DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is scheduled to start college this fall at a local university, but we aren’t sure what is going to happen next. He is not having a graduation from high school because there can’t be any social gatherings. Now we wonder if he will actually go to college. Fall is right around the corner. I can’t imagine that they will figure out safe distancing in the classroom by then. Should we let him defer a year? Even with that, though, what will he do? He’s a young man, and he needs structure and direction. I don’t know how to guide him right now. -- College-Bound

DEAR COLLEGE-BOUND: Contact your son’s college. The admissions office is a good place to start. Do your best to get a human on the phone. This could be difficult, as most people are not going in to work. If you get an automated system, leave specific messages asking for someone to call you back. Listen to the prompts as there may also be messages about how classes will begin in the fall. Some schools have already declared that they will do virtual classes, using technology to engage students from a distance. Other schools are still figuring out if there is a way for students to be together.

At the same time, look around in your community for opportunities for your son, for internships or jobs. If he can balance some amount of work that will require structure with a virtual academic life, this may provide the stimulation needed for him to stay focused.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I began dating a guy at the end of last year, and it started off great. We would see each other every weekend. Since quarantine, we have only talked on the phone. That is wearing on us now. He lives about an hour away, and while he could come to visit, we are trying to follow stay-at-home orders. I want to be more flexible now. Each of us has stayed at home for all of these weeks, only venturing out to go to the grocery store. Do you think it would be OK for us to get together in person? -- Date Night

DEAR DATE NIGHT: The CDC guidelines do not say that you cannot be in anyone’s company ever. But you do have to take precautions. You can choose to see each other, but keep your distance and wear a mask. As hard as it may be, do not touch each other. Definitely do not kiss each other. But you could take a walk together. You can sit in your living room across from each other and talk. You can even share a meal if you sit 6 feet apart while you are eating. It is possible to be in each other’s company if you are vigilant about staying safe.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I barely get along. It has been like this for years. He retreats into the other room and watches TV while I cook dinner, look after the kids and then sit down to relax in the living room to watch TV -- never the same program and rarely in the same room. It has become more noticeable now that we both are at home all day long. Even as we are in the same space 24/7, we hardly ever talk about anything meaningful or sit together in the same room. How did we get to this point? I have other friends telling me how much fun they are having with their husbands during this time. What can I do to spice things up? -- Doldrums

DEAR DOLDRUMS: Talk to your husband. Pick a quiet moment before he settles into his evening routine. Tell him you want to have some fun together. Since you can’t go out for a date right now, invite him to go on a date with you at home. Ask him to help you prepare a special meal for the two of you. Help can be just having him in the room with you chatting, or, if he’s game, he could assist with the preparation. Choose a movie to watch that you both might like, and then talk about it afterward. Set the mood for romance. Encourage some form of intimacy. But take it slow. Little by little you may rekindle the flame if you choose to be together.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Usually my family and I rent a house in a beach community about an hour from where we live in the summer. We haven't yet organized it for this year because of all of the worries about being quarantined. But then my husband and I decided we might as well. If we have to be away from people, wouldn’t it be better in a pretty beach community? We can just take precautions when we go outside and to the beach. We know when the downtimes are.

When we started researching, we realized that, to our surprise, there’s hardly anything available. I think most people who own these homes have decided to stay there since they can’t readily hop on a plane and go someplace else. I’m bummed. I don’t know what I’m going to do with my kids all summer. They need to get outside and play. Any ideas? -- Quarantine Summer

DEAR QUARANTINE SUMMER: Don’t stop looking. Call your friends and people you know in some of the smaller summer communities. Right now, summer rental services are probably not the way to go, but word of mouth might work. If you can’t find anything, check the newspaper in your city for summer activities. Just like at the beach, in order to safely take your children to the park, it will likely mean going early in the morning, practicing social distancing and wearing a mask. Pick safe paths for walking. Research trails and parks outside the city where there are fewer people. Get lots of art supplies, too, and do projects with your kids. It’s a lot of work, but it may be necessary for you to become camp leader at home.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom lives in a retirement community, and she has been quarantined for more than two months now. She can’t come out of her tiny apartment for any reason. They drop off food packages to her each day and pick up the trash every week. We hired an attendant to organize her meds and to give her a shower, so there is one person who puts her eyes on my mom. But she is deteriorating. When we talk on FaceTime, we can see that she’s not doing well. She no longer puts on street clothes. She doesn’t fix her hair or put on makeup. I am so worried that if we aren’t allowed to see her soon, she will perish. But the community is strict, and they will not allow my family to enter the building. What can I do? -- Saving Mom

DEAR SAVING MOM: Contact her doctor and ask for advice. In most cases, medical professionals are saying that it’s safer to keep elders sequestered -- even though they are bored during this period -- because they are isolated from the virus. That said, the risk of depression due to extended social isolation is real. Schedule an in-person doctor’s visit so she can get checked both physically and mentally. If you can take her, that would be one time you can see each other.

Talk to the attendant you’ve hired. If possible, arrange for that person to stay a little longer each day and keep your mother company. Have that person get your mother to tell stories and reminisce. Do the same when you call your mother. Ask her stories that will jog her memory about her life. For more ideas, go to homecareassistance.com/blog/activities-to-keep-seniors-engaged-during-covid-19.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m worried that my best friend is going to be homeless soon. She lost her job at the beginning of the pandemic, but she wasn’t making much money and had very little savings. She did get the stimulus check, but that only bought a few groceries one single time. Right now, she is safe because the governor has suspended evictions, but what happens this summer?

I am wondering if I should invite her to come and stay with me. I have a small house with very little room, but it would put a roof over her head. Obviously, that isn’t ideal, but I can’t watch my friend be put out on the street. If I do bring her into my home, I feel like I have to establish house rules. She and I live very differently. I don’t want to strain our friendship or drive us crazy. What do you think? -- Rescuing a Friend

DEAR RESCUING A FRIEND: Now is the time to be generous with our loved ones. If you can bring your best friend in, that would be a blessing. Talk to her about the idea. Be honest: You know it won’t be easy, but she is welcome. If she wants to come, talk about how you run your home and what your expectations of her would be. Agree that you will talk through any questions or issues as they arise. Establish a month down the line when you will revisit how long she will stay.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)