s easy: Dating sites and apps are usually very user-friendly as they were designed for all ages and technical abilities. Platforms are usually concise and easy to use, so you don’t need to be a whizz kid to use them.
• It’s cheap: Many dating sites are free, at least the basic membership, and this feature attracts a lot of users.
• It’s quick: Most singles will agree that it’s much easier to go online and search for a date than to go to a social event and just hope you run into your perfect match. Even busy professionals and stressed out single parents can fit online dating into their schedule.
• It’s specific: If you have a special interest or orientation, you can sign up to a niche site, such as a single parent dating site, one for tall people or one for dog lovers: There is something out there for almost everyone.
• It suits different personalities: Online communication allows even the most introverted person to feel less nervous and inhibited and maintain some distance until they feel confident to meet in person. And if you are picky, you are also in the right place, as the dating sites’ algorithms help find dates most suitable for you so you are not wasting your time. You can even block any unwanted admirers.

You might wonder where to start if you are new to online dating. Browsing a few free sites to see if there is someone you like, is as good an introduction as any. The rest is easy: A super simple registration process, and off you go. You can stay anonymous if you’re just browsing or create a 5-star dating profile, complete with photo – the choice is yours. Most sites will match you up with compatible options based on your profile and interests, so it’s worth giving as much information about your personality and interests as possible. To get more information about a possible match before meeting up in person, you should consider using video chat or instant messages.

If you spend a lot of time on your phone, you might prefer a dating app, which can be used on your PC as well as your mobile phone. Try sending a virtual gift to attract someone’s attention. Or, if you are shy, an old-fashioned “hello” works just as well!

How to navigate meeting your date during Covid

Modern society is dynamic and adaptable, even during the coronavirus pandemic. For many people, the switchover to working from home has been stressful and provided even less time for romance. It would be easy for dating to take a back seat during this time, especially if you are a single mum or dad, but, for many, online dating has become a sweet escape from reality.

So, what should you do if you are single or a single parent dating during Covid? Well, for one, you should stick to the social distancing guidelines in your area. You can try to go on a date in the park, not the pub or an equally crowded place. An outdoor pursuit, such as a walk or a picnic or a fun activity, such as roller skating are also great ideas as they can create a more relaxed atmosphere than a serious tête-à-tête indoors does, where you are watching each other’s every move. So, here is where dating during Covid can be fun.

Aside from being sensible and observing social distancing, singles in the UK now also must adhere to the new local restrictions. So, what does lockdown and the regional lockdown tiers, which come back into force on December 2nd, mean for dating and fledgling relationships? Let’s find out:

What does national lockdown mean for dating?

With lockdown imminent in England and already in force in Wales, singles in the UK might feel that their love life has to be put on hold yet again. However, the national lockdown starting on 5 November (in England) is not as strict as the first and lets us enjoy a little bit more freedom. There are fewer blanket restrictions in place and it’s more like a fourth tier according to Home Secretary Dominic Raab. For example, you are now are now allowed to meet one person outside for “recreation” as well as exercise. This means you could meet new dates for a walk in the park, a hike or a bike ride, for example. Find out what interests you have in common and get creative! Naturally, social distancing rules continue to apply.

Whilst pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues are closed, and meeting indoors is prohibited, you do have the option to form an exclusive support bubble for the duration of lockdown if you want to take things further. So, things are not as grim for singles dating once you think about it. It has caused many couples to experience high speed relationships, leading to engagement rings only months into the relationship.

What do tier 3 lockdown restrictions mean for dating?

With the national lockdown ending on 2 December, the country will revert back to a tier system. For those  who will be living in a tier 3 area, indoor dates may be out of the question, however, singles can still go on social distancing dates outdoors, such as the park, countryside, public garden, beach, etc. Most bars and pubs must close but, one way or another, meeting in a bar, or other public indoor or outdoor setting is not allowed. This includes private gardens.

If you are in a relationship but live apart or have recently started dating someone, you could form a support bubble with your partner/date providing at least one of you is single living alone or a single mum or dad living alone with kids under 18 and providing neither of you is in a support bubble with another household. Once you have formed a bubble, you can meet indoors, and social distancing rules do not apply. It’s important to bear in mind that you cannot change your support bubble and that it should be with someone living locally where possible. Children of single parent families can move between two parents living apart, even if the other household does not form part of your support bubble.

What do tier 2 lockdown restrictions mean for dating?

Rules for tier 2 are similar to those in tier 3, i.e. no indoor dates, staying overnight or sex unless you are in a support bubble.

However, you can meet a date anywhere outdoors, including a private garden or a hospitality setting, such as a bar or a restaurant as long as you observe social distancing rules.

What do tier 1 restrictions mean for dating?

Once lockdown ends and we revert back to the tier system, those singles living in tier 1 can breathe a sigh of relief.  The rule of 6 indoors or outdoors applies as before lockdown. Social distancing has to be maintained unless you live together, are in a support bubble or an “established relationship” – the only exception to social distancing.

The pitfalls of online dating

Despite the many advantages of online dating, there are a few downsides to note:

• For one, you don’t always know if someone is who they say they are based on their profile or even profile picture. People and cameras can lie!
• You could spend a long time talking to someone who never commits to an in-person date
• To get the best results, you also need to put in the work. Be thorough when filling in your profile. The matching algorithms are smart, but they can only go by the information you provide.
• Watch out for catfishing. Unfortunately, we can’t always know who is on the other side of the screen, and (though rare) there are fraudsters out there.

Communicating on the Internet has so many perks, but it still pays to be cautious. It’s not always obvious when someone is embellishing their stories or posting pictures that are several years out of date. Also, you can’t always be sure that people are who they say they are online. Always tell a friend where you’re going or meet in a public place when meeting someone you’ve only spoken with online.

Another downside of online dating is that it is not the same as meeting face to face. We can build a false picture of someone in our mind, just to find out that when we meet them in person, the connection we have built up, is no longer there or maybe wasn’t real.Online dating has long become a normal part of modern life. Many friends have a story to tell – sometimes fun, sometimes embarrassing and sometimes heart-warming. Some anecdotes are hilarious, others cringeworthy, yet others are about meeting and marrying a soulmate. If the coronavirus pandemic has taught us one thing, then it is the importance of social interaction. And since it is no longer possible to look for love in crowded places, online dating is the modern way to meet and date for the foreseeable future.

Have you tried online dating, or are you going to try? Tell us your story in the comments.

Here are some more articles from Single Parents on Holiday that might interest you:

• Our Top Single Parent Dating Tips
• Tips for Dating as a Single Mum
• Our Single Parent Dating Guide
• Where to Meet Single Parents for Dating

The post Coronavirus and Online Dating: How to Look for Love During a Pandemic appeared first on SINGLE PARENTS ON HOLIDAY LTD.

Online resources for kids to get you through the coronavirus pandemic.

We will all spend a lot of time indoors for the foreseeable future, and chances are, families with children will quickly get bored and frustrated. Whether you are in lockdown, quarantine or self-isolation due to COVID, to be stuck at home with the kids for an indefinite period of time is a daunting prospect, especially for single parents who are doing it all alone!

There are already countless online activities for kids to try during lockdown, but there is much misleading information and many broken links out there. This is why we decided to collate our own giant list of the best links that really are free, to get you through the coronavirus pandemic. We hope some of these online activities will help keep your children educated, occupied and, most importantly, motivated during school closures. There is something here for everyone, from learning apps and educational games to digital travel, dance lessons and music classes.

Educational online activities for kids that are free during lockdown:

A huge number of online learning sites and educational apps have waived fees for their services during the school closures, so take advantage and try as many as you can whilst they are totally FREE. Who knows, your kids might really enjoy ebooks, online studying or educational games:

BBC Bitesize: The BBC’s comprehensive study support is free and  offers daily educational content for all ages from primary to secondary school kids.

Crash Course Kids: This is a new youtube science channel initially for approx. 10-11 year olds. New videos will be available every Tuesday and Thursday. More topics will follow soon.

CBeebies: The BBC’s free tv channel has a great choice of educational games and videos, an online library and listening activities for the under 5s.

National Geographic Kids: This site offers a range of amazing science topics and quizzes for children, including lots of facts about the coronavirus.

Learning Resources: Free activity sheets to support learning through hands on play.

British Council: Lots of great teaching resources for children of all ages – aimed at teachers but a useful site for parents during lockdown.

Top Marks: Another site saving parents time by providing excellent online educational resources, from pre-school to secondary school.

Oxford Owl for Home: Oxford Owls has a free ebook library as well as many fun learning suggestions which are free.

Cosmic Shambles: The Stay at Home Show: The shows bring together comedians, entertainers and scientists (virtually) raising donations for artists without an income due to the COVID-19 crisis. Some shows, such as the Kid’s Science Club are educational, others purely for entertainment.

If your kids aren’t willing to study, why not try a reward chart? You could bribe them with prizes for x number of stars, such as a toy or a trophy to keep them motivated. Particularly those students unable to have a graduation from primary or secondary school, let alone uni, due to lockdown, would appreciate a little graduation ceremony at home, complete with customized award plaques, music, and venue setup.

Yoga and dance to keep your little ones fit and in good spirits:

There are lots of ways to keep you and the kids fit and healthy during lockdown. Yoga is a great way to calm your mind and stretch stiff muscles – perfect for stressed parents and children spending too much time indoors! Dance is an equally uplifting form of exercise. The links below are just examples of many resources available online and on youtube to keep you and your little ones fit during school closures.

Yoga for kids: Cosmic Kids: Stories, fun and kids yoga for the whole family from Tiny the T-Rex to Trolls and Frozen. Fantastic for young girls and boys.

Dance along songs for kids and parents: If you really want to get the kids going, put some fun kids favourites on and watch them dance to the tune – or join right in! Here are some great youtube clips which show you fab dance moves to some of the most popular tunes:

Go bananas: Copy the movements and dance along!

Dance Monkey and Minions: Zumba Kids Jr shows you the moves to some of the most popular kids songs ever.

Uptown Funk Easy Kids Dance: A fitness warm up Zumba choreography for slightly older children

Can’t Stop The Feeling: Music Express choreography with instructions for slightly older kids.

Dance Kids: Try to copy he moves of the Cultus Dance Kids.

Go Noodle: Go Noodle engages kids with movement and mindfulness clips created by child development experts. Available for free at school and at home!

Bring the magic of dance to life with user-friendly online video creator, empowering kids and parents to create memorable moments together.

Free virtual tours – travel around the world with your kids:

Turn your kids into culture vultures or take them abroad (all virtually, of course) to visit a sheep farm in Canada! Many museums offer free online viewings of their collections, as well as virtual tours and activities during lockdown. A great way for kids of all ages to travel virtually and see the famous sights and places and visit the most renowned museums and exhibitions in the world.

London Science Museum: The London Science Museum lets you explore their collection online, complete brain-teasing puzzles and learn about science with a range of science games and apps.

NASA Langley: Take a free virtual tour to find out what NASA is all about.

Natural History Museum: Free tours and educational activities and self-led trails around the museum.

British Museum: The British Museum offers online learning and activity resources.

Museum of London: Their website has a few online games for kids and suggestions of activities to do at home.

Guggenheim Museum New York: Visit the museum’s online collection and art classes from the safety of your own home.

Louvre, Paris: Take a virtual tour of the famous museum’s exhibition rooms and galleries.

The San Diego Zoo: The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour!

Great Wall of China: Imagine taking a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China! This beautiful tour really  makes history come to life for your children.

Free daily posts if you want to create a timetable for you and the kids:

These free online activities are great for parents and children who love routine: Pick and choose any of the activities below and incorporate them into your family’s schedule.

9.00 am – PE with Joe Wicks: Why not start the day with a physical activity? You can join live at 9 am or watch the video later. Every episode is different!

10.00 am – The Maths Factor is currently free: Let Carol Vorderman teach your kids during COVID-19. Suitable for 4 to 12 year olds and matching the national curriculum.

11.00 am – Elevenses with David Walliams: David Walliams reads from one of his books, currently “The World’s Worst Children”. A new free audio story is available every day at 11 am.

12.00 pm – Lunch: Jamie Oliver’s great family recipes are a great way to get cooking with your kids and get them to help you prepare meals.

1.00 pm – Myleene Klass’ music classes: Let Mylene teach your kids all about music.

2.00 pm – History with Dan Snow (free for 30-days): An amazing collection of history podcasts, fascinating history series and history hit originals, from ancient times to today.

3.00 pm – The Kids Should See This:  A huge collection of child friendly science videos – 10 to 15 new videos a week.

4.00 pm – Home Economics with Theo Michaels: Learn how to cook with Theo 3 times a week! (Mon/Wed/Fri)

Fun activities to give you and the kids some downtime:

The following online activities are a mix of fun games, reading and fab activities for kids of all ages to help you keep your little ones occupied during school closures.

Play Hooray: This is great platform for play ideas at home during lockdown for mainly younger children. Suggestions can be downloaded by age.

Five Minute Mum: 5-minute fun activities that busy people can do with their little ones.

Indoor Activities for busy toddlers: 40+ best indoor activities for energetic toddlers.

Messy Little Monster: Messy Little Monster is a place full of art, craft and activity ideas for children.

Imagination Tree:  Planning, play and learning ideas for lockdown.

Best Ideas for Kids: Arts, crafts and activities for younger children

The Kids Should See This: Smart videos for kids of all ages covering many areas of interest.

Vooks: A kid-safe, ad-free streaming library of read-aloud animated storybooks.

Solitaired: A fun take on Solitaire that features educational facts to learn from, from inspiring inventors to the pioneers of spaceflight and aviation. Great for older kids.

Solitaire Bliss: Enjoy free Soltaire games, including Klondike, Spider Solitaire, and Freecell.

Dr Seuss: Read, play games and hang out with Dr. Seuss. Books and videos can be ordered on their website. Not free.

Storyline Online: Fave kids books read by famous people. Note that Storyline Online is a program of non-profit Foundation SAG-AFTRA Foundation and relies on donations.

I’m A Puzzle: This unique version of the classic jigsaw puzzle lets players upload their own pictures and convert them into puzzles.

Highlight Kids: Fun games, recipes, crafts, activities for kids.

Nomster Chef: Illustrated recipes designed to help kids aged 2 to12 cook with grown-ups. Recipes teach culinary skills, literacy, math, and science.

Lucy Sparkles: Interactive drama, music and dance lessons for children up to 6.

Big History Project: A journey through nearly 14 billion years of history, examining our past, explains our present and imagines our future.

Of course, getting some fresh air and much needed vitamin D is as important as family time playing board games and dancing away to your kids’ favourite tunes. Our list of the best free online activities for families with kids during lockdown is just there to help our busy parents through the extended school closures. Maybe some of these activities will not only help you keep the kids educated, but also give you a many much-needed moments of rest in the many weeks or months of social distancing that are still ahead of us.

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