We’ve told them to be the ones to remind us to shower right away when we get home. This puts them in charge. When I enter the house, I get immediate orders to go right upstairs to wash the germs from the hospital.

As emergency physician parents, one of the hardest parts has been worrying about bringing the virus home and potentially exposing our children. We have increased our level of hygiene in our house by separating our work clothes and showering before we do anything else in our home. Our shoes and other work equipment is left at work or in a separate area of our garage.

Being emergency physicians, we know we are exposed to illness, and there is always an inherent risk. We care for patients with HIV, AIDS, pertussis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and influenza. We train to protect ourselves while still caring for our patients. With COVID-19, we have seen some of our colleagues become sick despite wearing proper protective equipment. There is uncertainty here, and an increased level of fear at work as we ration PPE and plan for a potential surge that we are already seeing in several parts of the country.

As I am writing this, our children are living with us. If one of us becomes sick, we will quarantine, and we have prepared for that.

We know that children prioritize exploration and play, and this has not stopped in our home. In between our hand hygiene lessons, we are finding opportunities to get dirty: This week we planted our garden. We finger paint and love to cook together. We take a lot of hikes.

We are grateful for time together at home where we can slow down and reflect on what is most important to us. While we worry about protecting them from COVID-19—both emotionally and physically—our children have served as a reminder to find joy in this moment.

Dr. Haber Hazan is an emergency physician in Las Vegas.